New Waitakereans from New Orleans


I'm glad to say that Eric and Amber have made it to New Zealand soil safely. We met at the airport on Sunday after we flew into the domestic terminal from Christchurch and they landed at the international terminal from the USA via Tahiti. Chelfyn was flown down to Christchurch to DJ at a private party, in a gorgeous house overloooking the sea with snow-capped mountains on the horizon. It's the first time I've see snow since I moved to New Zealand. Christchurch was beautiful, bracing, and the people down south are absolutely awesome.

Unfortunately on our return to Auckland we were hit by a particularly virulent strain of influenza. It's the first time I've felt that sick in seven years. We all spent a couple of weeks in front of the fire feeling very poorly indeed. During the coldest winter snap New Zealand has experienced in 32 years. You could feel the icy blasts coming up from Antartica, but we're back to a more usual Waitakere winter of sunshine and blue skies, with occasional days of rain. After years of grey British winters I love living in a sunny temperate climate.

Things have changed for the better since we moved to Waitakere Eco-City in 2003, and it's a great time for creatives like our new graphic artist and musician to be moving to live in Waitakere.

* Mayor Bob Harvey has a stated aim of making Henderson the Hollywood of the South Pacific. Works starts in December on a new 15m high Sound Stage at Henderson Valley Studios to attract more international productions like The Chronicles of Narnia to Waitakere City;

* Waitakere now has faster net connections though New Zealand is still lacking in world class broadband speeds;

* Westies have much better rail connections to central Auckland, with work progressing on extending the double tracks along the Western Line to Henderson, and station upgrades at Fruitvale, Glen Eden, Sunnyvale and Henderson stations. The rail corridor will also contain a walk and cycleway;

* NZ musicians now have Kiwi FM - an all New Zealand music radio station plus C4TV, an excellent free to air music channel for promoting NZ talent;

* TMet Recordings now exists, our own contribution to the Kiwi music scene. Helping Kiwi producers get their music onto the UK dance charts and played globally.