Publisher's Synopsis
OUR TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE YEARS DOWN UNDER IN NEW ZEALAND (KIWILAND)...AND I'M STILL DAMN WELL HERE TEN YEARS LATER! ... and LOVING it even more. Our Years in Kiwiland Our life, new beginnings in Kiwiland A South African's and "exile Kiwi's" light-hearted look at life in laid-back, provincial New Zealand. Eventually life in "Sleepy Hollow" became so quiet that we decided to write a book about it... although there were one or two adventures from time to time. A new immigrant family's view of rural 'Godzone' and culture shock after arriving from a large city in South Africa to start a new lifestyle ... with a rather drastic change of pace on the other side of the world. Now six years, no. now twenty-five years later, I take it all for granted... and appreciate it even more. "Nothing much happens over there. The headline in a major capital city was 'golf-ball thrown at police constable'." - comments by British entertainer Julian Cleary on a recent visit to "Godzone". And that's in a "metropolis". Just wait till he gets to "Sleepy Hollow" and sees the "local rag" in "Sleepy Hollow"! NOTE: The abbreviation "SH" is used to denote the city of "Sleepy Hollow". The name is made up, but the place is certainly real. All names in this short book (other than our own ones) have been changed to avoid any embarrassment. The only embarrassment might be the authors' at writing this. I must say that these accounts were my initial impressions and were written after about three years here. When I wrote this I was very socially isolated in writing my various books. Now another three years later, I have felt very much at home here. Whilst my initial impressions and observations have not changed much (if at all), I have met many wonderful people here who have reached out and made me feel very welcome. Thank you to the good, kind people of SH who have opened their hearts to me, even though I'm a "newie" and will probably never be a real "Sleepy Hollowite", my descendants not having arrived on the first ship to hit these "sleepy shores". * Not true some years later. Two sensational murders in two weeks. If this can happen in SH, what is the world coming to! Also to my close friends scattered throughout the world who always said I should write a book: this is what we have been up to in recent years... so DON'T expect a letter. I thank God, my Creator for the spark inside me which inspired me to write, and I truly believe we all have a gift, a touch of genius that lies in the human spirit, which is the spark within all of us, just waiting to be lit.* * In some of my later and more serious works, I have developed this theme. * "Dropped Out In Godzone" is an original and agreeable piece of work. The picture it gives of New Zealand- to one who has never been there- has a ring of complete authenticity. The feeling of the country is relaxed, and perhaps rather unstimulating, but we get an overall impression from the writer that he views his time there with some affection, and above all with tolerance." This book breathes a natural humour and kindliness, which is what gives it the individual character that is so appealing. Autobiography has a particular value as a literary form. It is a shared kind of writing and I'll continue to bang the drum. The book has quality and shares an easy and assured writing style that is a pleasure to read. These short books are of first rate quality." Five years ago my wife Gill felt compelled because of a series of traumatic and unavoidable circumstances to return to her home town in New Zealand. She had been away about 15 years first doing her nursing training in another NZ city, then working in England, where she met me, then living in South Africa with 'yours truly'. I won't go into the rather bizarre set of circumstances now, because that can be the subject of another book. All I will say is that it was a very stressful time of our lives. Fortunately or unfortunately, I was dragged along wit
