WEBSITES FOR OUR STAY IN AUCKLAND FEBRUARY 18TH AND 19TH

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

WEBSITES FOR OUR STAY IN AUCKLAND FEBRUARY 18TH AND 19TH

Hotel: Formule 1
20 Wyndham Street
Auckland Central

www.formule1.co.nz/auckland

Auckland War Museum and Botanical Gardens

http://www.aucklandmuseum.com/

Ferry to Rangitoto and Devonport

http://www.fullers.co.nz/

Skytower

http://www.skycityauckland.co.nz/attractions/skytower.html

Auckland Viaduct

http://www.viaduct.co.nz/

Mission Bay

http://www.missionbay.co.nz/default.asp?s1=home

1 comment:

DJanuary 26, 2010 at 2:31 AM
hey Steve,
so just for clarification.... is our hotel covered on the night of the 19th? I can't remember and honestly I have so many hotel dates floating around in my head I can't keep much of anything straight. thanks!
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Steve

Since retiring from public service a few years ago I have been actively involved with Habitat for Humanity. I led a team to Braga, Portugal (May 2008) and co-led three teams to Biloxi, Mississippi (October 2008); Eagle Butte, South Dakota (July 2009) and Anchorage, Alaska (July/August 2009). I have been a team member on two international trips to Lampang, Thailand (June 2007) and Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia (July 2008). Also, I was a long term volunteer to the Mississippi Gulf Coast Region January 2009. I am looking forward to meeting and working with everyone on our Habitat adventure to Central North Island, New Zealand.

Maureen

Hi, I'm Maureen Farrell from Toronto, Ontario and huge Maple Leafs fan (hockey of course). The New Zealand trip will be my first adventure with HFH and I can't tell you how excited I am to be part of this. It's something I've always wanted to do.

My career background is varied including Finance, IT, Project Management, Consulting and Account Management. I moved to Montreal for 5 years to start my own business but I am now back in Toronto. Living in Toronto has afforded me the opportunity to interact with many different people as it is one of the most multi-cultured cities in the world. I have done a lot of traveling and take great pleasure in meeting new people and learning new things. I also love being outdoors; so having the opportunity to do all of this while helping others is just amazing.

One of the things I am really looking forward to is working with a great team of people with a common goal and communal spirit. In the corporate world this is sometimes hard to find. So I can't wait to meet each one of you and embark on this meaningful project together. See you in New Zealand. Cheers MEF

p.s. I really hope we'll have access to a tv and can watch the Vancouver Winter Olympics!

Christina

Hello everyone! I can't wait to meet and get to know you better. A bit of info on me, I was born in Vietnam and grew up mainly in Toronto. I was always interested in living abroad and about 5 years ago I moved to Bermuda after getting my accounting degree. Currently, I work for the island's financial regulator leading on policy, risk and accounting related initiatives. I am not very "sporty" but do love yoga and Muay Thai. Lately, I can't go anywhere without my trusty sudoku book. It has been a long while since my last Habitat trip and now that I have more free time, I look forward to joining more trips in the future.

Carmen

Hello! My name is Carmen Payne, my parents are originally from Malta, however, they immigrated to the UK back in the 60's and this is where I grew up. I moved to Phoenix, Arizona with my job back in 2005 and love it here! The similarities in climate between Malta and Phoenix are uncanny; if I close my eyes it's hard to tell the difference!

I've been very fortunate to be able to travel as part of my career and love being exposed to ancient history, different cultures and environments; excluding Malta, among my favorite travel memories are Egypt and Peru.

I am really excited about being part of this team, meeting you all, and getting the opportunity to give something back. The more diverse we are the better in my opinion!

If you'd like to drop me an email feel free to do so at payne.carmen@gmail.com, I love to hear from you.

See you all on the 7th of February!

Eliot

Hey guys! My name is Eliot Siegel and I am currently a student at Northwestern University in Chicago. I will be graduating in December with a dual major in mechanical engineering and psychology. Post graduation, I will be embarking on a seven(ish) month long trip through Southeast Asia and Australia with a couple of different volunteer programs along the way. However, this will be my first experience with HFH and I can't wait for it to start.

A little more about me: the biggest thing is that I really love trying new things. This is especially true when it comes to food and anything with a good adrenaline surge. Bungee jumping anyone?? I also enjoy a wide range of sports and am really looking forward to biking/hiking/rafting/etc. in my free time around this beautiful country. In college, my main passion has been Mini Baja, which is a club I run where we design, build and race off-road dune buggies from scratch against other schools.

I hope everyone has a good next couple of months and I can't wait to meet you all in New Zealand!

p.s. I know we have this blog but don't hesitate to contact me personally at eliotsiegel2009@u.northwestern.edu or on Facebook if you're bored.

p.s.s. If you ever make it to Peru, try the guinea pig like the one shown in this photo

Don and Valerie

Don: I was born in the goldmine area of California and grew up in Sacramento and Napa. While my interests were initially English Literature, I eventually earned a BS in Mathematics and a Master's in Electrical Engineering. A computer technology geek for IBM and several other companies for over forty years, I eventually helped develop K-12 curriculum-based interactive software for the PC. I write short fiction, play the harmonica and sing Barbershop whenever possible.

Valerie: Born in New Jersey and moved around during the war, I grew up in Miami and went to St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland. After meeting and marrying Don in college, I continued my studies in every country we lived in, raised a family of three daughters, eventually earning a Bachelor's degree in History from the University of California at Santa Cruz. A social/political organizer in several states over the years, I am currently writing a novel based on my husband's Bostonian family at the turn of the century.

Both: We have lived in five countries; London, Kobe, Japan, Rome and Paris. We have traveled widely and have always been interested in projects to help less fortunate people. We have participated in Earthwatch programs in South Africa, Chile, Costa Rica and Brazil. We now live in Ajijic, Mexico. Having previously been part of a Habitat for Humanities job in Atlanta sponsored by the Super Bowl, we are looking forward to helping on this venture in a country we have always wanted to visit.

Lynn Haske

I was born in Ontario, Canada but when I was five years old, immigrated with my family to Southern California. My husband and I raised our four children in North Tustin, CA. We very much enjoy spending time with our three young grandchildren.

I am retired from working at NAMI Orange County (National Alliance on Mental Illness) but continue to volunteer in their local library. I also volunteer as a secretary in a local club. I like to read, garden and crochet.

Ed and I are slowly improving and maintaining our home, which we have lived in for over 40 years. I have worked two Global Village builds; Costa Rica 2005 and China 2008. I look forward to meeting this new team in New Zealand and seeing what I understand is a very beautiful country while helping a family realize the dream of having a decent home.

Ed Haske

I was born and grew up in Michigan on our family farm. After three years in the Army I moved to Southern California and worked as a computer engineer. I have been retired for seven years. Lynn and I have been married for almost forty-three years and are enjoying our three young grandchildren.

I am an active member of the Knights of Columbus in our parish. I also volunteer with our local Habitat for Humanity home building program. I enjoy traveling and have had the opportunity to travel to Europe, Asia and Central and South America. I also make time for bicycling, backpacking, cross country skiing, woodworking and working on our house.

I have traveled to Thailand, Portugal, Costa Rica and China with Habitat for Humanity Global Village. I'm looking forward to this build in New Zealand.

Bob and Jan

We have been married over 41 years and have two daughters. One lives in Charlotte, NC and one in Vail, CO. We have one granddaughter in Charlotte and expect another grandchild in Charlotte in November.

Bob is a retired circuit judge and he practiced law for more than 20 years before taking the bench and serving as an active judge for 12 years. For the last 6 years he has been serving in the capacity as a senior judge. Jan retired as a Field Director for the Girl Scouts in 2003.

Since retirement, we have traveled in the U.S. and overseas. In 2007 we spent five months teaching at a university in Dalian, China. We also like to spend the summer months in Colorado, volunteering at the YMCA of the Rockies. This will be our second Global Village build with Habitat, the first being in the summer of 2008 in Jackson, WY. We also did a mission trip to Costa Rica and worked on a construction project.

We both enjoy hiking and Bob enjoys fishing while Jan enjoys sewing and crafts, such as basket weaving. We look forward to the trip to New Zealand, to see a different country, make new friends and help others.

David and Judy

David:

I like traveling. I like doing volunteer work. This project will be my first trip to New Zealand and my first assignment with HFH.

Currently, I reside in the western part of Massachusetts. I am retired with one wife, two sons and three grandchildren, ages 4, 2 and 1. The youngest is less than six miles away and the older two live six time zones from here in Prague with their parents. Don't ask me about them because you will get an enthusiastic, but likely too lengthy response.

I was born and raised in suburban New Jersey, had an aptitude and fondness for mathematics, went on to a first career as an academic and then became an actuary. During most of my work life I lived in the New York area, much of the time in Brooklyn where our kids grew up.

In retirement, besides traveling and playing as much as I can with our grandchildren and at the slower pace at which I now operate, I easily fill up my days with activities such as jogging, reading, doing math puzzles and moving plants from one place to another for Judy in her splendid garden.

Judy:

I grew up in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, the oldest of 4 children. I went to college in both Vermont and Pennsylvania and married David while I was still an undergrad. Our two sons were born in Mississippi and Delaware as we were participating in the first of many adventures living in, what was then, foreign lands to us (more from David about this).

Our middle years were filled with raising our children, attending graduate school and establishing our careers. Prior to my retirement in 2001, I was the Administrative Director of ING/Furman Selz Asset Management and its predecessor firm, Furman Selz Investment Bank. Before that, I had my own consulting firm, Judith R. Sanders Consulting, Inc., which provided employee and manager training programs for the financial services industry. My earlier career was spent working for Lehman Brothers and it's predecessor firms as head of Manager Training and Managing Director of Human Resources as well as teaching psychology and being a teacher in both nursery and elementary schools.

Since retirement, I've been creating a life that balances my interest in the visual arts and horticulture with my desire to give something back to my community and the world in which I live. I share my professional knowledge by volunteering as an executive coach and consultant to the Executive Directors and Boards of NGO's during the winter months (Sri Lanka 2005 and Cambodia 2006) and supporting community organizations as an unpaid consultant during the rest of the year.

We spend our summers in Nova Scotia, Canada with our visiting children and three grandchildren. Also, I attempt to make time for my other passions, gardening and oil painting.

JEN

I am Jen Aucoin and currently reside in Arizona. I am originally from Massachusetts and still try to maintain my status as a devoted Red Sox and Patriots fan. I went to school at Boston College and University of Massachusetts-Worcester. I work as a family physician on the Tohono O'odham Indian Reservation in Sells, Arizona and live on the reservation during the week. I spend my weekends in Tucson. I enjoy line dancing, hiking and watching just about any sporting event. My Habitat experience started back home and I have continued to be involved in Tucson Habitat. I went on my first Global Village trip to Biloxi, Mississippi in November which was excellent and cannot wait for this New Zealand trip.

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY - CENTRAL NORTH ISLAND, NEW ZEALAND FEBRUARY 6TH - 20TH, 2010

Wednesday, December 16, 2009