“Kia Ora!” This Māori language greeting translates to “be well or healthy”. It’s impossible to come to New Zealand without learning this phrase not only because it’s commonly used by its citizens, but also because a feeling of health and well-being is impossible not to have while exploring this pristine landscape.

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to sit in New Zealand – and bring my mother along! This country had been on our bucket lists for a long time so I am happy we were able to share this experience together.

We decided to arrive 10 days before the sit began so we could scratch our tourist itch. We rented a car and drove around the north island, checking off some of the most common tourist to-dos.

✔ Auckland City
✔ Snorkeling in the Bay of Islands
✔ Glow Worms
✔ Polynesian Spa (mineral springs)
✔ Hot Water Beach
✔ Cathedral Cove
✔ Hamilton Gardens
✔ Cape Reinga
✔ Māori Cultural Experience

By the time we completed everything on our list, we were exhausted and very much looking forward to arriving at the house-sit and having a month to just… be. The home is located in a lovely suburb in East Auckland, walking distance to multiple beaches. While the location made this a wonderful sit, the cat made it that much better.

While very independent, the cat was also very affectionate and would let you pick him up and hold him like a baby. And he absolutely loved head scratches and kisses. So precious!! He was also a constant source of entertainment with his love of climbing trees and (failed) attempts to stalk and kill anything with wings.

Duties:
– Care for 1 male cat
– Water plants
– Gather mail

Unexpected Benefits and/or Realizations:

– The owners of the home unexpectedly left a car for us to use (sparingly) for quick trips to the grocery store and other local errands. This was a benefit to us both as it made shopping MUCH easier and it meant their car battery would not be dead when they got back.

Unexpected Events and/or Challenges:

– The cat, being a young male indoor/outdoor cat, had strong nocturnal habits. The owners preferred I keep him inside at night, but he would yowl at all hours of the night until I let him out and even once bit at my ankles to show his impatience as I was trying to get to the door to let him out. Thankfully the owners then said I didn’t need to worry about keeping him inside, but then of course I worried that he would succumb to another animal or vehicle during his nighttime adventures. And obviously I do not want a pet dying on my watch. It caused me to be VERY nervous.