Yay! My humans have found a dog-friendly house in Brisbane so I can go and join them!!
They have been running around like maniacs since arriving in Australia last week - looking, looking, looking all day at so many houses…
It was very difficult because they needed to find somewhere that was near Paul’s work place but that would let doggies live in it too – and also hopefully have special machines which makes cold air called ‘AC’ because Brisbane is a very hot place.
Lots of places were nice and in the right areas but would not allow doggies (it’s so sad - some people make their doggies stay outside in the garden all the time and never let them into the house to be with the family…) – others would allow doggies but be too far from Paul’s work or be huge, old houses (“Queenslanders”) which were really dirty and old and falling apart! 
But – finally! – my humans found somewhere which was not too big or old and was near Paul’s work and was quite nice & clean…but the Landlord Human who owned the house did not want to let doggies live there! So my humans begged and explained that I was very well-trained and well-behaved (I would not be digging in the garden or barking or chewing up the floors!), that Hsin-Yi works from home so I would not be left alone in the house for long periods and that I sleep all day anyway…and finally, the Landlord Human agreed to let me stay. Whew! 
It was a big relief because if my humans had not found somewhere this week, I would not be able to go on the Big Flying Machine until January because of the “Christmas shut-down” – but thankfully, I just made it! So I will be going on the Big Flying Machine tomorrow to join them in Brisbane – hooray! 
By the way, some of you asked some questions about our ‘moving overseas’ thing so I thought I’d answer them here:
1) why did my humans do all the packing themselves?
Because they have had a lot of bad experiences with Movers, especially the first time when they moved from the faraway place called England, they let the Movers pack everything and were horrified at how things were being thrown anyhow into the boxes and even saw a couple of books being ripped and damaged in front of their eyes! Plus boxes were being sealed up half-empty which meant that they were paying for more space than they really needed and also things were rattling around in the boxes and getting damaged… And this was with a big company called Allied Pickfords too! So they told the Movers to go away and finished all the packing themselves – all night – until 5am in the morning. It was a horrible time and they promised themslves that they would never go through that again – so now they just do all the packing themselves, even if it takes a bit more time, so that they know that things are packed as carefully as possible and that all the space is used properly. Because Paul does not have a company which pays for “relocation” like many other humans and so my humans have to pay for everything themselves – so they always try to save money paper if they can! Anyway, Hsin-Yi says it’s a good way to make them sort through all their junk and throw lots of unnecessary things away! Hsin-Yi is a “hoarder” and never likes to throw anything away, and my humans have TONS of books – enough to open a book shop!
2) what happens to my Raw Diet when I go to stay at the pet hotel?
I usually eat a combination of: raw meaty bones (eg. whole chicken carcasses, chicken necks, lamb brisket, offal, whole fish) for my main meal in the mornings (500g) and a ready-made, frozen, raw BARF mixture in the evenings (200g) – total 700g daily, which is 1% of my bodyweight - which is how much us giant breeds should eat on a raw diet. (Smaller breeds eat more, like 2-4% of their body weight). Of course, when I go to kennels, it is not easy for me to have raw meaty bones – the Airport Pet Hotel are very good about trying to stick as close to my normal diet as possible and they even give me raw chicken carcasses from time to time. If I am going for a long time, my humans might take a bag of my frozen BARF mixture to the pet hotel for them to feed me but if I am going for just a short time, like a week, then they just let the pet hotel feed me whatever dry food they are giving the other doggies. Hsin-Yi doesn’t think this matters – she says this is like humans going on holiday and eating things different to their normal, everyday diet for a while. She thinks it is important to use common sense and be relaxed and realistic about doggie diets, not make it into a scary science – which is what all the pet food companies and marketing people are trying to do.
3) why aren’t my humans shipping my bed and old toys to Brisbane?
Australia is awfully strict about things coming into their country and so they check EVERYTHING – especially anything to do with animals - and if they think it is dirty and “contaminated” with any soil or dirt or bugs or anything that is a “biosecurity risk”, they will make you pay lots of money paper to “fumigate it” or they will take it away from you and destroy it. Some of my things (like my brand new birthday toys!), my humans cleaned really well and shipped but other things like my beds and older toys – they knew they could never clean it properly enough so it is better to throw them away and get new ones in Australia, than to pay a lot of money paper for shipping and then for checking and fumigation in Australia, when the things were very old anyway. Also, the Moving Company told my humans that the more things that had to be checked and fumigated, the longer they will keep everything – which means my humans won’t get their stuff for AGES!
The reason I can go in without quarantine is because NZ has the same kind of biosecurity rules as Australia and so anything from here is already “safe” – so any doggie who was born and has lived here all their life can go to Australia without quarantine.
For more information, go to Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service (AQIS) – FAQ’s
Well, I’d better go and get ready for my flight…it’s 3 & a half hours, by the way, for those of you who were wondering – so not that bad! 
See you all in Brisbane!
good luck Honey!!!!!! be sure to buckle your seat belt! I hope you meet lots of new doggies friends in Brisbane.
Yer pals,
Sketcher and Angel
What wonderful news!
Safe travels to you Honey! Can’t wait to hear about your reunion with the humans.
Oh Dear Honey,
It’s been waaay too long since I’ve visited you and here you are… moving already! So glad to hear that your pawrents found a place near Paul’s work and also that you can live there !!! You sound furry, furry excited -- I would be too, especially since I get to spend Christmas with mommy and daddy! Whew! Have a great flight and I look forward to seeing you investigate your new home and environment!!!
Hugs xo
Sammie
Hope you have a safe trip, Honey! It’s awesome that Paul and Hsin-Yi found a house that is nice and will allow you to live there! It must have been very stressful to be looking for a house and having trouble finding the right one. Thank goodness you fly tomorrow and will all be together for the holidays! Can’t wait to hear all about your new place!
Oh goody! I hope you have a safe trip! I agree about the movers. I paid movers to pack for me once and will never do it again. I hated getting to my new place and finding I had paid to move half empty boxes of stuff I would have gotten rid of rather than pay to pack. I did not have broken things but instead had plastic tupperware packed in gallons of styrofoam and other such rediculous wastes of effort and packing materials just to inflate the price. THEN I was basically intimidated into giving them a big tip. It was the worst moving experience I have ever had!
Very strange about the fumigation of beds and such that also come from NZ but not you! The most important thing is that you don’t need to be quarantined because that would be terrible!
I am so glad your humans talked that lady into accepting doggies. Maybe you will make her see that not all big doggies are trouble!
I can’t wait to hear about your new place andd your reunion with your humans!
Hi Honey -- and Hsin-Yi and Paul! We hope you are all together soon and manage to have a fairly relaxing time over Christmas and the New Year. We’re missing you -- have a safe trip and we can’t wait to catch up with you again soon! Schnauzer snuggles -- JD and Max.
Miss Honey,
I know your Hsin-Yi can be quite convincing and that you are a good doggie for sure, but I bet that landlord person will be surprised to see your large self. Don’t worry, he will love you. And you have the AC? Brilliant! Most cool making.
Slobbers,
Mango
P.S. Poor Paul and Hsin-Yi to have to do that packing. I think my momma would cry if she had to do that.
Honey
Have a safe flight and looking forward to seeing you again with Hsin-Yi and Paul in Brisbane.
love and woofs
Clive
Oh Honey, I’m so happy you’ll be with Hsin-Yi and Paul in your new home for Christmas! And that we don’t have to worry about you bumping into any sleighs or reindeer on your flight. Was your new house in one of the photos? Those houses look alot like some of the houses down in South Carolina, where Mom and I will be going on Dec. 28 for the winter. So we’re enjoying the snow now because in 8 days, the only white fluffy stuff I’ll be playing in will be beach sand!
Happy holidays!!!
Your pal,
Petey
Together for Christmas — hurray!
Hi Honey,
I’m glad that you will be joining your humans tomorrow…have a safe flight and be a good girl. My mom has missed you…now that she’s up and blogging and can’t wait for you to get settled in to see what we have been up to.
AARF Kasha the Dainty Great Dane
Oh, Honey, I’m so pleased you will be with your humans soon, and not have to wait for weeks and weeks!
I hope you like Brisbane, my human used to live there, she says it is nice but very hot!
Puppy kisses from Melbourne (which is not hot at all, except for this week and last week and lots of other weeks)
Sasha
Oh boy! I bet you are gonna be super excited to see your humans. I always am, after my mom has been gone even a short time!
travel safe and dont be scared, BigHoneydog. Mom and I will be thinking about you and your humans during this new adventure!
wags, wiggles & slobbers
Murphydog
Yay! Honey
welcome to Australia!
Have a safe Flight miss Honey, we really hope you enjoy Australia like we do, but we hope its not too hot for you, we are glad your humans got you a hose with that air con thingy, mummy has the aircon here when its very hot and we love it.
Cant wait to read of your flying adventures and pics of your new abode.
Licks and leans
Stripe n nitro
WOW! I’m following your experience CLOSELY, cuz guess what? We’re moving from Northern California to Switzerland! I couldn’t say earlier ‘cuz I held a guessing contest on Wild Dingo. You are helping me so much!
congratulations on the new place and it being PERFECT! I hope to get the same for my 2. though Switzerland i think is a little less strict than NZ or Australia… (due to rabies) but we still have to go through the motions of pet paperwork, listing them on our Visa and finding a house to rent that has a YARD!
good luck with the move!
~wags-n-wiggles~
wild dingo
Bon Voyage Honey. I am very glad you will be with your humans for Christmas. Although I am sad that you and your humans have left NZ I will enjoy reading about all your new adventures in Australia.
Thankyou again for the lovely gifts you sent, you lovely pawtrait is hanging in our living room along with those of your elder brothers Jake, Zeus and Razor, your 1/2 brother Quinn and of course your wonderful daddy Blade.
Have a fun, happy life in your new country Honey, but never forget you are a Kiwi girl so no picking up that Aussie accent! LOL LOL
love your breeders
Kim & John
Hi Honey! Glad to hear your family found a nice place to live with you. Have a safe trip, my dear! Can´t wait to hear more about your new home!
xoxo
Thor
Bone Voyage Honey!! We know you’ll have a great trip. Our boy is on a Big Flying Machine right now heading home to Boston. They let him sit in a seat. Did you get to at least keep all the toys you got for your birthday???
~Rufus, Ruby and baby Juneau (the Great!!)~
I’m so excited!! I was afraid your humans might not find a house for a long time! Have a safe trip and tell us about your new house as soon as possible!
Jackal
What great news!
See woo from Australia my furiends!
Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
Hooray! We’re so glad you’re going to be reunited with your humans in time for Christmas. They have done an excellent job of finding you a home. Safe traveling.
Woo Hoo -- Honey!!! Great news and we are sure that this Landlord will be so thrilled with you once he meets you. We hope you have a smooth flight to meet your humans. Mom says she is with them on the moving thing. She has had a couple of “relocation” moves across the country and after the first one, she learned so much. She set up ground rules for the packers and supervised them all the time.
We are very happy that you will all be reunited soon.
Happy Holidays.
Woos, Phantom and Thunder
Hi, Honey!
I am so happy to know they found a nice house where you 3 are going to be happy!
I am sure you are going to have a wonderful flight and you will be happy to see them soon!
Kisses and hugs
Lorenza
Safe travels Honey. I hope you get an upgrade to first class on the plane … if not, I am sure seeing your Humans again will help make up for it.
Hi Honeygirl. What great news that your parents found a nice house near Paul’s work and where you will be welcome. All kinds of new and happy adventures await you there! Have a safe -- do you think you can take at least one of your toys with you on the plane?
Enjoy a wonderful Christmas with your parents.
Happy travels!
xox
Chef
have a save journey!!!! honey
ice kissslobbers
El’bow & Hauwii
WOO HOO!!! You have a new home!!! (Guess we should have read this one before posting on the last one). We can’t wait to see pictures of you in Brisbane!
OMG, Honey! I am so happy for you! I almost cried! Really!
I hope Now you’re already reunited with your humans. Can’t wait for more good news!
Love, Kimba & Mom
I’m so happy for you Honey! I hated to think of you being so far away from your humans and worried that you might not get to see them for awhile.
I hope you have a very safe trip to your new home. Looking forward to reading about your new adventures and getting settled in.
Thank you for explaining more clearly about why your humans didn’t bring your bed and all of your toys. It makes sense now.
Oh, Hsin-Yi, what a relief! In my heart of hearts I was worrying because I wondered whether you would find a good landlord. Did you show him Honey’s blog to convince him?
Now, I’m commenting especially to tell you Richard Curtis will be teaching canine freestyle in Brisbane in April. He’s from the UK. Do you already know him?
If you want to go, I think you should get in contact very soon. Links on my blog.
What wonderful news! I am so glad that you all get to be together for christmas! I hope that you have a safe flight and that we hear from you soon.
Love from
Boxen and Bella
Pingback: Farewell Auckland!
Your people did such a great job finding all of you an new place to live. I’m glad you are going to be with them soon and I know that you will behave perfectly in the new place. Have a safe trip and I hope that you get lots of new toys to replace the old ones.
Your friend,
Niamh
We are so glad that you can get to Brisbane this week! Thor was very despondent thinking of a wonderful doggy like you stuck in the airport without her humans. And how would your humans ever enjoy their new home and Christmas without their precious Honey?
Merry Christmas,
Thor and his humans
Hi Honey,
Hope you have a safe trip to be with Hsin-Yi and Paul. I bet you are all going to be very happy to be together again -- and just in time for Christmas -- what a great Christmas present!! My Mummy says to tell Hsin-Yi and Paul Merry Christmas too! We look forward to hearing all about your trip and what your new home is like.
Safe travels and Happy Holidays
Shady and her Mum
Oh Honey, I’m so happy to hear that. Relieved too you’re not by yourself for too long. Happy settling down in Brisbane!
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
Stop by to wish u a Merry Christmas and a wonderful holiday =D
May the Christmas bring you lots of happiness and health.
Autumn & Mom
Hi girls!
how was your fight honey? is everything ok? do you like your new home?
we jus wanted to stop by and wish you a happy holiday!
big kisses and lot´s of licks
sara and Pu
Hi Honey! You are such a brave girl going on that flying machine! WOW! We are happy that your hoomans found a nice place to stay and reading through your post my mom said -- hey -- that sounds familiar! Welcome to Australia and trying to rent with dogs!
We are glad that it all worked out for you guys and we wish you a Happy Christmas!
Lots of slobbers and here the Link to my Christas card
Master Teal’c
Hi Honey!
Wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas!
xoxo
Thor
Oh Honey thats great news. We were worried about you out there all on your own. Glad you found a nice place to live and got there in time for Christmas. Was the flight scary? Mum was talking to a lady the other day who had rented out her house and found out afterwards that they had “A DOG!!!”. She asked Mum what she thought and was very surprised when Mum said she would rather rent her house to someone with a dog than someone with children. Ooooopps. Well the lady told her husband and he said “You know, thats not such a silly idea”.
xwfx Bodie & Goo
Have agreat crispmas Honey. I knows you will have probably gone by now, so I hopes you had a good journey!
~lickies, Ludo
Hi Honey,
We miss you and your humans so much!! We are glad that your humans found a house where you could live with them in time for you to have Christmas together!
By the way we made a Christmas dance video, so come and have a look at it!
Happy Holidays,
Cinnamon
Hope you had a safe flight and happy holidays!
Merry Christmas to a darling pooch who has brought us smiles and happiness throughout this past year. Your gentle ways and upbeat attitude have been a source joy!
How exciting to be able to get a new house & new beds. I hope you’ll feel right at home as soon as you see your humans!
humans and boerbeols are home friends