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You are not allowed to meet up until I have landed (stamps foot)

Obviously, feel free to meet up wherever and whenever you want. Just let me tag aong when I land

Thanks for starting thread. I'm in . Week after next Monday or Tuesday afternoons are good for me, or anytime Friday (think that's the 12/13/16th). I don't have a buzzing social life, but do lots of "classes" with DS1 to fill the time, can always skive off if needed to fit in with everyone else.

enjoy the flight..

We have a meeting with a therapist for DS3 on 15th. Other than that I am free. Land on 10th but obviously will be jetlagged.

The 16th would be good for me.

We fly down to my Dad's for Christmas that weekend, so the Friday would be good timing.

Can either do the morning or the afternoon - my two still have midday naps (thank the sweet lord! ) - so just have to work slightly around that.

There's a 3.15 ferry which I can easily catch, but likewise, the morning is fine too.

Good luck with the flight!

Can do the 16th I think, unless my 3yo has a Christmas party that day at nursery. will find out.

You're arriving with the right attitude justabout - get out there and meet people not that I've followed my own advice

marking place...

good prompt re parties, just found out that DS1 has his party at nursery on the 16th. It's not until mid afternoon though, so can still do the morning.

We are also away for Christmas, but once back will have lots of free time as EVERYTHING stops for summer break until Feburary ( is there an emoticon for blind panic - how will I keep them entertained )

Morning of 16th sounds fine with me.

I won't have anywhere to leave my brood though so can it PLEASE be somewhere childfriendly?

(I am a bit panicky about this summer break too....here DS1 and DS2 had SN playschemes in the summer, plus we had lots of SS help, this time we will have nothing. We do admittedly now have a double SN buggy which makes us mobile, but stilll....very challenging times ahead)

Wynyard Quarter is very child friendly, there is a playground, a pond thing ( which I think is actually a sculpture but is mainly used as a paddling pool) and some grass/AstroTurf for sitting on. There's also a big car park right next to it which is pretty quiet in the morning, and it's close to the ferry terminal for anyone coming from N shore. coffee shops are close by and the fish market for fish and chips if get peckish...... I'll have both of mine in tow too.

not sure when you were last in Nz ( think I saw on the other thread that you'd been here before!) but it's a newly ( partially) developed area next to the CBD/ viaduct. Where are you going to be living- I can possibly attempt to advise how best to get there?

sorry to hear about the lack of respite/help here for your DSs, that must be really tough.

suggest see who else is up for meeting and can arrange time/place/how to recognize each other. enjoy your last week in blighty- it has been hosing down with rain today but at least it's quite warm!

wynyard quarter sounds super. We've spent very little time in Auckland so I'll have a look on our map.

To everyone - I will be letting my DS1 bring his Nintento DS to the meet-up. Do not judge me, it is FAR preferable to the alternative of a child who can't cope in strange places without getting hyper!

I am keen to meet up too, and can do the 16th. My only comment is that the playground in the Wynyard Quarter is actually a bit rubbish for little kids (DD is 2). Plus it is not fenced, and there is bugger all shade. I am still a bit scarred from our visit last weekend, when DD leapt out of the padding pool/scuplture thingy and made a run for it on to the road. I agree that it is a lovely spot and easy for most people to get to, but I can see that it will be difficult to relax and chat (for me, anyway - will also have DS 3mo with me).

Sorry if I come across as being a total PITA. I have only been back in Auckland a few months so can't really suggest many alternatives either. You can hire out plunket rooms for get togethers, would that be an option? I don't think that there are any downtown though so it would be harder to find something to suit everyone (I've got ones near me in Mt Eden, happy to check out the details if anyone is interested).

Thanks for getting this started justabout, good luck with the trip!

No that is very important to know, Rodent - that doesn't sound good at all for my kids! Hiring a Plunket room sounds an option, if you are happy to check it out - presumably we will all have transport?

no problems- Wynyard is probably a bit less hectic on a weekday morning, not that keen on it myself at the weekend, but it's not the best playground for v littlies . mine are 3.5 ( can finally be trusted not to run off/into roads) and a not yet walking 13 months , who is quite happy crawling around inspecting stones.

Our plunket room is both tiny and has about 3 toys in it, so wouldn't recommend for a meeting of more than 10 minutes... Happy to go to another, have transport. Other alternatives I can think of

- park at Western Springs( next to zoo). It isn't fenced but play park is long way from roads. It is under trees so fairly shady and has section for big and little children. There is also lots of birdlife there ( my 1yo loves the geese and swans) and a big lake full of eels... Reasonably central ( although I am biased as v close to me)

- soft play( gulp)??? On the (admittedly few) times I've been, they are really quiet during week outside school Hols. Children can be easily observed from a reasonable distance, and usually a fenced off section for under 3s. There is one called Lollipops at Greenlanes near motorway - never been to it but believe it's ok.

plunket room good though if we can get one, thanks for looking into it.

Better go, I hear sounds of discontent..

Any of the above sound fine to me. Sorry to be picky but really none of my children are safe near roads yet....

I'm just marking my place in case the meet-up becomes a regular thing. we arrive on 20 January, and will spend a few weeks travelling up & down from Hamilton to Auckland looking for house & job for DH. I'm changing to being a SAHM from a full-on career woman. So I'll be homesick AND terrified and in need of as many friendly faces as possible!

how exciting vviola! You really will be having a lifestyle change then.

No problem Justabout, totally understand. I think one of the reasons I've struggled a bit with making friends, is that we now go to playgroups with loads of kids. It's all a bit busy and I spend my time following DSs around checking they are not coming to any harm and apologizing when DS1 thumps another child . It's not conducive to chatting- not the same as sitting in cafe with 1 newborn and people from antenatal classes at all ( wistful emoticon). Anyway, roundabout point is that we all need to be happy with venue.

Suggest see if plunket room available and if not decide on venue nearer time depending on weather. There have been a couple of monsoon like days recently.

Welcome vviola, I feel your pain- have done the same thing!

Just marking my place as definitely still keen.

I'm not overly familiar with good places to go in the city/CBD but will definitely have a think about other possibilities.

Righto, I have heard back from Plunket and I don't think that this option will work. In my area (Mt Eden/Balmoral/Sandringham) the rooms are almost always busy with their own coffee groups and other training courses.

Western Springs park sounds good and would suit me, but this being Auckland we definitely need a wet weather option as well. Depending on how many of us are planning to turn up, there are a few child-friendly cafes about (one 2 one in Ponsonby or Dutch Delight in Birkenhead are two options that come to mind).

If Plunket is not an option, would anyone object terribly if we went to softplay? It is wet-weather safe, and the children can play safely whilst we talk.

Almost anything else runs into the problem that those of us with more than one child are going to be run ragged going after them/trying to make them sit down.
God, we must sound like such a nightmare family....

Just nipping in to confirm that the softplays I have been to here are all fine - they seem to be regarded with horror here on MN - are they really horrible in the UK or something? They can be busy weekends/school holidays here but during term time/weekdays the one I go to has about 20 people in - is reasonably priced and no problems at all.

I haven't been to the Lolliipops in Ellerslie but I think it's nice. Beware, there is also a group of childcare centres called Lollipops so don't end up there by mistake. The website is prices here, it's one of the more expensive ones though.

There are some fully fenced outdoor playgrounds I know but none of them are central (though neither is Ellerslie, but it is v close to motorway)

I realised I should explain - in the UK we get help from Social Services to take my kids to the park because it is accepted that I could not do this on my own. I also use the SS help to take them to cafes etc. Softplay is really the only option I can do independently.

Sorry I really should have explained this before, I am forgetting most of you don't know me from the SN board!

Soft play fine with us. I never went much in the UK but think they have a reputation for not being spotlessly clean/ letting big kids trample little kids. Haven't noticed that here( or just have low standards)

Ooh ooh we are in Auckland now, it is very exciting (and warm)

Landed yesterday, off to look at locations today.

Where are you looking justabout? Even though I'd researched where to live and looked on Streetview to try and get a feel for it, everything felt so different when we were finally here, but it didn't take too long to feel at home.

Soft play in Ellerslie is fine for me if that's the consensus, it's v close to me. But can get anywhere really, I only have one 3yo to bring (I have older ones but not bringing them to soft play!)