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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

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Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Holidays

Living in New Zealand

49 replies

Britabroad · 31/03/2003 03:18

Hi, have recently moved to Auckland and wonder if anyone else has any connections here or would like tips about living or holidaying here?

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Ghosty · 09/05/2003 11:15

Sorry ... just been joining in on the party thread ... silly I know but what else is there to do on a Friday night in NZ with nothing but rugby on the telly?
I have asked them to send you my e-mail ... when you get it drop me a line and we'll make a plan! I can forward your e-mail to sibble too if you like ...
Sibble ... where are you? I'll give you a ring tomorrow or Sunday if you like ... hope you are ok!

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Britabroad · 09/05/2003 11:24

Party?

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slug · 09/05/2003 15:41

Ghosty, don't you know it's the law in NZ that the lights have to be put out after 10pm on a Friday Night?

Incidentally you Aucklanders, do you know there's a sweet little place called "Sheep World" up just past Warkworth. You can feed the lambs and pat the sheep, goats and pigs. Lots of fun for the kiddies and conveniently close to the wine trail for the adults.

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sibble · 09/05/2003 20:41

Hi Ghosty and Britabroad
Must have just missed you on line last night. DH called me to jump in the spa and seemed the sensible thing to do. Would love to meet up, keep me in the loop. Can do most afternoons this week. After about 2 on Tuesday as DS has first dental appt at Cockle Bay. We are away the following week. Doing the kiwi thing jumping in the car and seeing where we end up (I get car sick and DH gets stroppy so probably around the block and back again!!).
Ghosty am fine again now after a nights sleep, thanks for the chat the other day. Tried to call yesterday but got the answering machine so was going to try over the weekend. Speak and see everybody soon. This is very exciting at 1 new recruit per week, soon we will have to hire a venue for the NZ mumsnet meetings!

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Ghosty · 09/05/2003 21:05

Slug ... thanks for that ... will look for Sheep World ...
Sibble ... he he he ... 'just had to jump in the spa!' Do you know how jealous the other mumsnetters are going to be .... he he he

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sibble · 09/05/2003 23:49

I know sounds really pretentious doesn't it. Only thing is out here people have them like baths (actually that doesn't make them sound very inviting!!) urgggghhhhh Thank goodness for showers.

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Britabroad · 10/05/2003 11:20

Sibble has got in touch to arrange get together hope we all meet up soon.

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CumbrianLass · 26/05/2003 11:06

Wow, Kiwis!!!

I spent several months in Auckland last year and will be moving to either Auckland or Chch within a year.

My best friend lives in Whitford ROTFL

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Ghosty · 26/05/2003 11:11

Your best friend isn't Sibble is it Cumbrianlass? She lives in Whitford!!!
I hope you do move to Auckland .... we can really get some rockin' meet ups going ... I have met Britabroad and Sibble and they are great! In fact we are all getting together on Wednesday at Sibble's house ....
We are not 'real' kiwis though ... Sibble and I are married to kiwis and Britabroad is a bone fide immigrant!!!!!!!!!!
There are a couple of real kiwis on Mumsnet ... but they live in London!!!

PS ... welcome to Mumsnet ... if you are new that is ....

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sibble · 26/05/2003 20:13

Hi Cumbrianlass
Come and join the party in Auckland. Like Ghosty said I am in Whitford too, world is really a small place. Are you kiwi or are you coming over for work ??????

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slug · 26/05/2003 21:29

I went to University in Christchurch. Lovely place but watch out for the smog in winter. Something to do with a heat inversion layer. Great for skiing though.

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Harrysmum · 26/05/2003 22:03

Thinking of moving to Wellington in December for dh's job for at least a year. Thoughts on it as a place to live, what to do with 2 children (currently 2y7m and 5m), ease of integrating, getting a job (for me) etc. Anything really on how to move overseas (like should we sell our house, how much does it cost to ship things?). As you can tell, we're at the v preliminary stages but quite keen. Thanks.

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SueW · 26/05/2003 22:12

slug, my DH also went to uni in Chch. He was there for years and years (!) born in 1964 so would have started about 1982 and left, I think, in 1989 to do his OE.

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Ghosty · 26/05/2003 22:20

Hi Harrysmum!!
I don't know much about Wellington ... I have only been through it twice ... but it is a nice looking city. It is the Capital so I don't so it is pretty cosmopolitan althought Auckland is much bigger and has most of the NZ industry I believe.
I found integrating in NZ very easy ... but then I did put in a bit of work when I first got here and got myself to playgroups etc and made myself chat to people (am usually a bit shy at first) ... I have made some good friends (both Kiwi and Brit) and haven't found that side of things a problem. There is a wonderful society called Plunket ... who will put you in touch with nearest playgroups and coffee groups and stuff like that.
I don't work but I know I wouldn't have a problem finding a job if I wanted to as I am a teacher ... depends on what you do I suppose as to how easy finding a job will be ...
If you are only planning to live here for a year I wouldn't sell your house if I were you ... unless you have to .... House prices are lower in Wellington than they are in Auckland ... you could probably buy a reasonable 3/4 bedroom place for $450,000 ... (about 150,000 pounds).
Shipping is expensive and there are various ways of doing it ...
You can do it all yourself (pack your own container etc) which is cheaper ... but a lot of hassle ... esp here as the import rules are really strict.
We went with Allied Pickfords ... mainly because they had an office here and dealt with all the paperwork ... It cost us 4000 pounds!!!!!!!!!!
1000 of that was Marine Insurance (which rocketed after 9/11). TBH the other quotes we had were not that much cheaper and then we had the hassle of sorting out the paperwork ourselves.
They are really strict here about stuff to bring in .... MAFF (Ministry of Agriculture, Fishing and Farming I think) have to check your paper work before they release your stuff ... and if there is any garden furniture ... or tools or bikes ... or anything you use outside they have to inspect it. They are paranoid about foot and mouth and mad cows here ...
Apparently anything wicker has to be checked too for some kind of bug that lives in wicker that they don't want here ...
I have gone on about that a bit ... but it was the biggest issue of the whole move for me ...
I will post more as I think of it ....
HTH!!
PS ... I love being in NZ!

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sibble · 27/05/2003 01:26

Hi
Like ghosty don't know Wellington too well, but brother in law lives there so am flying down soon. Is a really great free interactive museum, loads of cafes etc. Kiwi's moan about the traffic and rain system but I think amything is better than travelling in and aroudn London so depends what you are used to.
If you are thinking seriously of returning to UK I would keep and rent your house (if poss), you do really well with exchange rate coming here but not going back at moment.
Start thinking in NZ$ as soon as you arrive and not converting your money back, everything seems cheap in comparison until you run out of money!!
Use a packing company so much easier, we used Anglo pacific, really good, approx £3,000. Worse thing is waiting the 6 weeks for everything to arrive. DS was really unsettled until his "things" arrived so pack as much as you possibly can. I packed pooh bear but tigger arrived 6 very tearful weeks later and he wasn't going to be fobbed off by a new one.
Join every playcentre, group, get a job or get out and about as much as you can. I have been here 8 months and am only just starting to make "friends" which was the hardest thing for me.
Shouldn't find it hard to get a job, people here seem to be much more supportive, whatever you do or want to do. If you are keen to work they seem to be keen to give you a go.
Good luck and let us know if you are coming.

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sibble · 27/05/2003 01:28

meant rail system but must have been freudian as does rain alot and apparantly the wind is quite feirce also was minor earhtquake last time I was there. I was pooping pants and they were laughing at me as it was so "minor"!

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CumbrianLass · 27/05/2003 08:46

No, I'm British, my husband is American and we live in Switzerland LOL

My husband worked as a family counsellor in Manurewa for 2 months last year as work placement for his MA. We already had thought about New Zealand being our next country and that just confirmed it for us. We lived in the CBD.

DH wants to do his PhD so now we can't decide whether to go to UofA or UofCant - or we may come in as proper migrants. We're hoping to move early in the New Year - all up to visas, permits, student applications and whether I get a nice redundancy package from the UN ROTFL

I don't know Whitford well, but I do know the petrol station and the post office ROTFL

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sibble · 27/05/2003 08:57

GOod luck, will be nice to have somebody else out here whereever you are. What does your husband do, sounds really interesting, I used to be a nurse and have just set up out here practising reiki from home. My brother in law (in Wellington) is high up in family social services over here.
Good luck with the move, hope it comes off.

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Harrysmum · 27/05/2003 12:33

Thanks for the replies. We have dithered over this for the last few years and each time we've decided to go I've become pregnant but my mirena should stop that this time! I think we need to get moving on the ins and outs of renting out our (new) house, tax things, car issues etc asap - it seems like a massive list but I'm sure that it can be done... I guess every time I feel swamped I should think of the sunshine... If we don't get Wellington, any other recommendations?

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slug · 27/05/2003 14:05

I'm from the Hutt Valley which is just outside Wellington. Lots of people live there and commute into Wellington to work. It's about 50mins on the train from the far end of the valley, but you can live closer in. I'd recommend Petone, on the other side of the harbour. It's about 15 mins on the train or a 20 minute drive. I used to live there and cycle into Wellington to work (in my younger, fitter days) Alternativly you could live along the Kapti Coast which has a reputation for being the retiree's paradise, but has nice beaches. Alternatively you could try Eastbourne, which is around the harbour a bit more. You can take a ferry fro there to town, but I wouldn't recommend it in the winter, the wind can be truly terrifying. It's very nice there but can be a bit pricey as it's full of NZ style celebs. Martin Crowe has a house there (ex NZ cricket team captain and cousin to Russel Crowe)

Keep your house! I've got friends who've just returned from a year skiing in NZ. They funded it by renting out their home in London.

SueW, I was at Canterbury University from 1985 till 1989. Doing Psychology and Religious Studies. I know a lot of the engineers though.

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CumbrianLass · 27/05/2003 14:38

Wow, a psychology student from Cant.? My DH wants to do his PhD at Cant - in Psychology. He specializes in family counselling with a bi-cultural emphasis. We hear good things of the Cant. Psychology dept.

What is there Religious Studies Dept. like? I was thinking of continuing my MA in Comparative Theology there.

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SueW · 27/05/2003 17:14

Slug, bet you know my DH - he lectured in psych for a while - spooky..... His specialisation was chrononeuropsychopharmacology (however you spell it!). He worked in a bar in the centre of Chch where he lived with his girlfriend, I think. Should I be telling you all this? You may know lots of his friends!

His uncle lives in Upper Hutt (Heretaunga) and his brother and his family in Tawa.

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slug · 28/05/2003 13:32

OK SueW. I'm from Upper Hutt. Now this is just getting too scary for words. Odds are he'll know my family, there's so many of us we're almost an Upper Hutt institution. My parents live in Heretaunga.

CumbrianLass, the Religious studies department, at least when I waws there was TINY. This can be both a good and a bad thing IYKWIM.

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SueW · 28/05/2003 17:40

DH is from the West Coast - born and bred until he went to St Andrews in Chch, then to Cant Uni. His dad's family are the coasters - some of them still live there. His mum was from Feilding. His (maternal) uncle has moved to Upper Hutt some time since he had a family I think. DH's mum, who died three years ago, lived in Nelson. His dad died in 1986.

His other maternal uncle was a (somewhat controversial, I believe) high court judge until he retired, last year or the year before. He now lives in Auckland.

So the family isn't Wellington-based really but some of them have sort of ended up there.

Small world, isn't it? Bet if we swapped some names we'd end up with a less than six steps connection