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Original poster

Auckland NZ - Anyone have tips for moving there?

379 replies

nickiw · 26/05/2005 08:21

DH is having 3rd telephone interview tonight, they seem quite keen and may want us out there in 2 months!! Any tips for good areas to live, schools etc??

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Original poster
nickiw · 02/09/2005 04:35

What's with bacon and cheese sausages!

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bobbybob · 02/09/2005 04:48

Neither ingredient has any place in a sausage. Most of the time Rump Steak and Chicken drumsticks are actually cheaper in Countdown - so I give all sausages a miss.

ghosty · 02/09/2005 05:56

I have yet to find a decent sausage in NZ I'm afraid nickiw ....
Just wait till you go to your first kids birthday party and see what 'cheerios' are .... A kiwi institution ... just the thought of them turns my stomach!!!!
Why do you think bobbybob is a vegetarian?
Seriously, the best place to get decent meat (and sort of reasonablish sausages) is your local butcher ...

bobbybob · 02/09/2005 07:10

I'm not a veggie - I'm a huge meat eater! But we don't eat preservatives at Chateau Bob and so sausages are out.

Cheerios send ds quite mad - his grandparents really covered themselves in glory giving them to him.

KateF · 02/09/2005 07:24

Lovely that you and Nickiw are meeting up ghosty. Think I will tell dh about taking wine down to the beach after work but not mention the sausages - he does love a nice butcher's sausage. Does NZ have its own food style or is it a mix of all the different cultures? Am going to get some books on Maori and Pacific Island culture as well as NZ history - I love travel books so will be a good excuse for a trip to the bookshop. Please tell me I will be able to find one of those out there!

ghosty · 02/09/2005 08:00

Oh yes, plenty of bookshops ... just not quite the range that you would find in the UK ...
There are some good bookshops in the city but I very rarely go into town.
I thought you were a veggie bobbybob ... don't know why ... sorry .... maybe because you took me to a vegan cafe when I came to christchurch that time? It was a good cafe IIRC ...
Hmmmm ... NZ culture ... a real mix .... the cafe culture is big in Auckland ... can get some bloody good coffee around here.
Asian food is popular ... there are many chinese, korean, japanese etc people in Auckland and it isn't hard to find a good japanese or korean restaurant in the city. My DS (nearly 6) loves sushi which my friends and family in the UK find bizarre.
Finding a good curry is harder.
Kiwi food is very European and trendy in restaurants ... we love taking the children out to lunch - DS will choose a restaurant over McD's anytime ...
But the kiwis love a good barbecue ...
You'll be amazed at how much fast food there is around here though ... more McDs and KFCs and Pizza Huts than you can shake a stick at. I have often been shocked at the fizzy drinks they sell at kindergarten and school fundraisers ... fizzy pop with bright green and orange colouring. Luckily DS doesn't like fizzy drinks.
It depends on where you are whether Maori and Pacific Island culture is obvious or not. I love it and love finding out about it but I have shocked to find how many 'white' kiwis are quite anti.
I don't know what it is like in that respect in Christchurch ... over to you bobbybob ....

bobbybob · 02/09/2005 20:47

Books are expensive here (import costs and GST must push them up), but the libraries in Christchurch are amazing - there are loads of them - a couple have cafes in like a bookshop - they loan books, magazines, CDs computer games, and even DVDs (childrens DVDs free - $3 charge for a week for others). I have bought ds books, but he still gets his 20 books out at a time as well!

As you would expect the travel sections are very good.

KateF · 02/09/2005 21:06

Sounds great bobbybob. I live in a pleasant little market town and the library is not bad for a small place but tends to run towards Danielle Steele rather than travel! Couldn't find a single book about NZ. The dds have been going to libraries since babyhood as I can't survive without reading matter. Think it's what's kept me sane as have been a SAHM for six years.

bobbybob · 03/09/2005 04:03

You'd love it - they also have lots of events - so as a baby I took him to a movement and music session, and now he goes to story readings and the odd music performance. All totally free and really well organised. There are computers with all the educational games on, beanbags to lounge on - it has kept me sane as well as they are warm, sunny and keep ds amused.

redshoes · 04/09/2005 08:57

Nickiw, how are you feeling? Are you starting to get settled? Or got culture shock? Hope it's all working out for you. Keep us posted!
Bobbybob, no long summer evenings? How awful! Is that the same for all New Zealand or just Christchurch? Didn't realise how ignorant I was till I read that!

bobbybob · 04/09/2005 09:38

We get plenty of sunlight - it's just that with the whole place being so near the sea the wind can whip up in the evenings, which means you don't want to be outside until 11pm as we could when I was at Uni.

It's hard to compare though, because I have always lived right in the centre of the UK (though in 3 different cities), so no idea what it is like for those that live near the sea in UK.

Everyone in ChCh is a wind expert - know the direction and the speed.

redshoes · 04/09/2005 20:04

Crikey. I live in Brighton but it isn't any windier than inland towns except on the beach itself. It must be like living on a boat!

KateF · 04/09/2005 20:08

Evening all. Are any of you NZ crowd teachers? I need some advice re qualifications.

Original poster
nickiw · 04/09/2005 23:29

Hi Redshoes, settling in okay. My 6 yr old was in tears at school this morning so I am just having a bit of a blub myself! Life seems much the same as the UK. I cook, I clean and I shop!!! We went to Auckland museum on Saturday which has a fab childrens section and was so quiet and not busy - we all really enjoyed it. Having been to Londons museums several times where my stress levels have gone through the roof it was wonderful. Yesterday we went to Snow Planet which is indoor skiing etc. The boys loved it. Robert (6yrs) had the strength and balance and was brilliant. Charlie not quite ready yet but still cried and didn't want to get off the slopes. This is a great sign as we plan to go skiing here eventually. We also bought some more heaters from Warehouse (v cheap!) and are not freezing our bits off in the mornings.

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bobbybob · 05/09/2005 02:04

Heaters in Auckland in Sept nickiw ? - you will harden up. We haven't had any heating on here for a month.

Ghosty was a teacher in UK, but I don't think she has taught in NZ. I am a flute and piano teacher, but I don't need to be a registered teacher for that.

From what I can understand a UK teaching qualification is fine. I was a bit annoyed because my honours part of my degree wouldn't count salary wise (good job I have a masters then!) because I did it in 3 years and here it's a extra year for honours.

You have to send off your bits and pieces to get your registration number - not sure exactly how it works but one of my best friends is a teacher so I could ask him.

ghosty · 05/09/2005 03:51

Haven't taught in NZ ...
If I wanted to all I would need to do is get registered as a teacher as my UK degree and teacher's qualifications are good here.
I have no idea how you would get registered. One of the mums in DS' class is English and is a teacher here ... I'll ask her.

Glad you got your heaters nicki!

No long summer evenings in Auckland either. Probably less so than ChrCh as we are nearer the equator. In the summer it gets dark around 8pm latest. Gets light around 5.30am earliest.
When we were in the UK in July it was so lovely to be out in my mum's garden at 10 and it was still lightish ...

The biggest difference summer wise for me is the noise of the cicadas ... (massive ugly black crickets that you rarely see) ... they are deafening. And they all wake up at the same time. You can be awake at 5.49am and it is silent and then at 5.50am one of the blighters starts up and by 5.51 they are all up and yelling at eachother! I don't mind the sound, quite like it ... makes me feel I am somewhere exotic (which Auckland isnt!) ...
In the UK all you hear in the morning is the gentle summer birdsong (and traffic )

Original poster
nickiw · 05/09/2005 04:36

At our house in the UK the late evenings were great - not so the groups of teenagers who liked to hang outside enjoying the light evenings!! I guess it will be candles then. It's cold here in the mornings!! By the time I am back from school all the windows are open and we are warmed up, even late evenings it does get chilly!

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KateF · 05/09/2005 07:55

Thanks for all the info. Reason for asking is I am currently doing the Diploma in Pre School Practice which is a well recognised qualification here. I am working a couple of mornings in an early years unit for experience (not paid!) and love it so much I'm thinking of going on to do a years course in foundation stage and key stage 1. It is a SCITT (school centred initial teacher training) and gives Qualified Teacher Status which is what you need in the UK but it is not a degree course but post-grad. I don't want to work my socks off for something that I won't be able to use in NZ. If you could ask around I would be very grateful.
Nickiw-glad you've been having a good time with your boys and that you're a bit warmer in the mornings! Must budget to buy heaters. I don't like the cold. I imagine it's a bit like when I was in Africa - could be v.chilly first thing until the sun got high enough to warm everything up.

bobbybob · 05/09/2005 09:36

Here are some links KateF

teachnz

qualifications authority

KateF · 05/09/2005 09:47

Thanks-will look at those later. Am off to take girls to zoo as it is last day of holidays.

bobbybob · 05/09/2005 09:59

Have a good time.

Kiwifruit · 05/09/2005 11:15

oooh, yum - cheerios and Watties tomato sauce - the food of NZ kids birthday parties. Just thinking about them is making me all misty eyed!! My Mum used to call them Little Boys . Know what you mean about the sausages though - DH hated the ones that you got in the supermarket (although foodtown did some venison ones that were very tasty, and he could cope with those) - best bet is to go to a specialist butcher and buy from there.

Original poster
nickiw · 05/09/2005 21:19

My kids hate Watties tomato sauce! Found some old english sausages at packnsave, will try those. I need Shreddies and Ribena. I can't find any squash here anywhere, Ribena is really expensive!

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KateF · 05/09/2005 21:36

Hi nickiw - how's things?

Original poster
nickiw · 05/09/2005 22:18

Not so good to be honest Kate, Robert was in tears again this morning at school, always sets me off. Also Charlie is starting in 2 wks so that will not be fun either. My mum has also been admitted to hospital, she had a kidney removed 6wks before we left and it was cancerous. She is on morphine now and has a degenerative spinal condition and in constant agony.

On the positive side I am thinking of doing a similar course to yours, I would have started Early Years Care - 2yrs course now if still in the UK. There is a similar course at Massey University which I am going to enquire about. I am feeling quite sluggish at the moment and will take my time though before adding anymore stress to my life!!

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