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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 · 12/09/2005 02:26

I think it's going to be okay, he went in really well again today, so hopefully we are over it! I think Oran (little boy from next door) has helped a lot. Did you have a nice time on saturday night?

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Original poster
nickiw · 12/09/2005 05:34

Ghosty, don't forget to let me have your website address - how did you get into this line of work?@

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redshoes · 12/09/2005 21:12

NickiW, thanks for the info - you could CAT me his other points of view! Wonder why his team are all Brits - not to avoid tension between Brits and Kiwis I hope...thanks for the property info. I didn't imagine it being all built up - thought it would be kind of really well spaced out - just shows...
You sound tempted by the cheap property...not surprising.
Bobbybob, thanks, I have looked at that site but I find it hard to know what the different suburbs are like. Nice to get individual opinions!
NickiW lol at house in Albany - just like here, the house you really want is always just a bit out of reach!!

Original poster
nickiw · 13/09/2005 00:06

Redshoes, don't want to sound thick what is CAT? The reason they are all brits is because they are so short staffed and so many people want to come over, we found NZ easier to get into than Australia. I am really excited our container has been unpacked and my sofa and bed are here!!!

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ghosty · 13/09/2005 00:33

Nickiw ... CAT is 'contact another talker' ... like you did to get in touch with me

redshoes · 14/09/2005 12:20

Hey NickiW how's it going? Better now your things are here? Would love to hear from you via CAT !

Original poster
nickiw · 18/09/2005 07:38

I hope my email helped redshoes. We had a lovely day at Auckland Zoo yesterday and fed the giraffes, this was Charlies birthday treat and he loved it. The weather here is foul at the moment, pouring with rain and blowing a gale!!! We went to see the house for $1m today and it was gorgeous!!!

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ghosty · 18/09/2005 08:33

I bet it was gorgeous nickiw ... houses of that price usually tend to be

If you are after a fab weekend away with the boys can I recommend a weekend in Rotorua? We just had a couple of nights there and had a fab time. This time of year is good to go there as it isn't busy and the weather can be too unpredictable for a beachy break.

We went up the gondola (cable car) and took both children down the luge ride (pricey at $79 for a family to do gondola and 6 rides shared between you but oh, so worth it) ... your boys would love it ... between rides you go up a chairlift which was fantastic.
We then had a lovely cafe lunch and after that went to the geothermal valley at Te Puia to see the Pohutu Geyser (the largest erupting geyser in the southern hemisphere) ... lots of bubbling mud pools to look at too.
We then went to the Paradise Valley Animal Park ... that was beautiful, so tranquil and gorgeous ...
We had such a great time ... I highly recommend it

KateF · 18/09/2005 09:05

Ghosty-am ! Glad things went well for Charlie's birthday Nickiw. at house price but bet it was amazing.

Original poster
nickiw · 19/09/2005 10:46

In NZ there is a progam like Supernanny called Angels and Demons or something like that with an older lady with an odd hairstyle. She was at the zoo on saturday filming so if you see 2 parent and a 4 and 6 yr old running wild it could be us....

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bobbybob · 19/09/2005 10:49

lol at odd hairstyle - Diana Levy rocks.

her boring cuddle and ask, tell, act really work - it's like ds has read the book too.

redshoes · 19/09/2005 20:14

Oooh Nicki - is it a possible??? Sounds amazing. How do the shares in the farm work?

ghosty · 19/09/2005 20:47

PMSL at 'older lady with an odd hairstyle'
Diane Levy is the ultimate parenting guru IMO ...
She has written a fabulous book called "Of Course I Love You, Now Go To Your Room!".
She gives great talks all over Auckland (I have been to a couple and she is so very funny and human).
I once emailed her in a state about something that DS was doing and the next day she RANG me (she had my details from a talk I had gone to) and talked to me for about an hour. She was fantastic ...
Like Bobbybob said, her advice really works and she also doesn't claim to have all the answers and has loads of stories in her book about how crap a mother she is/was ...
She is a national treasure ...

However, she is crap on telly ... but I love her even more for that!

Got your email nickiw ... will reply today to make a plan!

bobbybob · 19/09/2005 21:26

Yes the translation to television was not a natural one for her - I think she is as surprised as anyone that good old fashioned common sense requires books and TV programmes.

My mum just rang me to ask if I wanted a book called "potty training in a week" by Gina Ford. Er, no thanks.

Then my dad said "I'll do it when I'm there next". Er, I rather think ds has to do it personally!

Original poster
nickiw · 19/09/2005 22:40

Well, there are 64 sections that have been sold on the farm land and the buyers can only build 1 house and not subdivide. They are all large plots and quite spread out, there is also a community centre, park and tennis courts included. The farm is a working dairy farm and you are surrounded by cows and fields. After 15yrs if 75% of the 64 owners agree, subdivisions can be agreed, also other plots can be sold, even the farm itself and as 1/64th owner you get 1/64th of all profits. Obviously a bit more complicated than this but thats the basics!

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Original poster
nickiw · 19/09/2005 22:45

When they were filming at the Zoo the cameramen went into the hippo enclosure and got into trouble, everywhere we went the camera crew was around I felt really sorry for the family everyone was staring at them. I think you should see us in the background - really should have brushed my hair and breathed in a bit more!!

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Kiwifruit · 20/09/2005 07:59

NickiW - that farm sounds fab. Where abouts is it, and how much are the sections?

Bet you didn't expect to become a TV star when you moved to NZ !!

Original poster
nickiw · 20/09/2005 11:07

Its on Dairy Flats and called Goodland Country Estate, the agent we spoke to said plots were going for about $500k.

I bet the child expert was using me as an example in the background of what not to do!!

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Kiwifruit · 20/09/2005 13:01

Pooh, a bit out of our price range then - sounds perfect though!

Am sure she was holding you up as a glowing example . How are the boys settling in, is Robert finding school a bit easier?

Original poster
nickiw · 20/09/2005 23:52

Out of our price range to...

We have decided to sell in the UK and buy over here just sorting out tenants etc and getting valuations done. House prices on the Shores seem to rise by approx 10% p.a. at the moment so it seems a good time to do it and the market in the UK has picked up a bit.

Charlie is at school for his first day today and ran in without looking back, it was lovely. He has 6 in his class at the moment and was sooo excited. So I am sitting at home in the peace and quiet looking at the ironing and biscuit tin, my two best friends! Robert is going in so much better now, I went in for an hour this morning to cook jam tarts for sale at the school council tonight and he was very pleased I went in. I don't know if its the move or because he is growing up but he seems much more confident and relaxed than he was in the UK.

Mum started radiotherapy yesterday, the tumour is bigger and an odd shape so harder to treat than initially thought. The are having to go in through her throat!! yuk!! but she is in good spirits. I bought her a mobile and she texts me all the time which is very comforting. She is having 4/5 treatments this week and may go home at the weekend.

So now all I have to do is find a house to buy get a job to pay for it and think about moving again, nice and relaxing then.

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bobbybob · 21/09/2005 01:47

Wow - buying already - go Nicki!

Original poster
nickiw · 21/09/2005 02:34

The thought of paying someone elses mortgage really bugs me and not being able to decorate or make this house home. We are not sure how long selling in UK will take and we have to give our tenants 2 months notice.

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bobbybob · 21/09/2005 04:58

But buying here is really quick, so at least you don't have 2 lots of waiting!

Original poster
nickiw · 21/09/2005 05:14

Yes, it does seem to be easier here. Don't want to look to much and be disappointed if we miss out.

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redshoes · 21/09/2005 13:32

NickiW, at boys settling in school. FWIW I think you are doing the right thing buying - I don't think you could feel settled in a rented house. More stress (especially selling over here) but exciting to be looking at houses over there. How far is the dairy flats development from where you are now?