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Living overseas

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Original poster

where's best to live in nz,and what do we need to know?

999 replies

AngryBeaver · 16/01/2011 20:57

My dh has been on at me for a year to move from the uk.He wanted Quebec,which looked gorgeous and romantic,but i wasn't sold on the winters and coudn't leave my mum.
He recentley said he wanted to move to NZ and i thought ,yeah if it's warm and a better life than here,let's do it.
So we've got fuck all money and 3 kids under 4.5 ...but we want to do it.
I don't know what's changed in me for me to agree ,but I hear th schools and hospitals are fab,and just want the best life for my lovely children.
I'm worrying though because I've read the houses are crap and cold.
We want sun,space and not too expensive (don't we all!)
We thought Tauranga,but that seems quite busy and we've read about boy racers.
We don't want Wellington as we've heard it's windy and weather not great.
Does anyone know about Nelson?Heard it's nice weather,but what's the reality?
We are going to put the house on the market this week,I am shitting myself,but I feel it's now or never.
Any help or advice,gratefully recieved

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WhatSheSaid · 29/04/2011 22:58

There's definitley a couple of smaller "supermarket" type places as well as the big one - I think there's a Four Square, which is kind of like a Spar - small but has lots in there. And quite a few dairies (corner shops).

I think food is bit more pricey cos everything has to be brought over on the boat.

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 30/04/2011 06:47

AH-ha!! so that's what dairies are? I thought they were literally dairies.thought it was a bit odd!
Smile

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WhatSheSaid · 30/04/2011 07:03

Yep, do you know the book "Hairy Maclary from Donaldsons Dairy"? It's a Kiwi book. Made more sense when I moved here and realised it was a dog living in a corner shop, not with a load of cows

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 30/04/2011 08:30

ha,really?!I do know those books. Hadn't really thougt about it though. I keep thinking about that link to the vineyard restaurant you posted.........

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Original poster
AngryBeaver · 30/04/2011 22:42

hmmm,now,here's a new one.Just read on another forum about there being a lot of glass on the roads? Surely people wouldn't walk around barefoot if that was a problem?
Searching on everywhere I can re Torbay and waiheke.I love the idea of the latter,but I saw a list of services and things do to in Browns Bay (just next to torbay) and it was pretty impressive.Everything you could need and loads for the kids.
I worry that there wouldn't be many playgroups/activities on waiheke.

Dh said it was pretty built up all the way out from aulkand to torbay,which I didn't like the sound of. I'm kind of hoping to get away from the overcrowding when we move.
Apparantly dh was told "we don't have big gardens in torbay.What would you want a garden for when you've got the beach right there?!"....mmm,yeah,i still want my garden thanks! Sometimes I would like to sit in my garden and read,or chuck kids out somewhere safe and enclosed where I don't have to watch them every second.
Somewhere more than an overlooked postage stamp sized patch that we have here.

The thing is,I know we'll have to rent somewhere first before we decide where we'll settle,but if we enroll dd in torbay.I don't want to have to uproot her again if we decise on Waiheke(it will be hard taking her away from this school) and put her another,That will be 3 schools in a short amount of time.

I need to think really carefully and glean as much info as I can.
Stress

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ZacharyQuack · 01/05/2011 11:00

Why yes, OP, the streets of New Zealand are indeed ankle-deep in broken glass. The boy racers break beer bottles to throw at the sharks in the swimming pools. But don't worry, at least it provides a nice environment for the spiders.

Seriously, what forums are you reading? paranoidexpatsinnz.com?

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 01/05/2011 13:43

hee hee Blush sorry. i had had one or two or three glasses of pink fizz when I wrote that! Unfortunately though, I'm also very gullible at the best of times,and when you're so far away it's hard to know! I think that was on the enz site..it was either albany or devonport she was on about. Obviously just her road then ..erm,sorry again

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WhatSheSaid · 01/05/2011 19:24

Grin at ZacharyQuack

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 02/05/2011 07:07

WhatSheSaid...when you were on Waiheke,did it feel like an Island? Or was it more like a town.
Do you think if you lived there you would feel the need to get off every couple of days and go to where the shops are/people/services are?

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WhatSheSaid · 02/05/2011 08:20

I've probably been about 8 or 9 times in the last 10 years. I've only ever been there for weekends or even day trips, so not a long time. I don't think you feel like you need to get off every few days at all (but I've never been there long term).

From memory it has - supermarkets, dairies, fruit and veg shop, butcher, estate agents, doctors, dentist (maybe? - not sure), hairdressers, bars, cafes, restaurants, huge hardware/DIY store, wineries, post office, second hand bookshop, probably other shops I can't remember at the mo. I thnk everything you need day to day is there, you may pay a bit more as it's all shipped over from mainland. You would prob want to go to mainland for clothes shopping.

Oneroa is the main town and has most of the shops but there are 6 or 7 other towns (villages really) which have a few shops of their own (there's an Irish pub too, called Malones's I think). There are several very nice beaches.

WhatSheSaid · 02/05/2011 08:23

It doesn't feel busy, it just feels very relaxed and laid back - though of course it gets a bit busy in summer. It doesn't feel like you're jsut in "another" town or suburb, there is a different feel to it

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 02/05/2011 08:34

Right,thanks for that. I think I'm comparing it to an Island we went to in The Maldives for our honeymoon!Beautiful but couldn't live there.
Have managed to get the email address of a waihekean,so have asked about dentists and general services.
Hopefully be able to build up a picture of daily life

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WhatSheSaid · 02/05/2011 08:36

Oh and there's a few glaziers too. They need them to, you know, deal with all the broken glass strewn everywhere Wink

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 02/05/2011 11:44

Stop that! Blush

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thelittlestkiwi · 03/05/2011 02:52

AB- did you look at Titirangi? It seems to have a similar vibe, without actually being an island. And it's in the bush (which is kiwi for forest).

WhatSheSaid · 03/05/2011 03:51

I live about 1km from Titirangi Smile

WhatSheSaid · 03/05/2011 06:00
RoadArt · 03/05/2011 06:37
Smile
thelittlestkiwi · 03/05/2011 06:58

I'm feeling a bit rattled tbh. Earthquakes, floods, tsunami warnings and now bloody tornado's. I had a carpenter here from the NS this afternoon and I'm contemplating texting him to see if he is okay! We've always felt a bit more vulnerable to nature here. In our first month we raced a weather bomb from Whangeria (sp?) back to Auckland with a power cut following us. It was the one that guy went out canoeing in and drowned....

ScroobiousPip · 03/05/2011 09:59

I know what you mean thelittlestkiwi. I was in Auckland today (not in North Shore thankfully) and the news of the tornado was just awful. I've just seen the pics and it's incredible to think that happened here, just a few miles away from where I was sitting. Very odd and, like you say, feeling rather vulnerable to the elements.

Weta · 03/05/2011 10:00

Just a comment about the Waiheke idea... it is a lovely place (though I haven't been there for many years) but I think when you are moving to a new country it is easy to get drawn in by the hype about a place and not necessarily realise how hard the practicalities may seem when you get there. I reckon you could find somewhere really nice in Auckland itself (and I agree that Titirangi and Torbay are both lovely), without the hassle of being on an island.

I think when you first arrive everything will seem so strange and you won't know anyone, and you will need to be getting out and about in Auckland a bit and it may just seem like a real hassle having to get on a boat all the time (not to mention extra expense).

Just a different perspective to add to the mix! I guess my perception comes moving to a small village (next to ILs, which was the saving grace really) when we first came to France. It was in an idyllic area, and one I had been to often on holiday, but in fact I found it really quite isolating to live there.

ScroobiousPip · 03/05/2011 10:13

Oh and I've just read that while I was flying home this evening there was a mag 5 earthquake in Nelson. Just a reminder, I guess, that we can't tame nature.

WhatSheSaid · 03/05/2011 10:17

I think it's a good point about being a bit isolated on Waiheke. It's a lovely place but you won't really get to know the rest of Auckland being over there. If you start in Torbay (or wherever) you can do more exploring of the area. Though the tornados/earthquakes/glass may have put you off by now anyway!

IntotheNittyGritty · 03/05/2011 10:44

There are a lot of very isolated places in NZ. Even towns that have lots within a town could have no other town near them for many many miles. I have done a lot of travelling around the country and there are lots of places I would hate to live.

In the UK you dont have to travel very far before you get to the next town or city, but in NZ you could travel for hours. Some villages are two to three hours to the nearest shops (excluding dairies).

If you are unsure you should really come out and see the places for yourselves before making any kind of commitment.

Original poster
AngryBeaver · 03/05/2011 12:51

I heard about the tornado,were there any casualties?It will be another bit of ammo for my family. Mind you my comeback will be along the lines of "well we're no safer here" they've arrested 5 men in cumbria this morning in a suspected terror attack.
whatshesaid you live near titiragi? Wink

No I haven't checked that out yet,but I will do.
The guy from waiheke emailed me back.He was very informative,said his wife and kids come off the island evry few months.There are doctore/dentists/plunkets/cinema everything you'd find in Aukland except clothes shops. Mind you,I googled the cinema,and had to laugh!! love it Smile

We looked at a few properties that we could afford to rent,they were ok.Bit small though.

I would love to go over myself to check it out,but can't leave the kids and couldn't afford to all go. (we're going to disney and s.wales this year as well as saving for the move,so double skint)

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