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

[AngryBeaver]

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

Sorry you're feeling like that Angry Beaver. Maybe you need to go back to the beginning of the thread (very long now!) and see what it is you were wanting from the move. Really, availability (or not) of children's clothes can't be high on your list of why or why not to move. Its just a detail surely.
And same goes for lots of the other stuff discussed. I guess we're all just enjoying have a good chat about it.

Sorry AngryBeaver, I didnt mean to upset you.

I love New Zealand and would never ever ever move back to the UK.

Yes it is different, lifestyle very different, but it is so much more relaxed, less pressure, you get used to not needing lots of material things, life is so much much better and we are really happy here.

Choosing where you live is the most important factor and you need to evaluate different places before making a permanent commitment.

Oh,I was only joking! hence the ....I can't wait to get there,and to be honest,I don't think much would put me off at this stage. Especially not clothes. As you say,a mere triviality in the grand scheme.
I'm also really pleased you're all enjoying chatting about different things in nz,as well enjoying reading your convo's..it all helps me paint a bigger picture of where you are and your day to day's.

Dh was a bit down this am. But it wasn't all negative,he also had interest from Sky,unfortunately the starting wage was ony 60k and we couldn't go for that.
Also,we would have to be based in half moon bay...to travel to where they're based which is S.Auckland.Didn't someone say s.aukland was a bit undesireable.Or have a misremembered? Forgive me if that's not true,so many towns areas have been mentioned on this threadI find it hard to recall what was said about which...and don't have time trawl,the little one on my knee is smelling ripe,so have to go!
check in later (i always look forward to reading what someone has added)

OK, here's a positive - our hospital is amazing. In casualty again for DS last night (dislocated elbow, fully recovered now) and the staff were amazing. We were in and out very quickly, no queues, child-friendly drs and nurses, parking right near the casualty entrance (small fee but v reasonable). V v different to the UK. The GP is great too, btw

Re 60k, yes it's not a huge salary but I'm pretty sure it's above the national average. You could survive on that if you needed to.

Thanks scroobious ...sorry to hear about your ds,hopefully he's on the mend.
Have heard great things re kiwi healthcare. Tbh,we do have a great hospital near us,we have had cause (with 3 little ones!) to be in and out a few times. The last time only a few weeks ago when the baby had bronchiolitus.They were great,no waiting etc. G.p's also v,good.So it's good to hear that we'll be going to somewhere equally as good,if not better.
With regards to the wage. We have decided the figure that we would accept,and 60k is quite a bit below that. Iwill have enough worries leaving my home and country for the unknown.. i don't want to have the added stress of struggling for money as well. I think we will be on a budget as it is by the sounds of things,but being careful with money and struggling to saty afloat are two different things aren't they?

OMG, I've been offered a job!

Hoooooraaay!!!! Congrats Highlander,well done!When do you start?

DH needs to get a job as well before we start planning anything. Going to send the EOI off with my offer though; we still have 160 points.

Well,well done anyway. Hopefully it'll be dh's turn next

Highlander - congrats

Angrybeaver - halfmoonbay is great. It is not South Auckland as such - more East. Near the beach, good schools, close to Botany shopping centre (and others), ferry directly to town and Waiheke (I have been following the thread about moving to Waiheke, I would chose Half Moon Bay over Waiheke but I would freak being so remote on the Island as lovely as it is). Re South Auckland - yes there are parts of it that I wouldn't chose to live in and have alot of social problems but I live in South Auckland (not Otara admittedly) and love the cultural diversity. Take a look at this. I know somebody who teaches yoga at the gym at the marina - all very civilized.

www.hmbmarina.co.nz/

Re surviving on $60k - I think it is very subjective - I would struggle but I know families who survive on alot less and are happy.

Thanks for the clarification sibble. And doesn't half moon bay sound like such a lovely place to live?!v.romantic!...Why do you feel waiheke is remote?I read a post on another forum todady abput problems witrh rats and insects there...shudder

I find shoes here ridiculously overpriced. I usually end up buying Hush Puppies from Hannah's for about $100. But I need some new long boots this winter and I know they will be about $250. Clarkes seem to be about $50-70 for kids but luckily my MIL lives near an outlet in the UK and posts them to me without being asked. She pays about 14 quid a pair.

Congrats Highlander. What does your OH do?

Angrybeaver - I'm from London originally so find NZ quiet in general. Don't get me wrong I think it's a great place to bring up children and many people 'live the lifestlye' but IMO Waiheke would be great in summer when the beach and lifestyle is great but hard going in winter. We have a beach house where we go every weekend from Nov to May, 4 weeks over Christmas and any other time we can fit in. It has 1 'dairy' (shop) and a fish and chip shop. "Civilisation' is 30-40 mins away. In summer I love it. In winter it is bleak and I would go insane if I lived there all year round. I think Waiheke (rightly or wrongly) would be similar. At the end of the day I'm a city person who loves shopping centres, multiplex cinemas, restaurants, cafes etc etc.... There are others who think Waiheke is too fast and live even more remote (we know a family who live on Great Barrier). Where we live is a compromise, I have easy access to Botany, Newmarket etc and yet we live on 11 acres with animals and the boys go to a country school.

Re: rats etc...you'll get that. We have rats, mice, possums, skinks, spiders, all sorts of wild life - It's not quite Australia but unless you live in the heart of the city you will encounter wild life.

Kiwi..I'd just get them sent over as well.It does seem pricey over there.

I get what you're saying sibble. Is it really cold/rainy there in winter.It's been pissing it down all day here, thouroughly depressing.
I like the idea of waiheke for the low crime and the commute for dh.
Torbay looked great,but quite built up (patr of what I hate about here) and much longer commute for dh.I admit though I like having shopping centres/amenities nearby too.
ps
What the hell is a skink...and do they bite???

The thing about Waiheke is it would be great if your DH got a job in the CBD, but not so much if he worked further out. Also, if you needed/wanted to work, then you may end up with both parents off the island during the day while the children stayed at the island school. I wouldn't be comfortable with the idea that if anything went wrong with the ferry and you couldn't get home. Mind you, Kiwis are getting more aware of emergency planning lately!

Auckland is a big place and there's lots of nice communities there. Don't limit yourself to one of the more remote ones.

Although Auckland is generally warmer that places further south, it can get pretty wet and grey in the winter.

Skink - a wee lizardy thing. If you find one, don't kill it, they're endangered.

Dh is a doctor (cardiology). Bad time to be looking for jobs though; unless you're in an NZ shortage speciality (Obs, anaesthetics, radiology) there's no money for hiring consultants at the moment.

Still, DH is meeting the Auckland City clinical director at a confernece in Europe this week so fingers crossed! Hopefully me having a formal offer will be good leverage!

I had no idea kids started school in NZ on their 5th birthday. Good for us as DS2 is 5 in October; I though he was going to have to wait until February.

Just hope they would agree to take him a few weeks early.

dear God, the DSs would love to have a house over-run with skinks

re thought of both parents being off the Island and kids being on had occured to me,and no,I wouldn't be comfortable with that.
Ahh,the skink...phew,am ok with lizards!not ok with rats and spiders however.

Gah,it's so tough to make a decision on where to settle without being there. I wish dh had known about waiheke when he went over.

Highlander,am working on my best friend and her dh (gp and consultant aesthetist) to come over with us and live in nz...they're having non of it even though it's been a real struggle to get the latter a job over here.
Hopefully all goes well for you and you'll be moving soon,am happy for you but a teeny bit

it's not even remotely concrete yet, angrybeaver!

Despite my job offer, we can't go without DH getting a job.

We may be back to square 1 by the end of the week!

Think positive!

Highlander, he would definitely start in October. Even if he turned 5 in December the school would generally encourage a couple of weeks before the summer hols. BTW, if you are in zone for a school they have to accept a child no matter what their existing roll. i.e you go straight to the school rather going to the local DfE office or whatever you do in your area and being allocated a school.

I really have no idea about jobs for cardiologists but the media would certainly have you believe all medicos are in short supply here!

there's a bit of a shorateg in all specialities, but the NZ govt can't fund many posts at the moment. Departments like to have a long waiting list to boost the private work.

Got the school thing sussed I think. Would be aiming for Mt Eden, Kohia Terrace, Epsom Normal or Ruemura. With such strict zoning though, it's going to be a bit tricky finding somewhere to rent and then buy a few months later in the same zone.

Prospective boss is just waiting for HR approval on my post. He said it would take a week. I didn't have the heart to tell him the reality of the pace of life in HR-world means it will probably be a month

Just a quick comment about the start date at school. Just bear in mind, and worth checking with the particular school they go to, because they all vary, but if a child starts in New Entrants in December, they could go straight into a Year 1 in February, whereas a child starting school in February will go into New Entrants for a few months before moving up into Year 1 by the end of the year. (In both classes they will be in Year 1 by the end of next year.)

THe New Entrants class allows children to break in gently into routines and systems before moving onto the disciplines of a Year 1 class. Obviously different children adapt and cope differently depending on their abilities and social skills.

This is just something to ask how the school you go to operates

A lot of NZ doctors go to Oz because salaries are double there. But if nothing comes up at ADHB look at Counties Manukau and the North Shore as well.

Those areas are pretty big but I'm not a fan of Remuera. It can be a little snooty. I would recommend waiting till you get here and taking your time to choose a location and house. Moving is expensive so better to wait a week or two and get it right the first time.