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

Oh,that sounds encouraging febes and whatshe said..I take it you know how shitty our summer is?
You also know I suppose,about the rioting in Uk?It has spread to other cities now,including one near us. It makes me utterly ashamed to be Brittish,and cements my determination to leave this country.
I have watched news clips of kids being stripped by gangs.It is just so shocking.
Do they have the kind of ghetto culture/mentality in the poorer areas of nz?

Yes the riots are so awful. I lived in SW London in my 10 years so horrible to think of them in Sutton, Croydon, Collier Wood etc where we lived.
Most people are too chilled out here for that kind of anger IME. There are gangs and stuff but I've never seen or experienced anything of them.
And yes I remember the Great British Summer only too well. After being back here for almost a year I can say it is far warmer and nice weather than I remember. I do miss London though. Glad I'm not there at the moment though.

Excuse my grammar and spelling on this thtread..pretty bad!in my defence, I'm usually bashing out a question/responseover breakfast and have a really short time frame to do it before I'm needed!
febes, I must admit I don't know London. But the violence has spread to Liverpool,which is near me. Completely depressing.
Good to hear the weather is much better there.We have been to a theme park today and it was freeeeezing,most of the time.At least there was no rain

I heard snow fell in Aukland?! Are you all making snowmen?

Not quite snowmen but it did snow and more to the point it it freezing. OK not quite UK winter cold but by Auckland NZ standards it is very cold. No heating apart from a real wood fire in our house, so great while it is lit and warm but the bedrooms and first things this morning - COLD. Our house is on the market and we are house hunting - saw a house tonight with a heat pump - so warm I am a convert!

Boys however think the cold and the snow are 'awesome'. But they are typical kiwis ds1 has gone to fishing club tonight, held in somebody's garage with no heating - I had to tell him I didn't think the 'jandals (flip flops), short and short sleeved T shirt was really the thing to wear. Managed after a 'fight' to get him into long trousers and a fleece, still not jacket!

Ha! Yes, Dh said he saw in The Herald,pics of kids going to school in their shorts!They must be a tough lot.My kids cried when we took them out on the sledge because they said they were cold..we'd only been out 10 mins! I think they are more suited to a warmer climate!Was hoping that was NZ but...!

PS..The heat pumps sound good and we'd definitely scout for a house with one.Are you staying in the same area Sibble? Was it the snow that drove you out??

We're stuck in Queenstown. 40 cm of snow and -3C!!! But our hotel is warm and lovely. I'm not a fan of heat pumps- I find them very drying and they only heat one room. I wish we had gas central heating at home.

Get your ski's on and make the mostof it kiwi
Dh had another interview last night,great job,the right starting salary,the guy said he would have him in a shot...but he needs to be able to start on Oct 1st..not a chance!

I've got some hip problems at the moment so have been told no skiing.

He could get a work permit in 4 weeks....

Oh,sorry to hear that kiwi,hope you're on the mend soon.
You think it's poss to get things sorted in that amount of time?Medicals,police check etc? also,I'm not sure re the notice he'd have to serve in his current position.

I'm not sure how long police checks take these days but ours was about a week to ten days. If you have a job offer they do work permits quickly- have a look on the London website. Ours were done in 48 hours but someone rang up on our behalf and hassled. I think they said 14 days to us when I dropped them off.

I'm having physio on the famous ACC for an injury but I suspect it is really problems left over from having SPD when I was pregnant. The exercises do seem to be helping though.

I'm feeling really sad about that new story about the kids with no shoes in South Auckland. Just doesn't seem right.

Oh,that's interesting,I think Dh assumes it's weeks rather than days.I shall inform him forthwith!
I'm an the dark about ACC,I'm afraid,what is that? Glad the excercises are helping anyway.
I haven't seen the story re kids and shoes?

Yeah, work visa can be done in about 10 working days. Dh used to help people with them lots, he's in recruitment (unofficially help them, he doesn't anymore as you have to declare any help you've had now I think and be an official immigration adviser)

Hello again. Update here. I feel a bit sad. Maybe panicking over nothing.

Nz boss asked dh for reference despite no firm job offer - wanted to check him out before offer I think. Dh spoke to uk boss on Tuesday to drop the bombshell - went well. No word since from Nz boss but gather he could be stuck in queenstown snow

Meanwhile I see anaesthetist today as precautionary measure cos I got that weird guillaine barre syndrome very mildly about 3 months ago.

So she tells me a) if I need crash general they will have to do use non standard drugs and this will be a lifelong thing for me. Im now worried if I start to rupture(vbac 3 for me), will they have time to do this as crash section is the route in this instance? - could baby be compromised and b) I could suffer relapse after birth as my immune system normalises again- she said could be anything up to 6 months after birth.

Now worrying I will fail medical to get in as we had hoped to move with a newborn at Xmas.

Why is it not straightforward- 34 years old, perfect health to date and just when I try to emigrate I get accidentally pregs and develope some bizarre autoimmune condition

lolly,I really don't know what to say about that..I have no medical knowledge at all.Did you explain to the doc you saw your predicament and if you did,what did they say your chances were? I want to say,oh I'm sure it will be fine and you'll pass the medical no probs (which I reeeally hope to be the case!)but,I just don't know what guidelines they work under or even what the specifications are.I have heard of someone failing just because they were pregnant!Which is not good news for either of us.Have you booked your medicals yet?
Anyway,sorry I can't offer any useful advice,just well wishes.
Good news about Nz boss asking for reference,they wouldn't have asked if they weren't interested,eh?
whatshe said yep,he checked out the timeframes today and they said whilst it can be done in that time,it's unlikely? I think it would most likely be the medicals that would hold us up.
Does anyone have any info/experience of Takapuna?

Takapuna = nice and popular place to live (great beach) but expensive to rent/buy I think.

Not done the Medicals.Nz director said not to bother till baby out but I'll start looking into it with a job offer. I had just thought I'd walk through it after labour with a neurology consultant letter saying I had a very mild case but now the news of potential relapse post partum for up to 6 months has thrown me a bit.

Well,I suppose all you can do is hope for the best.I'm sure,like you say,you'll walk it and be worrying for nothing.Stop that,it's not good in your condition,Mrs!
whatshesaidhmm,good beach sounds nice. Do you know anything more? I know we've talked about pockets of NZ with gang activity,it's not one of those is it?!
Anything more anyone can tell me would be appreciated

I've just looked at some youtube of takapuna and everyone looks really posh and well dressed...I want to be able to go somewhere and wear shorts and no shoes!!

Takapuna is about as far from a gang hotspot as you can get

It's an area of the North Shore reasonable close to the city, with quite a lot of retail stuff (shopping centre and bars, cafes, restaurants). Events centre and nice beach. Very nice, affluent suburb, I'm guessing a house near the sea would be priced at up to a million and seafront probably even more. Rents are probably similarly steep. You could check out prices on Trade Me.

Actually, having had a quick look at TRade Me, I'll revise those figures of a house by the waterfront to 2-4 million.

I'll just get the one then, whatshesaid

A second chat tonight to see if The Boss Man would be willing to take a gamble on dh getting the visa in time. Fingers crossed

Didn't get it because we're in UK