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

Congrats AB!

I wouldn't worry about clothes. You'll find you wear different stuff anyway. But I'd defo stock up on stuff like Sunscreen and ibuprofen before you come if you are shipping stuff.

I also think arriving as a family is much nicer than sending OH on ahead. It makes it a shared experience. Plus if he finds a house and it turns out to be cold or damp it may be an issue. I would not trust OH to find us a place.

Is the job in Hamilton? I'm just back from Cambridge and had a lovely time. I love Auckland but you get twice the house for your money there.

Oh ignore all the stuff I said about Rotorua, I've just realised Rototuna is a suburb in Hamilton

Thanks, angelinterceptor...why not up sticks? If we can do it, you can too!

Hi ,WhatSheSaid...well,it's 4 am and I cannot sleep! Mind is absoloutly racing.
No,it's not Rotorua..it's Rototuna (reminds me of rotten tuna!)it's in Hamilton,Waikato.
The new boss has apparantly said,Hamilton's not much to look at...which is encouraging

Yes,was thinking about all the talk of the price of clothes. Am a bit gutted,have just shelled out on winter coats and boots!
Now I'll have to get summer sandals etc

I'm lying awake,trying to think of the best way to do things. Ideally,we'd all go over together. But I don't know how fair that is. Dragging 3 small children on the looong flight. And then having to start looking for a house/car/bedding etc

Practically,it would be better with the house if we could leave at the same time,we could hand over keys to letting agent and ship our stuff.

Also,I don't know where the kids and I could stay for a few weeks if dh went on ahead to get things sorted.
It would be mums and that would be a bit of a nightmare,no stairgates,spring mounted doors 30 mins drive from school/nursery.

Then,there would be the flight.On my own with the kids! Not sure I could do that.
Anyone any experience/ideas?
Also,on the flight,would they provide anything for my 16 month old to sleep in or would I have to hold him for 18 hours??!! I think they do something,but not sure if it's just for newborns (probably)

Right,sorry for the ramblings..my head is so full of questions!
I'm off to bed to try and sleep. The kids will be up in a few hours

Hi Congratulation and good luck with the preparation and the move. When does he have to start work?

I don't know Rototuna but Hamilton in general (DH is from there). For things to do with littlies I can recommend Hamilton Gardens, feeding the ducks at the lake, the park by the lake (from memory) with the biggest slide I have seen, the annual balloon festival, the zoo for a start.

Thanks febes and kiwi! Just seen your posts.
Good to know about chldcare and stocking up on sunscream and ibuprofen and stuff. I'll get dh on the case tomorrow. Typically, he is snoring his head off and I can't sleep for worrying!

He is supposed to start in 4 weeks,so not long. My Mum is away in Spain for 3 weeks. I'm not sure whether to ring her and break the news,giving her the opportunity to cut short her hol and spend some time with the kids.
Or whether to tell her fae to face when she gets home.
I am so dreading telling her...either way!

Thanks, Sibble..good to know.

If it was me I would travel together and stay in a serviced motel until you find something. Yes it may cost extra but at least you will have seen the house before you move in (I wouldn't trust dh either) and you will have help on the flight. I have done the flight with 2 littlies and that is hard enough, as one sleeps the other's awake, they have a habit of bolting at customs in opposite directions etc. Don't bank on getting a basinette, I have yet to work out the random allocation as it doesn't seem to matter if you pre-book one. I had somebody take my seat, plonk her baby in it and shout in an extremely loud voice that she was not budging. I calmly stood my ground but it was touch and go as the stewardess was asking me if I minded moving (er, yes, she's on her own with a baby but I'm on my own with a baby and toddler (trumps I win!) Anyway, everybody's different, I don't sleep on planes and don't travel very well (luckily the boys now older are stars). You can always contact real estate agents before you leave the UK with your requirements so they have a pool of properties/areas to take you around as soon as you arrive.

Better go am meant to be working! Congrats again.

Bring the winter coats and boots over with you if they will still fit by next June (or if you can pass them down to the next child in a year or two). If you do get a chance to stock up with some cheapy clothes from Tesco/Asda/ Sainsburys etc I would take it but don't stress too much about it.

If you are buying summer clothes, I tend to dress my dds in T shirts rather than strappy vests. The sun is so strong in summer you end up constantly having to slap suncream onto necks/shoulders/backs if they have little vests on - at least with T shirts the shoulders and upper arms are covered.

I would recommend doing the flight all together. On your own with 3 (incl a 16 month old) would be hard.

Your 16 month old should get a bassinet (they are for up to age 2 I think.) Really they are a bit big for them once they are over 1 but it's a bit more space to put bags etc in. You may have to alternate having 16 month old on yours/dh's knee for the flights.

Oh and Ibuprofen here (supermarket own brand) is about $2.50 for a pack of 20, is it loads cheaper in the UK?

Sibble, The cheeky bint! I suppose tempers fray whilst travelling,but still..she would've got it both barrels from me!! I'm sure you're far more civilised
Thanks whatshesaid,I'll do that.
The baby might be ok in a bassinet (if tired enough) he is only wee
That sounds ok for ibruprofen? I can get it for about a poound in B&m Bargains or somewhere like that.
Right,must try and get some sleep.

Depends who you fly with. We got a seat thingy that clipped to the wall for DS (15months) when we flew with BA (I think) which was awesome but the next leg (qantas I think) didn't have seats and we were all on 3 seats Me, DS, DD (3) and DH. But as soon as we took off they moved me and DS so that we had 3 seats and DS could sleep lying down and DH and DD had the same. The only bugger was that it was 10 rows away from DH but I was very greatful. Ask when booking but they only have a few of those baby seats and some airlines they are only suitable of tiny babies (singapore air).
I wouldn't want to fly over on my own with 3 DCs and I would want to choose where I was going to live.
Stock up on contact lenses and/or glasses, birth control (even if only for after next DC or other meds as the perscriptions are expensive. I wish I had a coil fitted in the UK as they cost $500 here. 6months of the pill cost me $60 plus doctors appoinment $40.
Children's doc appointment and perscriptions are free though. My cousin live in Hamilton and loves it.

Good to hear there may be some options re baby seats. I remember a flight to Spain when ds1 was about the same age. He wouldn't go to anyone else and I was stuck in a tiny easyjet seat, holding him (sleeping) for about 3 hours. My arms were dead when I arrived.
Ds2 is a Mummy's boy too. I'm thinking he's not going to want anyone else and I will be stuck holding him for 18 hours!

I am plucking up the courage to ring my mum.

Dh just spoken to immigration. They said allow 4-6 weeks for visa. I thought it could be done much more quickly than that?

Still here!

AB that is brilliant news!!! V v happy for you!

We're still in turmoil. DH has an offer of a 0.5 job, mine is 0.6 so we're not sure if we can survive in Auckland on that. Got the ITA, but haven't submitted it yet.

Thanks,Highlander!
At least you have options,though.
Have you looked at price comparison websites? It may give you an idea.
I think it's a really personal thing though. We don't go out much,but if you're used to eating out/pictures every weekend and hols twice a year,then maybe not.
Everyone seems to think it's swings and roundabouts re the cost of things.
Even down to Ibrufprofen and suncream...see above!!

The boss has offered us $1000 ish dollars for a deposit..better than nothing. He wants us to give a start date.
Really diffcult to say. It's a bit of a waiting game now isn't it?
I wasn't expecting the medicals to cost so much..£700! Still,at least they're booked.
Can't beleive all this is happening and my mum doesn't even know

4 weeks will be pretty tight to do all the admin. It took us a while to rent our house- mainly cos we had people set up who dropped out the day they were due to sign. We also failed our gas check and had to have an extra vent fitted. I would speak to agents ASAP as there are new strict rules related to fire alarms in some areas.

We have landlords insurance through the National Landlords Association which is quite cheap. Our bank have allowed us to keep our mortgage with permission to let but some won't.

Good news is that NZ properties need smaller rental deposits- I think three weeks is maximum. Agents here charge 1 week fee but if you find a private landlord they are not allowed to charge anything.

Yup, it's looking more likely to be 4-6 weeks,probably the latter. Dh is panicking 'cos the employer said he wanted him to start in 4.
We are getting the letting agent out today,so thanks for that.
Just relaying your message to dh over breakfast and he's mulling it over

We are looking at a rental in a secure complex, literally opposite rototuna primary.It is a pool,gym,movie room,picnic area. And I thought it would be a good place to meet other families?
But...the house itself is really basic looking.3 bed 2 bath, brand new and fine..but no personality and just generic in appearance. Also there is only one pic of the living area (which looked small) and none of bedrooms/bathroom.
Hmmmm,hard from here

The kiwi property photographer is a very talented individual. I saw so many properties which looked okay online but were horrific in real life. I would strongly advise against taking a rental you have not seen in the flesh.

I think employers know that moving a whole family and getting visa's is a difficult thing.

wow AB how things change

Have you thought about dh flying over first to get started and then coming back for you? you might want to think about stayin here until Christmas as a kind of concession to your Mum then he could come and get you then it's only about 6 weeks away isn't it whatever you do if you think you want to come back in the first year get return tickets from the UK IME flights are twice the price here-I'd love someone to tell me I'm wrong
you know what I think of costs/kindy etc here so I wont repeat it, I would be cautious about bringing over loads of meds even in your household stuff I know there are limits on the amount you can bring in and it's different without a prescription too isn't it?
We had some calpol in our bag on our flight brand new unopened and it was taken off us and in Oz they were taking everything off everyone tempers were really fraying I can tell you.

I think you'll struggle to get the basinette with a child of that age FWIW I've been told a few times now that it's youngest children first so if the plane is full you will get bumped the opposite of that is that if you are alone with 3 they will have to lookafter/help you

the house sounds fine to me, why not ask them for more pictures? you can always move and from the sound of it you plan to anyway you can put up with almost anything for 6 months don't really know what the weather is like in hamilton but it will be warmer and more insulated etc than almost all the others if it is new.

umm the only other thing I remember about Hamilton is the relief of seeing some deciduous trees

good luck you're going to be busy

oh one other thing clean any outside stuff really well eg kids bikes etc as the shippers about doing it

Yeah,I'll contact them and ask for more pics. I was just thinking it might be a good place to meet some other families.
Also dh will be working til 10pm eachn ight and Sundays (and xmas day ) plus dd wouldnt start school til Jan.So i'll be alone with 3 young ones..the pool,movie room etc would come in handy.
Have rung my mum in Spain and told her.She was quite supportive but obviously devastated. We could barely say goodbye through the tears

OK here is a negative about Hamilton - not intended to put you off but to prepare you. It is damp. There is a mist that hangs in the air and lingers. We have stayed at friends on many occasions and the bed lined has been damp. Mold etc in buildings is also common. I'm telling you so when you look for a rental, new would be better (not an old villa as lovely as they look unless it has had substantial work done on it.) I would also stay away from anything built between 1993 to 2003 because of the leaky homes saga. You will definitely need a heater and I would like a HRV.

Having said all that DH is here so I've asked him about Rototuna - he says it's a new area, new houses, usually no or small gardens but alot of local amenities and alot to do for families. I now know the development - he says like an old fart - these were fields when I was a kid!

His friends live in Gordonton nearby.

Good luck.

PS also agree about photographers being clever - we are house hunting at the moment and some 'de res's' have turned out to be prize dumps. Gardens large enough to put in a fair size pool not large enough to swing a cat etc....

unless your ds is a skinny light thing he's likely going to be too heavy for a bassinet (ds wasn't allowed in one long haul from 7 mos as he was a bit of a chunk) have certainly never seen toddlers using them. contact the airline in advance.

the best solution for us was to pay for another seat and use either an airline supplied 'car-seat', or take our own if they are allowed in the airline regs. each airline is different. we learned the hard way as 11mo dd1 was too big for a bassinet and too little for a seat of her own, and our car seats were not acceptable to the airline, so she had to be lap-sat the entire way.

you also need to find out about car seats on arrival - can you use yours? or is there a different set of regs/ standards.

enjoy.

I agree new houses, while possibly a bit generic-looking and characterless, are usually warmer and drier and have less likely to go wrong with them maintenance-wise. Though as Sibble says avoid late 90's-early 2000s that could be leaky - it's a certain type of construction that are the leaky ones - hard to describe over internet - but very new ones should be fine.

Thanks sibble good to have some insight from someone who knows the area.
Not great news about the damp. Do you think the mist is from the river?

We found a review from 2007/8 that was pretty damning re that complex. It said there were over 100 houses (i had imagined around30) that the houses were ugly and attracted " the wrong typpe of people". They said there would be around 50 people around the pool in summer.
It's kind of put me off!
It's a bugger because I told my 5 year old today that our new house might have a pool. She's so excited.
Why didn't I keep my big gob shut?!
I was just trying to gee her up about the move. My 3 year old nearly cried when I told him and said no one could have our house or car.
Not the reaction I was hoping for,so I tried to get dd onside withe the pool talk!

Dh looked at Raglan today,but it seems a bit of a surfie haven to me. Quite a way from his work too.
I still have The Bay of Plenty in mind for later..maybe Omokoroa. Seems pretty and quiet

I've visited Raglan a few times, it's a nice little town, seemed to be lots going on but no idea what it's like to live there long term really. Dh's ex-flatmate moved there and commutes to Hamilton, it's at least a 45 min drive though. Quite a windy road too I think. It is a real surfy town and a bit lentil weavery too I think.

You could always rent somewhere in Hamilton for 6 months (I think that's the minimum most landlords like to rent for) and then look around Hamilton/Raglan/Cambridge etc. If it's a cold damp house it won't matter as it will be summer and you can get out before next winter. Or you could do as Sibble suggested earlier and rent a serviced apt or motel rooms for a few weeks when you first get there - so you can look around places before you rent. You may not end up somewhere bigger than your UK house (not that I know what size that is, but didn't you say you lived in a detached house?). Most houses here are detached but they're not all huge, especially the newer ones.