Highlander's moving to Auckland logistics.....

[Highlander]

1. Summer school holiday (January) childcare

1. Furniture rental before the container arrives

1. Best place to buy Ikea-type beds (ours are wrecked so I'll buy when we get there).

1. Someone said to buy a Japaense car, not European as the European parts are super-expensive.

1. Hong Kong/Singapore/LAX?

1. Break it to me gently (bearing in mind we have BT Infinity), is the Internet r e a l l y s l o w ?

Sorry I don't know all of the answers, but I will kick things off...

1. There is nowhere to buy ikea-type beds as there really isn't an ikea-type shop. If you want ikea-type beds, consider buying them before you leave and shipping them over (I never thought that I would miss ikea!)

1. Definitely, that is good advice. One thing to bear in mind is that Japanese cars are not as cheap as they used to be, because there are fewer second hand Japanese imports due to the tsunami. But they are still much cheaper to service than European cars as there are so many of them and parts are plentiful. Look on trademe to get an idea of costs.

1. Doesn't matter really. I've done all of these. Personally I prefer HKG or Singapore but if you get a good deal then LAX is fine for a stopover.

1. Internet is fine (in Auckland anyway, can't speak for the areas outside the main cities). My internet is just as quick as it was in the UK.

HTH

1. Summer school holiday (January) childcare: unsure, maybe you can try an au pair? Or look on trademe under services.

1. Furniture rental before the container arrives: a lot of places are already furnished, might be easiest to rent a furnished place. short term rentals are very acceptable. if your accommodation is already sorted, you could try here

1. Best place to buy Ikea-type beds (ours are wrecked so I'll buy when we get there): I'd recommend the warehouse, briscoes, harvey norman, or trademe. Link Drive (a street on the North Shore) has a lot of furniture shops.

1. Someone said to buy a Japaense car, not European as the European parts are super-expensive: The Japanese cars are the most common. Cars are generally much older in Auckland than England (better weather = no rust). Again, trademe is your point of call.

1. Hong Kong/Singapore/LAX?: Personally would avoid LAX. Long lines and grumpy people. Never been through Hong Kong, Singapore was easy.

1. Break it to me gently (bearing in mind we have BT Infinity), is the Internet r e a l l y s l o w ?: The internet is fine, although I have no experience of BT Infinity. Sometimes have Skype issues, but not surfing issues.

1. Everywhere has school holiday programmes. Do a google in the area you're interested. That might work for childcare if you've got school age kids. Otherwise advertising locally for childminders/nannys etc.
2. I prefer singapore.
3. Internet fine - just not in rural areas.

Welcome to the growing number of us here in NZ and Auckland! Where will you be living, central, north, west or south.....

Agree with other posters:

1. Childcare - if your children are of school age I would call the school they are going to go to to see whether they recommend a local programme. They may then meet some friends before they start school. My ds's school endorses 2 programmes during the holidays. If they are younger than school age and are going to start day care, day care usually only has short breaks so runs through the school hols.

1. Buy a bed before you come if you still have room in the container. Otherwise hit the sales. You can get some good bargains on decent beds. I say this as a convert from an IKEA bed to one with an all singing all dancing mattress bought half price in the sale.

1. Me personally HK or Singapore. I would avoid LAX unless the prices were so cheap it was hard to say no. Hate LAX.

Good luck with the move.

Child-related logistics a nightmare. I start on 1st Dec, but have to be in Auckland at the end of October so that I can rent, get a bill as proof of address BEFoRE I can even think about registering the boys for school.

Probably Mt Eden/Epsom/Cornwall Pk (I refuse to enter posh Remuera!). DH most prob working North Shore and jMiddlemore, but his job not finalised yet.

DH seriously baulking at the idea of sprigs and I going ahead of him for a couple of months.........

If you are shipping stuff out and like IKEA style then I agree go there and get before you go. Otherwise there are loads of bed places here - just bought DD1 a double sized from Brownies, was quite reasonable, and NZ made.
Yes there are furniture rental companies, also furinished flats (although not large numbers).
They're changing the rules to make it harder to import second hand cars from 1 Jan next year which will push up the price of all imported cars. Toyota is generally held out as the most reliable brand and cheapest overall to run, but Honda, Mazda etc fine too.
I wouldn't go through LAX if you paid me, world's worst airport, horrible people, generally a bad experience every time. However it is the most direct if you fly NZ1 all the way from London to Akld in one go. Singapore is hot and sterile with good food. HK is mad and busy but also has great food and shopping (and Disneyland).

Singapore or KL. I hate US immigration.

Most people either take a short term furnished rental or camp for a few weeks till their container arrives. We did it in winter and it was miserable. In summer it would be much easier! We bought a bed that was delivered the day we moved in and it is the most comfortable bed I've ever had! I think we got it from a shop called Bedpost. Check for sales and always negotiate.

Don't write off Remuera- it's a really big area. I also recommend the Eastern Bays :-)

Bring lots of UK>NZ plug converters. You can't get them here. Or if you can they are $15 each.

Our internet is okay but very expensive.

Bring gadgets. Lots of gadgets. And shoes.

And congrats!

Hong Kong or Singapore - LAX is a complete dump imo!

Notes to self"......

1. Reset TV when we get there
2. Write to MAF about feather duvets
3. Put narrow-necked container of ground coffee in the freezer for shipping
4. Get kids vaccination records
5. Write to local schools re enrolment if we land in summer Holidays

Thanks for all the suggestions BTW!