Where's Best to Live in NZ and what do we need to know: PART TWO!!!

[AngryBeaver]

Wow,have just gone to post and it wouldn't except it! So have had to start a new thread. Hope everyone finds it ok.I feel a bit like we've all been out for the night and somehow got seperated and no one has their mobile!!
Anyway,this was the question I've had to cut and paste from the old thread:...

Sorry,have had a quick look but can't see...has anyone used emirates?
I think the sky couch thing looks good,but we'd have to buy a couple and that would be pricey.
Dh reckons Emirates are fine,but I don't think he's anticipating how different it's going to be travelling that disatnce with 3 exhausted infants.
He has limited travel experience as it is and the longest he has been on a plane with them is 3 hours. He keeps saying it will be fine,they'll sleep for loads of it...somehow I'm thinking this will not happen!!

Thanks for the recommendation whatshesaid -the boys love that sort of thing and I'm going to have 2 weeks on my own in devonport to entertain them all.

DH has just put the phone down to his sis - he's had a row with her as she called to make him aware of the upset he is causing 'her' mother with the move (like he doesn't know as he's had his upset mum on the phone every other day trying to change his mind). She's been quite low and said she didn't know what this upset would do to his mums health. I'm feeling quite worn out by all the emotional blackmail we're getting from his family. We're going to visit for the first time since the news broke and I'm really dreading a frosty reception as we normally get on so well.

On the plus side my mum and gran are up tomorrow to say their bye byes. I remember crying reading ABs post about saying goodbye to her granny and I'm not sure how I'll take it too as mines 89 this year but she's a tough old bird so I don't think it's the last time I'll see her. Feeling a but overwhelmed by it all though

It is a difficult situation lolly. I doubt people often change their minds in the face of such pressure. And if you did- how would your relationships be after? I'd probably resent my family in that situation. You can't stay for the few hours a month you spend with them.

Can I ask some advice of the long timers here? A job has come up that I am very keen on. It's with an organisation that I have some second degree contacts with. Do you think it is worth contacting the person recruiting to discuss it? Or should I just trust that I'm a good fit? The closing date is the 24th and DD's operation is happening tomorrow so it's all a bit stressful.

littlest - all the best with the op for DD tomorrow. She'll be in a week won't she from memory?

Thanks for your kind words on the family situation. DH has since spoken to his mum and dad separately. Apparently his dad has had words with his mum to say she really needs to start accepting this and is also going to try and calm his sister down too. I know he won't change his mind on this one - we can't really as we've both now, in effect, resigned and given notice on our flat so from 15th March we would be jobless and homeless with 4 little ones to feed.

lolly sorry it's hard with dh's family still. Will they be able to visit? Dh's mum and stepdad are here at the moment for 6 weeks and I doubt we'd see that much of them if we lived in the UK. They are not with us the entire 6 weeks thank the Lord but my dds are certainly getting lots of time with their grandparents.

If you do stay in Devonport there are some lovely beaches just north of Devonport centre - Cheltenham beach and Narrowneck beach, there's loads on the North Shore to be honest.

Good luck with your dd's op littlestkiwi, I have no idea about the job thing I'm afraid.

Hope the operation went well littlestkiwi,and dd is on the mend now

lolly, your family situation sounds a lot like mine. We were all very close in every way,and now I have 'broken' the family up. There was and still is a lot of resentment. It's really hard. We skype my Mum everyday and although we do the smiling and waving etc I know it's there bubbling away adn she's dying to say it all again. Sometimes she just starts crying and waves and says she has to go.
Then my brother skyped and it was ok,only when I saw his baby I said something like "Wow,dn look at you..you've grown so much!" and db was quick to say something like "yeah,well you would know that if you hadn't fucked off to the other side of the world!"
So...that's the state of play at the moment. Mum and partner will be here for a visit in 2 weeks and I'm guessing there will be a row at some point.So although we are all desperate to see each other,I can't help feeling that something is brewing.
It's all the little back handed comments really.
I might say,"Oh,dh is working long hours so it's really hard looking after the dc's on my own" and the comeback will be "And whose fault is that?If you hadn't taken yourself off to the other side of the world (they like saying that then you wouldn't BE on your own,would you? It was your choice and you'll have to live with it!" (but all in a faux jolly tone)

I do think they accept it more,but they are still bitter. Which makes me cross.Which causes rows!

I'm hoping after a while it will settle down.

I hope your dh's family will stop giving you a hard time,it's no fun is it?

DD made it through the op but is a bit sicker than I had expected. I stayed last night and hardly got any sleep. Still 4 days to go.

struggling to find an emoticon for hugs littlest. She's 2 and a half isn't she? When she recovers after the op will that be her 'fixed'?

Sorry to hear your dd is sick, hope she's better soon.

Oh,God love her. Why did she need surgery in the first place,if you don't mind me asking? Or have you already said and I missed it. I hope it's not out of line to ask.
I feel very sorry for you. Being in hospital worrying about your child is no fun,I was in for over a week with ds1 when he was a baby.Awful.
I hope she perks up soon,is it just the after effects of the anaesthetic making her vomint,d'you think?
I was really poorly after an op due to the morphine,also after another op I was allergic to the antibiotics they gave me,made me ill for days. Maybe if she is still ill ask about changing her meds?I have NO medical knowledge,btw!It's just a thought.
Really hope dd is on the mend soon,and you can get some sleep xx

So sorry to hear your DD is sick littlest. Really hope she's on the mend now and you're catching up on some sleep.

Thanks all. It's been a horrible week. Not helped by sharing a tiny room with a very sick teenager. My DD was up crying in pain twice last night and the poor other girl was up vomiting. Add in hourly obs and there was not much sleep to be had. Today they shifted the girl to another room. It seemed an odd mix tbh as we were almost the only people sharing.

Looks like DD will be out on Sunday which is a day later than planned. She seems better and is standing up a bit. OH and I are doing shifts so it has been a bizarre week with not enough sleep, food or company.

So how are you all?

Angry, sorry to hear your family are being horrible. It is horrible. They shouldn't be speaking to you like that - its stressful enough moving as it is.

littlestkiwi..ugh,that sounds hellish.Hopefully you are over the worst of it now.Will dd be able to come home soon?

Shells,thanks...we are so close that I think they just feel incredibly betrayed.I think they are still shocked that it was me who left.I was always such a home bird and very very family orientated. I would ring Mum nearly day asking what she was doing and did she want to meet me at such and such a place to have a coffee and see the kids. So our lives were very intertwined.

It's definitly what I needed to do though,but I feel sad they're upset.Although to be fair,Mum does say she hopes we love it here and make a good life for ourselves.
justabout scroll up a bit

Hi all. Just back from few days with ILs-first time since news broke. It was a bit tough but could have been worse. DN kept crying which was awful as she's so sweet. SIL wasn't round too much and I managed to avoid her (I'm cross about what she said to DH)-she did insist on speaking to him but didn't apologise. She said she knew why we're doing it but FIL says she's saying the opposite. Nobody asked much about it - the huge elephant in the room. Some friends came around and they asked lots as they're planning an international move so his mum heard a bit through that but she kept just saying she was bearing up to them as if we'd all died or something.

I saw friends and my bro and niece and also my mum and gran came to stay earlier in the week to say bye and we had a really happy time. I did end up crying on the platform at the station with my gran -she's almost 89 now . My aunty and uncle arrive from Oxford in an hour so it's really all go with relatives now.

Found nice bach in mount Eden for first 3 weeks about 2 days after arrival. Going to try to get airport hotel for first 2 nights I think.

Littlest -dd should be home now?? All ok?

We came home yesterday and DD is doing amazingly well. We were totally off schedule all week from sharing a room with the teenager and both of them being up in pain etc. But she went to sleep at about 10pm and slept through. She's enjoying being home. It was a horrid week and I feel like I haven't seen daylight, eaten or slept. OH and I have only seen each other for 10 min handovers.

Mount Eden is a lovely area lolly with good transport links- although it is a large area. I would consider a city centre place for the first two nights though as there is very little near the airport and it would be tough without a car. Try wotif or travelbug.co.nz and you should get a cheap deal. Apparently some hotels do a 2nd room half price so worth checking.

The family stuff is difficult. Hang in there all. It's 24C today if that helps.

Glad to hear that too littlest. And sorry for your family troubles too lollystix.

I haven't had that with my family and I sort of find it hard to understand. I can understand upset and missing you. But the mean comments and the 'you're being selfish' kind of thing is really awful.