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!!

Very excited for you AB, when are you off?

We should have an online leaving do for you; drink wine and type drunkenly......

Thanks for the travel tips,guys. I will maybe buy one of those trunkie thingies and fill them with stuff. Dh has bought ds1 (3) a vetech camera(lots of games on there) and dd (5) a ds nintendo. We are going to say father xmas sent them early to use on the journey. Hopefully, when we need some respite,we can whip them out and have a few hours peace (wishing thinking?!)

Hi highlander, If the visa is straightforward we will book the flight for 2 weeks today...eeeeek!! I like the idea of an online leaving do! Good call! I have 3 seperate ones lined up,have never been so popular!!
How goes your plans?

AB and holidaysoon - it was indeed the shortest pregnancy -23 weeks in my book as 15 weeks when I found out and 38 weeks when he came. He's almost 4 weeks now and chuntering and snuffling on next to me (I desperately want to sleep).

Nz had gone all cold for us and we were sad but they called tonight - now possibly is a role in Auckland but more chats required so hopes revived somewhat. We do need this resolved as the rented were in driving me mad. I've had no washing machine for 12 days now as waiting for landlord to get new one and saw another mouse tonight.

Mad mother has shipped cat out to join her DH in Nz only 2 weeks ago. She was set to go on dec 3rd but emailed this week to say she's now not going and DH and cat coming home (her uk tenants have let her down apparently so she feels overwhelmed and calling the whole thing off) - she is officially mad -3 emigrations to NZ in 2 years!!!!! This will be the fourth air NZ this poor cat has had to endure - her sister never made it home from NZ as vet deemed her too sick to travel. My mother is a soap opera waiting to be written but there's another thread.

The snuffler has now passed out so off to catch 3 hours before the next feed.

Night night

Oh, great news lolly,fingers crossed for the job.
I know how hard it is when you're sleep deprived - and the house sounds less than ideal- but, I'm still jealous,my maternal clock is ticking away. Hope little brodie slept for you

ahh I'd love a snuffily snorting baby next to me right now

lolly I've totally lost track with your Mother (and half the others on this thread) was she going out there to work? her poor cat....!

can anyone remember who is heading out to Christchurch to do earthquake reconstruction?
highlander have you made a decision about finances yet? how long will they hold your jobs for?

AB interested to hear your thoughts on the Vtech was considering one for mine
I'm up for an online leaving do only trouble is I can't really drink in the morning because of the school run......

tickety are you an NZer returning home or a Brit? why all the tooing and froing?

Sibble I'd be interested to hear what you thought of Air Asia X would you recommend? any tips? I was looking for a flight home and remembered them only trouble is they've now switched to Gatwick

The visa has been cleared,we're booking the flights today..aargh! I'm shaking!!

Well done AB - you're really going!!!! Arghhh indeed!

Holiday - I've also lost track with my mother - it changes weekly. Her DH is a social worker and he has the job- had to go back by oct gone or his visa would run out then he'd be too old for a new one -57 I think. Mum is retired. It's comedy - they don't have the money to waste on all this backwarding and forwarding - they have spent tens or thousands on shipping cats, furniture and themselves back and forwards not to mention the houses and cars. It's farcical.

The snuffler has slept all day so far so more fun and games tonight

Hi I've not done Air Asia. Cathay, Singapore, Malaysian, Korean and Air NZ - yes. My favourite all rounder - Singapore for inflight entertainment, cabin crew, stopover and airport. Ones not to be repeated in a hurry - Korean (how long have you got) and Air NZ but that might have been more to do with going through LA. Have heard good things about the San Fran route.

Congrats AB. This is where it gets bonkers! You will have a zillion things to do and need to make a big list!

lollystix- you've made me feel a lot better about the $$$ we spent shipping our cat out! I guess at least you know not to figure your mum into your plans.

We're contemplating a Jetstar trip to Malaysia. Anyone used them?

I haven't used them yet but am flying with them to Queenstown in January. I've heard mostly ok things about them - they're pretty no frills, but they were $100 each way to Queenstown which was way better than Air NZ. I flew with one of the no-frills ones to Oz, I think it was Pacific Blue - they were fine. You pay extra for food, dvd player etc, but for 3 hours to Oz we didn't really need any extras. Malaysia obv a bit of a longer flight.

Dh flew jetstar when in NZ for his tat a couple of months ago - cc to Auckland. Just asked for his opinion - "better than easyjet-same quality but feels a but less worn and newer". Said defo much getter than ryanair (that wouldn't be hard). Warning they apparently ground themselves at the first sign of fog.

The problem with all those budget airlines is not so much the no-frills in-flight service as that they tend to get delayed and even cancelled at the drop of a hat. Personally I HATE hanging around in airports so this puts me off every time.

AB - if you do go with Air NZ make sure its an Air NZ flight right through not a Virgin Atlantic flight for one leg. I've done LA with an 8 month old baby and as a number of people have said it's not a fun place to pass through and you do have to queue repeatedly for over an hour but that's really the only bad thing then you're back on the plane and in NZ within 25 hours of leaving London.

If you do use Phenargan (is it called Piridon in the UK?) make sure to try it out before you go. DD1 goes to sleep like a dream on this but it seems to have no effect in that department on DD2, but does work great for her for travel sickness (DD1 is 9, DD2 is 3).

justabout,wow..that's seems a really long time. It maks me wonder if you know something we don't?? We are planning to fly out wed 23rd,and book the packers for tue 22nd!
Are you doing it so early so you can have your stuff sooner at the other side?
It is all starting to feel very real for us. Had my first leaving do last night and all was well until my friend dropped me off. We were laughing and joking and then I looked at her and she was crying We al said we should have had a night out once a month and made more of an effort.
God,I will miss evryone so much

Sorry about tyo's...I'm a bit pissed

God,TYPO'S!..Ok,I'm more pissed than I thought

Holidaysoon,

I'm a brit all the to and froing were a 9 week hol too see if i liked NZ then 9 monhs later moving to NZ for 18mths (got homesick so went home) then came back again for sister-in-laws wedding, and then finally moved back here 3months ago going through visa process now staying for good this time (my DP is a Kiwi) we have come back for various reasons family member very ill, DP out of work for over 12mnths in UK and got a job here within 2 weeks.
Will just have to remember to work through the homesickness stage this time :).
AB congrats on getting everything through i bet your excited and nervous all at the same time, have you booked flights yet?
Holidaysoon are you a kiwi?? and is your holiday a trip home :)

Yes, I remember now justabout. Thats the best plan for you then..also envy you getting your stuff a whole month earlier on the other side!I have heard of containers arriving after 5 weeks (alththough I think it's more likely to be 8-10) you might only have to wait a week!!

I had to drop out of my job offer as DH's wasn't sorted, but now he's been offered another!

Aaaaarrrrrgh, don't know what to do. If we went to Auckland, we couldn't come back to the UK as we're too old for good jobs.

What to do, what to do.........

Would miss going to Europe for my hols, definitely.

I don't think it would be too hard to move back to the UK job wise unless you are a few years off retirement. My DH had first consultant post here was 'promoted' after 2 years. He's getting a lot of high level experience here that will stand him in good stead if we go back. This seems to be a relatively common story- people are working at a higher level quickly.

My career, howeve,r has stalled somewhat as they don't really have my job here and I've had two years off to have a baby. I'm having a wee stress about it and trying to figure out which direction to take next.

The packers and flights are booked. It's the kids last day at nursery/school on Fri...and I said goodbye to my Gran today. That was pretty heartbreaking. I was telling her how much I was I loved her and she was singing,My Bonny Lies Over The Ocean,to the baby! But just as I was leaving (in floods) she turned and said, "AB? I love you." She never says that. Bless her.