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!!

Justabout,wow, you've got a lot to start dealing with.I hope you find all the services you need for ds3.
holidaysoon,nope, i was on my period when i fainted . i wish i was though.
Well,that was the last sleep in our house.the packers will be here soon and dh wil oversee and i will take kids to hotel near mums,dump bags do last min shop and bank stuff while she takes 5 and 3 yr olds to see Aurthur Christmas.
We've had a nightmare past few days,dd started with vomming bug on fri,then ds1 got it and was still throwing up yesterday.so we had tonnes of extra washing and i was scrubbing the living room carpet and sprinkling bi carb,and looking after sick infants when shouold have been packing!
Just kept thinking, this is bad...but at least it's not tue night!!!
Mind you,the baby is looking v.flushed,so there's time yet!
Whatever doesn't kill us makes us stronger,yes?

Wow!!! didn't realise you'd be going so soon AB. Best of luck to you all. don't worry about stomach bugs. DS was vomiting the whole night before we went and was fine and dandy on the flight, the excitement helped him forget he felt crap.

If it helps at all the weather forecast for Hamilton is sun with cloudy intervals for the 25th & 26th and for the 27th is just sun and 22 degrees!! Enjoy yourselves, the first few weeks will be utter chaos, I second getting stuff from the warehouse which you can use outside. If you need any kitchen stuff, plates, bowls etc. buy from Briscoes, but only in one of their regular sales.

also, get in touch with your local settlement support branch when you arrive, heaps of useful info on day to day life, legal basics etc. plus they often have seminars, I went to one recently on the how the health service works. The website for the Hamilton office is here They will be able to give you info on local playcentres, Plunket (closest thing to health visitors in NZ), GP's, sports clubs, scout groups and so on ....

Live the dream and enjoy!

Thanks for info everyone.I'll have to be quick,just at my mums about to have our last meal together for a while.Then we get into taxi for airport hotel.Flight tomorrow. Ds1 threw up all over hotel last night and this am...please god,not on the plaaaane!!
loads of tears today and the worst is yet to come.i just wanna be on the plane.
Sign in when I can

Bon Voyage AB. Won't be long now.

Good luck on arrival AB - figure you'll be somewhere around south east Asia just now....

Welcome to NZ AB! Hope the flight went well and you are surviving the jet lag. Remember it may take a week to get over it so don't push yourselves too much.

Can I hijack a little and ask a question of you kiwi's? I'm just back from an interview with a recruitment consultant. They were very enthusiastic about my skill set but I've had awful experiences in the UK with them. Has anyone used them in NZ? They seemed to give me a slightly hard time about using my Dr title though. I'm wondering if it makes me look conceited on paper.

Which recruitment consultants was it, littlestkiwi? My dh is in recruitment - he's in IT but he may know of them and be able to give me some info. You could change their name/spelling slightly if you don't want this to be google-able.

They are called Talent Cap-ital.... TIA Whatshesaid.

I wonder if AB is going straight to Hamilton.

Oh I've just read your message again, do you mean recruitment agencies in general or one particular one? I though you meant one in particular. I'm married to a recruitment consultant so obviously I can't be rude about them as a species

OK, dh is at some work-related piss up function at the moment, I'll ask him when he gets home if he knows of them.

I guess I was asking in general as this one is quite specific. Don't want to tar them all with the same brush as OH has had some good experiences. I guess I'll see if I hear from them again!

I'm with you whatshesaid - I'm also married to one....highly ethical folk

Ooh, AB should be there by now!

Well I am very reassured. They must be all right then!

Nope littlestkiwi, dh hasn't heard of them, it was a bit of a long shot as there's 100s of recruitment agencies and he's in IT...I guess like anywhere there are good and less good agencies.

Yes lollystix, recruitment consultants, highly ethical as long as they get their commission

Hi everyone, we are here. It's all very weird and obviously we are all really tired. I thought I posted on here but post has gone we were delayed by a day but arrived here yesterday at 6am ish. It was odd driving out of Aukland to Hamilton. I don't know what i expecetd but was suprised at the house,I suppose. A lot of them look like mobile homes/sheds and were really close to the road.
The motel we are staying in is grim,can't wait to get out and into a rental. We have only had a very quick wander into Hamilton ,but know I don't want to live here.
Everyone is very very lovely and welcoming,though. Dh's boss lest a care package at reception with bread milk,wine etc and jigsaws,colouring books for the kids.How nice is that? Made me want to cry and hug him...although that could be contributed to the emotional and physical exhaustion!
Dh had a panic when we went to get nappies from countdown,$20 for 56.twice the price of uk. I only worry about this because I know things like that will make it more likely he'll put off trying for another baby!
We are looking for places to rent now and want to hire a car,but ddon't reckon we'll find one on a sunday. Just want to get out of this motel!! The kids have been up for hours (we couldnt keep them awake past four yesterday,the poor things were dropping off everywhere!) so they were up at 3am. We tried to keep them quiet,but upstairs started banging on the floor.
Put Aristocats on the laptop really quietly. Bit worried about any trouble,there's a big sooped up Suburu outside our windo..don't want them knocking on the door to complain!!

Come to Cambridge - it's much nicer than Hamilton! I know what you mean about those houses along the motorway - pretty grim, aren't they? Sorry, I haven't been following this thread - do you/DH have a job in Hamilton, if so whereabouts? I understand fully about the jetlag - it's so much worse in kids, takes about a week to get over it. How old are they?

Good luck with it all!

Welcome AB!

Yep nappies are expensive- your basic rule in NZ is buy everything on special. I think I pay about 50C per nappy for Huggies or Treasures.

For rentals- set up a search on trademe so the new listings are emailed to you each day. If a rental has been listed for a while there tends to be a reason. Try not to rush things, even if it means staying in the motel another week. We took a crappy rental when we arrived and froze. Best get it right now as moving later is expensive.

Hang in there.

Hi AB how were the dcs on the flights, glad you got here safely.

I know it will be near-impossible for you but try not to convert everything to pounds. Yes, some things are more expensive but also the pound is at a virtually all-time low against the dollar. When you saw $20 for a pack of nappies, you thought "That's 10 quid!", didn't you? When I got here it was 3.7 dollars to the pound and a $20 pack of nappies would have equated to about 6 pounds. 6 quid or 10 quid - it's still $20. You need to work things out according to what your dollar family income will be.

For future reference, there are various online nappy selling websites where you can get (decent) nappies for about 25-30cents each, I'll put some links up if you want once you're a bit more settled.

Hi everyone!
sorry I just read that post and it comes accross really negative,dowsn't it? I'm sorry for that,it wasn't meant to be. It's glorious sunshine here,the kids are going to go in the pool later. we've just been for brekkie and are off to buy a car soon.
Thank God for mumsnet and all you women with minefulls of info.
Whatshe said,that would be dead helpful,yes please.
Hi daisy,i'll answer u later,screaming bvaby on knee!!and dh needs laptop

I don't think you sounded negative, tbh I'm impressed you're posting at all after doing those flights with 3 dcs .

Nappies online - I buy these ones. I get the European made ones but the US ones are fine too. They are called Dryups but have "Toujours" written on the actual nappy - I have seen a brand called Toujours mentioned on MN as best brand in a survey or something so I think they're probably the same. I get free delivery because I'm in Auckland, I think delivery outside is about $7. Never had any probs with these nappies.

The kids were actually ok on the flight. I expected much worse!
Great,thanks for nappy info I'll defo check them out.
Daisy The kids are 5,3 and 1..and dh has got a job in Hamilton City,he is a journalist, not sure if I can say more as will out myself!!

You will be so tired AB after emotional goodbye and packing and flight and time change and now culture shock. Exhausting!
Give yourself a few days to feel normal. It will all be weird for a while I'm sure.

It's going to take a bit of time to settle in - have you spent much time here before emigrating? I'm guessing not - in which case, it must be even more of a culture shock. It takes a while to stop converting into pounds (I still do it on occasion and I've been here 8 years) and to stop comparing things, but the good stuff does definitely outweigh the bad - we have spent the afternoon at the lake, pulling the kids behind the boat on a biscuit, scares the shit out of me but they are growing up to be adventurous kiwis like their dad. We would never have done that in the UK.

Anyway, if I can be of any help do let me know. And if you need any help finding a rental property, DH has a property management company so could give some assistance, or certainly advice on areas to avoid. PM me if you need to.

shells,yeah,the goodbyes were pretty torturous for all involved.We'll be ok though, I'm staying positive
Daisy That sounds great fun for the kids (but I'm a tad protective and Id be shitting it too!Dh would overule me though!)its the kind of thing we're hoping for. We went to hamilton gardens today,was beautiful.Kicks the arse of the of the local botanic gardens back home!!
Yes, we would really appreciate a hand with renting in Cambridge,that would be great! I'm scared of being stuck in a dodgy area! I'll pm you