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WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW:PART 3!!!!(HOLY SHIT!)

999 replies

AngryBeaver · 03/05/2012 07:13

Can you believe we've finished finished off another thread? Jeez we can talk!!
Just an update..we've found a nice double glazed,4 bed house,with nice garden. So that's one stress off the last.
Hilongwhitecloud Smile

OP posts:
Sibble · 01/07/2012 08:04

Hi unbeliever sorry can't help you either.

Thanks all for your posts. lollystix my mum is around but was away on holiday and couldn't get a flight back until her scheduled flight yesterday. Normally my sister would have 'been in charge' but her baby is 3 weeks old and she's not doing too well herself so the db was 'in charge'. He did do well in a 'bloke way'. Part of my dilemma is as others have said, I wouldn't want to live close to my parents and nan (don't like location) but to live too far seems to defeat the object of going 'home'. We will need to live close to London for work but the cost is huge and lifestyle is not good (why we moved here). So much to consider.

Anyway re: juggling school hols - I am lucky that I can juggle workload and work from home so never have to work full weeks. My boys go to holiday programmes for some of the week which on the whole they enjoy - key = find ones their friends are going to, see if you can have days off and arrange to have children on those day in exchange for yours going over there (saves money and they don't get bored at the programmes). I am lucky that my work is flexible so they do get to laze around. I find they need the days when they are in PJs all day or at least until lunchtime and doing nothing as life can be quite busy.

Sibble · 01/07/2012 08:06

justabout feel for you - how hard to think you were going to the wedding then find out things wouldn't work out - hope you can work something out.

justaboutisnowakiwi · 01/07/2012 08:57

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lollystix · 01/07/2012 10:04

Scroobius are you guaranteed help back in the UK with DS if you were to go back? The reason I ask is that I was offered a bit of help with the boys but when it came to the crunch they all went a bit flaky on me. My dad had said he would do one after school pick up and then said no more for months. 6 weeks before school started he asked if I still needed the help and I said I'd arrange afterschool club as he had gone so quiet and his response was 'good as I could really committ'. Also MIL said she'd help with one and a half days a week but then started saying FIL would object. He put her on the spot and said he wouldn't but I could tell she desperately didn't want to do it which is really what partly contributed to our leaving for NZ.

To be honest DS I really worried about DS at breakfast and afterschool club - it was the most stressful thing about him starting school for me but he absolutely loved it. When on mat leave he told me he wanted me to go back to work so he could carry on going.

DH just had another 2 hour skype session with his folks. MIL now saying she can't committ to visting as she's just back from NY and it's taken her a week to get over the jet lag so she thinks she'll be too tired after the flights back from NZ to visit. I'm being mean but as she doesn't have to do anything except for visit Tesco everyday, I think she could maybe just sleep it off afterwards and come visit her GKs but seemingly it's too much of an ask. She went out with DH's friend and wife a couple of weeks ago and DH found out from friend today that she didn't have anything positive to say about our move - his wife got ear chewed off apparently. I think DH a bit sad about it today.

Sympathies justabout - I think we just have to come to terms with these things and then we begin to care less. I skyped my mum today - bad connection but she was very tight lipped about what she was doing in her new rented flat in cornwall now. Something fishy going on I think but I'll never know. feel quite distant frmo her. DB also skyped last night and said SIL hates him and marraige is tough so I feel very sad for him - really miss him lots.

On positive saw old friend frmo Scotland today who is a kiwi from Auckland. She was here with her kids visiting her aunty and that was lovely. I'll shut up now....

AB - still thinking of you. Good luck this week. Auckland on Tuesday is it?

ScroobiousPip · 01/07/2012 10:08

Justabout - that all sounds very hard on you, and very unfair of your mum to put you in that position. I hope you find a way through.

Hi unbeliever! I'm by no means a tax expert but i have been struggling with my own return this year as my 4 year exemption on overseas assets comes to an end. Basically, from the moment you are a tax resident here, you have 4 years when you don't need to declare certain overseas income, eg rental income on a UK home. It only applies to certain incomes though - not sure if pensions are on the list. iRD are really helpful, both their website and over the phone:

www.ird.govt.nz/yoursituation-nonres/move-nz/temp-tax-empt-foreign-inc.html

I know the decision to bring a pension over to NZ is a huge one and timing is everything with the exchange rates. There are a number of companies that specialize in transfers so it might pay to start researching them now. Or perhaps speak to a dual- qualified accountant?

ScroobiousPip · 01/07/2012 11:04

Sorry, I must have x-posted with you lolly. You are right about the help issue, that must have been so frustrating for you. Not that GPs are obliged to help, but to make promises and then not stick to them. Grr.

I've talked about it a lot with my folks because when we were in the UK before, when DS was little, help was a bit patchy. But then I lived over an hour from family, we were all spread across the country and DM was still working. Two years down the line and my sister has moved to be near my parents, as have other relatives, my parents are retired and are they are talking about a long term house share thing (house and annexe or similar) so we could live together but independent lives. It's an enormous decision though, and you are right that everyone needs to be totally honest and upfront about expectations otherwise it will all end in tears! I also have to factor in ex-DH, who has agreed In principle to go back but it's also got to work in practice for him. I don't know, it may all be a pipe dream but I feel as if, for ds's sake, I have to explore it as an option.

It's really good though to know that your DS settled at school and after school care - fab that he actually enjoys school!

Vvviola - sorry you're weekend's been a bit rough, hope your Dd feels better soon.

And AB, still thinking of you here too.

On a positive note, I'm taking DS to 'meet the wot wots' tomorrow. Can't decide if he's going to love it or run from the venue screaming. Grin

lollystix · 01/07/2012 11:13

wotty...wot wot - where's that at? I love the wot wots but I was a bit concerned that they may have something to do with Tom Cruise. I'm off to google that.

WhatSheSaid · 02/07/2012 02:32

Tom Cruise and the Wotwots...hmmm...maybe the pink one could become his new wife...

justabout sounds like a nightmare re wedding etc - what a pity something couldn't be worked out.

Unbeliever - don't know re the pensions - some of the British expat forum pages may have some info? Could be worth a try.

I am wrecked due to getting to bed at midnight and up at 6 and having, ooh, about 3 drinks at FOTC. Such a lightweight these days. They were good but it was quite odd seeing them at such a huge venue (Vector holds 12000). Last time I saw them was at the comedy club on Queen St.

AB how you doing?

thelittlestkiwi · 02/07/2012 02:48

justabout- that sounds really hard. Does your brother have kids? He may just be oblivious to the practicality of travelling with kids, with or without any special needs (is that the right term?). I know I was before DD. All you can do really is be up front and honest and even if he doesn't get it now he may at some point in the future.

Whatshesaid- I'm jealous you've seen then before in such a small venue! I was surprised how late it went on. I was on the verge of leaving for my poor 15 year old baby sitter. But was amused that half the venue seemed to do the same sprint before they had even left the stage!

WhatSheSaid · 02/07/2012 02:56

I saw them as part of the comedy festival in 2004 (pre-kids, went to loads of comedy shows back then. And film festival films...etc etc etc).

I felt bad about our babysitter too, it was nearly midnight when we got home and she's a friend who has a one year old who wakes in the night sometimes. Of course he did last night, so she got a grand total of 5 hours sleep last night, even worse than my 6. She came round this morning and we mainlined coffee for a couple of hours :)

justaboutisnowakiwi · 02/07/2012 03:04

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

lollystix · 02/07/2012 09:14

So were they good? My friend in queenstown didn't rate them this time.

So today was my first trip to the Tron. Weird place - slightly eighties. I was in offices on the high street and I was wondering where all the people were. It was a bit like a ghost town but apparently they're all in some shopping centre out of town.

WhatSheSaid · 02/07/2012 09:40

I thought they were good, songs as funny as always but it's hard to get the audience rapport they usually get in a 12 000 seater arena.

justaboutisnowakiwi · 02/07/2012 12:04

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vvviola · 02/07/2012 12:54

Is anyone else getting this weather?? It's so windy I think I'll have to invest in some ruby slippers and a dog called Toto! ConfusedGrin

AngryBeaver · 02/07/2012 20:16

Just psyching myself up for this afternoon. Will check in from bed later. Wish me luck .

(I hate the bloody Wiggles!)

OP posts:
justaboutisnowakiwi · 02/07/2012 21:57

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vvviola · 02/07/2012 22:56

Good luck today AB xx

Another one chiming in with hatred of the wiggles (especially what they do to traditional Irish music/songs/danceAngry). Thankfully either the schedule has changed, or DD1 is watching a different programme in the morning before breakfast, but whatever it is, we don't seem to have to be tortured by them on the mornings anymore Grin

WhatSheSaid · 03/07/2012 00:52

Good luck AB. Hope the drive up isn't too horrible, it's quite stormy up here.

thelittlestkiwi · 03/07/2012 01:49

Good luck AB.

WhatSheSaid · 03/07/2012 03:12

Wow, we have just had the most torrential rain and our garage has flooded. Poor AB and her dh driving in this - hope they were already here when it hit.

ZacharyQuack · 03/07/2012 03:21

Delurking to wish you all the best AB.

lollystix · 03/07/2012 06:17

Out yourself Quack Grin

Keep us posted ABl....

ZacharyQuack · 03/07/2012 08:03

Hi Lollystix, I'm a kiwi living in Wellington. I posted on AB's early threads when she was looking for info about NZ (no to sharks in swimming pools and there's not that much broken glass on the ground Wink) and have lurked a bit since then, as it's interesting hearing expats' views of my lovely country.

thelittlestkiwi · 03/07/2012 08:24

Whatshesaid- did you loose any stuff? That happened to us just after we moved in and we realised our garage had probably been flooding regularly for years. Would have been good to know before we left boxes of our stuff in there but through sheer luck we didn't loose anything. We just had a new drain installed for $700 which seems to have fixed the issue.

I'm feeling very sorry for myself in this awful weather today. Not helped by OH being on a pacific island 'working' for a week and posting about dolphins in his lunch hour. I'm now looking at pacific island holidays. Anyone any recommendations?