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

[AngryBeaver]

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

Great, Maybe he'll get off his arse and find a hobby to do in the evenings then.

Another vote for NZTv being pretty dreadful.

The only saving grace (from DH's point of view) is that we get various discovery/history channels. We currently watch 2 hours of Time Team most evenings. It's dull, admittedly, and I've seen just about enough of Tony Robinson to last me a lifetime, but it's a lot better than the alternatives.

(Although, the various imported US programmes are often vaguely watchable - and I have a slight obsession with the Criminal Minds/CSI type programmes, so I can at least record those and watch them on the rare occasions I have control of the remote)

xMinerva - I just spotted you on the thread about tea (not stalking honest, the name just caught my eye )

If you like your tea, in the name of god bring it with you. NZers just don't seem to get tea! I remember getting here, DH making tea at the motel and wondering if he'd forgotten to put the tea bag in! Local brands are like dishwater.

I either get proper Irish tea posted over (even what they call Irish breakfast tea here doesn't come close and is obviously designed for NZ palates), or drink Yorkshire tea which you can find in some supermarkets.

Ahem. gets down off soapbox
I kind of like my tea strong enough to dance on. I may feel a bit strongly about it

Haha, Thanks for the tip vvv

Are they ok about people bringing things like tea bags into the country in their luggage then?

I Just chucked all my new christmas decorations from christmas just gone because they had feathers and pinecones and stuff. I was told they are really strict about what you can take into the country.

Tea bags seem to be ok - we didn't bring any because we were afraid of the restrictions, but we've since had plenty posted to us. I think things like tea bags are ok if they are a commercial brand, still in original packaging. But someone else may know better.

A lot of our Christmas decorations went in the bin too. Wasn't much of any worth there, so wasn't too bothered.

Well, Dp will be going over first and I'll follow with the dc a couple months later, so in that case, I'll wait until he's there and send over a whole load of tea bags so I've got some to arrive to.

Any other recommendations? Nappies? Heard they are pretty expensive over there.

Are you shipping stuff Minerva? If so get to Lidl - buy as many of their £5.50 nappy packs as you can and fill up wardrobes and chests of drawers with them. Wipes to. I cannot tell you how bad the shoe situation is - even the natives admit it and the telly with Sky is crap BUT the people are very very friendly here and it was 16 degrees on Wednesday and I almost got sunburnt - in winter. Lots of positives just some small negatives on the retail front mainly.

My first trip to Wendy's today - cheesy potato - yum!

Not shipping furniture though but I will be shipping a few boxes of stuff over to Dp when he gets there so they are there for when the dc and I arrive.

We're actually using the £1.50 tesco value nappies now. Dp picked them up by accident and actually they are pretty damn good. Was just gonna clear my local tesco of them and send them over.

I'll look into shoes too. Thanks.

Wendy's? Cheesy Potato? Sounds interesting.

New world often do Pam's wipes 2 for $4 too. It's a good brand, you can get fragrance free etc.

I pay 29c per nappy (toddler size), the place I order them from gives you the price per nappy. Works out about 35 nappies for $10.

Shoes are horrendous. I'm planning on buying 3 or 4 pairs when we visit the UK in Oct and hope that will last a year or two.

We survive TV Okay with a Sky PVR recorder. We'd struggle without it though and I loath Sky as a company having once worked in their call centre.

So for everyone that has only been in NZ a few months or so, how are you all finding it?

Any pros or cons so far?

And of all of those who have been there a while/never left, How long do you think someone just moving over needs to give it before deciding whether to stay or not?

We thought 2 years would give us plenty of time to see if we could continue living there or want to come back. (I don't think we will want to come back )

Been here about 4-5 months now. I'm embracing it. Like lots of things about it and some bits of UK I miss (really missing the Guardian an radio 4 - how sad is that) - keep checking website for UK news and I think that's cos I've not mentally adjusted yet. Sure that will go. I've put myself out there to make friends and have been overwhelmed by how friendly people are here. I'm giving it at least 2 years. Currently I'm thinking I would perhaps not be here if DH wasnt so smitten and I didn't have kids but I have no qualms about being here now as I know it's great for the kids and I do believe we have made the right choice for them. If it were just me and I had money to spend on shoes and restuarants and as I'm not a sun lover and like old stuff (and the Guardian) I would be back in UK. But hey I have 4 kids and no money to spend on shoes so it's a good job they don't wear them over here - shame about the Herald.

Minerva - I've seen the time of 2 years talked about as a decent amount of time to see if you settle.

Lolly - I still have a quick look at the Guardian online most days! and the Mail celeb gossip bits. I listen to Radio 4 online too - I'm not that bothered about the UK news but I think the coverage of international news is more in-depth. The BBC World Service is on the radio in Auckland too. I do listen to NZ National radio too, which is a bit Radio 4-ish.

I still read the Guardian too and DM to remember why we left the UK. You are right about the Herald lolly!

We're 4 years in and still talk about whether we will stay 'forever'. But I doubt we will ever plan to move anywhere and stay permanently as we are a bit flighty. Auckland rocks IMHO and I fell in love with this city and country in a very unexpected way.

Met the major yesterday too!

Would that be the major Len Brown

I've been here 25 (yikes!) years now. If you all think the shopping is bad you should have tried it back then, I think I went thru a real grief process for Mothercare and M & S.

Anyway imho 2 years is the very least you should give it.

Yep, Mr Brown!

I was like Imelda Marcos when we went to the UK in March. I was in heaven. Though that Endless.com is a good option for reasonably priced shoes.

Well, it looks like our house sold.

Seller came in after the auction to tell us, told us we'd been really unhelpful and obstructionist (we'd agreed to open homes, last minute appointments, and extra open home ) and told us the new owners were 'letting you stay so at least you should be happy about that'.

Said it all in front of DD1, who takes everything in and will probably start stressing about who the people are who are letting us stay, and might they change their minds.

I'm really upset by the whole thing. I've been ill all weekend and spent today tidying and then get out of their way so they could run a last open home. But apparently that is 'being difficult'.

Is this the seller whom you allowed to illegally break your lease? FFS.

When do you get to meet the new owners? I hope they are nice V.