WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO KNOW: PART 5!

[AngryBeaver]

Look at us Chatty Cathy's!
Justa oh nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
(I'm not sure )

Ohh,what a kind invitation justa, do you know,we may come too! We are at MP on the 30th, so will be about.
It just depends on whether we are staying over or going straight home after.
We may stay a few days to have a look at Waiheke and few other areas.. Haven't discussed at length yet.
Also, would have my Mum with me...would that be a problem? after all you know

We have provisional plans for NYE but I'm tempted to come just to hear AB's mum's, ahem, forthright views on NZ.

Hi ladies!!!

Have just read through all 9 pages of new thread so just catching up with everything.

I was so busy a few weeks ago with two sick DDs, including the youngest not sleeping through as she was all blocked up (which was a huge shock for all of us) so got out of the MN habit. We also had a bit of a spurt of social things, so all in all too busy to and too lazy on my iPad to MN. Still have my addiction to Trade Me Property though.

Can't remember everything that has been happening with everyone. vvviola sorry about you accident, glad to read you are all okay.

AB. Sorry, but your brother sounds awful and what he says to you is emotionally abusive. Your mum is enabling him. So hard to tackle this sort of behaviour, as people like this rarely see any fault in their own behaviour.

Families are so complicated aren't they. My in laws are amazing but I can feel the stress and emotion of our move building. I am dreading the emotional goodbye. Every time I think about it I well up. I feel so guilty but then I have my family in NZ to consider (not that we are moving just for family, but obviously they benefit)

Hope you are enjoying some nice weather. It is freezing here!! We are getting ready for our last UK Christmas for a while, so will try to really enjoy time with our family.

Any decisions AB - will you be moving to Auckland?

Thanks justs thatwould be good! She is actually really lovely/friendly/chatty...she is just hurting, so not haven't seen the best of her this last year.
Can I confirm nearer the tim if that's ok with you? We will bring some plonk and grub obvs

No decisions yet, dh is keen and leaning heavily towards Waiheke...property porn may follow!

www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential-property-for-sale/auction-529716774.htm

www.trademe.co.nz/property/residential-property-for-sale/auction-369147499.htm

Oh, the pool and views on that second one (first one isn't bad either!)

Ha!
Oh, you're so lucky having your own pool. That must be lovely.
I went swimming today as it happens. Unfortunately, I was fully clothed [griin]
Ds 1 (4) suddenly got out of his depth and panicked. Mum was too far away to help him,so in I went! The shame.

Well, you're right , I am well jel
Great for ds1 that he gets some much needed aqua physio at home where he is comfortable, really fortuitous for you guys.
Lovely, enjoy your sunny, swimmy days xx

Oh he was fine, wasn't under for long at all. No real danger I was only a few feet away...but still a big fright for him! He said when he has calmed down "It was really spooky under ther Mummy"
Isn't it funny how we just do things, as mothers/people.
Without any thought/reason.
I literally launched from the edge of the pool without any conversation with myself at all. Weird.
Oh, justa I can totally imagine it is worth it. I dreeeam of one day owning a house with a pool! Even though I know it is a real ball ache to finance.
WORTH IT!
You lucky duck!

AB Just having a browse on Trade Me, I'm surprised how few properties there are for rent on Waiheke. There's only 14 listings for the entire island.

I wonder if the owners tend to rent their houses out as holiday lets rather than long term rentals.

I suspect most people do holiday lets cos they are so expensive on Waiheke. We paid $200 a night in Feb last year for one which was a total shithole. It was only two bed too. I've heard they are full most of the year too.

Yep, that might be a problem!! Dh had a very quick look and said there weren't many

We had dinner. In an actual restaurant. Just the two of us

(It was actually the motel restaurant and I had to disappear after the starter to feed & get to DD2 to sleep - Mum couldn't quite work her magic there. But still. Grown up dinner. Bliss )

AB I tried to persuade DH we should live on Waiheke Island. He was not to be convinced though

Thanks for those links wss we ended up with a pink stroller from K Mart $8 but finally found a blue baby boy doll so hopefully one happy ds2 on Christmas Day.

That invite sounds lovely justa will talk to dp if you don't mind is coming along?

Not to put a downer on things AB but I've been over to Waiheke a few times and I just don't like it. Everyone keeps telling me about how beautiful it is but I really just don't see it. I wouldn't like to live there anyway.

There's some beautiful areas around the North Shore. Still trying to decide on where we should find our next house. Think it'll be browns Bay for a while though as just got ds1 into Kindy there and dp loves it.

Good luck with whatever you decide though.

Our electricity bill isn't that bad considering we have a pool. And we pay someone to come in and do the cleaning/chemicals etc. they come every 2 weeks in summer and we pay roughly $100 a visit which included everything they do (even replacing the hose on the suction Hoover thingy). Well worth it if you can afford it. Having a pool and doing it yourself still well worth it if you can't. ;)

Where's the gin??

Feeling xmassyvvviola?!

Your meal out sounds great, lovely to have a break.

xminervaHmm, I have never been. I am worried that it will be boring. Had never worried about it being ugly! But I will have to go over and check it out.
Dh sayd we'll probably know the minute we step offthe ferry whether it's a yes or a no.

justa I think we will not be able to make your party! Everywhere is booked up and $$$$x10 for around that time.

I met a lovely lovely mumsnetter visiting from the UK today, we had a glass of wine and some lunch, and she said a very rude word and made me choke on my lettuce

If by Christmassy you mean "lots of family in a small space being decidedly tricky"

Actually it's fine - just a bit chaotic & everyone getting used to everyone else's ways. And DD1 being totally hyper.

And it seems like we may have to resort to frozen brussels sprouts

Justabout- thanks for the invite. We have my kiwi BFF staying for NYE. She lives in Europe and I met her at Uni. It so nice having her here and my DD and her DS are in love. We are going to put the kids to bed and have a grown up dinner party. Last time we had a party with them we had to redecorate the bathroom.

The thought of sharing any space with my family (lovely as they are!) sends chills down my spine, vvv, you're a far better woman than I!

littlest sounds great fun!