WHERE'S BEST TO LIVE IN NZ ETC :PART 6!!!

[AngryBeaver]

Wow! Part 6...got to be a record.

MN Towers, where's our prize?!

School uniform? Crumbs, I never even thought of that. So it's very expensive then? Bloody hell, DH and I really are going to have to take this finding a job thing seriously much sooner than anticipated. Oh well, it's been fun while its lasted!

Windsor Park around 12 sounds perfect to me - on the proviso that you send me straight home again if I haven't done at least an hour's study before I get there.

I just got my first "LTB" over on AIBU regarding DH putting cayenne pepper in my soup (to be fair, I'm pretty sure it was tongue in cheek, but it feels like a rite of passage )

what's an LTB????

Leave The Bastard

My folks live in Redwood. I went to Papanui High and my nephews are at Redwood School. We are in West Eyreton (near Oxford) I teach in Rangiora. Loads of expats over here. I'm actually a kiwi but lived 10 years in London and arrived home 2 years ago so feel a bit like an expat.
Good luck with the house hunting.

School uniform, stationery packs, mandatory voluntary donations...not to mention endless mufti days and sausage sizzles 'gold coin donation'. If you're organised you can probably get uniform second hand from the school or trademe, but dd seems to have had a sudden growth spurt so I was caught out. $53 for a polo shirt is extortionate, I'm a soft touch!

Will get to Windsor park as soon after 12 as I can, may be more like half 12 though once I've picked up ds.

@febes been up to West Eyreton today. My friend lives there. A bit two rural for me although seam like a few of dh work colleagues seam to live in that kind of area.

I think about 75% pay the donation at our school - you get a loyalty card if you pay it that gives you discounts on uniform, school trips etc. It's $80 a year, which isn't too bad.

We're off to a school trip to the beach tomorrow, hoping the rain has stopped for now.

Ours just bleeds us dry. $400 'donation' on week 1 please plus $25 paper. Provide all your own books, pens. Extortionate uniform. Donate a kidney to the school fair annually and bring a gold coin each week for some random muffin. Last year we funded the 12 YOs ski trip FFS (if u are affluent enough to ski can't you pay your own way?!)!

frik I've had one of those which is why I don't vent on there any more. I can't even remember what it was, something about him not helping with boys and around the house while we both work IIRC. Anyway, the lynch mob decided I was weak for not standing up to him (have given up), making him do it (big hand to anybody who can make my dh do anything) or left him (seemed a bit drastic).

Our 'fees' are around $250 from memory (cheaper than the last school), uniform cost an arm and leg and books/stationery etc..are about $60 . ds2s school out of zoners are not allowed to sign up if they do not pay their 'donations' and are excluded permanently if the children misbehave on an on-going basis. The idea being that it is a privilege to attend that school, there are alot of others who would like to and that's that. I like that concept! DH used to sit on the school board most local schools donations are about 50%.

However, compared to ds1s private school fees they are nothing - now they bleed you dry (my choice I know!). I buy his must buy through the school shop (at gold bullion price) shirts, shorts and trousers on-line from Debenhams and have never had a complaint - 12 pound for 2 shirts except $80 no brainer. Can't do that with ds2s as even the shorts have a logo on them (con!)

Gosh - I'm just realising how luck we are with DD1's school. Only compulsory uniform is school hat ($15) and school t-shirt ($30 - so not exactly cheap, but at least it's ok quality). There's a sweatshirt that isn't compulsory, but to be fair is pretty necessary. Bottoms are "any black trousers/shorts/skirt you like". It all seems incredibly practical compared to the patent shoes/pinafore/tie/blouse concoctions that are Irish school uniforms

Donations & activity fees add up to about 250 a year. Stationery was pretty cheap & at this level at least they insist you reuse unfinished notebooks etc the following year.

They do threaten not to allow children take part in any extra activities if the activity fee isn't paid - but I have yet to hear of it happening.

Hi notfarmingatthemo and everyone else! Haven't been on here for a very, very long time, tend to read stuff every so often but never seem to have more than 3 seconds on the computer to actually write anything! I'm in Christchurch, been here since Jan 2012. We live in St Albans so pretty central, you're very welcome to pop in for a coffee :) Remember what it was like to be on my own with 2 kids (and heavily pregnant!) when dh started work a couple of days after we arrived. Not such good timing with weather for you, but it's a sunny day today again :)

Namaste everyone

We have arrived. It has been...chaotic.
I can't remember whether I told you about my trademe blunder? Spoke to agent who told me number of house and name of road. I looked on trademe as it had been for sale.
We thought it looked fine so signed the contract.
Then dh discovered I'd been looking at the house next door

It is friggin' TINY. No garage, no laundry, no storage. Fucking nightmare all in all.

Still tryiing to get used to things. I feel a bit overwhelmed and like I want to assume the fetal position and stay there til I'm ready to emerge.
But, of course, that's not an option.

So I am just off to "movie night" at the school hall. To let kids watch film and parents socialise. I'm so not ready for this!

ps
A mermaid lives next door!

I believe primary school uniform is not compulsory in NZ whatever the individual school may tell you.

I didn't know that about uniform...I actually like having a uniform for dd. the shirts are $29 and the skorts $30-something, I have two of each so a bit of an initial outlay but I never seem to have any other washing for her, her other clothes seem barely worn and I don't think I'll need to buy her non-school clothes for ages.

I reckon the uniforms are prob all made by the same company and the school add their cut on top according to what they reckon they can get away with re what parents can afford. The polo shirt someone pays $53 for is prob the same one we pay $29 for but we're a mid-decile school...

We don't have an activity fee either, $80 donation and $25 stationery and that's it, apart from the usual fundraising stuff in the year.

AB are you locked into renting the house for a certain length of time?

I think you could meet some really interesting people on Waiheke. I don't just mean "interesting" in a "woooooo!" way, I think there's probably some really good people there and a strong community. Make the most of the lovely autumn days before winter comes

Oh god AB, I can feel your pain from here. Well done on your third move in nz, it is your third move right? We had an inspection from the rental agency today, and she was like, oh are you going to renew after 6 months because we have had loads of interst, so now I'm FREAKING OUT. I literally don't want to move again until I absolutely have to. Like, when we buy or something. Am now kicking myself for telling all and sundry how bloody awesome the house etc etc etc is.

A mermaid you say? Don't leave us dangling!!!

Oh and sibble lol at LTB. I always read those threads and think about what I would tell a real life mate. It's very very easy to just yell LTB isn't it. And I hate how it always turns into yet more slagging off of the woman. Pisses me right off.

Thank you to the lovely lady who posted the link for the free delivery to NZ from M&S. I have an order of mostly sale goods winging its way to me.

I know it is a bit late now but there was a brilliant sale on at Farmers today. The offers were for Club Card holders and Farmers Finance Card holders. I just have the club card which is a loyalty card and is free. I bought a dehumidifier which was 210 down from 299 perfect for the coming seaons and a help to keep our house dry in autumn/winter.