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Living overseas

Whether you're considering emigrating or an expat abroad, you'll find likeminds on this forum.

Original poster

just moved to NZ with DP and DS

223 replies

Kjaysmum · 06/07/2006 23:08

Hi there, I have just moved to New Zealand with my Kiwi partner and DS 2.1 yrs. We are on the Kapiti coast and just thought I
d see if there are any other Mumsnetters out there. ?

OP posts:
Papillon · 08/07/2006 11:06

whoops... I copy the text at bottom of page ... \link{http://news.bbc.co.uk \this}

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 08/07/2006 11:25

Sorry about FIL. Sounds like a tricky time all things considered. Guess we're lucky there's a CS option really but my sister had same last year and wasn't an easy recovery (single mum) but little nephew safe thank goodness. Hope you had good support with DH gone.
We reckon we shall be due a holiday by January and I hear the orchard is lovely, perhaps we could come to you...probably a bit early for dates and plans .
Off to bed now, really nice to make contact, chat soon....

OP posts:
Papillon · 08/07/2006 11:27

Sweet dreams

talk again soon, great to find you here!

Papillon · 08/07/2006 19:31

thats the factor about CS that make me not too miserable about having one - it saved our lives! had acupunture and cranial osteopathic treatment for the scar which was good.

It is going to be a cram this holiday - at this stage have a mate coming from Oz with her mum and 2 kids to visit while at folks. But I love tribal gatherings. We could have a party at the sheds and run around eating apples Got peeps there who could well do the sound. Cor this has got me scheming now lol

I remember a thread from a MN in Wellington once. Usually read the kiwi threads of course!

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 10/07/2006 01:24

Well you can count us in for sure, we're well overdue some party fun and DS loves apples

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WellieMum · 10/07/2006 02:50

Woops, missed this! Am not a regular mnetter so I sometimes miss relevant stuff.

Welcome to NZ kjm! I live near Wellington so we're almost neighbours! Am not a kiwi - we've lived here 3 years though and it feels very much like home. People here have been incredibly welcoming and friendly. Hope it's the same for you!

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 10/07/2006 04:13

Hiya Welliemum, It;s so nice to get a reply at this time of day all the northern hemisphere folk are tucked up in bed, or doing night feeds!! or putting the naughty ones back into bed . Yes definately friendly, did you come from uk? I love the way every says hello to each other in the street up here it's so community spirited.

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ghosty · 10/07/2006 10:34

Hi Kjaysmum ... sorry didn't reply to your question re. why I came to NZ.
For my sins I married someone with a kiwi mother (although he was born and brought up in the UK and has dual nationality). We came here on a few holidays and then 4 and a half years ago we came with DS to meet his great granny and DH went for lunch with a business contact and came back with a job! It came at the right time - we were really ready to try something new, great prospects for DH, opportunity for me to be a SAHM. The only real kiwi in our house is DD who was born here.
Mind you, we are off again in a few months - DH has been offered a job in Australia ... I will be sad to say goodbye to NZ but I am hoping it won't be forever and that we will come back here eventually

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 10/07/2006 20:39

actually ghosty I was curious so looked up your thread about your citizenship, what a can of worms!!!
I've just completed my residency forms and shall hand them in tomorrow I thought my little family was complicated but yours takes the biscuit hope they excepted your passport in the end.
Where in Oz are you going, some good friends of mine from back home are just having their second child in Byron bay any day now, will go and visit asap, I went last time we were in NZ and it was stunning, I was expecting all gum trees and barren landscape was it was very lush and outstandingly beautiful. Hope you're going somewhere nice.

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Papillon · 10/07/2006 20:45

Morning, I am just about off to bed Just downloading my ishuffle so I go to sleep quicker. Having kids has ruined my sleep pattern

did not know you were off to Oz Ghosty!

Papillon · 10/07/2006 20:46

have you been lurking on any of the threads I have been on kjm?

Piffle · 10/07/2006 20:53

used to holiday on the kapiti coast and am former Wellingtonian where in kapiti coast are you kjaysmum?

ghosty · 10/07/2006 20:56

Melbourne, Kjaysmum ...
It was lovely when we wnet there for a visit - but in the middle of winter so cold and a bit dreary so I am hoping that it will be stunning when the weather is nice!

WellieMum · 10/07/2006 23:03

Hi again Kjaysmum

We've lived all over and were in Singapore before NZ. We arrived in winter, like you, but were so pleased to have real weather after sweltering in Singapore that we didn't mind being cold!

Winter here is similar-ish to the UK - not quite as cold but plenty of frosty nights etc. Spring is awesome because it goes from almost-as-cold-as-UK to much-warmer-than UK - it's like watching one of those nature programmes where they fast forward the Spring. Something to look forward to!

It's just occurred to me though - you're by the sea so probably a bit warmer than us anyway.

Am just boggling at ghosty's passport thread. Ghosty, hope you get this sorted out quick. My brain hurts just thinking about this.... I do often think how simple life must be if you're born somewhere and then just stay put for the rest of your life....sigh.

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 11/07/2006 04:43

I'm at Waikanae beach, it's pretty quiet but really lovely. where are you now Piffle?
No Papillon I've not been that nosey . Steve and Corrine and the girls send their love to you folks, just spent the morning with them KJ loves spending time with his big cousins and they are rather cool girls I must say.
When do you make your move to Oz ghosty?
Yes Welliemum, I reckon it is abit warmer up here but I have to get used to these NZ houses being a tad chilly after having central heating in the Netherlands, the Dutch really know how to do cold, NZ could learn a few lessons of them for sure but I gather most winters are not THIS cold

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Papillon · 11/07/2006 07:07

oh lovely, have not seen Steve and Corrine for ages. Have only met their youngest girl once when she was a babe. Please send love and greetings in return

Old houses in NZ are terribly cold aren´t they! During my years in Christchurch as a student, when it rained the carpets would get damp. Bummer kjm bad enough to have 2 winters in a row, that you are having 2 crap winters in a row. So pleased that summer is decent this year.

Will be quiet Waikanae, well known retirement area huh... Have you got projects or interests that can occupy you? I do abit of writing but that is on the back burner these last months as summer as kicked in and with ds been still very young.

Loads of kiwis in Melbourne Ghosty - not been there but have heard lots of good things about the city

Papillon · 11/07/2006 07:22

lol well apparently I am useless at being nosey... been trying to find your citizenship thread Ghosty and can only find something about Suzy´s spider big as a kitten phoebia! Help!

Mate of mine here is looking into moving to Oz atm and a friend moves b ack there next month. Its all happening...

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 11/07/2006 08:50

hmmm projects, well, KJ may be two now but he still seems to take up lots of my time, so between the house and him I still don't seem to have that much time yet. Managed to dig over a bit of the garden yesterday and plant some hardy herbs, that's about it, he's been a bit poorly too though, so seem to be focusing on that lots to at present.
Reckon three is a good age to send him off for a bit of independence, porbably kindie, good for us both, then I reckon the business will need me sometimes and would love to study botanicals and herbal properties but not herbalism as I can't see me doing a four year degree somehow!

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Papillon · 11/07/2006 09:07

the business as in books or has dp (feels funny calling him that!! but privacy ensues here) started a business? I am growing beans and cress sprouts in a window with dd. Miss having a garden, we would like to have our own place some day not in the too distant future.

Can we talk about the news? Have been following that guesome story about the man found without hands. Nasty business and is starting to sound dodgey. NZ is lovely but can have heinous crimes like everywhere. The board here on MN for news is normally in the English news!

Papillon · 11/07/2006 09:08

sorry to hear that kj is alittle under the weather. Has he some good winter jerseys?

ghosty · 11/07/2006 09:26

DH will be off at the beginning of September but we will stay put until January (citizenship etc, DS and school, my parents coming for xmas blah blah). I am not looking forward to 4/5 months without DH but we are planning to go to Melbourne for the school holidays in September/October, then he will come back home a couple of times and for DS's birthday, then home for xmas so it won't be too bad - I will be needing Mumsnet a lot I think

NZ news: the man with no hands is a pretty gruesome story, as was the man found in a suitcase floating in Auckland harbour - eeeewwww
But I find the Kahu twins case a very sad and chilling one ...

Original poster
Kjaysmum · 11/07/2006 09:43

yeah weird stuff eh, still it's a relief not to be worrying about being blown up by some mad extremists even if I do have some reservations about being in an earthquake zone!!

Sounds like you've got quite a time ahead of you, ghosty, hope our chat can keep you company somewhat .

I have to go, I'm just putting the finishing touches to my residency application, I'm off to Wellington to hand it in tomorrow, can't forsee any major problems but it's still pretty daunting stuff.

chat soon

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Piffle · 11/07/2006 12:57

Waikanae Beach was where we used to go
Family weekends as we had a bach up there.
Lots of retired folks reside there permanently too.
It is gorgeous is summer
You lucky thing!

Papillon · 11/07/2006 13:06

I have mates with a bach at Otaki
your dp has probably meet them

if you come up our way in January you might meet them as I will defo be catching up with them on the visit over.

Piffle · 11/07/2006 13:10

I worked in Otaki for 3 years with horses
I also worked evenings as a pudding and starters chef at Byrons Browns in the beach caravan/camping site
Gosh I am homesick
I just googled that handless corpse, I know that man - my Dad was a volunteer firefighter before he died and this man was one of the main guys when the Hutt Valley was inundated with arson attacks
Gives me chills