Ramblings from NZ and Australia. All welcome in the midst of winter!

[dontevenblink]

So I know there are quite a few of us living here in NZ or Kiwis in the UK who might want to join in. Would anyone fancy a chat thread? I know there was one a few years ago but nothing I can see anymore.

I've been out here about 4 1/2 years, were on south island, now on north but not in either of the big cities. Weather is sunny but cold today. It was so cold last night our taps didnt run this morning properly until a load of orange gunk came out, we now have hot water again luckily. How do you stop the pipes from freezing without central heating? The house was empty for years before we got it and the pipes had burst apparently. Luckily we just rent it. I've been onto the landlord to ask for a heat pump as there is no heating apart from the plug in oil radiators we have and you can see your breath in the mornings! Did anyone else also have a crazy amount of rain this week? We've had nothing for ages so the farmers were all worrying so was definitely a good thing for them.

On the very plus side it has been mainly still hot here and this is the first week I haven't wanted to venture out with the dog (although obviously still have). Still love walking and seeing the beautiful surroundings we live in, never gets old.

It's that time of year again (where did the year go?!) when all the toy sale catalogues are coming out and dc have been flicking through debating already what they want for Christmas. I normally buy a few things to put away for Christmas so as to spread it out but not sure I can be bothered yet [lazy emoticon]. Plus they keep changing their minds... It normally feels christmassy too at this time of year which puts me in the mood, but not as much this year for some reason. Does anyone else do layby?

Anyone else want to join me in my kiwi ramblings?

Just asked DH, because he works for a company that deals with the RFS - they don't have sirens, they just use mobile phones to contact people when necessary.

thumb ours is in the centre of our small town less than a km from where we are so is pretty loud. I didn't realise the volunteer ones had sirens until we moved here, not sure if all do though? It really does sound like an air raid siren...

Wow about the whales! Very jealous. We tried to go whale watching last year but it was too rough. Seen huge colonies of seals all along the coast road by Kaikoura in the South Island though. Amazing road if you ever get the chance to go, winds along the beautiful coast with tunnels through the cliffs.

Definitely not warm enough for coats off here, feels very cold here with a strong bitter wind today. Almost froze walking the dog earlier!

X post! Maybe it's just the more rural ones in NZ? There were some voluntary ones in Christchurch but they definitely didn't have sirens, but the more rural ones north of there may have had. May see what Google says. Does seem quite old fashioned with technology today

Looks like it might be just small towns. Just found this from a news article about a town that needed its siren replaced:
"The fire service used pagers to call volunteer firefighters to call-outs during the siren's five-month absence.

Botham said the pagers were not as reliable as the siren.

"The pager is no different to a cellphone, it can cut out." "

Other areas seem to say the same thing. So looks like might be an issue with technology not being too reliable here!

I did wonder that, if it was a network coverage style thing. Australia's mobile phone networks have been getting better and better, more and more coverage, which is why I guess they're ok using mobile phones. But then DH only deals with NSW - might be a different story in the wilds of NT, for e.g.!

Mobile reception is pretty patchy in WA. Great in Perth but my friends live on the outskirts of a country town (as in a 5-10 min walk to the centre of the town) and can't get reception in the house. When we drive south there are large areas between towns where there is nothing unless you're with Tełstra who are a bunch of monopolising, thieving, expensive bastards.

I've never heard a siren but I get chills listening to the radio in WA and they're saying "it's too late to leave you're house."

On a lighter note it's back to school today!

We loved NZ and we love here but for different reasons. I loved how funky Wellington is and visually stunning. We love the weather and the beach side lifestyle. My boys have had the most amazing childhood here. We are also 10 hrs closer to home :) if we ever feel the need to go visit.
Mine are back to school today too except for the 9 yr old who has been up all night with an ear ache.

I know what you mean about telstra, I hate them with a passion, our broadband is with them and dealing with their call centre is a nightmare.

When I lived in Cambridge (NZ) circa 2003 they had the sirens at their fire station, sometimes if the wind is blowing the right way I hear one from the Fonterra diary factory just north of Hamilton.

I'm getting a bit sick of sun/rain/sun/rain here at the moment, but it is winter after all and we always need rain. (Or at least that's what I tell the kids.

38 weeks pg this week and I'm starting to really feel it, youngest DD had grommets put in today, hopefully we see an immediate improvement in her sleeping, my DH doesn't cope well with lack of sleep and he's in charge of the big kids once the baby arrives. I really hope my nesting instinct kicks in asap, I need to kondo my office/craft room and the kids playroom. So far I can't be bothered, and too much bending makes my heartburn even worse!

Has anyone else Kondo-ed, I've been doing my version and wowsers I threw out some stuff!

Was freezing here today, I think it's actually warmer tonight than it was in the day! Amazing bright full moon.

That's a tough time of pregnancy kiwis, did you say this is your 4th dc? With my 4th I left everything to the last minute, was too exhausted running round after the other 3! I was still trying to get the baby clothes washing finished the morning of my c-section Hope you're dd is feeling ok and sleeps better for you. What is kondo? Sounds like I should be doing it...

Hope those of you with dc back to school today got some well earned rest!

Haha to the well-earned rest - the price of still having a 3yo means no such thing! Did have a nice surprise at playgroup today though, a couple of the other parents brought me in a birthday "tea" - crackers and cheese and a chocolate cake, so kind! Then went out with DS2 and DH to where we went yesterday - no whales today, but we went down onto the rocks and searched for anemones in the rockpools. Didn't find any this time, but found shitloads of 8-arm starfish!

DH cooked a nice roast dinner tonight, and MIL came over and made a pavlova for dessert - which was lovely of her and if she hadn't almost burnt the house down by plugging in (and leaving plugged in) the iron instead of the whisk, I probably would have been less stressed and more relaxed about it all! But it was quite a frazzled evening, boys being PITA with each other, being dangerous with the candles, and just all sorts of petty irritations (that would probably have mattered less on a different day), so I wasn't in the best party spirit! Luckily I did spot the iron was on - but only because I went to put away the carrier bags from the shopping in the "bag sausage" - they'd been left about 2cm away from the iron, so I felt the heat (and luckily didn't burn myself). MIL tried to say it might not have been her but of course it was - no one else was over there, she said she'd been looking for the plug for the hand-held mixer, so she obviously did it.

As I've got older, my behaviour filter has got a lot worse - in terms of monitoring my own, I mean - so I was probably a lot more obviously frustrated with MIL and the boys than I should have been. But never mind - tomorrow is another day, and it's one where DS2 is in preschool and DH is in Sydney so I have the whole day to myself and can just chill.

How is everyone? Been a while since i got round to posting! Weather still up and down, we've had up to 22 degrees and then down to -1 in the process of a week! Elder dc back to school last week so just the 1 and 4 year olds at home now, so still hectic but without the eldest two trying to kill each other!

Took ds2 to opthamologist (sp?) at hospital today which was luckily a short app as dd2 was being grumpy. Looks like he's got exactly the same problem as ds1 with one eye a lot weaker than the other so we have to go back for a proper eye test to get an exact prescription but that will take a couple of months to go through... The opthamologist said it will be a very long app so could really do with coming without the 1 year old but I did point out it's not so easy with no family here and a dh who ends up in last minute meetings all over the place. We haven't lived here that long and it's tricky finding a babysitter for a 8.30 am app! Sorry, rant over, what do other peole do?

Hope you haven't had anymore attempts at the house being burnt down thumb

Brrrrrrr it's cold here! NZ in for a very cold weekend, just seen they think Queenstown might get down to a record

Sorry my phone is going a bit crazy, that should be record low! Looks like it might snow here in HB too, but I think that might be more inland. The dc would love it if it did as I told them it doesn't really here. I am really wishing I had proper heating now... 😨

Helloooo! I am new and been here 2 weeks. And it's cold. It's not the Australia I've been on holiday too! And I miss my 2 dogs. Only here for a year initially and heading out in a big roadtrip in a few days. Heading to Sydney in January for work hopefully. This is a 'see how we like it' year. Just wanted to say hi and keep a nose in to people who are actually awake!!

I'm in semi-rural NSW but partner is from NZ. Love it! Soooo beautiful. We're heading over to the South Island got Xmas. His sister said they may get snow soon! Send some over please? It's cold here but just wet and yucky!

and that!! Why do none of the houses have central heating?! It gets soooo cold in NZ and they don't have radiators. Same her in Oz, nothing! Madness.

There's no heating, no insulation. We're staying with friends, so grateful and don't want to be rude about the house, but how has NO ONE in Australia EVER thought to put in heating?? Other than the big bathroom lightbulb heaters. Or reverse AC units. I don't understand
I have a blanket and hot water bottle on the couch with the heating unit going. And I found pork rind in Woolworths so am making crackling. But that's another story.

Freezing here! Actually saw snow/sleet for 30 seconds in the Wellington suburbs.
Unfortunately, I can't answer why we don't have heating, but I do know as soon as we buy a house that's the first thing I'll be putting in!

It has just rained all day here, getting colder and colder and wetter and wetter. So I feel your pain wombat! There is no insulation in this house and no heat pump, we just have a small plug in oil radiator for the lounge. I have 3 layers on but have now lost feeling in my fingers and nose, I need

Most people I know have heat pumps now, our last house did and wasn't too bad. I do not understand why a lot of kiwis don't understand proper insulation or heating. The smell from all the woodburners round here can be pretty strong.

It feels cold enough for snow here milly! It's been a long time since I experienced central heating but I still miss it. Actually there were massive radiators in the old hospital I stayed in after I had ds2....

My tumble drier has broken [sob] anyone have any tips on drying washing without heating?

Yum to crackling! We're making pizzas. Well the 4dc are... looks like a bomb has hit the kitchen

Haha the dog has just climbed onto my lap and she is far too big to be a lap dog but she is very warm so she can stay!

Hello again!

DD3 arrived ten days ago as planned via ELCS. She is just so beautiful and we all love having a baby around. The week before she was born the hospital tried to change the date of the op, and I told them that wasn't possible because we had no childcare on that day. Thankfully they came around to my way of thinking, lol. Having no one to look after your kids for appointments etc is really hard work!

Congratulations kiwis! How exciting! How are you doing after the cs? Have you got much help?

I had my last 2 via elcs and it was pretty chaotic with the other dc, but dh managed to take 3 weeks off last time and then dm came out for 2 weeks luckily. Childcare is crazy, we were lucky to have made some good friends, but its different from asking family and the hospital did the same with me with dd2 changing the day at the last minute too! Mind you ds2 was even more chaotic as we emigrated when I was 6 months pregnant and the consultants app didn't come through till I was 38 weeks then they told me I needed a elcs in 4 days time

Hope you get some rest and and/or

Snap to putting heating in when buy a house pingoose!

Congratulations kiwis

In defence of Aussie heating, the two rentals and our (mine now ) house have have all been toasty warm, with vented floor heating in all rooms, most gratefully in the laundry so no need for a tumble drier. Having said all that, when inspecting houses for rent or buy, DH and I had beady eye out for the heating.

Weather wise I saw frost for the first time in a few years today. Lots of signs of spring, with birds loaded with twigs, and bunch of cockatoos having a huge row about territory right now. The first leaves are emerging on the earliest trees, though I don't know what kind they are.