All those online for NZ timezone!

[buzzybee]

Hi all. Used to be a regular on MN when I lived in London but since moving back to NZ have found it harder to make the connections due to all the brits being asleep when us down under are online! So if anyone is keen to start a thread for those of us in this predicament please reply! My DD has just turned 5 and started school last week (scary). Have just found out I'm expecting number 2 - due roughly Xmas day...

It's getting exciting!

Although I do remember at this stage wishing I could have a general anaesthetic and only be woken up when the baby was 6 weeks old......

Could I just ask you a question about New Zealand? Is the cost of living lower than in the UK? Dh is having a job interview at the weekend for Wellington and the salary is quite alot lower than UK.

Hello Admylin, I could bore you for hours on this topic. I'm sure everyone else will have thoughts - but mine are: it depends (sorry). We moved here from London in January and have taken a large pay cut. (I'm SAHM so living on one salary anyway which is hard). Accomodation is definitely cheaper (you can go on www.trademe.co.nz and look) and better generally. Food and bills about the same as UK I think as are clothes. I think entertainment is cheaper - so you can eat out very well, more cheaply and you can go to the beach and have lovely days out without spending much. If you've got a property to sell in UK you can probably come and here and buy something really nice and have nice standard of living. If not then its not necessarily easier.

Buzzy, are you using rewashables then? Anyone else do this? I'm quite keen but don't know the brand names here or where to start or anything.... Anyones thoughts appreciated. Had quite a good night. Only up twice! And its a beautiful morning in Wellington. Hope you all have good weekends planned.

Thanks shells, feel fre eto bore me with as much info as you like, the more the better! Will wait to see how the interview goes on Sunday night (telephone interview) and if it sounds positive I'll be on here begging for help as I am not the adventurous type to manage such a massive move without a near breakdown I'm sure! The position dh is going for pays about 10,000 GBP less than the same sort of position in Germany for example, seems a big difference.

If he gets the job, he wants to leave everything and start anew - so buying all the basics over there but have just seen there isn't even an Ikea yet in NZ.

Let us know what happens about the interview. But don't get rid of all your stuff! Its hard to buy good basic stuff here. Wellington is lovely though. Very nice place to live.

Wow, that's very good to know - dh will have to ask them to give details of the relocation package if they offer one so that we can get a container.

admylin - another kiwi here in Wellington who used to live in London. TBH 10k less sounds prettty good - but I guess that depends whether its 10k less than 40k or 100k! A new graduate where I work earns about NZD40-45k where the equivalent for my company in London earns about GBP35k. I really don't think the NZ grad is any worse off. As Shells says housing prices here loads cheaper as is car ownership/petrol. And it is much easier to do nice stuff with the kids very cheaply.

Shells - yes I still have the Kooshies I used for DD. Can only use from 4kg so prob won't use for first couple of weeks. I've heard others talk about PeaPods. Have a look on TradeMe!

Hi admylin! I agree with what the others have said. Hang onto your stuff. We had a relocation package and shipped absolutely everything.

It's tragic that IKEA isn't here yet - there's some reason why not, but I believe they will be coming here sometime. In the meatime, I'm in severe withdrawal!

Cost of living is hard to compare because some things are much cheaper, others more expensive and it depends on your lifestyle. However as Shells says, there are loads of cheap/free things to do with children.

Today for example was lovely and sunny, so we went for a walk along the Waterfront (I forgot to say, I live near Wellington too). We had brunch at a cafe, watched the boats, seagulls, fountains etc, played in the playground for a bit, then stopped to listen to a reggae band doing a concert in Frank Kitts Park. (dd1, aged 3, rushed to the front and favoured the audience with some excerpts from Swan Lake). All free except the food and you could always bring a picnic!

We feel that the quality of life we have here is in the stuff that money can't buy iyswim.

Thanks buzzybee and welliemum, I really hope he gets the job on offer - the salary would be much more than NZD45k so seems to be OK. Wait and see now how it goes tomorrow night!

admylin - just wanted to be clear that I was making a comparison of salaries. If NZD45 is what a university grad can make here then someone with a degree and experience should be able to expect at least $70k and up to about $130k. Having said that, the average salary is still less than $40k across the total population which I have to admit I'd find hard to live on as a single salary (but 2 people at $40k i.e. $80k would be OK)

Good luck to you both!!

Did everyone have nice weekends? Wasn't it fab. Was feeling a lot better yesterday so got out and about while I still can. Went to DD's school fair aka the Thorndon Fair - and tonight got a notice in her bag to say they think they raised around $45k which is great for the school!

DD now getting very excited that school hols are less than 3 weeks away. She enjoys school but is an outdoor kid and finds it a bit hard to be stuck in a classroom all day when its sunny outside!

No news or major niggles here sad to say though. Good luck Shells for the approaching due date. Amazing to think December is finally here

It was stunning weather wasn't it. A friend of mine was down in Wellington for the day on saturday and she said it was lovely there, not a cloud in the sky. It was pretty nice up here too - we took the baby for her first trip to the beach at Piha - she slept through most of the trip but we got some cute photos of her snoozing on a blanket on the beach with her little sunhat on.

I had a couple of bad days last week when I felt pretty rubbish. Felt like everyone just kept telling me how brave I'm being and I don't want to be brave, I just want to talk to my mum. I guess there will be days like that for a while. It was a bit hard on Saturday as DH's mum has just got Skype and phoned up using it, she was so excited to see Amelia on the video. I don't begrudge her the excitement - it's her grandaughter of course - but I kept wishing it was my mum. DH realised this, he gave me a hug afterwards and said, I know that must have been hard for you. At least he realises.

But the weekend was better than last week, the insurance companyh said I dont' have to wait 6 wks but can drive again whenever so I've started again and it's great to have the independence and not being stuck in the house all day.

Only 3 days till your due date Shells, is that right? Exciting stuff! And how many weeks left for you Buzzy?

No-one can ever make it better for you but bless your DH for understanding.

Ohhh I so want this baby out so we can go to the beach and stuff too! 18 days to due date and counting...

Feel for you Anna. You must be having such a strange combination of emotions. I think you're perfectly entitled to quite a lot of bad days. Do what you need to do.

I've never been to Piha - but hear how fabulous it is. I'm feeling stuck too Buzzy. Don't even really like going to the shops in case something happens and I'm stuck with contractions and DS2 and having to drive somewhere.

Very fed up with not having had baby. Mostly because my back still hurting and just want to feel like a bit human again (albeit, a sleep-deprived, saggy, milky human...).

Hope things get going for you Shells! Thur is not long now.
MW today was telling me she's had VBAC clients who literally lock themselves in the birthing suite at the hospital and refuse to see the consultants - until such time as the MW says its necessary!
Also found out that she used to run the Birthing Unit at the hospital for 10 years but that in the end she had to leave as they were trying to push through one too many cost cutting measures. She has since become a homebirth specialist. She scares me a bit because she seems to pride herself on her clients needing no chemical pain relief whereas I'll be very happy to have at least entenox. On the other hand also prides herself on not letting clients have bad tears so that is quite comforting.

Hi, sorry - from someone that isn't in the NZ timezone, but was wondering if you could help me with something.

Trying to find my first boyfriend and I know his parents originated from NZ. Can't get much on Google, apart from the fact he's desended from Henry VII!!!

His name's Hugh Benjamin Tollemache Miller, born 1965.

His mum's Susan (Suzannah) Tollemache/Tollemache Miller
His dad's John Brian Miller
And his sister's Jane Elizabeth Miller (b.1963)

If any of you have a few minutes to spare I'd be immensely grateful, though I suspect you may only have access to the same information as me. His dad used to work for the UN and they lived in Geneva, but they bought a flat in Goring on Thames in Oxfordshire - I don't know if they actually lived there once he'd retired.

Thanks in advance.

2 sugars - not much to go on I'm afraid! NZ is small but not that small ... a quick look on www.whitepages.co.nz shows there to be only 20 Tollemaches listed in the phone book in NZ so I guess you could try ringing them all!! Good luck.

morning all. i am feeling a bit more positive this morning. LO was very quiet last night (usually spends the whole night kicking - must be on UK time) and only a bit this time. is he/she getting ready? who knows. am going to call mw this morning. ds2 has been super clingy, and ds1 has been super tantrummy. fabulous.

2sugars. i think you can get some census information online. the libraries would know.

oh, and spent half of yesterday listening to the barney on the radio between all the health professionals at wellington hospital. what a mess. makes me hope things are straightforward for you and me buzzy and we're both out of there pronto.

I just heard last night about the newborn's death, how awful. Coming straight after that $100 voucher thing, not exactly good publicity for the DHB! I read that the mother had a difficult 30 hour labour, an episiotomy, no family support at home and was released within 5 hours - first time mum too! There's no way I would want to be out 5 hours after that!

Have just put in a bid on one of those Angelcare breathing monitors on Trademe...that story freaked me a bit, combined with an article I foolishly read in this week's Women's Weekly.

Just had frustrating phone call with my Mum (remember I'm due Dec 22/23):

Mum: what do you want to do Xmas Day
Me: I have not made any plans, don't feel I can.
Mum: Shall we come to you?
Me: OK
Mum: What would you like to eat?
Me: No idea...

Well you get the drift.

Then followed by "you aren't REALLY going to work next week are you?"

I understand she's feeling a bit uncertain and frustrated and only wants the best for me...but actually could do without the third degree!

Sorry, Anna realised that post was a bit insensitive

Hope this week's good days have outnumbered the bad for you.

Nothing else happening here...

Don't 't worry, I didn't take it that way!

Buzzy, thats hilarious. What is she thinking? Obviously you've got nothing better to do than plan xmas dinner....

I think its best in life to avoid the Women's Weekly as a general rule. .