Right, who out there is in Wellington, NZ ????

[Kaybeeand2boys]

Hi
have just moved back with ds1 2yrs and ds2 7mo, and need some fellow wellingtonians to chat to and find out info from
xx

Hello! There's a few of us. Buzzybee, Welliemum (who has just had a baby so will be busy) and Kjaysmum is just up the coast.

Hows it going? Where are you living?

I'm not there but I remember you were near me in London - I was in Leyton.

I moved back to Aust and we are in Melbourne.

Is is nice being back in NZ?

hi - my DH is likely to be offered a job in Wellington. We currently live in Brussels but originally from the UK. Just trying to decide whether to move to NZ as its a long way from family.

Just thought I would keep an eye on this thread to see what life is like in Wellington. It looks like a nice place from the pics on the web but will not be able to visit before moving so all a bit scary.

Hi Jinglebongo. I am from NZ so it was easier for me to move back here - although after a very long time away. And yes - its a long way from family.
Would it be a long term thing? If its only a few years then you could look on it as an adventure. There are lots of positives to being here. But as a long term prospect I would want to be very sure before you take the leap. How old are your DCs?

Thanks Shells - my dds are 21 months and 4. I am looking on it as a big adventure although rather a risky one as we would have to sell our house in the UK which will make it more difficult to return.

We have done quite a bit of research and Wellington looks great. Its the prospect of a more access to countryside and giving our two dds a better place to grow up. We also want a better work life balance - DH has a two hour commute each way in the UK and he is fed up of working in London.

Having lived in Brussels for 18 months and with my parents living in France and sis and bro living some distance away I am used to coping with things without family support but NZ is really really far away - and thats a bit scary.

Are people in NZ friendly and is it easy for a current SAHM to make contacts and friends?

I hope to go back to work as a teacher and having looked at a few websites it looks like taht might be possible - dont suppose anyone here is a teacher?

I know that Buzzy's mum works in the teaching field and I know some teachers. I think its a good option for work.

And yes - work/life balance etc. is much better for us than it was in London, as is schooling and opportunities for the kids generally.

The place seems to be heaving with Brits! I have found it relatively easy to meet people (I'm a SAHM) mostly through school and kindy. It all depends where you live and what kind of people you want to mix with. We initially lived with my parents in Christchurch and the parents at the local school there were not my cup of tea at all. So I struggled.

Hi Wellington is quite nice with the two harbours and short ferry trip across to the South Island. It gets very blustery. Heavy rainfall and very strong winds howling around outside and making it difficult for you to stand upright outdoors at times in winter. Summers are pleasant.

It does rain quite a bit and the wind is a force to be reckoned with. Not sure how much that would limit your joy of the great outdoors.

Wellington will be a big change from Brussels in terms of social life/places to go at night/cultural activities because it is a comparatively provincial place, naturally, the population being so much smaller and being located so far from many other centres of artistic accomplishment. Not saying there are not nice concerts and restaurants etc but obviously there will be a lot less to choose from.

I think it is a nice enough place but you could be lonely there if you don't click with the local mentality. I would suggest reading an expat forum on NZ, in particular the negative posts because then you'll know what could go wrong for you and whether those things other Brits found negative are likely to trouble you.

I think a lot of British people seem amazed that it is different. They would expect Spain or Chile to be different, but somehow because English is spoken here, there's an assumption that everything will be the same. And of course its not.

JB, because you've already done it once I'm sure you know that you have to have an open mind and be embracing of difference if you're going to live somewhere new.

Its good to be prepared as ZZZen says, but I think that dwelling on the negatives is not really helpful.

Personally I don't really get on with the 'local' mentality, if there is such a thing. I just find like minded people - as I would anywhere, and go with that.

Also - Wellington weather is a LOT better than British weather, on the whole. So its all relative.

Thanks Shells and ZZZen - we dont go out much in Brussels as the girls are still young and finding a babysitter is challenging. Im used to provincial places as we actually come from a small town in Wiltshire and DH used to commute to London so Wellington should be OK on that front.

Can you recommend any good forums to have a nose on?

PS - sorry to Kaybee for hijacking thread.

What happened to you Kaybee?
I think there is an expat forum - I looked at it once. But can't remember what called. Just need to google NZ and immigration. It was quite easy to find. When are you going to find out/make a decision Jingle?

Shells - We will find out sometime this week if dh hyas got the job but I think we have already decided that if the money and the offer is ok we will be going! Its too good an opportunity to miss.

Will try the forums - thanks.

Exciting! Keep us posted.

Hi yes I am here! Just not on so much these days. Enjoying the great Wellington summer that seems to have arrived quite early this year!!

I would say you'd find it very easy to get a teaching job here if you've got the right quals and good experience.

You might want to consider contacting the NZ Immigration Service in the UK as you may even find that you qualify for skills shortage points and would get in as a "migrant" rather than going through the palaver of getting a work permit (unless that's not an issue for you?)

I'm a Wellingtonian who returned to live here after living in the UK for a while so can't really comment on what its like as an expat. I meet new people all the time through a whole variety of mechanisms and as Shells says its just a matter of finding like minded people same as anywhere else really!

Hi buzzybee and Shells - as un update my DH has been offered the job and it looks likes we may well by wellington by mid feb. Very exciting and scary! We are just waiting for the final salary offer so I am tying to figure out what the minimum salary offer we would accept would be.
Can anyone tell me what a family of four could live on happily in Wellington - I have looked on the net and we know what the equivalent in the UK is but it is difficult to figure out what that actually buys in NZ.

Hi Jingle, will you be renting? It all depends on the standard of living you're going to expect. We are 5 and are renting and live on about $80k that includes tax credits and a bit of money i make (but I'm generally a SAHM). Its hard and we go without a lot of nice things - but we also live in a nice area (not posh, but just nice) and rent a reasonably nice house and manage a couple of low key holidays every year.
I don't know if thats helpful.

I should have added that NZ salaries are low - and a lot of families I know probably don't earn as much as us - but they have owned their houses for years so have very small outgoings compared to our rental costs.

Hi jingle, just to support what Shells says the household income here is about $100k and I have a $300k mortgage. By the time I pay $1200 a month in nursery fees from my net income things get fairly tight but its OK. I'm lucky that I live in a nice house (as Shells says like most kiwis I have lived in my own home for almost 20 years so have a decent amount of equity) and that means I don't feel particularly deprived by not having enough to buy new clothes for me very often - if that makes sense!! Be prepared to be shocked by the cost of electricity and gas here - although on the other hand petrol/diesel is very cheap. My older daughter is at a very good school which is almost completely free (we pay about $400 a year in "donations"). I think the average household income is about $60k for a couple with kids.

hi sorry for not replying! I have no internet at home yet so it's a bit of a nightmare getting a chance to get on here!

We are living in Khandallah.

Just trying to figure out how all the kid stuff works here. Finally made a visit to plunket. But need desperately to find some activities for after the holidays!

Merry Xmas to everyone

Thanks Shells and buzzybee - we have had the final offer and we are going to accept. So should be in Wellington by mid-feb/march. We will be renting to start with so after christmas will be scouring the net trying to figure out which are the nice areas.
Thanks for the info on salarys - its been very helpful as I havent been able to find out that kind of advice anywhere else. I have two dds 4yrs and 21 months and we will be living off DHs income until I get a job once we are settled.
Getting very excited and very scared about this at the same time. Its making it very difficult to concentrate on Christmas but thanks for all your help - I will keep everyone updated.

Good luck Jingle. Very early Christmas morning here. DS1 woke me up at 5. He went back to sleep and I'm still up!

Keep in touch. Buzzy is a proper Wellington person and knows loads of local information. I'm just a newbie really.

And Kaybee - hope your internet is sorted soon. Crucial! We should meet up - that would be nice. Khandallah is full of families - there's bound to be kids stuff. Did plunket give you a newsletter? They usually list local playgroups.

Kaybee I'm in Ngaio so very close! I go to a PIN group (mums coffee morning) about once a fortnight for mums with more than 1 child and for whom the younger child is around 9-12 months. It was originally organised by Plunket so none of us knew each other 12 months ago. Your DS2 is a wee bit younger but I'm sure it wouldn't be a problem!! We rotate around different houses in Ngaio every 2nd Tuesday at about 10am. Its a bit in abeyance over Xmas but should start up again in Feb if you're interested? My DD1 is at school but a number of the other mums have their older child at kindy.

Jingle - congrats!! Feel free to ask any questions you like. As regards where to live it depends on what you are looking for and enjoy?? Shells lives opposite the sea but quite a drive from the central city whereas I live closer to town but in quite a leafy "family" suburb. Both have pros and cons. Maybe have a look on www.trademe.co.nz under property/rentals and see if you see any you like the look of and then ask us if they're in a decent area!! Shells can tell you all about renting while I've always owned my own place since I left home (apart from living overseas) so we can provide the different perspectives.

good luck with the move jinglebongo. Hope it goes well for you

Hmm need a new name soonish...

Good luck with the move jingle :-)

Wow can't believe you are so close buzzy, would love to join your PIN group if you think it would be ok. DS2 is now 8 months so not far off that age bracket!
And would love to meet you too Shells.
Still no internet, waiting for dh to find a job..... not a good time!
Yes got some bits from plunket about playgroups etc, but can't do anything about them at the moment...

Happy New Year everyone

No, nothing will start up til February probably. Get the kids down to the beach - nice easy playground in Oriental bay. Take them to Te Papa. The library in town is great for running around and space for stories.
JUnglerama in Newtown has a good indoor soft play with good bit for little ones.

We're away til 10th but could meet up after that?

Yes lets organise a meetup in Jan sometime and then I can provide more details about PIN group without having to post contact details on here! We can do a wet/dry option like zoo/junglerama? Or just plump for something easy like Te Papa? I'm back at work on Monday (sobs) so will have to be at a weekend for me sorry - other than that very flexible. My older DD is with her Dad every second weekend but if she's there she's there!

We'll have to see if we can drag along Welliemum and her 2 mo DS