Living Like a Small Green Hairy Fruit

In The Beginning...

So, this adventure started one evening in October 2006.  Mark was on his way home from work one night - on his way home meaning stuck on the M6 as usual.  I was at home cooking dinner, trying to help the kids with their homework and tripping over the dogs who figured that whatever food hit the floor was theirs.

Mark rang, he'd heard an advert on the radio for a New Zealand Expo that coming weekend in Manchester.  He simply said 'do you want to go to New Zealand?'.  'Yep, ok, nothing else going on' was my flippant reply.  He eventually got home and later that evening said he was actually being serious.  We were both fed up with the way things were going in England. Don't get me wrong, we both had good jobs, our own cars, a great caravan with all the equipment, kids were happy at school and there was nothing wrong with the house. But we never seemed to get anywhere. For one reason or another we had a lot of personal stress and issues and the house had quite a few bad memories.  It didn't seem to matter how hard we worked we would never be able to afford to move up the housing ladder and get a detached house. We felt taxed to the hilt and the credit cards were always maxed out.  It was like a treadmill that just ticked over but we weren't 'living' as much as simply existing and getting by.  We'd never even been to New Zealand though!

Unfortunately in January 2006 my dad died.  He had been in intensive care for a few weeks and one day my mum and I were sat there talking to dad.  I asked him if there was anything I could do for him.  He looked really thoughtful for a while and then, looking me straight in the eye, simply said 'have fun'. That helped me in deciding to go for emigrating.  (Have fun I obviously took to mean, be reckless, give up everything and move to somewhere unknown the other side of the world!).  I knew my mum would back us as she is a real get out there and live person, and she was genuinely happy for us when we told her.  Mark's mum and dad were really supportive too. They've done a lot of travelling and lived various different places around the world with Mark's dad being in the army.  We know everyone was sad we'd be going but it was really nice having their blessing to do so and it really helped us. 

"Casa Embo" - our last home in the UK (?)

We decided there couldn't be any harm in going to the Expo just to see what it was all about.  We got tons of information from there and really positive feedback from the stands that Mark wouldn't have a problem getting work.  The brochures were full of stunning scenery, details on how easy the process was and promises of a much more laid back, stress-free lifestyle. 

We got the information from the Immigration stand and at home that night sat and marvelled over the pictures of what to us just looked like paradise. Mark worked out we had enough points.  It all looked so easy.

I went out a few days later and got the Lonely Planet Guide to NZ, and a book on Living and Working in NZ and we scoured the internet for as much information as we could find.  We came across a company who helps people emigrate (for a not too reasonable fee!).  We tried their free online calculator to check our points, but it came back that we didn't have as many as we thought we did.  Mark got in touch and they explained which categories we couldn't claim for.

At this stage I think we thought we were just checking it all out but as soon as we found out we might not be able to get a visa we were quite gutted and I think at that point realised we were seriously looking to do this.  The E-migration Consultants promised to get people in one way or another, or your money back.  A little dubiously we decided to pay (half up front - half on getting residency) and have them sort it all out for us.

From that point on it was non-stop and we were really excited. We must have bored family and friends silly with it but it was such a huge deal to us.  There was however, one small detail we'd overlooked.  We had no money!

Not to be detered I did a sweep of the house and 'robbed'  the kids of anything they weren't playing with. Anything that hadn't been used or wasn't of sentimental value was photographed, detailed and stuck on ebay.  We sold stack loads of stuff, even stupid stuff like glass storage jar lids.  Mark's mum very kindly cleared where she worked of any handy cardboard boxes so that I could wrap and post all the stuff we were selling.  So our home became a bit of a warehouse for a while with boxes of stuff to be ebayed and the garage became the pack and dispatch department!  We even sold my beloved PT Cruiser and Mark's Nissan Navara on ebay!

We had a great holiday in November/December 2006 in Florida with Mark's mum and dad where we really tried not to be NZ bores.  After Christmas and New Years it was full steam ahead planning for our escape to NZ. Mark started checking out prices for flights and contacting agents for jobs.

The kids were really excited about it all and were willingly clearing out their rooms handing over stuff they hadn't used for ages or didn't want anymore so that I could get it on ebay.  A lot of stuff also went to the charity shops as well. Everytime we got a charity bag through the door we'd put out 3 or 4 bags of stuff for them to collect!

Mark found the cheapest flights he could for a week in March 2007.  Mark's mum and dad kindly agreed to move in to our house and take care of the kids.  Michaela and Andrew were rehearsing for the local pantomime at the time and the flights were the day after their last performance. Great! We thought we'd have the evenings the week before without the kids to clean the house up, get shopping in and pack suitcases as they'd be performing.  Wrong! Mark ended up being roped in to do the lighting and I was asked to be prompt.  We couldn't really say no and enjoyed helping out but that meant we had to go to every rehearsal and performance so we had very little time left to get everything sorted.

There was a really nasty virus doing the rounds, most of the cast had come down with it, temperature, muscle aches and pains, sore throat, tiredness, dizziness, ear ache etc.  Unfortunately I got it too and despite downing all the over the counter remedies I could I felt dreadful.  It was the week before we were due to fly and I finally gave in and went to the doctor. The way he started talking I thought he'd said he wasn't going to let me fly!  I just sat there in tears saying but I have to go, it's all booked and has cost us a fortune and generally just blubbed on.  What he'd actually said was he wasn't prepared to let me fly without having some treatment and gave me a script for a double dose of antibiotics!

Also that week we'd only managed to arrange one interview in NZ for Mark. We were starting to panic a bit as we'd already paid for the flights, the motels and car hire etc.  But it seems that NZ employers get so many enquiries from people 'thinking' about emigrating that they don't take anyone seriously until they have some concrete plans or actual move out. By the time the weekend came we had 9 interviews lined up on the North and South Islands and very little time left to ourselves to go and explore but it was good to get so much interest from different companies and it lifted our spirits to think we weren't wasting our time and money.

The kids did brilliantly in the pantomime (Aladdin) and we all had a great time.  The final performance of the pantomime was on the Saturday night. We stayed for the after show party and really enjoyed it.  Mark packed as soon as we got home and got the kids to bed.  I was too tired and went to bed, even though we had to be up and out the house by 8am the next day!  One way or another we had a really bad night and I spent most of the night on the phone sorting out some family problems so I didn't get any sleep till about 5am.  I was up again at 7am and packed whatever I could lay my hands on. I had no idea what the weather was going to be like but I figured after the night I'd had I'd done well to get clothes into a suitcase and a washbag and get out the door by 8!

Saying goodbye to the kids was hard. I hate leaving them. Mark just grins and says things like 'we won't be back. Have a nice life!'.  Mark drove down to Heathrow. We had a good run and got the car park place early, shuttle bus straight round to the airport and straight through check-in.  We flew Air New Zealand via Los Angeles.  The flight there was brill cos there was only about 50 passengers on the flight so we could all spread out. I slept most of the way, apart from not having much sleep the night before I was still feeling really ill.  The food was great and we loved the individual screens and amount of entertainment available.

At LA you have to get off the plan, fill in immigration papers, line up to be seen by one immigration officer, get photographed and gives fingerprint and get issued with a temporary entry visa, shuffle along following the line of other weary passengers round to the transit lounge, drink complimentary coffee, eat complimentary apple, crisps and biscuit then shuffle back through the exit gate, hand back temporary entry visa and get back on the same plane!  Only in America, eh?!!!

Flight to Auckland was brill. The plane leaves LA about 2am (or something like that, I still have trouble working out the time differences) so it's night-time and you follow that dark which means you get a good night's sleep and land in Auckland 12 hours later at 5am ish. Confusing.  Only a 1 or so's wait for the next flight to Christchurch.  Landed at Christchurch at 8am. Hadn't seen our bags since Heathrow but there they were waiting on the conveyor belt for us.  We'd bought 400 duty free cigarettes each so declared this at Customs. We weren't sure what the limit was but didn't want to get caught out and never allowed back in the country! The Customs Officer was lovely and she said because we'd been honest they'd let it go this time.  She didn't check our bags or ask to see the cartons.

We got a taxi to the motel, Central Park on Riccarton Road in Christchurch.  It was a cold, wet and miserable day.  Not the warm rush I think I'd expected like you get when you land in Florida.  First impressions? Not impressed.  And I've no idea whether I've got any 'warm' clothes in my suitcase!  At the motel our room wasn't going to be ready until 10am.  The same time as Mark's first interview.  The owner, Nigel, was really good though, and upgraded our room and let us straight in.  Quick showers and a couple of phone calls between Mark and the agents later and it turns out his first interview has been brought forward to 9.30am! He was ready so left straight away in a taxi.  I was just left there having only just got out of the shower!  Dried hair and got dressed. It was still raining outside so I stayed in.  Mark came back, briefly, had a quick coffee with me then was off in the next taxi to the next interview.  I went down to reception and asked where there was to go.  Wendy, Nigel's wife, gave me a city map and some directions to various places.  I ended up walking around Hagley Park in the rain.  Got soaked. Went back to motel. Dried hair again. Dried clothes. Checked suitcase. Realised I'd packed mainly summer weight clothes.  Not good.  Mark came back again.  I went with him to the next interview.  He went from warm, dry taxi to warm, dry office for interview. Me? I walked round in the cold rain. Again.  Hating Christchurch already and hadn't even had lunch yet.

Found a Kiwibank (we'd already opened an account from the UK) but needed to go in and show passports to activate the account. Also found and internet cafe (had 104 items of junk mail but not much else of interest) and bought small presents for Michaela, Andrew and Mark's mum and dad.  We walked round to see Peter, our emigration consultant, on Kilmore Street and then walked back through the park.  Interviews had all gone well so far. It had stopped raining now and Hagley Park looked beautiful.  Full of massive oaks and horsechestnut trees and huge open grass areas.

We were really tired but forced ourselves to stay awake.  Went for dinner at the Thai restaurant a few doors down. It was lovely but we were nodding off - you know like you see toddlers in highchairs on You've Been Framed, literally falling asleep face first into their dinner? Yep, that was us! We were back at the motel for 9pm.  Found out the bed had an electric blanket - good job too as there was no heater in the bedroom - but just to be able to lie down and stretch out after our long journey was luxury.

In total we had 2 and a half days in Christchurch. It rained all the next day and that night whilst we were out getting fish and chips it hailed golf balls.  The locals had told us that just a few days ago it had been so hot they had the air conditioning on full blast. Yeah, rite!

Thursday morning we had a chance to explore Christchurch. Walked down into the city to Catherdral Square where there was a small craft market and a great coffee stand. Blue sky and warm sunshine.  We just relaxed and soaked up the atmosphere. Everywhere we looked people were smiling and looked happy and content.  Started thinking perhaps Christchurch wasn't so bad after all. But then we had to leave there at 2pm for our flight to Tauranga, Bay of Plenty on the North Island.

 Hagley Park, Thurs 15 March 2007

River Avon, Christchurch

Views of Christchurch

Catherdral Square, Christchurch. The Coffee stand in the bottom left hand of the photo does just the best coffee ever! Much to the annoyance of Starbucks across the square!!!

The lovely trams that run regularly around the city centre

 And yes, crap food is available worldwide - much to the kids joy!