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What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arrival

What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arrival

Old Mar 11th 2017, 2:11 pm
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Default What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arrival

Hi All

We are in the final countdown now. Less than 2 weeks until the house is packed up and we fly.

Things are seeming oddly calm here and I'm wondering if there are things I don't know about that I should be doing...

bank accounts are organised, camping and outdoor stuff is cleaned and waiting to be disinfected, council & utilities are informed, removals organised, things ready to be packed, visas in passports, temp accom sorted and waiting, we've been busy but everything oddly slowed up now. I'm sure I must be missing something! lol

Are there things that bit you on the bum just before you left or just after you arrived that I might not know about either....?

Thanks all!
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Old Mar 11th 2017, 7:52 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Enjoy the calm, there does come a point when you can do no more and are totally reliant on of others to do their bit. i.e. You just have to stand back and let the packers to do their stuff

Almost everything will bite you on the bum and many surprise to be found when you get here , cos you think you have it all sussed and are well prepared but all that goes out of the window when they open the doors of that plane. Just take each day as it comes.
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Old Mar 11th 2017, 9:31 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by SkylarkR
Hi All

We are in the final countdown now. Less than 2 weeks until the house is packed up and we fly.

Things are seeming oddly calm here and I'm wondering if there are things I don't know about that I should be doing...

bank accounts are organised, camping and outdoor stuff is cleaned and waiting to be disinfected, council & utilities are informed, removals organised, things ready to be packed, visas in passports, temp accom sorted and waiting, we've been busy but everything oddly slowed up now. I'm sure I must be missing something! lol

Are there things that bit you on the bum just before you left or just after you arrived that I might not know about either....?

Thanks all!
it was 12 years ago, so memory is vague. Leaving the UK was SO, SO easy. Arriving in NZ was really easy too. Felt I had 'come home'. I love so much about NZ, don't really get on too well with NZ born pakeha (white folk), but I have an affinity and great love for Maori folk, way superior to us white people IMO!! I find I am at odds in many ways with the psyche of white NZers. Been out with a couple too, just did not work out.....I would love to date an english girl or a Maori girl preferably!

I have always hated the driving standards here. And bearing in mind the country is mostly white folk, its all pretty much down to us lot that the driving is so awful.

I like to think I am a safe driver, don't tailgate, speed or EVER overtake where there is not a dedicated overtaking lane. To do otherwise is the MAIN reason SO, so many die on our roads. Selfish, nasty, arrogant, anti-social murderous behaviour.

Rant over. Apart from that I think NZ is a great place. Full of issues like anywhere, but it is not populous which for me is its biggest draw. Obviously if you end up in one of the 3 biggest cities you will not feel that on a day to day basis. But I live out in the sticks and I can drive 5 minutes and be totally and utterly isolated. Which is very nice in 2017 on this horribly crowded globe.
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Old Mar 11th 2017, 11:23 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

In hindsight I don't think I realised how stressed I was when I arrived. I had a lot of stress letting out my house and leaving my job after being made redundant, which I understood, but still, I needed to rest up when I got here. Try to do some fun stuff when you arrive. While you might need to job hunt, you need to rest as well. Take some favourite items in your luggage, e.g. you favourite coffee mug or a small ornament or something to make you feel at home in your new accommodation.
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Old Mar 11th 2017, 11:37 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

We had arranged our removal guys for the friday before we flew out, only to be rung that week to say they wouldn't be out as it was a public holiday in N.Ireland.... So the removal guys came on the Monday which was the day we were flying out at 2 pm and handing the keys over to the estate agent as we had sold the house.... In addiiton, we had 2 toddlers and 200 kg of luggage and prams... Fek that was stressful but it went to clockwork really on the day.

You sound like you are well organised so it should be fine - good luck.
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Old Mar 12th 2017, 12:09 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by SkylarkR
Hi All

We are in the final countdown now. Less than 2 weeks until the house is packed up and we fly.

Things are seeming oddly calm here and I'm wondering if there are things I don't know about that I should be doing...

bank accounts are organised, camping and outdoor stuff is cleaned and waiting to be disinfected, council & utilities are informed, removals organised, things ready to be packed, visas in passports, temp accom sorted and waiting, we've been busy but everything oddly slowed up now. I'm sure I must be missing something! lol

Are there things that bit you on the bum just before you left or just after you arrived that I might not know about either....?

Thanks all!
First point, it sound like you are well prepared.

Second point, the fact that you are still double-checking leads me to suspect that your efforts with the first point will work out well.

When we arrived it took a long, long, time for us to get jobs (and Mrs Clappy is a local girl so didn't face the same obstacles that migrants from other countries can face). With the benefit of hindsight I can see that the economic circumstances in this country changed enormously between the time we planned our move at the start of 2008 and the time we did move at the end of 2008. We didn't change any of our approaches to the move as the world around us changed and we probably should have done.
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Old Mar 12th 2017, 6:41 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Thanks all!

I'm travelling with a 1YO and 3YO so have to be organised! Hopefully it will pay off but I'm still feeling pretty stressed right now.

I guess right now we don't know what we don't know..thanks for your words of advice.I'm going to try and 'enjoy' our last 10 days here but really just want to get to Puhoi now! Husband doesn't start work for a week after we arrive so we have some time to have some fun... hopefully the rain will have stopped by then!
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Old Mar 12th 2017, 7:56 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Drivers license (written portion), passports and car registration paper work in container, that was sent the week before we realized.

Oh well change in flights and delay in transfer of vehicles
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Old Mar 13th 2017, 11:33 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by SkylarkR
Thanks all!

I'm travelling with a 1YO and 3YO so have to be organised! Hopefully it will pay off but I'm still feeling pretty stressed right now.
Having just spent 25 hours travelling back from Africa to the UK with a 3 & 5 year old I would just like to say that you do get through it and whilst it can be tiring - it's really not that bad on the long flight. I also flew from AUS to the UK with my pair when they were the same age as yours and it went very smoothly.

Good luck on your journey and new life. Sounds like you are very organised and the worst bit is over!
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 10:10 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by SkylarkR
Thanks all!

I'm travelling with a 1YO and 3YO so have to be organised! Hopefully it will pay off but I'm still feeling pretty stressed right now.

I guess right now we don't know what we don't know..thanks for your words of advice.I'm going to try and 'enjoy' our last 10 days here but really just want to get to Puhoi now! Husband doesn't start work for a week after we arrive so we have some time to have some fun... hopefully the rain will have stopped by then!
Hey, you must be on the verge of getting on that plane? Hope it goes well for you. Sounds like you have organised everything, so fingers crossed it goes smoothly for you. Looking forward to hearing your update once you get over there as we will be doing the same later on in the year and I'm already making lists
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 10:36 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Not sure it's a surprise, but the sheer amount of stuff that needs to be sorted out, disposed of, sold etc when you actually get to the the serious business of packing is quite amazing. We're just finishing up a 4 bedroom house that we've been in for 10 years, with 2 boys (6 & 12) and it can feel like you'll never finish - bit overwhelming.
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 10:53 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by sr71
Not sure it's a surprise, but the sheer amount of stuff that needs to be sorted out, disposed of, sold etc when you actually get to the the serious business of packing is quite amazing. We're just finishing up a 4 bedroom house that we've been in for 10 years, with 2 boys (6 & 12) and it can feel like you'll never finish - bit overwhelming.
You pretty much summed up my current situation. I'm tempted to get a skip and just start chucking things out, or stick my head in the sand and hope someone else does it for me.

At least it's good to know I'm not alone.
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 11:02 am
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by MrsCakey
You pretty much summed up my current situation. I'm tempted to get a skip and just start chucking things out, or stick my head in the sand and hope someone else does it for me.

At least it's good to know I'm not alone.
Hi Mrs Cakey,

A skip is a great idea! I did it the opposite way, when we moved from Sydney to Christchurch in 2009, we had our house of 11.5 years packed up (so much junk!!) I ended up getting a skip bin at the other end when unpacking our house and chucking things out..I am still going with two moves all these years later!

I am going back to Christchurch on 3rd January next year and can't believe I am still getting rid of stuff..where does it come from?! I am blaming teenagers now...
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 12:56 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Hey Mishclark,
I don't have teenagers to blame
I dread the prospect of having good to unpack a load of junk at the other end only to have to throw it out.
Thanks for your perspective and sharing your experience.
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Old Mar 18th 2017, 8:47 pm
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Default Re: What surprises did you have in the last weeks before/first weeks after your arriv

Originally Posted by MrsCakey
Hey Mishclark,
I don't have teenagers to blame
I dread the prospect of having good to unpack a load of junk at the other end only to have to throw it out.
Thanks for your perspective and sharing your experience.
We had no kiddos to worry about but it was quite stressful enough, so good on you! We didn't use a removal company, just packed everything ourselves & put it in a container, went really smoothly.

We've been here since July & loving it so far. You will go through stages of hating bits of it, but you just have to get used to some things because they won't change for us Poms! Kiwis are in general lovely people, and when we arrived we were struck by so many that just wanted to help in any way (tell you where and where not to live, places to visit etc..). When they hear our accent and ask us if we're on holiday, they are delighted when we say we actually live here, and will often say 'welcome to new Zealand, I hope you love it here'. It's such a warm, friendly place.

So many like to talk about emigrating and never do so be proud that you have taken the plunge and enjoy this exciting chapter of your life! Let us know how you get on!
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