Two months and counting...
May 15th 2014, 8:03 am
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 32
Two months and counting...
What a start...
At the beginning of January we left our warm cosy house in Yorkshire with our suitcases and went to stay with my sister in law in Linconshire. We were hoping to get good news from immigration but unfortunately my husbands x-ray needed further investigation. We then had to put the kids in school and just sit waiting for news. At the beginning of March our visa's finally came through and we landed in Hawke's Bay on 8th March. The journey was amazing, all 3 children couldn't have been better behaved if I had paid them... even my 3 yr old was fantastic... He loved the flight so much he didn't want to get off and wouldn't unfasten his seatbelt at first
On arrival we had been offered lifts from my 'to be' work collegues who were a great help the previous few weeks. Someone arranged for us to have a get together BBQ to meet them before starting work. We had 1 week to find a house, buy a car, put the kids in school, sort banks etc etc and managed it with very little stress. We dragged the kids out one morning to go and watch the sunrise at Napier beach... It was amazing.
Everyone has been lovely... and I mean everyone we have come across. From the guy who sold us the car at the car garage (who let us take it away to look at houses and sort the bank out out without paying which I found strange), to the person next door who invited us in for tea, to tell us about the area when we were viewing the rental property. Work collegues, my boss, the school.... it's all very surreal still, people here are just so friendly!
Last week a collegue asked how my husband is getting on looking for a job... she made a call, now he has a job and starts next week which is great. The kids are settling into school, we are being invited out as a family a lot... I honestly couldn't have wished for so much kindness. We are spending quality time together every weekend going out and about. The kids are a little addicted to the local beaches (Waimarama and Ocean Beach) and Te Mata is just a short walk from our home. An icecream at the restaurant appears to be a good motivator for them to walk it
From a family perspective we do miss them, but appear to be in more regular contact than when we were in the UK. We have people coming from around Oct-March so it gives us sometihng to look forward to from that side. My 8 yr old son has probably struggled the most. He misses family and of course his friends, but since returning back to school after the holidays he has been much happier. My 10 yr old settled in very quickly and is developing a bit of a kiwi accent... I thought he would be the last of them to develop it.
Overall... the best decision we have ever made, we are very happy here Now for the house hunting... can't wait to get into our own place again.
At the beginning of January we left our warm cosy house in Yorkshire with our suitcases and went to stay with my sister in law in Linconshire. We were hoping to get good news from immigration but unfortunately my husbands x-ray needed further investigation. We then had to put the kids in school and just sit waiting for news. At the beginning of March our visa's finally came through and we landed in Hawke's Bay on 8th March. The journey was amazing, all 3 children couldn't have been better behaved if I had paid them... even my 3 yr old was fantastic... He loved the flight so much he didn't want to get off and wouldn't unfasten his seatbelt at first
On arrival we had been offered lifts from my 'to be' work collegues who were a great help the previous few weeks. Someone arranged for us to have a get together BBQ to meet them before starting work. We had 1 week to find a house, buy a car, put the kids in school, sort banks etc etc and managed it with very little stress. We dragged the kids out one morning to go and watch the sunrise at Napier beach... It was amazing.
Everyone has been lovely... and I mean everyone we have come across. From the guy who sold us the car at the car garage (who let us take it away to look at houses and sort the bank out out without paying which I found strange), to the person next door who invited us in for tea, to tell us about the area when we were viewing the rental property. Work collegues, my boss, the school.... it's all very surreal still, people here are just so friendly!
Last week a collegue asked how my husband is getting on looking for a job... she made a call, now he has a job and starts next week which is great. The kids are settling into school, we are being invited out as a family a lot... I honestly couldn't have wished for so much kindness. We are spending quality time together every weekend going out and about. The kids are a little addicted to the local beaches (Waimarama and Ocean Beach) and Te Mata is just a short walk from our home. An icecream at the restaurant appears to be a good motivator for them to walk it
From a family perspective we do miss them, but appear to be in more regular contact than when we were in the UK. We have people coming from around Oct-March so it gives us sometihng to look forward to from that side. My 8 yr old son has probably struggled the most. He misses family and of course his friends, but since returning back to school after the holidays he has been much happier. My 10 yr old settled in very quickly and is developing a bit of a kiwi accent... I thought he would be the last of them to develop it.
Overall... the best decision we have ever made, we are very happy here
Now for the house hunting... can't wait to get into our own place again.
May 16th 2014, 7:03 am
#2
MODERATOR
Joined: Oct 2011
Location: Wellington - I miss Castles, the NHS & English school system
Posts: 9,077
Re: Two months and counting...
glad you have had a great start and long may it continue. 
May 16th 2014, 7:27 am
#3
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Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Pakaraka
Posts: 3,264
Re: Two months and counting...
Excellent positive post, good on you and all the best for the future
May 16th 2014, 9:27 am
#4
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Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Wellington, NZ
Posts: 572
Re: Two months and counting...
Welcome to NZ, we have been here nearly a year, we were and still are amazed at how friendly and trusting everybody here are. It is a truly amazing place.
May 16th 2014, 9:33 pm
#5
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Inglewood in New Plymouth
Posts: 867
Re: Two months and counting...
YAY so glad you having a good experience.
We had the same thing when we arrived, we had serious issues with our UK bank and they froze all our accounts as they thought it was someone scamming our accounts. We had just signed the papers for a brand new car and couldn't pay. they gave us a car to use while we got it sorted out, this took about ten days as it was over Xmas and NY but we could not believe how much they went out of there way. Yes they were getting a sale but they did not need to do that.
We had the same thing when we arrived, we had serious issues with our UK bank and they froze all our accounts as they thought it was someone scamming our accounts. We had just signed the papers for a brand new car and couldn't pay. they gave us a car to use while we got it sorted out, this took about ten days as it was over Xmas and NY but we could not believe how much they went out of there way. Yes they were getting a sale but they did not need to do that.
