bondipom

Someone recently got on my wick because they said it has been getting negative on here. As far as I can tell it is relatively positive. PB and Wilf are no longer posting and there are 2 posts winding up those in the UK about the good weather and prawns. What do you want?

Do you think it is more or less negative than 6 months ago?

Pollyana

Generally seems quite positive round here - in fact I've been feeling quite guilty at being negative over moaning about Christmas, and about my &*(^(&*^&*^&*^( shippers!

Theres some nice pics and jokes flying around, some people have got visas or med requests for Christmas but you want more positive than that?

Its nice and warm here (if a bit cloudy), its going to be hot and sunny for Christmas, theres lots of good British comedies on UKTV over the next week, I go a job (hooray!!), all the post has been sorted (in brissie if nowhere else!), prawns are lovely and fresh, Australia's a really friendly country to be living in........... that do you for a while??? (I know what'll happen now, someone will accuse me of having rose-tinted specs!)

Pollyana the Positive!

tiredwithtwins

suppose it depends if you live your life on here!!!!!
I poke my head round the door regularly, but I dont dwell on whether its positive or negative!! I think there are relevant and pertinent posts on here on a regular basis, mixed in with a lot of very good natured humour and banter - unfortunately some want serious conversations on a daily basis and feel as though they havnt got 'value for money' if its not all serious and straight as a die! to those I say - no one is holding a gun to your head to read every post/thread!!
If there was a need for a serious, formal forum it would be a discussion forum on DIMIA's website.
This is a public forum, with very nice (and very tolerant) moderators on it - if you want serious, strictly immigration only subjects - complain to them, Im sure they will tell you exactly what to do!!!!!

I for one find the balance very nice at the moment - if people want serious why not just use the search facility to get the info you want - you dont have to join in!!!!

sue

downunderpom

Can't comment - I was living in blissful ignorance of this extremely addictive forum, six months ago!

"Now, shall I read my book.... no, I'll just log in to expats, quickly. It won't take long..."

podgypossum

Well said Sue!!

I think its quite postive now..but i do remember getting in hot water the first itme i ever came here...merely for asking for some positive posts!!!

evorobin

It is positive here which is like a breath of fresh air. I don't want to hear about druggies walking in the street though

ptlabs

Row row row your boat?

At least that's the way I read your diagram

Funny, why do some of the little men have cushioned seats?

Peter

MrsDagboy

Well PB & Wilf are gone. Dotty is away & Ceri only sticks her head in occasionally to moan about it being hot at xmas - all in all I think its been fairly positive lately .

I havent seen anyone complaining about it being too negative - god help them if they had been here 6 months ago if thats what they think now!

As for the seriousness, if people cant take a joke & use their sense of humour occasionally then whats the world coming to? As Sue said, if you cant take good natured banter or ribbing then maybe you are in the wrong place? Dont read it, or use the ignore button I say!

BritboyNZ

IMO this forum has become totally boring since the departure of PB & Wilf. OK, they got some peoples backs up, but the debates were interesting, lively & PB/Wilf did provide a lot of useful insights.

Plus it seems that 99% of the posts relate to oz these days and have no relevance to us kiwis. Maybe the forum should be renamed 'Poms in Oz' forum

Just my 0.02c worth

Russ

bondipom

Guitar Doctor has provided some good Kiwi discussions.

theguitardoctor

Ha ha...and been attacked for them on the whole....

Most of the posts back to me have been negative, but then they are only from Kiwi3 and Mutznutz.....maybe they are Wilf and PB in disguise...switching allegiance to Australasia???

Who knows...it's a mad world.

all the best for Crimbo and the New Year....

"Give me the dark and cold for Crimbo any day......"

bondipom

I hope 2004 is better than 2003 for you. I have enjoyed your battles.'Merry Xmas

theguitardoctor

Cheers mate ... you too. Good news is that I have a back up plan in place anyway...it means going back to the UK and coming back via Oz PR, but it's got to be a more sane route than continuing the pressure on our finances/marriage/sanity trying to battle it out in NZ, despite what a few others are trying to cajole me into...like its their life anyway......?? Besides, arrangements are already underway for the return of our stuff/selves/cat.

We previously wrote Oz off as many an agent in the UK said we had no chance, but I spoke to a guy in Edinburgh called Rich Gregan who suggested that I could be skills tested, rather than the wife as principal applicant (I think another poster suggested this route before, but I had written Oz off completely because of the advice I'd had from a UK agency or several) and it would possibly / most likely score me a route to Oz PR. As you know Oz PR gets you Nz PR without question, so I'll be able to choose if I so wish. A return now will allow us back onto the property ladder in the UK in our old area, whilst the return will allow us to rebuild some of the lost capital too. It makes for a 16 month long term plan, but I have 3 years to execute it and 5 to fulfil it.....may yet be the best option.

all the best, Rich....

"Where's the big Christmas tree in the city, and the lights across the road?"

bondipom

Rich

I only know about OZ spouse visas so I cannot comment on your points.

Prob with using OZ PR as a stepping stone to NZ is it runs out after 5 years. Basically to return to Oz or NZ after the five years you must have obtained a residents return visa or citizenship. To obtain either you must have spent 2 of the previous 5 years in Oz with 1 of those years in the previous 2. PRs have returned to the UK after the initial 5 year period and found themselves up the creek without a paddle.

Why the desire to live down under?

Pollyana

I guess the thing is that most of us know more about OZ than about NZ; I can't speak for anyone else but I find it interesting reading the NZ info, especially the lifestyle stuff.



Rich, Hope the New Year is better for you and your wife; I'm glad you're sounding more cheerful now, and wherever you end up I hope life looks up a bit.