sandypandy

Know what you mean, I love the seasons and i especially love Xmas day, when you wake up to a lovely frosty morning and then have a long stroll in the country after a fantastic Xmas lunch! Don't quite think Xmas in NZ is going to be the same somehow, but some you win, some you loss!!



Sandra

southerner

I've heard a few Brit expats in NZ say that after the first one or two Christmas's, they start to feel that Christmas in the sun is better than they experienced under grey English skies (lets face it, the number of blue sky Xmas days in England is pretty low).

The ability to get outside in NZ on Xmas day is special, and because it corresponds with the main summer holidays, there is more chance to catch up with friends and family than in England (although for some immigrants this may not be quite the same benefit).

Sorry - I have digressed completely.

BritboyNZ

One thing I will say about xmas in the sun is that it feels totally *wrong!* the first few are a bit weird, almost surreal. You think - "it should be -5 deg.C, p!ssing down with rain or blowing a gale, not in the high 20's/not a cloud in the sky!!!" Of course, these thoughts last about 30 seconds then it's shorts/t-shirt on (or off) and down to the beach.

My first xmas in NZ was fantastic - me and my flatmate of the time went upto Paihia for a few days & did a 'swim with the dolphins trip' on xmas morning. Not something that gets done in the UK on a xmas morning

russ

Amazulu

Coming from South Africa, I find the cold christmas hard to get used to. I much prefer the blue sky , hot christmas you get in the Southern Hemisphere, It feels more natural to me. Christmas in the UK would be better if it snowed, like it does in Europe, but it never does, It's just grey & miserable. Give me a hot, outdoor Christmas any day.

sandypandy

Have to say our xmas day here last year was very sunny although we did wake up to a heavy frost - my 7 year old spent 1/2 hour in the garden trying to see Rudolfs prints on the roof


Does Father Christmas still deliver pressies in his thick red fur coat in NZ or does he adopt a more casual dress??

Sandra

bondipom

I going to Auckland for a business and have a free day. What is the best thing to do other than praise the Asian work ethic?

Copperben

Last christmas was weird in the sun having a BBQ but as I prefer the sun to the cold I think I can get used to it. Plus with all the time off you get over christmas (Auckland CBD pretty much shuts down) you can go off sight seeing to the beach etc.

The lifestyle in NZ is great, I spend more time "playing" than working even though I work hard ! I find the nightlife in Auckland very good - though more pubs than clubs, good restuarants and generally nice people.

I found the rent to be fairly cheap seeing that I am living in a city, but I am flat sharing so maybe that brings the cost down - looking into buying a car soon - not sure how that compares to the UK. House prices seem a lot cheaper especially in the South Island, I know someone who is building a house on 10 acres all for about 150,000 quid! Not sure you could do that in the UK?

hamiltonnz

Ive lived in hamilton for nearly 45 years. I wouldnt want to live in Auckland(1 1/2 hrs away). One thing not mentioned is the traffic problems. From 3.30pm to about 6.30pm the roads in auckland are jam packed. And when it rains or if there is an accident you can be 2 hours sitting in your car to get where youre going. public transport is useless. Theres some nice beaches nearby and some nice country north of auckland to look at but to live there - I wouldnt . I'd happily live in Tauranga though. Overall the downside of NZ is the autumn/winter/spring weather. Its either cold, wet & cold, foggy, or windy or all of the above. Of course you get some nice sunny winter/spring/autumn days but not enough of them for me. Summer is Ok but nothing flash as the wind can spoil it. winter is miserable overall. A 14 degree high during the day probably is preceeded by a zero degree frost in the morning slowly rising to 14 about 1pm and by late afternoon its cold again. there are alot of asians in Auckland. I dont have a problem with asians but it is disconcerting to walk down the main street and feel like youre in Hong Kong. I guess thats just life in the 21st century. theres more problems here with Maoris and pacific islanders in terms of racism. the Maori leaders are claiming just about anything that moves as their own and want ownership or 'compensation'ie the lakes, the rivers the gas fields, the airwaves, and recently the beaches, the seabed and more and its creating alot of resentment. Also maori and islander are about 10 percent of the population but make up 50percent of the jail population so theres a crime issue there as well. If I were asked to choose where to live in NZ it would probably be in the Bay of plenty / Tauranga area. South island I would say Nelson because of the weather and beaches and its a nice place.

Copperben

Totally agree with the traffic issue - but compared to travelling on the M25 it is a breeze! Although sometimes it takes 30 mins to get to work when I live 10/15mins away.

Only been here 9 months so only just learning about "racial issues"but agree there are a lot of asians - but back home we are a melting pot of nationalities so do not have a problem with this, on the whole most people I have met are sorry to use the term "nice"! Bit concerned about the foreshore issue as I believe everyone should have the right to use the beaches/sea and political correctness can tend to get a bit out of hand.

Kiwipaul

Your looking at it from a NZers perspective, people comming from UK will be used to far worse traffic jams than you get round Auckland. I came from the Midlands and the traffic was better in Auckland than where I'm from.

Public transport is pretty dire except for rush hour commuting into the city. I lived in Glenfield on the shore about 15kms from CBD but it only took me 45 min by bus to CBD on a regular basis and the same back in the evening.

For me Auckland had everything I needed for an enjoyable lifestyle, and I'm still debating about wether to come back or not.

garrisondamn

We are in Nelson, we did a bit of to-ing & fro-ing from here back to Ch/ch, to weigh up the pro's & cons of both places.
Ch/ch won on the pro's & cons, but it's so nice here in Nelson, that we decided to stick to our plan which was to live where we like & then find jobs/etc.
So we have rented a lovely house here & now are looking for jobs.
The weather is so far pretty good, apart from the last couple of dreary days, temp pretty good though, haven't needed a coat yet!!
The real estate is shocking at the mo!! o well never mind aye!
Life good here so far, great beaches, no traffic jams, friendly people.
Good luck where ever you are!

sandypandy

Alan
Are the any "must do things with kids 13 & 9" that you could recommend? We are coming to Nelson in November for a holiday/interviews and any suggestions would be gratefully received.

Thanks
Sandra

sully4441

Just to add my two'penneth on the asian theme. It was something we really noticed in Aukland. Asian shop owners and crowds of Asians. We saw a few signs on the North island -'Owned by Kiwis and run by Kiwis' - wonder what that was about? I have heard it said that NZ is like UK of 20 - 30 years ago, not entirely true, but I could recognise the simmering problem of racism that was the UK (some areas still is) As mentioned before in other threads, we heard people say things that were so racist it was untrue, but when we questioned them they couldn't understand what they had said wrong. On places to live, we liked Nelson and Christchurch - predictable maybe.LMS

garrisondamn

Accommodation will be pricey then, depends what you want, but I can recommend a couple of places that are reasonably priced if you want, let me know, and dont forget to call by & see us!!

Take the kids sea Kayaking in the able tasman national park at the same time, have a couple of hours lappin' it up on Kaiteriteri beach.
Go on a jet boat ride from Mapua. Collect some great seashells from Kina beach. 4X4 adventure bikes in various places. Take the sea taxis around Abel Tasman. While you and hubby can take in some amazing views from around the area.
You can email me for any other advice (I'll help if I can)
Good luck.

southerner

Fishing off the Nelson, Mapua or Motueka wharves - you just need a bit of line, hooks, sinkers and bait which nearly any shop can sell you.

Beach at Rabbit Island, take a picnic or BBQ stuff along (fireplaces are in situ).