We've arrived
Oct 13th 2003, 9:31 pm
#1
Life's next chapter is?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: NW England...for now.
Posts: 942
We've arrived
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Oct 13th 2003, 9:42 pm
#2
Forum Regular
Joined: Oct 2003
Location: St Neots Cambs
Posts: 37
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Wife a Enrolled Nurse, but Aus only looking at Reg Nurses (Skilled visa), I'm a sales director in charge of UK..., talking with AIM tonight, it appears they want blood !!! also no degree, left school 16 to join real world...
Oct 13th 2003, 9:46 pm
#3
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Hands up if you like shopping !!
Posts: 876
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
have fun and enjoy
T
Oct 13th 2003, 11:19 pm
#4
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NZ
Posts: 100
Glad your enjoying Welly! I have only been once and it rained and was very windy - but is still a lovely city - the drive into it is even better.
Have fun exploring the area and good luck with your visa.
I heard the sexual favours story - shame my case officer is a woman
Have fun exploring the area and good luck with your visa.
I heard the sexual favours story - shame my case officer is a woman
Oct 14th 2003, 5:18 pm
#5
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Gold Coast- the best place in the world
Posts: 3,196
Great to hear from you. What a positive first post, I hope it continues to be fab for you all.
Oct 14th 2003, 8:03 pm
#6
BE Enthusiast
Joined: May 2003
Location: Exit UK 23rd Mar 2004, arriving in NZ 29th Mar (stop off LA Disney)
Posts: 385
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
All the best
Oct 14th 2003, 8:11 pm
#7
Life's a beach
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Cranbrook Kent
Posts: 150
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Glad to see things are going well, we move out to NZ on 21/10/03 and arrive in Wellington on 2/11/03. We are also waiting on LTBV lodged in June. Keep us updated.
Cheers Kev.
Oct 14th 2003, 8:59 pm
#8
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Northern Ireland
Posts: 327
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
delighted that your first impressions are good! Hope things continue to work out well for you and you get that business up and running again!
Nice to hear of a positive experience - please keep on posting! Don't forget about us frazzled hopefuls! All the best
Oct 14th 2003, 9:24 pm
#9
Joined: Jun 2002
Location: Cheshire, England
Posts: 743
Re: We've arrived
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
It is so nice to read a great positive post. I could just see the smile on your face as you were writing it.
Good luck with the mini skirt and the fishnet tights! ( or pantyhose as they are called in NZ)
Oct 15th 2003, 8:27 am
#10
(Jon) returning to NZ 04
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 816
Re: We've arrived
So glad to hear you're enjoying wellington! I'm planning to return there so be interested to hear where you find a place to live and what the property market is like.
I see you're still converting everything into pounds!! You need to stop that NOW! :lecture: Everything seems cheap - but you won't be earning pounds, you'll be earning NZ$$$!
If you don't start it right away you could easily pay over the odds for something. A good rule of thumb is to half the price of something to get relative spending power (though it depends on how much you're earning).
(But yes petrol is much cheaper whichever way you look at it.)
I see you're still converting everything into pounds!! You need to stop that NOW! :lecture: Everything seems cheap - but you won't be earning pounds, you'll be earning NZ$$$!
If you don't start it right away you could easily pay over the odds for something. A good rule of thumb is to half the price of something to get relative spending power (though it depends on how much you're earning).
(But yes petrol is much cheaper whichever way you look at it.)
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Oct 15th 2003, 10:02 am
#11
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Location: Hurrah! Auckland at last!!!!!!
Posts: 184
Glad to see you didn't get turned back at the airport !!!!
Stay as positive and have a wonderful time (don't spend all your £'s too quickly!!)
Best of luck
Karen x
!!!!Stay as positive and have a wonderful time (don't spend all your £'s too quickly!!)
Best of luck
Karen x
Oct 20th 2003, 10:02 am
#12
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20
Re: We've arrived
Hi glad to see you finally made it then, I dont know if you can remember we too are from the same town in UK Crewe.We went out to Auckland on the 28th September and like yourself had a great experience landing here in NZ, we have settled now in Auckland and found a place to rent after two weeks here. Finally settled on the North Shore in Devonport and put the kids into school and are settling in to there new way of life really quickly.
Ferry terminal is only a five minute cycle ride away and all for$8 return a day not bad at all, bought a Toyota Hilux for the same money about 3000 uk 2.4 diesel turbo. Well past my bedtime now so will close and keep in touch.
Mick
Ferry terminal is only a five minute cycle ride away and all for$8 return a day not bad at all, bought a Toyota Hilux for the same money about 3000 uk 2.4 diesel turbo. Well past my bedtime now so will close and keep in touch.
Mick
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Hi there,
We arrived in Wellington last Monday, delirious from the 25 hours of flying. The whole world bobbed up and down for the next day or two. We were glad of some proper rest thats for sure. Managed to sort an apartment within 48 hours and moved in that Weds. It's furnished etc and all inclusive, so it will do until we buy a vehicle and become more mobile. Wellington is amazing and the people are amazingly friendly. I hope that we can sort ourselves out so that we never have to return to Blighty again...although it will be 6 months before the LTBV paperwork I have in will be sorted. Hopefully the wife will score a perm job way before then anyway, so we'll be sorted before this point in time. Worst case scenario, all fails and we have had 12 months of pure indulgence in NZ - more than most people ever get to do.
Everything here is cheap apart from clothes and shoes, but there are bargain stores almost everywhere, so it depends what you are looking for. Vehicles are very cheap and we are picking one up on Thursday - a 4x4 diesel Isuzu Mu for under 3000 Uk, with a 12 month warranty, inclusive reg and k (you pay per km for diesels here, but it only adds .025 of a cent to each k when you divide it down. Petrols don't pay for k, but they cost more to fuel. Diesel is 20p a litre and petrol is about 37p, so either way it's a shock compared to rip off Britain. I've read things about the chocolate being horrible - it's not, the city being windy (maybe a little on certain days), and the country being backwards compared to the uk - come here and see it before you mke that assumption - NZ is way ahead of the UK in many areas.
All in all, I have fallen in love with the place within days and will do whatever I have to in order to stay here permanently. There was a news story that a case officer offered residency to a chinese girl in exchange for sexual favours, so I'm cracking out the fishnets and mini skirt and toddling to the NZIS thi arvo....ha ha.
good luck to anyone else in the process, NZ rocks !!!
Oct 20th 2003, 9:03 pm
#13
Life's next chapter is?
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: NW England...for now.
Posts: 942
Hi Mick,
Yep, happily settled into life here - good to hear you made it to Auckland - how do you find the locals? Everyone in Wellington gives the old sharp intake when we mention Auckland - the wife's cousin lives there so it comes up a lot....
We hope to visit the North before too long, but we haven't bought a car yet as we are very city central, thus there's no cheap parking. As soon as we get further out, we'll pick one up - strangely we also looked at a Hilux for $10,000....a 2.4 diesel. We are waiting to see what else comes up though.
Gez is pushing out job apps, so fingers crossed something will turn up, as I am hitting brick walls with my application and it looks like I'll have to let time take its course and wait until the New Year before I can trade. Ho hum, just have to enjoy the sun then...Glad to have left Crewe behind...
all the best, Rich
Yep, happily settled into life here - good to hear you made it to Auckland - how do you find the locals? Everyone in Wellington gives the old sharp intake when we mention Auckland - the wife's cousin lives there so it comes up a lot....
We hope to visit the North before too long, but we haven't bought a car yet as we are very city central, thus there's no cheap parking. As soon as we get further out, we'll pick one up - strangely we also looked at a Hilux for $10,000....a 2.4 diesel. We are waiting to see what else comes up though.
Gez is pushing out job apps, so fingers crossed something will turn up, as I am hitting brick walls with my application and it looks like I'll have to let time take its course and wait until the New Year before I can trade. Ho hum, just have to enjoy the sun then...Glad to have left Crewe behind...
all the best, Rich
Oct 24th 2003, 7:20 am
#14
Just Joined
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 20
Originally posted by theguitardoctor
Hi Mick,
Yep, happily settled into life here - good to hear you made it to Auckland - how do you find the locals? Everyone in Wellington gives the old sharp intake when we mention Auckland - the wife's cousin lives there so it comes up a lot....
We hope to visit the North before too long, but we haven't bought a car yet as we are very city central, thus there's no cheap parking. As soon as we get further out, we'll pick one up - strangely we also looked at a Hilux for $10,000....a 2.4 diesel. We are waiting to see what else comes up though.
Gez is pushing out job apps, so fingers crossed something will turn up, as I am hitting brick walls with my application and it looks like I'll have to let time take its course and wait until the New Year before I can trade. Ho hum, just have to enjoy the sun then...Glad to have left Crewe behind...
all the best, Rich
Hi Mick,
Yep, happily settled into life here - good to hear you made it to Auckland - how do you find the locals? Everyone in Wellington gives the old sharp intake when we mention Auckland - the wife's cousin lives there so it comes up a lot....
We hope to visit the North before too long, but we haven't bought a car yet as we are very city central, thus there's no cheap parking. As soon as we get further out, we'll pick one up - strangely we also looked at a Hilux for $10,000....a 2.4 diesel. We are waiting to see what else comes up though.
Gez is pushing out job apps, so fingers crossed something will turn up, as I am hitting brick walls with my application and it looks like I'll have to let time take its course and wait until the New Year before I can trade. Ho hum, just have to enjoy the sun then...Glad to have left Crewe behind...
all the best, Rich
Trying not to work too hard over in the big CBD in Auckland, Children settled in to schools here on the North Shore. Higher rents to pay but only minutes from the beaches oh i miss that bottleneck and heavy traffic back home, M25 & oh what was that other notorious snail queue...oh yeah how easily you soon forget the M6's & M1's of this world, but allas no more !!! The kiwi's have not a clue when it comes to congestion the great Harbour bridge is nothing. I think i can wait 12 years for the next bridge or Tunnel to go into Auckland, i think i will carry on catching the ferry in a morning for $8 return and it gives you time to wake yourself up. Just about getting to grips with the pound to dollar values. But still after adding all the - and +'s together we have made the right choice for my kids after 2 weeks in school what they gain here is amazing compared to UK standards, they appreciate more here compared to back home. Its still early days yet but as a family now we are doing more with our weekends & the stress levels seem to slowly coming down now we are over the moving and finally coming to terms with what we have left behind in regards to other immediate family members and in-laws - outlaws. So for anyone else contemplating the big move, do not hesitate about what you will leave behind you have to look at the big picture and try to look at what more you get for your life here.
Keep in touch Rich
Speak to you soon
Mick
