MandyB

Anyone else on here living in Rolleston - we've been here for 15 months but i've only just started reading this forum. Everyone seems to be in the North Island (can't think why - wots wrong with the south?).

Wiz'n'Ton

Hey Mandy! We'll be moving to Rolleston soon, as we've just bought a section on Kajens Country Estate.

Were there on Sunday, going around a bunch of open homes, seeing what kind of building looked good, and to visit our section, just to make sure it wasn't missing us

Living in ChCh city centre at the moment though, until we get a house built out there.

How are you finding it?

mutleypig

hi
we are moving to nz later this year and are looking in your area
have found a couple of properties around darfield
how do you find the area?
& (if you have children) schools?

jasonandrea

Hi,

we are flying out on 3rd march and looking to rent, then buy in Rolleston. I was over there in Nov and liked the place (I did like Lincoln as well) whats it like to live there?

Jason & Andrea

MandyB

Hi Wiz'n'Ton, I love living in Rolleston, I am soooo jealous that you are building on Kajens, its lovely there. I was down there on Sunday myself watching OH playing football. We are still renting further up near the shops.
If i could choose a spot, it would be either Kajens, Sheralea or Millbrook.

When do you start building?

Love living in New Zealand too but finding it difficult with the low low wages. OH is a brickie and i am a legal secretary, but still struggling.

Hello Mutlypig, interesting name, been to Darfield a few times, v. nice but a bit too small/quiet for us. We have one child, a boy, 8 years old. He LOVES it here, he goes to Rolleston school. Wasn't too impressed with his first year there because his class had two age groups in it, his was the older group. He was always in the top of the class and getting bored/not challenged. This year his class still has two age groups but he is in the younger group, so hopefully harder work for him. Maybe he's just a v. clever lad. Already top for spelling!!! He loves the sporty side of it here too. He is obviously mad for football, also plays for (or will be when the season kicks in) Rolleston and is a keen tennis player now too. Never did that in the UK i can tell you. He gets lessons every week and plays a doubles and single every weekend!

We moved to Rolleston in November 2005 and it has got soooo much bigger since then - Wiz'n'Ton, Kajens was just bare land way back then!

Welcome Jason and Andrea, I'm sure you'll love it here, OH wanted to live in Lincoln but we couldn't find a rental - they are like gold dust there because of the university/students - not to mention a fair bit more expensive. But again, Lincoln has also expanded so much since we arrived. I've always preferred Rolleston though. We drove round almost every area we could think of (around Christchurch) when we arrived to see where we would like to settle and we were always glad to be back at good old Rolly.

Hope that answer your questions, look forward to seeing you all when you get here.

Wiz'n'Ton

Dunno really. As soon as Toni gets a long term job that means we can afford the mortgage! Then, after the deposit to the housing firm's been paid, they will start on planning the house orientation on the section, and when we're happy with that we'll submit the plans to the council. Once they're OK'd it'll be appx 7 months till the build is finished, assuming no problems. We may even be in by Xmas if all goes well.

Know what you mean. On one wage, renting in Central ChCh, and paying the mortgage on the section leaves us with next to stuff all for anything else. Toni's temping at the mo until her teaching quals come through and she can get teaching work, and then we should be sailing relatively sweetly. Fingers crossed!

It must have changed so much, even in such a short time. It's still pretty open there, but I imagine that in 4 or 5 years it will be really well settled and the trees etc will be maturing. We really liked the feel of Rolleston, and all the people we met - including our neighbours - were really nice and relaxed. Hope that's the case for most people there.

I'll let you know when we're next out that way, see if we can catch up.

All the best!

jasonandrea

Thanks Mandy,

it did feel like the right place for us too, we have two children boy 8 girl 10 and we will be puting them in Rolleston school too.

Speak soon

Jason & Andrea

mutleypig

mandyB - glad to hear that you are happy in rolleston, i sounds as though we should look around there too. we were just looking around the chch area but didn't want to be in the city.
how many children go to your son's school? we have 4 children & my youngest is an 8 year old boy - near the property we looked at on internet he could go to greendale (39 pupils) or darfield (250 pupils) greendale reads well but i worry about lack of resources/big spread of ages in class/lack of interaction & from what you say it can be a negative.
thanks for the insight
is there much football for the kids - my son is mad for his football but hasn't really done any rugby
also how far is it to ski fields - i am hoping this will sell area to older kids!!

MandyB

Hi Wiz'n'Ton

Yeh, it would be great to meet up, there are loads of english living here in Rolleston, i've met only a few, Wayne (OH) meets more every week at football practice. I've loved the feel of it from day one. Often go power walking (well, its power walking for me anyway), its great to be walking in the countryside within 5 mins of leaving your home, its so peaceful and relaxing, and hardly any traffick. Brill!

Hi Mutleypig
Not sure exactly how many kids are in Rolleston school, but it do know its fit to burst! Knew kids starting there all the time. I've heard they are building another couple of classrooms to accommodate them. I also believe there is to be a new high school built here soon, not sure about another primary school though. Joe's class size is the same, maybe even a little bigger than the one he was in in England, but like i said, it has two age groups in it. They currently don't have a gym/hall, everything is done outside (they have an excellent playground), if they require an indoor area they use the Community centre. But i've also heard rumours of one of those to be built too - not sure if that ones true!

As far as football goes, joe played for Halswell last season because we were told that was one of the biggest here, this season though he is playing for Rolleston, it seems to have picked up and gotten a lot bigger in the past year, there are lots of english here with footy mad kids, maybe thats boosted it. So yes, your son should find everything great as far as footy goes, they usually only play in season (something like April to September/October) but Rolleston try to keep the kids playing all year, there are some cracking little players here too. Joe's not played Rugby either (except for in school), he was gonna give it a go but it clashes with football!!!!

Not far at all to ski-fields, we went to porter heights last July, took about an hour to get there, part of that was driving up the terrifying mountain though - never been so scared in all my life. First time for all of us (and reasonably priced too), you can hire all the gear pretty cheaply, not sure how much lessons are though. Another one is Mount Hutt (much bigger and better i believe, but also a little dearer), that'll be about 1.5 hours i would imagine. Not sure if they still do it, but i believe the older kids go skiiing with the school! Does your lad like golf or fishing, there's loads of that right on your doorstep. Plenty of sporting facilities too, basketball courts, tennis courts, football fields, rugby fields, netball, skateboard and bike tracks, and more still waiting to be built!!!

Hi Jason and Andrea

Hope you and your kids like here too, i also have a niece here (9) she loves it too. Maybe your boy and girl will be in the same classes!

Have a good flight over

jasonandrea

Thanks Mandy,


we want to rent first in rolleston, are the new houses well insulated, warm e.t.c. and what age does the mens football team go up to.. (might have to get the old boots out!!!!)

Jason

MandyB

Hi Jason

It depends on the heating in the new house, we are living in our third rental now (for many different reasons that i won't bore you with), the first one was a few years old with one gas fire in it, freezing cold, the second one was brand new with a heat pump, we were in that one through one of the worst winters they have had here and it kept us pretty warm. You probably have to buy a few oil heaters though (portable radiators) for the bedrooms coz they have no heating whatsoever. The house we're in now has a log burner so we'll have to see how that one goes, only moved in this one at the beginning of summer and this house is 8 years old. As far as insulating goes, seems fine to me as long as you heat the other rooms up.

OH said you can play on the football team if your 90 (which i'm guessing your not ). He's gonna be coaching one of the kids teams along with another English dad this season. There's about three teams, the masters for the older guys (i think over 40's), the A team and the B team. OH played the masters yesterday and lost The kids came to watch and ended up on the opposite football field playing their own game!

They keep mythering for women to join the women's team too, so maybe Andrea's got some books lurking somewhere (wouldn't get me doing it for love nor money , i'm strictly a side-liner).

Mandy

mutleypig

thanks mandyb
great info
oh coming for final recce in april - i will get him to look around rolleston

jasonandrea

Hi Mandy

Thanks for the info on the heating etc...

could you let me know what the uniforms are at rolleston school i.e. grey pants, black skirt etc... Cause I might be able to purchase some of it in the uk from our cheap and cheerful Tesco....

(Andrea) I would be interested in the mens footy team.... I play rounders in the uk but fancy a change and any excuse to show the fellas how it's done!!!

Really nervous now as only five days to go before our departure to NZ... How's the weather - still ok I hope.

Thanks

Andrea

MandyB

Hi Andrea,

Rolleston have gotten very strict about the uniform. Everying except the bottoms are supposed to have the school badge on and can only be bought from one shop (postie plus)!!!!!! (Luckily the shop is only a 10 min drive away). The colour is royal blue top and bottom with light blue t-shirt for the juniors and white t-shirt for seniors (11-13). The boys can only wear Taslon pants (again have to be bought from Postie plus), not sure about the girls, either way, its nothing you can get in Tesco (unfortunately). If your lads anything like mine, you'll go through the pants like billyo Last year we bought the tracky bottoms (fleecy ones), but this year they're not allowed to wear them. They also have to have a hat in the summer months or they won't be allowed out at lunch time - again specific types. Fleece tops are optional - you'll find most of the kids don't wear a proper coat in the winter, but i bought my lad one, it was flaming freezing last winter!

As for the footy team, i think only women play together, you would have to play on the women's team. The kids trials are this weekend, the day you fly out i believe (3rd march), but i'm sure your lad will find a place. Is your lad a good player?, my OH will be coaching the premier team, there's a couple of English boys here who trained with premier league teams, my boy included (Liverpool), so should be a good season this year. Don't know about you but i LOVE going to watch them on a saturday morning. Tell you lad not to worry though, the season doesn't start until April so he won't miss a thing.

Weather was scorching yesterday, up in the 30's, been great the past few weeks, cooled down a bit today though, not sure yet what forecast is for weekend.

Are you going straight to Rolleston when you arrive or are you staying in a Motel/with friends first?

I bet you're nervous, but excited too i hope. I thought the flight was a doddle, OH doesn't agree

All the best for the trip, PM when your here and settled, we can meet up and introduce the kids.

jasonandrea

Hi Mandy

Thanks again for the reply.

We are staying in a motel in Riccarton when we first arrive and then looking for rented in Rolleston.

Got 10 days booked in Motel so helpfully will find something within this time. Also got friends in Bryndwr so could cadge some time with them if need be, but definately want to settle in Rolleston, so priority will be getting kids in school.

Jason will be with us until the 26th March and then he has to go to the North island for six weeks training with his job.... so really want to be settled in rented by then....

Will be good to meet with you and your family... will get in touch when we have done all the priority stuff...

where did you live in the UK?

Andrea