Ktb78

Hi,

I'm finally doing it! I'll be 35 when I leave here at the end of November! I've talked about going over to NZ but have always had an excuse not to go, but not anymore!! Absolutely terrified as coming over alone but I can't put it off any longer. It Would be great to hear from people in a similar situation! Would like to go explore NZ in December before I start to find a job! Eeeeek!

lisamct

HI, I was 36 when I came over on my own 3 years ago.
My philosophy was always "whats the worst that can happen", you come over, you don't commit to anything too major and you either stay or you don't.

It was fine coming alone, no one to annoy you when your jet lagged and needing to sleep it off! I had a job lined up though which was a bit different to you but I kinda wish I'd done a bit of traveling first.

So. I'm 3 years on, on my 4th job (same career just different locations/employers) and I've just bought a house so I guess I'm staying

kiwi wanna be

I am 40 and came here a few weeks ago, and a colleague of mine is late 50's and she has just come over on her own also!

Plenty of us about, get over here and see what all the fuss is about

kodachrome

Arriving in October myself, all by my lonesome.

Snap Shot

Nothing wrong with that view.

Catchafire

I am a great believer in you are never to old. I was 33 when I went on a solo wonder around the world. And it was the greatest turning point in my life.

Ktb78

Great to hear no one has any regrets! I'm really excited and scared at the same time. Can anyone suggest any places that are must see in the North Island?

Snap Shot

The far north of the North Island is good for it's wild and rugged coastline, albeit there's a lot of rugged coastline in NZ. The town of Russell and the Bay of Islands is popular.

Coromandel, the towns of Whitianga and Thames are a good base. Take the passenger ferry across the estuary at Whitianga (about five minutes) then an hour's walk takes you to a winery. You'll be thirsty on arrival !
Cooks beach at the Coromandel is where Captain Cook landed a couple of hundred or so years ago and charted the transit of mercury. The museum in Whitianga is very interesting.
Don't worry if you hear a really loud alarm across the town of Whitianga, it's just to alert the volunteer fire brigade that there's a 'shout' on.

Roturua (just don't mind the smell, it's no worse than the slightly sulphur smell when boiling eggs but you still wonder who's farted !) The hot pools, mud pools, steam vents and geysers etc are a natural wonder. Take a walk in the Waimangu Valley, to the lake at the bottom. The Tarawera eruption from 1886 was very destructive, the 'buried village' is a tourist attraction.

Taupo, for the lake and mountain view.

The Waiarapa is a wine growing region we have yet to explore.

Then the further south you go, you are heading towards Wellington. We stayed at the Ibis hotel on Featherston Street. I've been to Butlers Chocolate Café in Wellington, it's a coffee shop that also sells chocolates but I liked it. Wellington has the 'Te Papa' museum which is excellent. A walk along the harbour front is breezy. The 'City to Sea' bridge is part of the walkway from the civic buildings over the road to the boardwalk around the harbour.