catzohm

Hi Everyone.

We've finally made our minds up and are going to try for a fresh start out in NZ, so there are many questions to ask (some of which may seem odd!!) and decisions to make, hope you good people can help, we have loads to ask and lots of research to do over the coming months.

As yet we haven't submitted an EOI, we won't be ready to move until around this time next year. We score around 160 points, how does this place us? with this score would it be better to submit now in the hope that closer to our target date we may get an offer, or would it be better to wait?

MBH is a nurse with a diploma in general nursing and a degree in community nursing (district/school/practice & health visiting) and would prefer to work in a community environment, anyone have any info on the prospects in this area of nursing?

As for myself I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, quals in Gas Engineering/Plumbing & bricklaying and also have a Class 1 HGV licence. Again, has anyone any info about employment in these areas? Plumbing is the preferred option.


Also, can anyone recommend web sites, books, DVD's etc that would be of help in our research. Any suggestions would be most welcome.

Finally, for now, first daft question: Do you have blackberry's in NZ (not the PDA, the plant)? Every summer since we were kids we've gone blackberry picking, we just love it and would miss it (but would probably get over it).
Thanks in advance
P & G

pompeybrood

http://www.realestate.co.nz/ for houses to drool over to rent and buy

http://www.immigration.govt.nz for info on pretty much everything emigrating

http://www.seek.co.nz/ on jobs in NZ

http://www.wises.co.nz/ for nz roadmaps, handy for looking for areas to look at

http://www.metservice.co.nz/default/index.php for the weather

http://www.xe.com/ucc/ for currency conversion


loads of other bits to look through in other posts but these are good start!!

Nice Guy

Good morning from a wet NZ.

For your better half check out below, but stick to North Shore or Waitakere, best not for South Auckland............


www.jobpulse.co.nz

danny.f

Hi,
if you look onSophie_Wellington's thread info sharing & a couple of questions she has posted a lot of info that helped her - it may be of use. My OH and I are both nurses and found it really easy to get jobs. We e mailed the hospital we wanted to work at and asked them if they would be interested in seeing our CVs, sent our CVs, had 'phone interviews and were offered the jobs a week later when they had received our references. This was in June and we advised them that we don't want to start work until Feb 07 which they agreed to (not out there until Nov hopefully). They have also agreed that Feb can be flexible if we need it to be. Re community nursing, I have heard that community nurses are paid less than hospital nurses so it may be worth bearing that in mind, although I'm not sure how much less.
Best advice is trawl back through previous threads, you will get loads of info and advice from those who have gone before.
Good luck
Donna

Frenchy

[
MBH is a nurse with a diploma in general nursing and a degree in community nursing (district/school/practice & health visiting) and would prefer to work in a community environment, anyone have any info on the prospects in this area of nursing?

Hi there I too am a Community Nurse (Clinical Nurse Specialist in education for DN sometimes known as CPT)
I have a community nurse educator post set up in NZ. The pay scales are the same as hospital staff now but District Nurse posts are harder to come by. I visited the DN's when out on my reccie visit the posts and team set ups are very similar to UK. For potential jobs take a look at some of these sites.

http://www.bopdhb.govt.nz
http://www.nmdhb.govt.nz/vacancies/circular.shtml
http://www.wairarapa.dhb.org.nz/wdhb...tvacancies.asp

These sites will just give you an idea! Dont hesitate to Pm me if you want any more info!

cottageinthesky

Blackberry is considered a "pest" plant here - one of many introduced plants that run rampant in this climate - gorse, old man's beard, tradescantia (lovingly tended as indoor plants in the Uk, but in NZ it takes over huge tracts of native bush) - in Wellington, we don't get frosts to kill off, for example, nasturtiums, so the leaves grow as big as dinner plates - I came across a reciple for stuffed nasturtium leaves!

So yes, blackberry bushes are here, but very unwelcome - also, because of the stronger sun, longer sun hours and drier summers, blackberries themselves tend to be smaller and harder - not a patch (even a blackberry patch) on the sweet, juicy versions I grew up picking and eating.

Cultivated blackberries are available in the supermarket at exorbitant prices - if you're used to thinking them as a "free" food - but as, again in Wellington, Bramley apples are very rare - I think Bramleys need frost and a far colder winter than Wellington ever puts on - it's not easy to do a blackberry and apple crumble !

However.... the peaches, nectarines, kiwifruit, tamarilloes, passion fruit....!!!

poppets

i was looking for Bramleys the other day & someone suggest i use Granny smith, it worked quite well really

cottageinthesky

In Wellington, I've found Bramleys in Commonsense Organics - Wellington City and Lower Hutt shops - and the fruiterers in the Crofton Downs Mall next to Woolworths - but only in season, in Autumn.

Granny Smiths are OK but don't quite match up to the dear old Bramley!

poppets

yeah but it was ok to make owl cakes for the kids (don't ask!)
i found Commonsense Orgainics in Paraparaumu last week, fab & they had Green & Blacks Chocolate - yum yum

StevieB

160 points is more than enough. We had 140 and it took 2 weeks from our EOI being selected to getting an ITA. Any of 140 points and over are getting automatically selected at the moment.

I've heard that plumbers are in high demand at the moment due to the harsh winter, especially South Island, lots of burst pipes, etc. I'm pretty sure that both builders and plumbers are listed on the long term shortage list, so you shouldn't have too much bother in that dept.

Nurses are always in high demand. Like Danny and Donna my OH applied on line direct to Waikato Hospital, had a phone interview and got a call back 5 mins later offering her the job! Helps if your OH is already registered with the New Zealand Nursing Council and has, or is in the process of getting, a Practicing Certificate.
Good Luck

catzohm

Thanks everyone for the replies, enough to start building the "NZ file". Shame about the blackberries, Don't like the sound of "harsh winters",was hoping to get away from cold, damp and frost.

StevieB

This years winter was apparently the worst for 30 odd years and really unexpected - least that's what I've been told by those in the know.

cottageinthesky

Plenty of places in NZ that don't have cold, damp and frost or very rarely - I've been in Wellington for 10 years and, even with the coldest/dampest winter in that time, it's still heaps warmer/drier than Buckinghamshire!