Barpolo

Hi there
I am flying out to New Zealand this Saturday for 6 months (but hopefully forever if someone will give me a job).
I am travelling alone and don't know anyone in NZ and so basically starting from scratch. I will be probably staying in backpackers for a wee while while I look for rented accomodation.

Does anyone know the best way of getting mail delivered from the UK if I have no fixed address during 1st few weeks? I have a replacement UK driving license and police checks that won't be ready before I leave Scotland. I was thinking of trying to get a PO box but I think you have to keep it for a full year and is fairly expensive.

If anyone has any thoughts or tips that would be brilliant.

cheers

Barry

simon-nall

Hi Barry

friends and family seem a good place start and they can forward them on

simon

garryhg

this is what we did,used c/o mother in laws address.....just until evrything was tied up,anything important she would contact us,either scan it on computer,or post it...jacky g

Barpolo

Thanks for the replies..........My Mum is going to post me my mail. Did you set up a PO box in NZ when you arrived or did you quickly have a NZ address to have mail sent to?

Barry

BEVS

A PO Box is an annual fee as you say. Somewhere around $130 I believe.

P2L

here are all the details for PO Box/Private bag options

http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-...ndPrivateBags/

Kiwiprincess

Best idea is Poste Restante whereby your mail and parcels are held at a post office for you to pick up.


Bit about Poste Restante:
http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-...e+Restante.htm

Poste Restante Locations:
http://www.nzpost.co.nz/Cultures/en-...+Locations.htm

Easy peasy (as long as you are near a post office (post shop here) which offers the service.

Barpolo

Brilliant!.......just what I'm looking for.......thanks a million!

Barry

garryhg

what part of bonnie scotland are you from barrie....fellow scots here

Barpolo

I'm from Gourock (It's beside Greenock)......Whereabouts are you from?

I've been living in Ireland for the last 5 years but I never lost my accent.

Has anybody developed a Kiwi accent yet?

Barry

garryhg

were from fife,just outside st andrews.....no one has kiwi accent yet,but son keeps saying awsome(which i hate)and both kids have started going up at the end of there sentencessounds weird.....a relative of my oh lives here,and has been here for 40 years,hes from scotland too,and has never lost his scottish accent...has had kiwi kids and his wife is australian....but he still has a full on scots accent.....think its a hard one to loose...jacky

Maz

I've already started picking up some accent and things like saying "cool... cool" at work. The vast majority of my colleagues are all Kiwis (and the two that aren't don't say much anyway) so I hear it all day.

I think unless you have a really strong accent, if you're mentally open to picking it up, then you will subconsciously allow yourself to. I lived in the US Midwest for 12 years and didn't pick that one up. Because I didn't want it! I started picking up a bit of a twang after a couple of years and made a very conscious effort to fight that off. But the Kiwi one is already creeping in. And I don't mind at all, I'll let that happen quite happily.

garryhg

i think i've slipped in the odd cool word now and then,and they also say sure quite a lot,i seemed to have picked that up too....but i think the kids will be the first to go for sure...so thats cool...the kids are mixing with kiwis..where as most of my friends are english...i seem to remember on the odd occassion yes has come out more like yis,and i've thought omg did i just say that........jacky

BEVS

Me and him still have our own accents, although I have noticed that sometimes Phil ends his sentences with an upward inflection? which sounds really weird with his Wolverhampton accent .
I'm a bit of a mimic at the best of times but have made a conscious effort not to pick up some of the words & phrases used here , such as 'awesome' & 'sweet as ' although Phil tells me I am using the phrase 'yis,no' .
That'll be 'all good ' then.