Hi everyone

Well we must have taken too much of the danger air in Queenstown as we have found a side we didnt know exisited. Yesterday My wife, my daughter aged 5 and myself went on the shotover jet. We also went Ice Skating. Today my wife did a tandem skydive from 12000 feet. I hadnt planned to follow, but once there and they had a spare place, I did it after. Totally Awesome and highly recommedned. My fear of heights appears to have gone. The weather was great with clear blue skies and terrfific scenary.
With the adrenaline rush still flowing, I then went and did the fly by wire, which is a jet propelled rocket attached to a bungy type rope.
Tomorrow we are all going skiing and then up to the summit for a meal and checkout the bungy.
I will write and snwer the questions you have asked.
We are pleased this thread has been of some interest.
1 week today we will be in Kuala Lumpa on the way home.

OMG I dont know how you plucked up the courage but it looks fab.

Oh my God, fantastic!

Can't wait to hear more indepth views when you have gathered you thoughts on your return to blighty.

Just wondering what your final thoughts are now you're home Pastor Flaps...?

Did you decide NZ wasn't for you, or are you still there perhaps??

Hi everyone

Well its been a while since we last wrote, so we thought we would update you on our travels.
We flew back into the UK last week having spent an extra week in Auckland following up on interviews and catching up with friends we had made on our trip.
We left Queenstown having done our crazy stuff and flew upto Auckland to travel the Bay of Islands. The weather wasn't great so not the best experience of the area, but we could see how it must be lovely in the summer.
We then stayed in the City at the Duxton hotel, which we can highly recommend. It was great value for money with full breakfast included and very central. Parking was also included. I would recommend people to look at hotels as well as motels and apartments to stay in. We found the price difference is minimal and sometimes is cheaper in a hotel.
We flew out of Auckland and stayed over one night in Kuala Lumpa. We had been to KL before and forgotten how amazing the place can be. We wished we had stayed longer or taken advantage of a free flight we had anywhere in Malaysia, but at the time we thought we would be tight on time. The flight from KL to London was definitely the most difficult as it was the longest sector and by now we were all very tired. Malaysia Airlines were excellent and highly recommended. Only comment would be the that the movies are not as new as other airlines. We did an internal flight with Quantas and they were playing Finding Nemo and the Italian Job. The films on Malaysia were now available here on video.

Since we got back we have been packing the house away hoping to move in two weeks. I have been following up on some jobs with the agency I am working with, and last night had an interview with Fonterra, which sounds very promising.

In one of our first updates we said that the lights didn't sparkle and something wasn't quite as we expected. Looking back now, we feel we set our sights and expectations way to high. If you speak to people in the UK about NZ and Auz they say its a dream place you must go to, and we had a very different picture in our heads. We did and do like NZ and are looking forward to going back, but I would warn anyone doing what we are doing that they should consider that the grass isn't necessarily greener in NZ, but it is "Different". Those differences we really liked and that's why we will be going back to live.
You must consider the cost of living. We spent time with three families with very different circumstances with money, salary, size of family e.t.c. We felt that the cost of living is high and you need a good job earning good kiwi dollars. Its all very well taking over your uk pound, and even that's getting worse, but that money will not last. We found books very expensive, food, clothes, household goods. The things we found cheap were beef, petrol and access to parks which are mainly free.

We have decided that if I can get a job with the right salary and package, then we will be going back. However if the salary isn't high enough to support a family of 4, we are not going to make our situation worse just to live in NZ. We don't feel it is worth that. This is only our opinion based on 5 weeks in NZ and I am sure that others may disagree or having other thoughts. We are looking at options here in the UK, but our main goal is to be in NZ by January.

If anybody would like info, tips, help or any advice, please do get in touch.

We will keep logged onto this site and update you all as and when things change, until then I am enjoying my time as a house husband since being made redundant.

Thanks Paul

Hi Paul,
Thank you for the update since your return from NZ I had been wondering how you got on in the end. We appreciate your honesty too, and I think you are right about us all having too high expectations before we go there. From what people say about NZ it is hard not to have a picture of a paradise Island of some sort in your head and then it is really not like that when you actually go. I think now that peoples comments on NZ are just as much of a comment on the way of life and the attitude of the people than on the scenery etc. Of course it is stunning in many places but the overall impression I got when we first drove in to Christchurch was that it was stangely old fashioned and I thought I wouldn't like it, but I did in the end. There's definately something very attractive about the country that is maybe hard to put your finger on, but obviously draws a lot of people back!

Glad to hear that you liked it enough to to want to go back. Sorry I can't help you with info on Palmerston North. We didn't go there either but I'm sure someone will be able to give you some pointers although there has been a distinct lack of any NZ discussion on here in the last few days to be honest.

Hope the interview went well and you have a good result from that and that it becomes clear to you where you should settle. Look forward to you keeping in touch!

Good to hear your final thoughts Paul.

I'm interested in the original picture you had of NZ before you went there. What exactly was the image of NZ that you had before you went? Specifically what things were different?

What you say about making sure you have a good enough salary to support your family is very very wise advice. To be honest I find it very suprising that people can think any other way - I guess the whole pounds to dollar thing sounds very attractive - but you are not going to be instantly rich that's for sure.

Palmerston North
 

I've found this thread all so interesting, thanks for the time spent sharing your thoughts. I live in Napier but have family in Palmerston North and visit there quite regularly. Is there anything I can help you with?? Don't go there for the weather or beaches!!!!

Hi

Didn't do more than change buses in PN but the area we're going to, Pungarehu in Taranaki, a lot of people who live there travel about an hour to the Fonterra site in Hawera - they seem a very popular employer. Good luck! :)

A frank & honest post, one that will bring put our feet back on the ground!

This thread has been excellent, there's been honesty and I've the key word that jumps out at me is your comment on the "differences", and whether the differences on offer can offer a better quality of life, thats what I'll be taking onboard from this thread.

I hope the you get that job offer, you've been there (with kids aswell in toe:scared: ) and seen it for yourself, drunk from the cup and learnt alot from you trip. I look forward to reading more on you thoughts as they come to you, and will more than likely be asking for you advice when my time comes around.