helencox

Hi everyone, My name is Helen and I am a care assistant for a stroke victim and my partner is a pastry chef.We are just starting the process of jacking it all in here and starting afresh in n.z. We want to open our own bakery/ice cream/coffee shop in Taurunga, Anyone know something interesting about the place ?we are 'going in blind.Anyone who has any info on the area PLEASE educate me. Thanks Helen.

MnB

Hi Helen welcome to BE and the start of an exciting/scary journey!
As visitors to Tauranga we fell in love with the city and surrounding areas , there are lots of good palces to get info .... you could do no better than start here by looking at NZ city guides and by 'picking the brains' of other BE members who are there 'living the dream' ....they're prob asleep at the mo but sure Am Loolah will be along later!

In terms of commercial real est/buisnesses for sale have a look at trademe.co.nz. also worth looking at google earth & street view.

Good luck with your plans
B x

helencox

Thankyou so much! I will do as you suggest and look at those.Thanks for taking the time to reply.Am I allowed to ask you what you are doing in N.Z and if you ever thought of returning to your homeland?

MnB

Not there yet visited a couple of times & married to an 'old' kiwi ... he'd slaughter me for saying that!! He was born in NZ over 50yrs ago but lived in UK since he was 2 now wants to go home!! lucky for him I love NZ!!! and lucky for me cause its only me that needs visa!

for you
B x

BEVS

Kia Ora and welcome to this friendly little NZ forum.

There are a couple of folks in and around the Tauranga area so perhaps put up a new thread on the main forum to catch 'em as they are passing by.

To find out more about the assortment of visas which would allow you to work and perhaps set up a business in NZ , ask in the Immigration forum. Always happy to help.

Am Loolah

Hi Helen, and welcome to BE.

Have a look here (clink on highlighted word) which is a link to Tauranga under our BE Wiki. Quite a few useful links there for information on the area as a whole.

Tauranga is a large area divided in to suburbs. The main areas you might want to consider for your business venture would be Tauranga CBD (Central Business District), Mount Maunganui and Papamoa. You may also consider Waihi, Katikati and further along the coast.

There's a cafe for sale in Maketu - at least it was, this is it

For businesses in the Mount, your best bet would be to try searching on www.bayleys.co.nz and also www.taurangarealty.co.nz - let me know if you'd like more information on anything?

Wooly_Cow

If you open up your shop before mid Sept. I'll bring my soccer team by for an ice cream (and beer). We're going 'on tour' there so residents of the area......you have been warned

helencox

Thanks B! Hope you get your visa o. k. Who or what is amloola?x

helencox

Oh Loo,I now know what and who you are,and you must be a kindred spirit! I have just read all your blogs ( I only meant to be on the comp for ten mimutes and here I am half an hour later with aching sides! If you ever get the sack ,take up jounalism,or better still write a bloody book, You are such a brilliant writer and I really felt I was going through everything with you! (I probably should say I WILL be going through all that when we eventually get our act together and finish the paperwork!!!) Thanks for such an amusing half hour, and thanks so much for all your advise. (will you be selling any houses in the Taurunga area, I would just love to have you for an agent!!) Keep it up. Helen x

helencox

dear wooly_cow,I,m afraid we def won't be open by september but how cool to know that if we could we would have had a WHOLE TEAM of new customers!!!!! p.s must look into serving beer with ice cream!!! or maybe beer flavoured ice cream!!!!! Thanks for making me feel welcomehelen x

127luton

WELCOME Helen - apparently Tauranga is really lovely!! (friends tell me)
I have been to most places in NZ- bt will hopefully start work there early next yr
Again - to reiterate what everyones is saying - Welcome!
Berni
xxx

helencox

Hi Bernie,what a friendly place this is ! I really think that all the best people must end up in N.Z as I have never felt so warmly welcomed anywhere.Thankyou. Are you going to be working in Taurunga? what do you do? Helen.x

127luton

Hi Helen,
i was keen on Tauranga- bt had a very warm and welcoming interview in the outskirts of Auckland (am a Forensic liaison nurse -psych) and was offered a dream job - of the same ilk - bt with one of the highest grades of pay (nt quite as much as i earn here in the uk - bt nt tooo bad) anyway.. it will be a start, as we have been offered also (husband dave is a nurse too - offered an nice community rehab job) a relocation package - which will help ease some of the financial strain on moving there, bt also ties us to the team in auckland for 18 months! - bt i reckon that gives us time to get a rental.. look about a bit... and then decide where we like! - we have friends (kiwi) there already.. and have been there quite a few times! - nice chatting to ya Helen - tell me more a bout u (us pm if u like) good this post has gone on hasnt it!! lol
Berni xxxx

helencox

Hi Bev,Gosh, your job sounds FASCINATING! I must look it up in a minute on the web and check out what it entails. As for me,I have done just about every job under the sun at sometime or other I should think! From estate agent (I know..don't cringe!!!) to running the reception for Peter Stringfellow at his club (when it was NOT a lap dancing club) for 13 yrs,then onto p.r in casinos in Mayfair,same in restaurants in Knightsbridge (where I met my partner who is swiss trained Italian pastry chef) good job I didn't meet him in my modelling days! Since meeting him we have travelled a good deal and lived in south africa for a while.Went to Oz and thought we might like to set up a business there (bakery/pattisseri/coffe shop) spent 5 weeks in a camper van travelling up and down the Queensland coast looking for a suitable spot to live.....and ended up deciding on N.Z for a variety of reasons even though we havn't been there yet!!!! Mad? yes probably,but hey..if you don't take risks in life you might just miss out on what could be the best bits!!! About 18 months ago my neighbour (and architect) had a stroke and although he seemed to be not too badly affected when they removed the drain (he had a clot) from the back of his head he developed a 'hospital bug' which sent his temperature so high it did more damage to his brain than the stroke! (he is only 49!..untreated high blood pressure) So..his wife had to go out and get a job to support the family (they have a child) and was worrying herself sick as she had to get a carer in to look after him while she worked,and as I had known him so well before,I thought I could do the job better than someone who hadn't known his personality and therefor would not be able to monitor his progress,so I volanteered and am happy to say that it has worked out very well,and he is now able to use the phone and computer to some extent and our daily excercise routine has enabled him to get his mobility pretty much back to a 'slow normal'. I don't think he can improve very much more as he has dysphasia and that has only improved slightly,but hey it's better than being a cabbage for the rest of ones life!!! Just hope we can find someone sympathetic to take over from me when I leave for n.z. Well,that's me! Hope I havn't gone on too long,I am off now to find out more about your job!! thanks for contacting me,I feel like I have made more friends in the last week than I have made in years!!! It's a very nice feeling! Helen x

helencox

Hi again Bev, just checked out your profession on the web.How cool is your job? I so wish I would have paid more attention to education in my youth instead of running round the world having a good time. It's only been in the last ten years that I have dicovered a deep interest in anything medical(probably due to the fact that I have had access to a computer and my own body is falling apart, so suddenly it has become personal!!!!!) Take care. Helen.x