lmp98

Hi everyone,
I've been browsing the threads for a while but decided to take the plunge and ask my own question (forgive me if this is in the wrong place, and I thought it wasn't good etiquette to jump on the end of another thread?).
My partner has a job offer so we will have help arranging visas, but my question is regarding the move itself. We are not selling our house in the UK (because we love it so want to hang on to it for as long as possible!) so are planning on renting. It's just the two of us, no kids or pets so we were wondering whether to ship stuff over (bed, sofa, table, kitchen stuff) or buy things in NZ?
We will both finish our jobs in the summer and head to NZ before starting work in October and would like to travel around the North Island and the top of the South Island before real life (work!) kicks in - which would hopefully coincide with timings if we did ship stuff over.
I assume that we will not be able to arrange a rental property before we arrive?
If we do go down the shipping route, what would we do about an address to ship to - we would be in NZ before a container would arrive, but would we be able to use our employer as a c/o address?
Looking at shipping costs I think we would be looking at a 20ft container but not full (and happy to do shared) so hopefully that would reduce the cost but I wasn't sure which would be more cost effective? I couldn't find any recent quotes but I assume we are looking in the region of £2500?
I know we need to approach shipping companies directly for quotes but thought I would ask in case anyone had any relevant experience/knowledge

Also we are heading for Invercargill (yes we know it's cold wet and windy but coming from the UK that won't be too much of a shock hopefully!) as we love the quiet life and live in the country here and love hiking and are excited about being 'close' to the Catlins, Fiordland and Stewart Island.
If anyone lives in/used to live in Invercargill it'd be good to hear any advice (including weird things like cheapest place to buy milk!!)
Anyway, happy new year everyone, we're really looking forward to joining you in Aotearoa!
L

LittleGreyCat

Firstly, congratulations.

Secondly I do hope that you can fly out next summer because that means that we may have a chance to fly out as well.
I think this very much relies on a successful vaccination campaign in the UK (and the rest of Europe at least) and also NZ opening their borders.

On the container, you might be able to arrange for it to be held at the port until you have an address; however I can see that would be tricky with a shared container.
I assume you would want to deliver to Invercargill?

Invercargill?
You don't say, but I assume that you have been to NZ already and spent some significant time in the area?
We have driven past the outskirts.
When we were on our boat trip in Doubtful Sound the skipper was from Invecargill.
We asked what was the best way to explore it and he said "Drive straight past".
And he lived there. However, no doubt biased.

My main reservation; it is miles from anywhere else!
When we first looked at emigrating in the 1980s we rejected Wellington because it was at the bottom tip of North Island with an hour or more to drive before you got to anywhere else.
Invercargill probably has even more of a problem if you want to go anywhere else.
Which is why I am asking if you have spent time there.
Weather - it was fine when we drove past but that was in December so summer.

Anyway, best of luck.
If you don't like where you are you can always move after a few years.

jarv5116

have been to Invercargal before?
That would be a very remote place to live mate.
Places don't look far on a map but the roads around NZ are pretty awful to get to anywere.
Where are you from in the UK? what do you do for work?
The options in these places for work are very limited. Think very small town in Britain. with bout a 3 hour drive away from anywere else weather dependent.
Have you lived in a remote place like that before long term?

Justcol

Invergiggle is a bit of a funny place. Whenever I've been I come away thinking it's a bit of a dump. Certainly the area around the centre. The suburbs to the north seem nice and there are plenty of semi rural places around it but Zi wouldn't associate living there with country living
its got everything you need and the gardens are nice, but its a pretty run down and tired looking place. There's a couple of museum's and they hold the week long Bert munro rally each year.

Justcol

Was trying to think of where it reminds me of. Then it came to me, Grimsby, but without the nightlife
​​​

LittleGreyCat

Sorry to carry on the pessimistic tone, but given that everything is upside down in NZ then a possible comparison would be John O'groats as the farthest northern village in GB.
Wick, perhaps, for the nearest town.
Or Thurso.
Even then you have the railway for transport to the rest of the mainland, and ferries to the islands.
No railway station in Invercargill.

It isn't all doom and gloom if you are happy to drive.
2 1/2 hours to Dunedin.
Much the same to Queenstown.
So a weekend away looks fine.
Not as much fun for a day trip though.

jarv5116

Don't think Grimbsy would be as bad as there.
at least you can just jump straight on a motorway.

Clappy

Firstly, Congratulations! - this will be an exciting time for you so enjoy it,

I have never been to Invercargill so I won't comment on that.

In terms of the move, I wonder if it is worth moving your furniture over at all if you can leave it all in your house in the UK.

On the one-hand it will be more expensive to buy like-for-like replacements when you get here. On the other hand would you want to? Room sizes are usually larger here (some Auckland new-builds do remind me of UK sizes but older places do not). For example, the UK double-bed I used to sleep on that was almost as big as the entire bedroom in the London flat would look a bit pathetically small in my bedroom here (Queen size now but room for a King).

The usual advice for people that are moving over to start a new life is 'bring everything' because you will be surprised how hard it can be to find some things here (I had to wait to buy a new pan for cooking Yorkshire Puddings until I was on a trip back to the UK - they sell them in the Supermarket there but I could not find one here).

But with furniture? - have a look at the prices on some NZ retailers websites and make a decision based on that. Although the question of whether or not there are any retailers in Invercargill I can't answer.

Bo-Jangles

I read this article today about 'living the dream' which has nothing whatsoever to do with Invercargill but somewhat true and funny never the less in regards to getting out of the rat race and moving to small town NZ and 100 reasons why you might wish to avoid Auckland.

I haven't watched Schitt's Creek but now feel I must as the women in that picture in that article sums up what most Auckland women dress like. LOL

Pom_Chch

Good luck with the move. Invercargill is an, umm, interesting place! I would use it as a base for seeing the local area but look to move on after a year or so tops. Honestly it is a bit of a dump and doesn't have much going for it or around it. But you are right, great as a base for Catlin's etc.

Tbh given the situation in UK, dumpy Invercargill is probably a better bet!

Justcol

There are plenty

Had a discussion with an invercargillian (??) today. The concensus was the northern suburbs are good down to just north of the CBD. Advice was to avoid most places south of the center.

lmp98

Hi everyone
Thanks for all the feedback

Partner is a doctor (he has the job) and I’m a teacher (A level Biology) - although I’m going to have a break from teaching and try to do some conservation volunteer work 🤞 and it looks like a good area for that (hopefully).

We live in a small village and have to drive everywhere so we’re not fussed about feeling ‘away from the Acton’ and that’s what appeals! And OH grew up in Cornwall so he’s used to being a long way down!

We’re also used having to drive everywhere. I have to drive for nearly an hour each way to work in Winchester- which has a similar size population to Invers. Our nearest town has only 13,000. We don’t head up to the bright lights of London every weekend and are uncultured philistines in the sense that we aren’t too fussed about theatres/museums etc (I’m really selling us aren’t i!).
it really is about exploring the South region for us so we’ll see how we go with Invers as a base - thanks for the tip about the northern suburbs

We’re renting our house out and it’s likely that people will want it unfurnished (although when we went on 6-month sabbatical a few years ago we managed to rent our old house out fully furnished so 🤷‍♀️). We can leave some stuff in the loft, but I think it looks like the cost of buying a new bed and dining table and chairs in NZ will be $1000 so looks like it may well be cheaper to ship.

sorry to ask another question but what’s the situation with buying cars in NZ - heard they’re expensive but ours is old and we’re hoping it will keep going for another 6 months until we leave...🤞

Bo-jangles the article was great and I laughed so loudly at the end about the chicken!!!!

And you’re right, with the COVID situation in the UK right now being so dire, NZ looks like utopia - even Invercargill!!!!!

LittleGreyCat

Ah,
I was going to check that you had all the paperwork underway or approved given the Covid restrictions but a Doctor gets priority treatment.

I don't think Invercargill matched Winchester, but I am no doubt biased.

Second hand cars have become more affordable because there are a load shipped from Japan who drive on the correct side of the road, and the Japanese don't like second hand cars.
On our mammoth trip around NZ we bought at auction at Christchurch.
It depends if you want to replace like with like which may be more expensive, but on the other hand a recent thread about shipping cars suggested that buying new is cheaper in NZ.

The very best of luck with your new life.

lmp98

Thanks or the tip about auctions and Japanese imports

We generally buy cheap little skips on wheels and run them until they fall apart so we might even be able to upgrade! (Our little green car has recently had to be taken away for scrap/parts as it developed a clutch problem and fixing it was more than the car was worth).

Thanks LittleGreyCat, we are excited about our new life adventure!

Timmy Chch

Dining table/chairs plus a bed for a grand is pushing it? Beds are one of the random items I find really expensive. Dining table be best part of a grand with a queen bed anywhere from 2-10k?