Genesis

It gave me what I yearned for in the old country but could not achieve, find or afford. Space, loads of it and the chance to get away from it all is so easy.

I now have the beach only half an hour away. Previously it was 4hrs drive minimum..just once twice a year before, now once a month sometimes more. When I get there I can park for free and always find a space. The beach is always beautiful, pretty much clean and empty. There is little or no commercialisation at the beach. There wasn't a traffic jam getting there either. I have been in 4 of the latter in over 2 years (average time was 15 mins). Previously traffic jams were a part of every day life.

I can afford a shed here in a beautiful neighbourhood with beautiful views from said shed. Its a well appointed shed and I could not have hoped to be able to afford such a shed in my previous land called home.

Children seem to be more accepted everywhere (a bit like Amex!!), there are boxes of toys for them at almost every shop in Palmerston North. They are welcome in even swanky restaurants. Before we arrived we had one toddler group to attend every 2 weeks. Here in Palmy we have a raft of different ones to choose from each week.

We have great snow skiing only 2.5 hours away...similar to before except you'd need to be doing about 700mph with Easyjet to get there in the same amount of time!!

We have generally less stress, work less hours and we feel better off generally than we did previously. We have superb amenities here, 3 pools one is a huge indoor outdoor complex. We have go karting, bowling alleys, a rock climbing wall, 2 scuba schools, 10 cinemas, the best library in the southern hemisphere(??), 4 theatres, a museum and scince centre, an art gallery, 25 parks and reserves, loads of great bars, restaurants and cafes. We have a very proactive local council who always have summat going on from a jazz fest to celebrating Shakespear's birthday!!!

We have affordable flying schools, loads of golf courses, white water rafting, jet boating and gorge walking. There's a equestrian centre and beautiful areas to go tramping in the mountains that flank our city. The capital is a lovely drive just 2 hours away..the gate way to the Mainland and arguably one of the most beautiful islands on the globe. There are loads more attractions to boot in the general area.

People are friendly, always ready to chat and give you a genuine smile. The driving standards here are generally poor but there's no road rage (apart from one very nasty incident betwixt some chap and a lorry driver a while back..very ugly but very isolated).

The food's great with an awesome variety. Wines lovely too. The weather, well you would not move to Palmy if you liked fine weather, but on the whole its more clement than what we left behind. Still swimming outdoors and its the equivalent of end of November!!!

Coming to NZ is not for everyone. Some come and go and feel bitter about things not having worked out. Others go and take all the positives away with them inspite of not finding their 'answer'. Good luck to them all.

NZ has an array of issues that I had no idea existed. It is not a paradisical place by any means, very beautiful but full of problems. Some of the latter can be negated, some will not affect you. In short we no longer have to suffer all the ills we did back in the last place we lived. Life here is a good as it gets for little people like me and my family.

No matter how much research y'all do there is no substitute for walking in anothers shoes. You will only ever know if you jump into those shoes and come on down. It has ticked all our boxes and many more besides.

Now who said Palmerston North was the most boring town on earth? John somebody or other.....how long was he here.....12hrs?

NZ rocks. Which is nice. I have been able to change the things I can and accept the things I cannot (to a degree!).


Thread draughted as some one commented we have not had a positive NZ thread for a bit.........always happy to oblige.


PS We have made some marvelous chums since our arrival like Biddy and his family from Peka Peka Villa that really round off what for us is a wonderful life..nothing quite like good friends and a good view aye..even better if said friends have that great view which happens to incorporate the salty stuff?

NZBee

Nice work!!! I have just submitted a similar thread!!

simonmarkellis

You da man.... well said

NZBee

the wines mysteriously do not give you a hangover.
Even after two bottles!

brussels_sprout

Or three .....

No , it's just a paradise for kids really, glad we came for their sake ! And the driving , well it depends what you were used to, after Brussels, where when the road turns and the driver steers , it is just coincidence. THE DRIVING HERE IS JUST RELAXING !!!!!! In NZ you never wonder if you will arrive at the destination alive like in French/Latin countries

lardyl

mmm, agree with the first, but the second definitely depends on where you live and drive.......but that's the subject of another thread

jill1420

Intrested that see that brusselsprout says paradise for kids.............Are you not happy with NZ? Im in process of trying to secure hubby job so we can make move. Im leaving big family but at the back of my head I keep thinking ..............its going to be better future for kids. Just wondering..... what is stopping NZ being paradise for you?

brussels_sprout

Lol, strange logic, you must be female !
No we are both very happy here too ! Salaries are a bit low, house prices too high, but so far we are like pigs in poo, yes. NZ just seems to offer kids a life like i used to have, before Playstations. But i like the stress free way of life , not worry about locking the door (we live in small town), and not having to worry about mad rude bloody Belgians on the roads, aw, come on over , it's great !!! Seems to be plenty of work around, food fresh, people all approachable, maybe you should read the negative threads for a balance too, there is an element of truth in everything that has been said, but overall, we feel that we made the right decision !

Poppy2

I will never forget getting off the plane at Auckland and seeing that tree - the name illudes me - the christmas tree looking fella. Well all the scenery, particularly the tree ferns and the jurasic landscapes.

Genesis, our first little trip in our new-to-us Surf, was up to the windfarm at Palmy. We got up the first turn on the (to us then) steep rubbley road, and when we looked down to the valley floor, amongst the trees was a car that had plummeted down the side!! Of course now I might assume someone had dumped it, who knows, but that first trip up something steep was a thrill. As was the first trip down the Wanganui River Road.

We love the Coromandel - inparticular, Driving Creek Railway up by Coromandel Township...................hippy artist heaven.

Whitianga bay.................collecting shells and dipping our toes, all before breakfast.

The Blue Lake at Rotorua.

Pretending we were Rockstars and staying in one of the 7 luxury suites at the Duxton in Wellington - arriving looking like damp tourists with kids and a tatty pushchair in the Executive lounge, to use the Executive lift

Te Papa and Auckland zoo - the best places that we love returning to again and again. The kids love them, as do we.

Ruapehu - in summer dibbling our toes in melted snow streams, whilst burning out bottoms on hot stones. In winter, going up to the nursey slope and seeing mad 20 somethings fling themselves in short sleeved T-shirts down the slope on For Sale signs, their bikes or a tray!

Going to the beach after school one day and stumbling on about 100 Whitebaiters................not knowing what they were doing or why they looked so territorial!!

Seals on the beach, Man-of-war jelly fish on the beach (only noticed when we were in the middle of them!), possums in the loft, hedghogs the size of fat cats, surprised wetas and those mad looking Pukeko. Wild peacocks too.

And when my Dad recently passed away the response from all the kiwi friends and colleagues was overwhelming. The true kindness of strangers and acqaintances was astonishing and I was so blessed. From the flowers, the the cakes made and left on the door step, to the cards and the kind words from everyone. They are a resiliant bunch, and at times we call them blunt, but when grief is concerned they get it and know that just a nice word means the world. I am going to take that with me and try to do that for others when I next have the chance.

lardyl

that about sums it up and our kids (nearly 2 and nearly 6) are very happy in spite of leaving the large close family back in Blighty. Lots of sport, space and plenty of scope for the kids to grow up. Gotta be worth a punt! Just check out where you want to be and don't automatically go for Auckland - we're not regretting it yet but if we could live elsewhere we just might be tempted.

jill1420

Fantastic!...................I know it wont be plain sailing just great to hear some views from you guys. Thanks for that. My kids are rugby crazy so i know once they are settled in at school, golf, rugby, boxing etc.........I will be half way there. Been to Oz and liked it and I hear much better in NZ. So we r going for it! Just waiting on job offer for hubby. Hopefully be over for kids starting school in Feb......................they cant wait. Fingers crossed.

happynz

New Zealand's passport control get big props from me 'cos each time my wife has come through the airport, even when she was on a temporary work permit the officers stamping the passport always told her, 'Welcome home'.

Genesis

I am redundant!!!!!! Poppy has out-positived me!!!!! Grrrr!!!! Someone gimme a job!!!

Poppy2

Aw shucks...........

Maz

Genesis, keep it up, I always love reading your posts.

Heh... yep I used to live in Paris!