nudenut

Hay that title rhymes...
As promised i am updating all those potential new NZ screws.
It week 3 on the job proper following completion of basic training, and as predicted its getting better by the day, not in working conditions or pay but in getting it together with wots required. Shifts at my nick are all over the place, in the unit I'm at there's 6-2, 2-10,7-3 8-5 all in the same day in the same unit and I'm assures our unit is the best as far as shifts go. Everyone is doing there own thing with he shifts. There's no definitive start and finish times everyones coming and going at all hours of the day. ill be buggers if I can work it out!!!
Oh i forgot to mention night shift and the 2 hourly body counts. Haven't done any yet but I cant wait to have to wake up the prisoners to see there alive. I'm not kidding...
I have spoken to the HR people and they assure me that my UK prison VQs qualifications and there is a good few dont mean a shit and its up to me to fund any attempt at cross crediting.
I had the good fortune at collage here to bump into Kay Anjuria ( or how ever you spell it) He was the boss of Alex Duncan. He spent a couple of hours gassing with me about the whole recruitment thing. He suggested that they have factored in a 20 % failure rate with the UK recruitment initiative, i wonder were he gets 20 % from...? probably the same place they got the average wage thing...
Interesting fact... Kay Anjuria is now the head HR Advisor for the community probation service and started the Job as a Correction officer in April 2003.
I hope my poorly veiled discontentment doesn't put anyone off ? honestly its a good place ,just dont expect a modern forward thinking progressive Prison Service , its sooo different.

Den13

Good post mate. I can just picture you stood in the middle of a wing with wry, disbelieving smile on your face!!

I remember posting something along the lines of 'if people want England, stay there, NZ is a different World!' Nice to see I wasn't mistaken!

Good luck and keep it coming friend. Have some karma

ranbysue

Hi Nudenut

Can't believe that you are there already.

Where are you based and what do you think? Can't remember if you have a family or not.

How are you managing so far on the wage?

Good to hear from you again

Suze

mumomonty

Bloody 'eck you lot are game!

MV5555

great post mate keep em comming here's some karma, i can see this being the start of a new long prison officer thread

nudenut

Mrs Nudenut and I are here with our two kids of primary school age.Mrs Nudenut got a job within a few days kids in school within the week and thats been all good but the wages V's cost of living is hard work. The power bill we just got would floor even the best payed UK prison officer in the UK...and its relatively warm here at the moment. Phones are outrageous too so it a big economy drive all the way. But the NZ correction have been ever so kind and given me a $18 a week pay rise because i managed to stay awake at collage for 6 weeks.
On the positive side were happy just being together through it all and know its the real deal for US. I'm not sure that ill manage on this wage for long and can see my self cutting lawns for a living before long. I have befriended this fella who came from England shire 4 years ago, he cuts lawns for a living. He works 4 days a week from 8.30 till around 4 strictly and only from 10 months of the year....he made, after overheads and tax etc etc over $70 and thats a Francaise... it cost him £6000 to get in to iit and£2500 for his equipment... I could do that for that money...

UNIONJACK

Thanks for all the info. We are coming over in Feb 2006. Might not stay with the prison service very long by the looks of things, we will see how it goes. Please keep the info coming and good luck.

Robbo's

Great post nudenut, keep us all informed its good to hear what we have to face in the near future.
On the 6 week training course, i take it you can go back to your new home on weekends ?
I'm due to start waikeria in march, looking forward to it but also like everyone else are cocerned about the wage.
Gonna buy myself a ride on lawn moor and steal all your business, ill be minted !!!

Voyager970

Malky
Nice one mate, a good honest post
Hows it gon matey, hope you and the family are well

The big hoose is not missing you one bit !!!!!

Drop us a wee PM, let me know how things are

Eddie

livewire

Good post.

It's quite usual for New Zealanders to have more than one job or other ways of supplementing their regular income. Good luck with making ends meet and glad to hear you're enjoying it here.

mumomonty

Hey nudey nuts (brazillian?) get it?

You're determined to make a go of it regardless aren't you? good on ya.

nudenut

Ye we going to make a real go of it. Our move is reaping reward already with the kids especially. They are flowrishing big style, there sporty kids and the schools just brim full of sports for them and they encourage them to express themselves and to be participate in the schools running.. They dont want to go back to the uk. We feel the same we arnt missing our relitives yet coz the pc and the phone have been getting a bettering so they arnt too far away.
Hint for all expats in NZ phoneing home .. get a card called KIWI CALL from the newsagents or petrol stations and you get 3c per minute calls unbeatable and priceless

Nude nut not nude nuts

Lenmil

I talked to my old landlords gardener and he told me that they charge as much as $30 an hour. was thinking of doing that, but we came back to the UK.

ranbysue

Why did you come back Lenmil?

Lenmil

Our house did not sell and we ran out of money, that's really why we went back. We may have gone back anyway, but who knows. Miss it a lot and don't in others. Just check through my old posts and follow our story. Best regards Len.