MrsFychan

but do they use a spray bottle to put the vinegar on? never seen anything like it , spraying vinegar on to chips might as well not bother as can never taste it.

Mark Smith

No, they don't actually have any vinegar - instead just tease me about it.

GoingIn2011

Had to double check you weren't us when I saw your OP as we are NatandAndy too

I have not read all the responses but wanted to chip in...

We have been here almost a year (in 10 days!) and moved really for many of the reasons you mentioned. I wanted to come for many, many years havign visited in 1998, Andy had never been. I have to say, I am waiting for some kind of reality to hit me and for me to get 'home'sick for the UK but so far, I'm not. At all. Maybe it is still too new?? I don't know.

My kids came over here despite having been to what OFSTED consider an Outstanding school, and it soon became obvious that they were well behind their peers over here academically. And they're not at some top-of-the-range school here. So either the NZ education is pretty good or the UK one wasn't as good as it was cracked up to be. Either way, the 2 older ones are doing better educationally.

We had a few issues with them settling in, especially my daughter who is nearly 9 now. I won't lie, that was really rough there for a while and my son (6) struggled too but now they are doing so, so much better. They have started to settle down, made a few friends. They just LOVE going to the beach. We have been there almost every w/e, even through winter unless it is bucketing down.

We have also done some awesome tramping which Andy and I always loved doing but were never able to do as much as we wanted in the UK. So yeah, the kids have been well and truly trekked through the Waitakere Ranges so far and that has also been amazing. We can't get enough of it.

Andy also got a pay increase when we came which enabled me to pack in work for a bit so that has been great. I love being at home with my youngest who is 2 now. I am happy and once the little one goes off to Kindy next year, I will be looking for a job and there are quite a few OT jobs out here so hopefully with 10 yrs experience behind me, I should get one. I feel positive about that too.

I do get a bit wobbly when I hear of people I know who have been here longer than we have decided to pack it in and go back to the UK in a kind of 'do-they-know-something-about-NZ-that-we-don't' way but that is usually because they are in circumstances that I am not. They miss their families / friends or e.g. I know some friends of friends where sadly, one of the person's dad died and that was it for them, the final straw. They did not like to be so far away. But I am more philosphical and think there is no guarantees you will be there at the end of your loved one's life even if you lived up the road. I say that knowing my grandmother passed away 7 months after we arrived and I didn't go back for her funeral.

My parents despite saying they would never come and visit are now coming for 6 weeks starting end of Dec, and my S-i-L is coming in February for 4 weeks so we will see them which is great. Honestly, we wait 16m for one visitor and 2 come along at once!!!

And I also feel that at this time in my life, I need to put my kids first rather than my other family / friends and I really, truly believe that this is a better place for them to grow up. The outdoors, the educational opportunities, I do feel it is safer than the UK (although I don't live in South Auckland!). No, NZ is not paradise, it has some drawbacks (gas central heating and double glazed windows for starters!) but on balance, for us as a family, there were more minuses in the UK than there are over here which is why I prefer it here. I want my kids to grow up here. I want them to have a NZ passport and the opportunity to live in the UK / NZ or Aussie if they so choose 10+ yrs down the line.

Andy and I have said to each other repeatedly before we left and since we arrived, that we had to believe that the life we were coming to would be significantly better than the one we were leaving behind and so far it has been. I just hope we can continue on as it has been for the past year

Anyway, just my $0.02c worth!

Natalie

Justcol

I had central heating installed in my last home and my current place has also got it.
not wanting to rub it in during the current cold snap....but its lovely

GoingIn2011

Git!!

Actually, seriously, you have GCH with radiators??? Because then I really will be pea green....

Justcol

Hmmmm, not quite. Its blown air central heating.
There's a big central gas heater outside and that channels warm air to every room in the house.
It comes in through vents in the floor in each room and each vent can be opened or closed
or set to open or close with thermostat.

I'm working on getting proper radiator style central heating for my next place but this is the next best thing
It warms the whole house from chilly to toastey in about 2 minutes

SLH

We've got gas central heating with radiators, instant gas hot water and also UPVC double glazed windows. Best things we ever did since moving to NZ 9 years ago.

Justcol

upvc....not suitable for the unique New Zealand conditions doncha know...or so they would have you believe.

It seems anything that isn't made of wood or tin isn't suitable for New Zealands unique conditions and of course
the rest of the world dont know what they're talking about

JPA

Does that stuff come at a premium out in NZ?

cappuccino

Yes cos it's practically non-existent in most houses here!

Justcol

I would say about 99% of nz houses don't have double glazing and most would still have the old style wooden
sash windows that usually rattle in the wind and are drafty as hell.

NZ building codes now mean that all new houses have to have double glazing but they still use cheap
aliminium frames that allow cold to pass though it

There is even an advert on TV that says "Most New Zealand homes dont meet world health organisation standards"
just to give you an idea of what we have to cope with

TommyLuck

Hmmm ... you'd think that I was the Kiwi in our household. My Mrs is always sneaking the heating on whenever she can. I'm happy putting another layer on.

phyns

TommyLuck, that's because CH is such a novelty for us

TommyLuck

Ah, good point!!

Didn't consider that point of view.

BEVS

Wot ! Even in bed

It's no fun wearing 5 layers indoors. & it's not just about lack of ambient heat. It's about damp & condensation. You need de-humidifiers for that.