annbee

Hi Debborah, My husband also got accepted to go to auckland, we are flying on the 10th October, we had to wait for my husband to work his notice out of the RAF, hence the long wait, we are in the process of working through our ita at the minute, going to see a doctor in oxford within the next 4 weeks to get medicals sorted, how long did you police check take?. We have two girls aged 7 and 3, we will be living in Hobsonville, we have some friends who went in October of last year and they are having a ball. I am registering my eldest daughter in Hobsonville Primary which seems a good School. Where are you based at the minute, we are at Scampton, been here 6 years now, need to move on, cant wait to start a new life!

Welcome to the forum, i have found it very useful, and it is a great way of getting to know people who are in the same position as yourself.

Regards

Ann, Dean, Lucy and Polly

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, we are at Raf Aldergrove at the moment. Love it over here its a lovely country. We didnt wait long for our Police checks, it was defiently before the 40 days they say it could take, and we had 5 addresses on it!!
We found the medicals to be the worst, the designated Doctor we had to use here were useless.
We have 4 children, 10, 6 and twins at 4.
I dont know where we are going to live yet, i am presuming it will be Hobsonville, we are still waiting for my hubbies PVR to come back.{ It sat in an intray for 4 weeks so he is not pleased!! } So we havnt had anything back from the RNZAF on that score. How do you know the date you fly , is it confirmed by the RNZAF?
We also have friends who went from RAF Wittering last year to Auckland, so i am busy on the e-mail asking 101 questions!!
All the best with your medicals! Debborah.

annbee

Hi Debborah, thanks for your reply, we had an email when my husband sent his pvr dates, we are using a doctor in oxford which our friends used, so hopefully finger crossed he may be ok. You dont happen to have a friend called Anita O'Brien do you. It is just i have a good friend here and i recall she mentioned that her friend in Ireland was moving and that she had 4 children, this may just be a coincedence but everything seems to fit in place. Anita was in Holland, she is married to mark and has 2 girls Aislinn and Imogen, You dont happen to be a hairdresser do you? Sorry for all ther personnel questions but i am so curious!

Regards

Ann

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, Yes! i do know Anita, i had put the 2&2 together aswell! Its a small world isnt it!? Yes i am the person she mentioned. Last time i spoke to her she had said you hadnt really made up your minds about going, something to do with your hubby finishing his 12? i keep in contact with Anita through e-mail mostly. Which as im sure you know are mostly short and sweet as there is never enough hours in the day!
How are you feeling about your ITA? its such a big thing isnt it? I just felt such relief when the whole thing was over, it feels now sort of like that fuzzy feeling you get when you have just had a baby and you say 'never again!' but you are totally proud of what you have just done, so it makes it all worth while. WOW, how cheesy am i tonight!!
So on that note i am going off now to watch a sloppy movie, and chill out!!

annbee

Hi Debborah, We are just getting all the paperwork 2gether, myself and Lucy our eldest daughter need new passports, we are away to disney next month so i cant risk them not getting back in time, so as soon as we get back i will be sending them off. We are on half term now from school so i am taking the opportunity of starting to check all relevant details etc. I find it quite daunting at the minute, i just cant wait for the stickers to be in passports, then all we have to sort out is our dog who will be flying out to join us in november.

Hope you are having a nice and relaxing Sunday

Ann

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, the chap you replied to about the boat is my father-in-law. He is the one who told me about this forum. He and my hubby went out to NZ last March. We were supossed to have our interview in Lincoln , but Andy was in Afghanistan so couldnt attend. So they went to see what it was like over there and to have his interview at the same time. I wish we could have all gone but we couldnt afford it at the time. They were both impressed and i'm glad they went as it gave us great 'heads up' on the place.
If i can help at all with any questions on your ITA just fire away, not that i think i can do much!!
Are you having a stopover in LA when you go? we are, about 3 days we think, we are going to hit Disneyland! I'm sure we will be more tired after that than the journey!!

I think it is a good idea to get the passports as upto date as poss, after the news yesterday. I think you can have it done over in NZ but costs quite a hefty sum.
Not much chance of a relaxing Sunday in our house!!!
Debborah

annbee

Hi Debborah, we would have met if your husband hadn't been away, we had our interview at Lincoln. We was going to have a week in LA and go to Disney but changed our minds, we are going to Paris next month to Disney, so when we go to LA we are only having one night and then straight on to NZ, i think by then all i will want to do is get there. Our friends who are in hobsonville have said that it is great they havent had any doubts since they went. There seems to be a real community in Hobsonville, lots of bbq's and parties.. Could you please help me on one question in ita, how do you go about having your police checks done, have managed to figure out the rest. I have a weeks holiday now so going to hive tomorrow with lots and lots of photocopying. If you speak to your friend next ask her if she has met Mick and Sherren they are a great couple and have 3 great kids over there. Tell you father in law that there is a cabin that you can hire from the rnzaf, with a boat and a banana to go on the back, good price too!!!

Annx

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, oh yes i remember the photcopying!! we did 3 sets of everything!
The Police Checks, i went on the NZ immigration site, we did our EOI online so we are logged in, did you? If you didnt then go on as they have a tonn of info. I went to the Police Checks link, then i rang the helpline number and spoke to a human!! i spend so much time on the comp, i needed some answers from a human. So she took my details and sent me the forms we needed to complete and the info you need to complete. More photocoying im afraid!! If you have had an overseas tour you need to get one from that country aswell, we have a couple here who were in Germany [i think they go in October aswell] and that took ages . They are going to another camp.
I will ask my friends if they know your friends, she spent alot of time over the school holidays at the beach, the kids togged out with wetsuits and surf boards!! settled in then id say!!
Take care , Debborah.

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, just been in our file with all our info, and this is the telephone number 020 7161 3500 and that is for the Metropolitan Police. Their link is on www.directgov.uk going to Police Certificates. Hope that helps.Debborah.

Badass Barrass

Hi,

I am joining RNZAF in Nov 07 and am posted to Ohakea with my wife and two sons. We have had our visas stamped and now just need my last pre medical for RNZAF. Can anyone tell us how they have found the transfer across to RNZAF especially Ohakea Base. I would also be interested in what is required for the last military medical . We are really excited about our move and after 22 years of RAF life we are now looking forward to this new challenge. Any advice on pensions would also be welcome. Thanks

Divine Comedy

Hey, as a new member myself, i would like to say 'hello' . My husband is also just trying to complete the miltary medical, but we dont seem to be getting very far!! we have rung the panel doctor we used for the ITA and so far it has been a 10 days and still no answer. So we are going to e-mail the recruitment team tonight to see if they can help. I know you can use a photcopy of the blood results, saves having another. I have info on pensions on an e-mail a friend in Auckland sent me, i will have a read through and post it. Debborah.

Divine Comedy

Hey, this is what a friend told me in an e-mail her hubby has a pension so i think it will be sort of OK advice. Your UK pension will be taxed and there is no way out of it, but she thinks that if you have a UK mortgage it can be offset on that. I will e-mail her about it . I also have a contact in Parmerston North and she told me her husband had sold his half-pension{army} out in NZ. Dont know the full on that either im afraid, but again i will e-mail her aswell and ask her.
How old are your boys? how do they feel? mine just think it is another move and another new house they have no idea , bless them!!

Badass Barrass

Hi Divine Comedy
Thanks for the info, ref your husbands final medical the recruitment team have informed me that I can use our military doctors for this provided you send their details to the team so thet can fax what exactly is required on the medical. I believe there is a hearing test and cdt/blood test. My boys will be 12 and 15 when we go, as you said its just another posting to them. When are you off, our date is 5 Nov 07, exciting times ahead cannot wait.

annbee

Hi Debborah, Hope you are ok and enjoying the school holidays, the girls have gone to my sisters for a night so the house is sooo peaceful. My friend has just text me to say that they have had an earthquake in Auckland today, she said that it was a small one. I have just looked on the forum and they are saying that it has been the worst for 10 years. I suppose it beats the gales over here and trees being blown down in the garden!!!!.
Regards
Annx

Divine Comedy

Hey, my name is Debborah, it made me laugh using the user name for me! i didnt know what to use so i used my favourite group. Thanks for the info on the medical, the panel doctor here still havnt got back to us, and that is due to them not having the facilities for the hearing tests. It will be alot easier to use the med centre. Yes they want blood tests , the recruitment team said it was OK to use the ones we had for the ITA, just photocopy them.
We are going to Auckland in July, so not much longer for us to go. I think i am going to take to carrying a brown paper bag in my pocket for the oncoming panic attacks!!
Is Ohakea base the base everyone will end up at when Auckland shuts down?
Are you pleased with the posting? Im mainly glad about the Auckland one for the better weather!! so if thats all i need to keep me happy ,great!