annbee

Hi Debborah,

Thanks for your reply, just finishing off paperwork so that i can send this weekend. Havent rang about medicals yet, Lucy and I both need new passports but we cannot renew them until we get back from Disney which is on the 15th March. When we get back i will get new ones, then i will be able to book the medicals. I have started to sort through the girls toys and clothes, given alot to charity, sold some things ie trampoline and bought a bigger one ready for NZ. Thought that we would take most of our things and see what we do and dont want when we get there. My friend says that the wood furniture is lovely, so may renew some furniture. Apparently wardrobes are very adult, they dont seem to do childrens wardrobes, so i am going to go to ikea before i leave the UK and get some wardrobes and plenty of other things to take with us. I am trying to find out if their is an ikea in NZ, I think not but I am on a mission to find out. I have looked on that picture site, i like you are stunned by how beautiful it all looks, what is funny is that Lucy has asked if she can go and see the dolphins when we get there! Have you sorted out bank accounts yet, i was going to open one whilst we are still in the uk, not sure at the moment which bank to use, i looked on the forum and alot of people recommend kiwibank, something else to look at ! Annxx

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, Andy got his PVR date today so he is V.happy. Also sending all paperwork off this week. V scared! brown paper bag moment!!
I defiently dont think there is an Ikea, there is though a great shop called 'freedom furniture' {there is a website}Uber fab stuff and a kids range.
We also looking into bank accounts for next step, just saying that to Andy today!!
Also!!! trampoline!! bought new bigger one aswell!, best thing we ever bought for the kids, keeps them in the garden for hours.Do you know what the gardens are like/size in quarters?

Made a yummy cherry cake this week, and a batch of cookies. Domestic Godness i am becoming! Debborah.x.

Apple12

There is no ikea in NZ although the are dreadful romours that it may yet happen, although thank goodness, it will be many miles away from me in Akl.

I would urge a little caution on too big a spending spree for childrens wardrobes and the like, most newer NZ houses have inbuilt wardrobes and the style of houses is quite different over here, so what fits and looks good in the UK may just not be too useful here in NZ. That said though, there is a thriving second hand market with www.trademe.co.nz, so if you have excess it is very easy to sell on once you are here.

karonious

Thanks for butting in!! we need someone on this thread who is actually living in NZ, we are just 'nearly there!' . How is Hamiliton? Had a look at your blog, sounds like you love it, i liked the bit where you said you had had a 'moment in the garden 'and you realised how wonderful it was to live in NZ. It brought a lump to my throat! We are going to Auckland, no reason for that choice just where the job offer was .
Debborah.[/QUOTE]

Steve used to be in the RAF so I understand the bit about living inside the wire .
He came out Jan 05 and we waited until I had some nursing experience before coming over to NZ. We love it here, don't consider going back to the UK at all. The paperwork takes for ever to organise so start as soon as you can. I imagine you have read the really useful thread - it really is useful eh?
What can I tell you about life in NZ? You have read the blog (and thank you for that ). Rather than me waffle, PM me if you have any questions and I will attempt to answer.
Karen B

Divine Comedy

Hey Karen, i have looked at the useful thread now, hadnt before. Got the stuff about the banks, which was next on our list.
Thanks for the offer to PM, will do if i need. Debborah.

annbee

Hi Debborah, Horray it friday again, another week closer, paperwork ready to go, deffo a paper bag moment. My friends garden is quite a good size, they also have bought a trampoline and it fits in fine, the best thing we ever bought the girls!! Still trying to get police checks done, spoke to the number you gave me, she told a website but at present no look. Am going to go into local police office next week and see if i can get forms over the counter. Dean finishes on the 22nd June and i have just got hime a job doing gardening for my friends through the summer, bit of extra cash to take with us. Are you going to do hairdressing when you get over there? I think i am going to have a change from childcare, i would love to work at the airport in Customer Services but who knows!!!. I am impressed with the baking, perhaps you could make a cook book when you get out there!!!!!!!!!!!! . Has Andy has his contract through from RNZAF with his contract, starting date etc? Hope you have a great weekend, we are going to be busy putting up the girls new trampoline and cleaning the old one which i have sold. Annx..x..x

Divine Comedy

Hey ann, Yes he got a contract last year sometime. That went back a while back if i remember. Hopefully when all the RNZAF paperwork comes back we will have more concrete dates etc. just military medical to finish. Just got enlistment date of 16th july so far.
Yes ,it will be hairdressing that i do when i start working, more on the barbering side, as that is what i prefer . I am trying to convince a really good nanny we know here to come out on a years work visa [ not much further than talking about it at the moment] so i can feel safe leaving the kids and work without worry. Andy wants me to open my own, but that will have to wait till we are defiently settled in and we know what the score is. I think working for someone else first so i can see how it is done in NZ.
M&D having pre-school MMR next week. I have seen you have to take red book to the school to show they are upto date. I Must remember to put them safe so not packed away in container! Debborah.x.

dave_72nzl

Hi, just been reading this thread with some interest. I spent 8 years in the NZ Army and am now in the RAF.
I left the army in NZ basically because it was massively underfunded, the kit was of a very low standard and also the army as a whole (at the time) did very litte. The pay was low so if you were living in Auckland your chances of getting on the property ladder weren't great. For those of you who are going to take an MQ in NZ (especially if you are going to Whenuapai - not sure if the Hobsonville MQ's are still there) beware, they are pretty bad. They won't be furnished at all, no curtains, no carpets, no central heating, no double glazing and yes it can get bloody cold in Auckland at times.
If you are getting posted to Ohakea have a good look at where it is on the map, it really is in the middle of nowhere!
As for living in NZ, yes I miss it, however I don't miss the painfully PC government that is in power at the moment, I don't miss the Maori/Pacific Island gang culture that is prevalent over there and I don't miss the carpark that is the Auckland motorway network.
If I was going over I'd make sure I'd done my 22 over here as the pension is worth nearly 3 times as much as it is over there, which would go some way to offsetting the poor NZDF pay that you will receive. Hopefully you will have made a killing on the property market over here in the last few years as NZ house prices are a bargain (£150k will buy you an awesome house, even in Auckland)
Hope this doesn't sound to negative. NZ is a fantastic place to live, however I just can't recommend the NZ forces to anyone, the pay is poor, the kit is old, the terms of service aren't great(check what your annual leave entitlement is..) Whenuapai is supposed to be closing soon, so chances are you will end up in Ohakea - Bulls nightlife isn't the greatest.
If you are going to do it my advice to you is, do your 3 years, get citizenship, then bang out and make some decent wedge in the civi sector.

Divine Comedy

Firstly i want to say i am not having a go at you over this, as your opinion is your own and rightly so.But, i dont know whether you are Kiwi or British, you sound British either way, as you have the hang of good old British Wingeing!!!
Any country has good and bad points and you want me to give a list of the things i dont like about the UK it would be V.long. We are not going trip trapping over the bridge thinking the grass is greener, we are going for our own reasons. One mainly being in the RAF here is not all that great either. Hubby has done his fair share of Iraq/Afgahistan and as a wife i got nil support. So doing very little actually sounds like a plus!! As for the MQ's {nz}i dont think they are that bad anymore!! we have been fairly lucky with our MQ's {uk}but i know lots who havnt .
Now where did i put those Rose Tinted Glasses?????? LOL.

rickg37

First post since arriving last Thursday spent the weekend by the pool in temperatures of 26 and above drizzly today but still 24 a bit sticky but still managed to lap the pool a few times with most of the hotel watching three crazy brits
We have been looked after since arriving i see from a previous post someone didnt enjoy his time in the NZ defence force but you come here for your own reasons and yes the quarter is small when compared to uk houses but i have seen a three bedroom and four bedroom at Hobsonville today and a three bedroom on base and the two at Hobsonville are the best of the bunch one of the other couples here are moving into the three with brand new carpets throughout new windows a new cooker and wood burner ours has an older kitchen but a new cooker and a woodburner in the lounge plus a garden that you can play 5 a side in ( now looking at ride on mowers)

Still on the induction for three more weeks and our house pack arrives next friday which is an admin day so three days to get in and sorted so we will post pics of the house and the chaos later

Rick & Tracy

PS hope to see Mick and sherren at the meet an greet next Thursday

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, hope you had a fab time at Disneyland Paris? Are you ready for hubby going away? I asked Anita to give you my e-mail, have you seen her yet?
great news about above post. Debborah.

annbee

Hi Debborah, Yes thanks we had a great time in Paris. The girls thought it was fab. Back to work and reality!!! Posted the police checks last friday and the pire, so fingers crossed we have completed the paperwork correctly. Booked medicals for the 11th May at Oxford. The Dr there will do everything that we need in one day, suprised at the cost but never mind we will get it back eventually. I have said to Anita to give you my email address. We have had a mixture of weather today, sun, hailstone, snow storms and it is bitterly cold. Havent heard from Hobsonville primary yet, I did email them, may just email again. Did you get M & D pre school booster done, i have booked Pollys a day after her 4th Birthday. Felt a bit sad last week, got a letter for Polly to start school in September, she was quite excited cause it would be the same school as Luc, i'm sure that she will understand when we go to the beach in October instead of starting school. Bought a really good cook book the other day, lots of cake recipes, thought i may take a leaf out of your book and start baking!!
Annxx

Divine Comedy

Hey Ann, glad you had a great time. Our kids are looking forward to Disneyland LA. I had a chuckle at you baking! I use Australian Womens Weekly, i find all the recipes easy to do, they have a book called 'Cafe cakes' its fab. I'll get you one as a moving to NZ pressie!! I wouldnt worry about school too much, when i e-mailed they said to just go along when we got there and to bring immunisation records,address details & PR verification. I was worrying as enrolling my brood is no mean feat!! As i understand it from what i have read M&D will be enrolled into the pre-school roll then when they turn 5 ( sept) they go into school, literally the next day i think, so maybe Polly will be the same, so she will get to goto same school as Lucy {sort of!!} Yes M+D had jabs and Health Visitor kindly filled in all the blanks from when i had forgotten to take in the red books! So all upto date now.
Yes the cost of everything is V.suprising , we have paid for everything now.

Debborah.x.

rickg37

Hi All well we have been here a month now and our house at Hobsonville is feeling like home .This week Rick went on the second part of his course and the kids went to school i thought this might be when homesickness hit but to tell the truth i haven't had time .We came over on our induction with a really good group so i have been out and about with the other wifes.

I dont know if anyone is coming to Whenuapai but if they are and want any advice please dont hesitate to email me .I have two children of 14 and 17 so they are at Massey high school.

Things are different and certain things are more expensive ie Shampoo shower gel and we haven't as yet come across aquafresh toothpaste but by enlarge we have found most things.

I will post again with some more pics . I think we made the best move when you get up in the morning and the sky is blue and the beach is up the road who could ask for more.

Tracy

justinthyme

Hi Tracy,

Thanks for the very interesting posts - just wondering where I can find the pics you mention though?

Ian