Lambz

Hello again form Essex,
What is the shopping like in NZ? I am looking forward to making hte move, but do i take all my furniture with me, do i get rid of it and replace it when i get there? What about my clothes? And.... are there places for black hair to be done? silly questions i know, but relevant nonetheless

love30stm

Hi
I would bring all your furniture with you as its quite expensive here.. as for clothes well thats something i do miss about the UK, not much choice here and I dont buy so much....

and as for black hair my daughter has it done at the hairdressers, but you can buy hair dye just the same...hairdressers do all coulors...i.e.black with Blue streaks as my daughter had done

hope that sort of helps

Lambz

Thanks, Love30STM for that,
i meant black peoples hair though, are there hairdressers for that? Straightening, braiding, weaving and such? so sorry about these questions but i would dread having an unruly afro

love30stm

ooops sorry my mistake...and well I dont know about that, dont think ive seen them, but then I would not look for them...sorry I would type it in google, just a suggestion.

and afro is good

Joshlin

shopping is definately a different experience over here - firstly familiarising yourself with the shops and what they sell - it took me ages before i could just pop to get something!!
range and choice is more limited, but you can still get all that you need. I actually find the lack of choice quite liberating - spend much less time looking / more time buying (when funds allow)!

quality of clothing can be a big issue - so shop carefully, also you can't get the multi packs in quite the same way - used to get loads of multi packs for the kids (undies / basic t shirts that kind of thing) from tesco / george at asda etc - got my mum to bring a whole load over when she came to visit last

can't help re:hairdressers specifically for black hair, but there are plenty of hairdressers generally so i'm sure you'll be able to find someone who can help you out.

good luck with the move.

karron

sorry no offence meant but that black hair mis-understanding is funny

love30stm

I know it was early for me though....

love30stm

blonde moment me thinks and I am from Essex...originally

Kiwiprincess

re black hair - i suspect it depends if you are living in an area which is larger or one which has an african population. There are definitely a number of places in Wellington which note that they are familiar/trained cutting and styling hair (I mean, regular hair cuts, styling, colouring, not beading etc).

Lambz

I agree, it was funny
No need to be PC with me, i appreciate the non pc moments
Thanks for all the help, need to check these things out you see!!!
Gnite

sr71

I think shopping is OK, particularly in Auckland. Also if you accept that you are buying clothes for living in NZ then it is easier to accept the lack of variety or the lack of cheaper high fashion type things (Primark, Topshop etc)

Generally I've found the cheaper clothes look cheap and the nicer fashionable stuff is expensive, but usually good quality.

As for shopping for anything else I don't think there is much difference, you can generally get anything you want in NZ, maybe a bit more expensive due to having to be imported from Europe, but otherwise I find things like consumer electronics cheaper.

I also think that in the UK we were subject to a lot of crap at cheaper prices, sure you can get 2 DFS sofas for £600, but if you really want good quality you have to spend a lot more.

As for hairdressers, there is a huge Polynesian population in NZ and many of them sort of identify with Afro-American culture, I'd be really surprised if there wasn't hairdressers that specialised in that area.

Some links :

http://www.sylviapark.org
http://westfield.co.nz/nzcentres/
http://www.noelleeming.co.nz/
http://www.harveynorman.co.nz

http://www.finda.co.nz/business/list...ro-hair-salon/

Lambz

Thanks for all that info, most interesting...and the hairdressers looked like they speak my language, many thanks

gbetts

Hi Lambz, I live in NZ and have 'black hair'!! I usually buy my products from the UK when I visit or have them sent to me. I braid my sons hair and my own, I also relax hair and do hair extensions ect. I am currently in the UK on holiday and will be returning to NZ on the the 13th oct, with a load more products. I know of black hair dressers in NZ but they are soo expensive, so if you can do it yourself or need more info just PM me.

whitesand

I'd say bring lots of clothes to last for a few years. In my experience I've found the cheaper clothes better long term value than the expensive ones. I've bought expensive shoes and had the ankle strap burst on me. I've paid about two hundred dollars for a decent pair of trousers to have them shrink in the washing. This was after I'd spent ages looking for a decent cotton pair. My O/H bought an expensive pair of leather shoes last year which have fallen apart a few weeks ago.

I used to like the Warehouse casual clothes for around the house and thought they were good value but I don't see the same type any more.

The more expensive clothes here do not cut the mustard with me, I'm afraid. I'd recommend you bring loads of shoes, decent trousers and casual jackets for a start.