happynz

Christchurch and Blenheim are your best options on the South Island and the Tauranga and Hawkes Bay regions on the North Island if you are looking for sunshine.

pleccy2000

That is an excellent website!

Thanks for the heads up!

scunnybunny

we watched the programme as well. very interesting,

but why oh why do they pick people who can afford expensive property

uk+kiwi

To make the destination look more desirable to those watching.

I was surprised too, since I noticed that the houses being looked at in NZ were worth substantially more than those that the families lived in back home, even when considering the exchange rate. I didn't therefore assume that it was realistic. Will Connie be very disappointed Mandie?

But great if it turns out to be these families' reality. The favourable exchange rate is one of the things that fuels a better standard of living in countries such as NZ afterall.

pp15doodoo

Agreed - thanks for that!!

11ThousandMilesFromHome

erm...NO...we are not materialistic people, my children don't have the latest gismo or gadget, if they want something then they save up be able to get it!

We loved the last house...is it for us...NO, will connie be disappointed NO...she will be just as happy in a house half the size as she will have a bedroom to call her own and be with her most important thing in life that money can't buy....HER FAMILY!!!

oh and who said that the houses we looked at weren't realistic for us to buy...what you forget is that these programmes only show a snipped of information and therefore no-one can make an assumption on what they see from a 45 min show

Frenchy

But pretty please I want to see the programme:curse:

11ThousandMilesFromHome

will bring a copy when i come up

mcuddy1

You can access it via the use of a UK proxy server. Which I have just done. The only big problem is finding one with enough bandwidth to allow streaming media. If anybody has found one please let us all know. ( But that would probably render it useless)

kamburu pat

The Taylor family today, January 7th, went to Auckland, he is a vet. I found them to be the most interesting and positive family so far. The family liked New Zealand but felt the lower salary probably wouldn`t be able to support the lifestyle they had hoped to be able to live there. They had done their research but felt one week was not long enough to discover whether the cost of living was lower than that in Britain. Jean Taylor said they would review their situation in the future.
Pat.

uk+kiwi

Mandie,

Sorry, I didn't mean to rile you.

I agree with everything you said about your family and was not meaning to imply that you could or could not afford that or any other house. I have only ever made positive comments about you and your family so my reference to Connie was meant in humour. It certainly wasn't meant to upset you if that is how you feel.

In fact I meant exactly what you implied, that I wouldn't assume it was all 'for real' from what was shown on a 45 minute programme.

11ThousandMilesFromHome

cool, no worries. I was probably bit too sensitive too. Very emotional time this moving to the other side of the world milarky.

i know you have always been helpful and supportive toward me and my family and that is and will always be very much appreciated.

Got 4 more days here and i'm not looking forward to the last goodbyes...i'm normally a chilled easy going person but little things at the moment are getting to me...but i'm sure that's normal

and lets hope for everyones sake it doesn't last!!!


Hope we're cool now

kamburu pat

Hi Mandie,
Thinking of you going off to Christchurch with the girls, Ric to follow later. I`ve just heard from my big son who lives in Wellington with his partner, he`s in America waiting for his flight back to NZ, after visiting us at Christmas. Stuart loves it there, he went in 1996. We`ve had one visit in 2005, Stuart would like us to move there but as you know, it`s a big step and you are a few years younger! If we get to visit Christchurch on our next visit we will look out for you, meanwhile, all the best, I`m sure you will love it!
Pat.

11ThousandMilesFromHome

Ah bless you!!!
I'm 40 this year and think it's now or never for us as i don't want to leave it any later for the girls as they'll move on and get serious boyfriend or start a career and may not then want to move...not sure i'd be able to do it without my girls
If you're ever in this neck of the woods then give me a shout
take care

pp15doodoo

Good luck to you Mandie - I hope to be following in your footsteps sometime in the next year or so.

Hope it all works out for you - from what I saw of you and your wonderful family on that tv show you'll be fine!!