jads

Family of four just got in to NZ, were from Cheltenham Glos.
Flights booked for a 3 week tour of where we may want to live and if we want to live and make the move.
We are thinking of possibly bay of plenty or hawkes bay.
We have 2 sons, both into football. So a bit worried about the lack of footie in NZ, although I am a football coach so may have to start some teams!
I am a tradesman so shouldnt be a problem getting work.
Hoping to buy a house outright with 100k, not sure if thats possible looking at nz prices at the moment!

a big year!!, oh yeah, havent told the the rest of the family yet!!!!!

DH

happynz

Congratulations!

If you like soccer (footie is Rugby League in New Zealand) there seems to be some interest at the junior level.
I don't know about the North Island but in Christchurch there seems to be a loyal crowd of several hundred supporters that turn out for Christchurch United at English Park in St Albans.

suzi n steve

Hi and welcome to the boards. Loads of information on here and loads of people to help withany questions/queries.

Good luck with telling the families.

Herm

Don't worry about the football - at junior level there are more kids playing than at any other sport. Also, in my experience, all school teams are run by volunteers so if your willing to get involved you'll be welcomed with open arms.

My vote would be BOP - but then again i'm biased.......

Welcome and good luck

Cheers

Wiz'n'Ton

Welcome to the forum jads, and well done on getting entry etc.

As a tradesman you'll have no worries, they are certainly desperate for chippy's down here in Christchurch!

If you're looking for a house with £100k, that's about $260k over here. Average prices are in the $350k mark at present, so if you go for an average home then expect a little bit of a mortgage. Should be just fine though.

When are you over for your 3 weeks?

All the best,

Wiz'n'Ton

danny.f

Mate,come to Wellington-footy is really kicking off here ( ),i PLAY FOR ONE OF THE Masters teams,and there's loads of different leagues for all ages sprouting up. If you're passing through Wellington-send me a message,and we'll do tea,met some drunken expats,and I'll show you round!! Good luck.

jads

Cheers Guys

Glad to know that 'Soccer' is around in NZ.
Were going to NZ for 3 weeks in August (school holidays), so i suppose we will see it at its coldest, wettest and bleakest!!!
probably have to leave the shorts at home, what do you think?
I think we will stay in auckland for a couple of nights (get over the jet lag) and then drive down to the BOP and work our way down to Hawkes bay. Do you think we should go any further down than Hawkes bay?
I presume there should be loads of accomodation as its out of season, are the motels worth staying in (best western etc) or should we go for hotels or B&Bs.

Better start saving!!

DH

happynz

Yes, there are heaps of motels and yes you'd best start saving.

Good thing you're checking out New Zealand in the winter. Maybe a side trip to Whakapapa skifield might be a fun thing for the family. Whakapapa -- I love hearing that. [Pronounced fah-kah-pah-pah]

Jack The Lad

Heres hoping you have a safe journey and that you settle in quickily

Oh, and get an internet connection so that you can keep us all posted on how you get on. Good luck

jads

We have just been reading the negatives about NZ,Pretty worried now No summer, no decent chocolate (we like plain and white), full of mad drivers, no decent supermarkets, rubbish houses and everything expensive compared to what you can earn.
Tell us some positives please!
My wifes a vegetarian, is she going to have a big shock.

jads

Chelsie 1 Liverpool 0, if anyones interested. Hopefully we will beat them at home!

Jads

happynz

Summer is fine, it just always arrives after everyone has to go back to work and the kiddies are starting school.

Chocolate? Dunno there, mate. I save my calories for beer.

Mad drivers -- well yeah, but you'll get used to it.

I don't see anything particularly bad about the supermarkets. They seem full of, uh...food.

The houses -- yes, many of them are lacking. But if you have a knack for home improvement or you have a budget that allows you to buy your land and build your house to your specs you'll be fine.

The last point really depends what you want and what you need and your ability to prioritise. For me and my family it's a toddle. We've had SFA our entire lives so it's easy for us to do without a lot of stuff that others find absolutely essential.

If you live in the Auckland area head for Lim Chhour. There are several scattered through the metropolitan area. Lim Chhour fruit and veg stores are a Cambodian outfit that sell great produce at reasonable prices. The atmosphere is full on Asian meaning that it's crowded and noisy, but the well placed hip-check and nuanced shove would be alright to get you through.
So yeah, your wife will be fine. I'm not sure about the vegetarian takeaway scene or if there are many vegetarian restaurants.

Anyway, come with an open mind, a can-do attitude and a sense of humour.

Best of luck.

dazal

No, dont think you have anything to worry about on any of those. Summer is fine here. Admittedly we only had one month this year of full on heat but its now getting into Autumn and the sun is shining and its not particularly cold and its lovely. As for chocolate - nothing wrong with it at all. It might taste a wee bit different when you first arrive but you get used to it and if you really do have to have your fix of British stuff there are a few English shops around where you can buy it. Supermarkets are great, nothing wrong with them whatsoever. They will sell whatever you will need and there are plenty of Asian supermarkets around too if you want to get stuff that is a little bit different. There is plenty of variety here. Your wife will be fine being a vegetarian as well. Most restaurants cater for vegetarians and there are even a couple of vegetarian restaurants as well, although I am talking the big cities I cant comment on rural areas. Its pretty health orientated here.

As for rubbish houses. I have never thought the houses here were rubbish and find the house that I live in to be great and all the houses that everyone I know lives in are great too. The main problem you will have is lack of heating as its just not a big thing here but it can be rectified. You can put in your own heating system or buy those lovely flue type fires that a lot of kiwis do. There are ways round it.

Cant comment on the drivers sorry, dont drive.

cottageinthesky

In Wellington, compared with Buckinghamshire, better summers, milder winters - don't own gloves or scarf which were a permanent fixture back home from October to April - don't get those days and days of damp, dreary, drizzly weather - it tends to chuck it down with rain, then the sun comes out again - plenty of great tasting chocolate - last time I went back to the UK, driving seemed maniacal compared with NZ - good supermarkets with fresher produce than UK - more seasonal, less imports - housing, you get what you pay for - I've had 3 houses in NZ and never been cold, damp or uncomfortable.

I don't eat meat - but do eat fish since I've been in NZ - this is a big meat-eating nation, however - loads of SE Asian eateries here - Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Indian which always have lots of vegetarian options - all restaurants have vegetarian options - plenty of farmers markets at the weekend for ultra fresh veggies and the climate enables fresh lemongrass/ginger - all sorts which can only be imported in the UK.

jads

Cheers for all the info guys, feel better now (a bit of a shock reading all those other threads about negative NZ)!!
I reckon some people think that moving to a different country will solve all their problems they have in the UK, I think it only highlights them even more with a load more to deal with in NZ.
We have had some good remarks about Wellington, I just thought it was too far out of the way to even bothering looking. Maybe we should make a visit, how long a drive is it from Hawkes Bay?
Also does anyone have any thoughts of hawkes bay? Are the beaches sandy?
Is it too cut off from anywhere?

Cheers Jads

Ps About 20 degrees in cheltenham uk!