1 year
 

Been in Auckland a year now.

The good stuff (in no particular order);

More time with my wife and daughter.
Leisure time here with the family is better value and more accessible.
Regular use of the the BBQ all weather.
Weather, generally speaking (still wearing shorts outside of work, in the middle of winter).
Found sports clubs I thoroughly enjoy.
Got a job very similar to my job in London, helped the settling in process.
Bought an apartment.
Daughter loves, loves, loves her Kindy.
Re-kindled lots of friendships.
Enjoy living on the fringe of the city.
Have saved some cash along the way.
Skype has been a lifesaver for those back in the UK (phew).
Discovery of the NRL.
The nice surprise that I've hardly been "Pommie bashed", in fact I've been all but welcomed by the natives!
Got a pet for the house.

Given we've now lived in all seasons, my personal research and preparation for living here held us in good stead, a lot of worries I had, certainly around the cost of stuff have proven to be nowhere near as bad as I had budgeted for.

Life is better and we have a vastly happier home.

The not so good stuff (also, in no particular order);

Driving standards in Auckland.
Doesn't affect a normal day, but rush hour traffic in Auckland is nothing short of an atrocity.
The value of rental properties in Auckland is generally equally as bad, especially for families with young kids.
Despite the weather, when it rains, it RAINS. You get over it pretty quickly.
There is still only 24 hours in a day.
Seem to get in to trouble a bit when out having a good time :drinkingbeer: - this may not surprise a few people on here :eek: - but honestly, I'm not a fisty cuffs type of person and got in a fight once in the UK. And lost, badly.


Here's to the next 12 months!!!

Re: 1 year
 

Nice one TL! You mean to say you don't find things four times the price in NZ?!

Here's to the next year :drinkingpals:

Re: 1 year
 

No. And if I do find an item I think is too expensive, I don't buy it. Somehow I manage to live on!!


Chur :beer:

Re: 1 year
 

Been out nearly exactly as long as you :) I identify with a lot of the sentiments if not the specifics :) congrats on a year and here's to many more.

Re: 1 year
 

As I think I may have mentioned on other threads... I'm not happy with NZ weather. To me it is not a positive factor of living here (well, I'm in Auckland so cannot speak for all of NZ)

In fact I'd go so far as declaring it a negative aspect. I actually prefer English weather. There's hardly any seasons as such here in Akl. Just warm wet and not-as-warm wet.

And the summer of 6 weeks sun doesn't make up for it. Not at all. Yes, the summer here is good, but just Feb-March doesn't make up for all the crappy wind and rain that persists at other times.

It will probably drive me elsewhere in time...

However, I would like to try South Island before I give up on NZ cos of the weather. Maybe Dunedin?

Re: 1 year
 

Fair enough Bearskin - I do get what you are saying. It's certainly unpredictable!

Yesterday I went to a client meeting, when I entered the building it was glorious sunshine, 45 mins later it was bucketing down and I had to get back to the car without an umbrella. Doh!

The weather just seems to fit in with my lifestyle in NZ.

The weather never stopped me doing what I wanted to do in the UK, but here it's less of a consideration.

The most obvious example for me being that a typical Cricket season in the UK would see 30% of my games ended uncompleted due to weather. In 2011 and 2012 this was as high as 50%.

Last year, I encountered two rain delays and every game that started got completed without a loss of any overs, due to the weather - although there was one games that didn't happen due to cyclone Lusi, but I wasn't available for that game anyhow.

I also really enjoy wearing shorts, I can do that here almost all year round - small pleasures.

Re: 1 year
 

Yeah, I hear you. But, having been here getting on 11 years now, I have to say it is getting to me - this run of stormy weather has been the death of me - some reason it has really got under my skin. And I am being honest when I say that, for me, living in Auckland, the "summer" (6 weeks) just doesn't compensate for all the crap at other times of the year - add it all up and the bad will hugely outweigh the good in terms of weather.

Just recently heavy wind has been added to the mix as well which we used to get every now and then - usually Spring storms, but add that to the endless rain and now it is becoming a bit much.

Also, I really don't get the focus on temperature here as 'weather'.

To me weather is rain, wind, sun, cloudiness. Temperature is in there, but not as much.

Growing up oop north I can 'do cold'. Here it's as if temperature is KING. "Ooh it was 14 degrees today" "Yeah, but it silted down all day" To me one (the firkin rain) outweighs the other. Just listen to the weather after the news, you'll see what I'm on about.

Re: 1 year
 

Tommy, a couple of questions on this bolded statement

1: Where on earth in the UK did you live?
2: Was your cricket season only on during the 2 weeks of Wimbledon?

Re: 1 year
 

1. This was based on playing Cricket in North West London.

2. No, but it may as well have been.

2011 and 2012 particularly damp summers in London, also measured anecdotally by the above average soaking it got cycling to and from work in that period.

Re: 1 year
 

Having been here for over ten years Bearskin, I understand what you write about the NZ weather ( temperature). It certainly is not better than the UK IMVHO. Different , depending on where one is located, but not better.

If you are thinking of a move but don't want too much bitter cold & snow on the ground, then look to the Top of the South Island if work permits. From what we have seen , it does offer the most 'even' weather. A downside is that it is quite isolated.

Having said that, the last couple of summers here have been rubbish. Just a few weeks around Feb/March.

Perhaps the weather overall is changing and not for the better.