Stormer999

One year ago on March 18th we started our Kiwi lives and landed at Chch Airport with blue passport stickers multiple entry. Booked into a motel opposite Hagley park jet lagged and apprehensive about house hunting to rent. Need not have worried as we fell upon a 3 bed bungalow in Burnside very quickly and proceeded to collect every box and butter carton as useful utensils as we awaited our container to arrive. Warehouse cheep iron, toaster, ironing board, kettle, plastic picnic plates and mugs to our name together with a small borrowed TV set standing on an upturned drawer in front of our two cheepo canvas camp chairs……..luxury.
Bought an import Honda Fit and Jo started work at Canterbury Health Labs using the local excellent bus service for travel. Eventually the container turned up and we could really start to enjoy NZ living. I found a local bar that serves real pints of beer (10 different types, happy hour 4-6pm) for $5 a go and that was cheaper than I used to pay in the UK. Hardly any soccer on the TV and plenty of Rugby…fantastic!
So in the last 12 months we have made lots of NZ friends and found them all really welcoming providing you don’t see them as aliens but as equals. Jo has been an active member of Chch Soroptomists for 10 months now, we have bought a pair of Triumph Street Triples to replace the salt infested bikes we left in the UK and are now both active members of the local Institute of Advanced Motorcyclist section and enjoying Canterbury’s dry tarmac. I fish a lot and once a week do voluntary renovation work on ancient farm implements down at Ferrymead Heritage Centre (well worth a visit)
Settling in with the Chch people was extremely enjoyable though I had to get rid of the habit of just walking past peeps and looking the opposite direction, hear people say hello and expect a return of courtesy, and wait their turn in a queue and generally drive without aggression. Bus drivers are cheerful, helpful and expect a thank you when you get off.
Have spent one week this year travelling south of SI on the motorbikes down the east coast to Bluff and back up the west coast to Greymouth and home across Arthurs Pass then the second week in a little Bach in Golden Bay set up a tiny lane and surrounded by bird song…fantastic. Have spent two weeks in Oz but too many peeps and too much traffic made us eager to return “home” to Chch.
Have had a few good shakes whilst living here and learned eventually to not put heavy objects on high shelves. We are now settled enough to be ready to look for our own house and our landlord has put us on to a 21 day notification contract to make things easier for us.
Our house in the UK is still rented and I think reading through their financial problems will have to stay that way for a long while yet before conditions are OK to sell.
So to summarise, we have just been lucky enough to go through an exceptional NZ summer found the seasons very pronounced, can’t get over the colours that blossom out of nearly every plant in the gardens, love the heat that the sun creates even in winter, marvel that the roads dry within one hour of rain stopping, love being able to drive without traffic jams, love the fact that here in Chch you will see the sun at some point nearly every day and love the really friendly peeps….nearly forgot no rheumatic pains as the atmosphere is so much drier in Chch, don’t need a tumble drier as the clothes get pegged out all through the year.......all in all a very worthwhile move…..

Snap Shot

Glad it's worked out well and you've got the life you wanted.

MrsFychan

Great update Stormer. Glad life is being good to you guys. look forward to hearing you experience with house purchase

chippy64

So glad you are enjoying life here

scottishstacey

Great stuff!

BEVS

What a lovely update. Always good to read when a migrant feels they've got it right in their new country. Long may it continue for you and Mrs Stormer. You worked hard enough for it.

dannigirl

Brilliant update Stormer. So great to see things are going so well for you and your wife

skybluestu

Well done Storms glad to see its worked out for you and you have got back into your love of motor biking. Two and a half years for us now and still loving it, remember to give me a shout if you ever come over to Wellie and you can enjoy the local "tuatara' beer brewed here in Kapati.

skends

Great post stormer, glad you have settelled well,
I must do an update real soon too - but it will only be a 3 month one though!