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Been here 2 years today – our little story

Been here 2 years today – our little story

Old Nov 13th 2012, 2:35 am
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Default Been here 2 years today – our little story

Been here 2 years today – our little story

We arrived here in New Zealand two years ago today and what a great time it’s been, there have been highs and lows but on the whole we love it.

We are a family of 5 (two late forties something’s, two teenagers 13 & 17 and a twenty year old at Uni in the USA) and our little story goes back to Jan 2010 when we decided that things in the UK were becoming stale. I could see redundancy being offered at my work and the wife had completed her Master’s degree and wasn’t enjoying her Job. We had always talked about living in New Zealand but had never even been here on Holiday.

Wife was offered a job in Napier as an Early Childhood lecturer and within six months we had our blue stickers, we tried to sell the house but as we all know the market was flat, so we looked at renting and employed a reputable letting company to rent the property. One day after arriving the tenants pulled out and whilst the property was empty in December we had a water leak and the ceilings caved in! Talk about a good start.

The whole process being so quick had its good and bad points, one hand you had no time to worry and it was all very exciting but on the other hand telling family and friends that you were emigrating after never ever talking about it before was a bit of a shock to some if not all. Also be prepared for some family members not accepting your decision and laying all manner of blame and guilt at your door.

We found a lovely 3 bed house in Taradale and got the daughter into school to before they broke up for summer to make some friends. The wife started work after a week and every day I would walk to the Job centre and library to use the computer to search for Jobs. I was an ex fire officer and account manager for a major defence company in the UK but not much call for either in Hawkes Bay. I applied for at least 4-5 jobs a week and got turned down I couldn’t even get a job at Mitre Ten (no disrespect to anybody who works at mitre ten) the truth here in NZ it’s who you know not what you know. I dusted off the old heavy goods licences transferred it to a NZ class 5 and managed to get a driving job through the expat community after watching local football and Hawkes Bay United (A good way to make contacts and job info)

Hawkes bay life is fantastic and we were all settled except me as I wanted to get back to the sort of job I was doing before. All the employment agencies said I needed to be in Auckland or Wellington. In the end for my own sanity I took a job in Wellington which was far better money wise than I could find in Hawkes Bay. I would travel down to wellington and “flat it” in Eastbourne and travel back at weekends.

I did over eight months of travelling back and forth when the wife was “tapped up” for a job by a major educational provider (again who you know not what you know). As we all wanted to be together again as a family we decided to all move down to the Kapiti coast.

We all love it down here after 7 months on the Kapiti coast, the daughter has settled into her new school and made some new friends and often travels back on the coach to Napier to stay with friends. Our son found work after just one week (at the wife’s office) and has now been accepted to Victoria University next February to do his degree. Our oldest boy will be completing his degree in the USA next year and is now deciding whether to come to New Zealand or stay in the USA, he doesn’t want to go back to the UK.

Tips or pointers I would tell people thinking about coming to New Zealand from our experience which can differ to other people

Do it you might live to regret it.

Cost of living is on par with the UK but wages are less certainly in the regions away from Wellington or Auckland.

Schools are better I am amazed with amount tax being collected by the government from the tiny population of NZ that the schools are so well equipped and clean and tidy

Kids are so much more relaxed no big pressure to dress to impress (some Kiwi dress sense is unbelievable) great that they have to wear uniform to school

The wife and I do more as a couple here as we did in the UK, every Friday she calls it date night but I say it’s just a drink.

Renting out your house can be a pain! We know from experience but have insurance and a good letting company. Don’t stop not selling the house stop you from coming, if your life works out here you can adjust you commitments to the UK accordingly.

Don’t expect family and friends in the UK to be happy for your move, my mother in law and sister in law made it their mission to blame us for anything and everything. From any family illness to things that happened 20 years ago. Not sure if the current problems in Syria is my fault!

My parents who are in their 70’s visited and got some closure to why we left UK and like NZ. They had been watching too much “wanted down under” and couldn’t understand why we gave up good jobs and moved. Glad they understand now after visiting.

We have found Kiwis to be friendly and have some good Kiwi friends, you must remember it took a lifetime to make your close friends in the UK, it will take time here too.

We have got some great Expat friends who we met here all in the same boat good or bad.

Don’t rush to buy a house you could choose to move like us
Rental houses can be cold as the Kiwis say “Rug Up” look around new houses are warm.

Unless you are in Auckland or Wellington don’t expect wild nights, most towns are dead after eight o’clock. Most Friday’s people go out after work but are home by seven or eight.

Wages are not all brilliant expect to work longer hours.

It is a long way back to the UK if someone is ill

Skyping is great but can become a chore if you do everyone on the same night as you keep repeating yourself.

Loads more to say but can’t think at the moment, Overall we are still “Newbies” at two years in but all of us including the kids are enjoying life, so that can’t be bad.

Skyblue stu
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Old Nov 13th 2012, 2:46 pm
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Great post, enjoyed reading it!

The OH and I are off to NZ next year. We are hoping to set up in Christchurch as we have some family there already. Can't wait!

All the best
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Old Nov 13th 2012, 11:36 pm
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

enjoyed your post and you are literally just up the road from us.
We also had a failure of selling the house before we came over, buyer pulled out on completion day saying they couldn't actually afford it , but by then we had made all the move over arrangements so over we came. we were lucky enough to sell again 2 weeks after going back on the market and we got 5k more than the first buyer , we also had a leak whilst the house was empty, smaller than yours but still a blinkin hassle to sort from over here and I'm still having ongoing problems with the utility providers as the new buyer didn't read the meters on moving in and can't seem to read them properly.

Really glad that you finally managed to get a job you liked and now feel more settled as a family
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Old Nov 14th 2012, 12:28 am
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Glad to hear that you are all together again full time and enjoying life on the Kapiti coast.
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Old Nov 14th 2012, 4:31 am
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Originally Posted by cappuccino
Glad to hear that you are all together again full time and enjoying life on the Kapiti coast.
+1
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Old Nov 14th 2012, 7:05 pm
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Thanks for that, enjoyed reading it.
Glad you are happy and settled.
We arrive in Chch in december, so im trawling over everything here and on the net in preparation.
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Old Nov 15th 2012, 8:16 am
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Hi

Glad you have settled in and are happy. We are in Paraparaumu too, it has all the advantages of jobs in welly (with the commute) and a beachy friendly community.
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Old Nov 15th 2012, 11:14 pm
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Your post is encouraging. We've been here for 2 months and are feeling the rosy tinted glasses slipping off our face. This worsened by our burglary last weekend! I have a question...your teenagers were similar ages to our two (daughter is 15 and son is 16). At the moment they are really struggling with lack of friendships... does this get better? They are finding NZ kids less mature than them... and perhaps a bit straight laced (my daughter's into rock and all things gothic). I guess we all have to be patient and keep the faith.
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Old Nov 16th 2012, 7:36 pm
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

Great update, thank you very much for taking the time to post x
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Old Nov 21st 2012, 1:27 am
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Default Re: Been here 2 years today – our little story

To the OP: A nice, well balanced post.

I note with interest some further comments about kids not making friends easily.

I can remember kids joining my school (in Essex) who came from Yorkshire. At the time they seemed to be from a different planet too. Culture can be very localised sometimes, so not just country to country.
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