So we're finally here, as my partner (atuffchick) posted in another thread!! Wow!! :nice1
After a long flight it was nice to land on a beautiful day yesterday, the weather was absolutely fantastic. Going through customs and MAF was a breeze. I was so impressed by how professional and friendly everyone was.
So far we've had a great time exploring the area where we're temporarily subletting an apt - Freemans Bay. We've walked to the CBD and back and around the area (hills hills = sore shins and calves... :D) and we've settled a few things - bank accounts, cellphones, etc. Our very first meal in NZ was fish and chips - :nice1
Today has been quite wet and a little chilly but much more pleasant than we would expect a Winter day to be. We went to an open house to get a sense of pricing and such and we connected with a realtor we really liked and who'll be showing us around so we can find a more permanent place to stay. We did some grocery shopping (was able to find everything we need) and stopped for a cup of coffee which turned into a nice long chat with the coffee shop owner, an immigrant himself, and one of his Kiwi friends.
So my first impressions so far are all very positive. Everyone has been friendly, we're feeling relaxed and happy, and so far things have worked out quite smoothly. I'm enjoying the food, and loving how laid back everything seems to be. Looking forward to the week and more exploring. And I definitely love the weather, it may be cold and damp but it's not the freezing chill of the East Coast winters that I dealt with for the last seven or so years.