Two Week Update

[redsheesha]

Thought I'd give a two-week update. This will all be slightly generic because I've had to buy loads of stuff since arriving, so if anyone wants clarification I'll be glad to provide it:

1. Most things in NZ are a heck of a lot cheaper than I was expecting them to be. Prices to me are slightly lower than NYC prices, with a few exceptions, and if I bothered converting them from NZD to USD, it'd really be cheap.
2. One of the most annoying things, and one major exception to #1, is the internet/cell phone packages. Horrendously expensive. I haven't had a landline in a DECADE and it was unpleasant to have to get one here and pay through the nose.
3. Our shipment isn't arriving until mid-January, so we've had to replace a lot of basic kitchenware and other items that are on their way. I think we'll end up wishing we hadn't sent a lot of that stuff because we kept hearing that "things are very expensive in NZ" and to us they're really not at all, EXCEPT for clothing. Not great looking and not cheap. For non-clothing items, you just have to go looking for bargains if you don't agree with the Warehouse etc. prices. There are a lot of alternative places to shop and places you wouldn't expect certain items to be, so it takes a bit of legwork for sure.
4. Housing in Auckland is another exception to #1. It's pretty expensive to live in the city, more expensive than I was expecting, but we got a really great place for $315 a week including water, so that was a miracle find (we were friends with the people next door who helped us secure the place).
5. Shopping variety is tremendous. I'm incredibly happy with what's on offer in stores and the entertaining flavors and concepts of some foods and drinks. I love going food shopping.
6. I am NOT liking the insane amount of spiders that make their way inside, and I really don't understand why Kiwis don't have door and window screens. I can't even enjoy the windows being open because I'm attacked by flies, spiders, mosquitoes and even last night a great friggin' cockroach. Argh!!!!!
7. I love that each plug outlet has an on/off switch. In the USA, there's no way to turn off the outlets (unless you have an extension cord type thing). I imagine this saves a ton of electricity.
8. Auckland is even more multicultural than I was expecting it to be, it's a lot like Singapore. I wish there were more Arabs here, haven't met any Lebanese yet : D and Ethiopians...I miss the food.
9. Someone mentioned this on here and I fully agree: it's weird to me that on a block, two houses in a row might be great looking and well-kept, but then there's one that looks derelict, then another that looks great, then another derelict. It seems that way regardless of area or neighborhood and gives the impression that Auckland is overall a shabby city in some areas.
10. Public transportation is very clean and safe (seemingly) but expensive. No free transfer? No return discount within a certain time frame? Bah.
11. Overall, the people seem very friendly here and I do like it - after we worked out the weird 'don't want to rent to Asians thing' - it conspired that the landlord didn't want to rent to STUDENTS and assumed OH was an Asian student at the hospital or at UA, and everything worked out ok in the end, but I thought she was going to let him have it for his comment. Apparently he didn't think Asians could possibly have any business in Auckland other than studying (we're right next to the UA Grafton campus/hospital).
12. We need a car pretty quickly.
13. People here party at all hours of the day. And play extremely loud music. It seems to happen all over Auckland, I don't get it. Too many students, maybe!!!

That's all I can think of for now...except that I GOT A JOB!!!!!!!! I had interview one, was called back for a shortlist interview, and found out yesterday that I got it! I start mid-January at a university in Auckland, I'm very excited. OH has networked her behind off and no luck. All the production houses are closed/closing for Christmas and no one is hiring editors right now apparently. That's it...feel free to ask questions : D

[Duncan74]

No questions, but glad you've made it and found a place to live.

Wishing you (both) all the best for the year ahead.

[Cayenne]

Good work! We've been in Auckland for 7 weeks now (I'm long overdue an update here!) and find it much the same as you.

Well done on getting a job so fast, my wife got one within 2 weeks of arriving, I took a bit longer but got one last week which starts mid-January with the government.

Food shopping is a bit expensive, until you know where to go, but I thought public transport was roughly on par with where we lived before in Scotland. Also the bus network, at least in the inner suburbs, is very reliable.

[JandM]

Glad to hear things are going well for you, redsheesha and Cayenne. Continuing all the best.

[mooncalf]

I think having now been in NZ for 1.5 years I am looking at prices in terms of what I paid in England back then...so no accounting for inflation etc so thing do seem more expensive still

[sks]

Pleased to hear that all is going well for you, and fantastic news on the job. You didn't mention which uni you'll be working at, but if it's UA, my son will be attending starting in February. Small world.

[Dell]

Glad you're loving it! Re fly screens - or lack of them....I can't figure it out either and I'm a Kiwi, but I'm used to screens. Kiwis like wide open windows with nothing obscuring the view. You can buy a double-bed mosquito net at Warehouse for about $12 (at least that's what I paid about two years ago). You can also buy gizmos that plug into the outlet and release insecticide, putting a new strip in every evening. This is the one thing that doesn't make sense to me in clean & green NZ. Why inhale insecticide every night??

Once I take possession of my NZ house, first thing I'll do is order fly screens!

[redsheesha]

Pleased to hear that all is going well for you, and fantastic news on the job. You didn't mention which uni you'll be working at, but if it's UA, my son will be attending starting in February. Small world.

No, it's not UA, but Unitec in Mt. Albert. The lot of us former New Yorkers should meet up for a coffee one day, though

[redsheesha]

Glad you're loving it! Re fly screens - or lack of them....I can't figure it out either and I'm a Kiwi, but I'm used to screens. Kiwis like wide open windows with nothing obscuring the view. You can buy a double-bed mosquito net at Warehouse for about $12 (at least that's what I paid about two years ago). You can also buy gizmos that plug into the outlet and release insecticide, putting a new strip in every evening. This is the one thing that doesn't make sense to me in clean & green NZ. Why inhale insecticide every night??

Once I take possession of my NZ house, first thing I'll do is order fly screens!

I know!!!!!! Inhale insecticide all the time??? Yikes!!! I bought some ant gel because they were taking over the house and finally, after a lot of hesitation, some flying creature spray for outside that works on spiders, too. I was waking up to bites every other day! No problems since then. Helps that I've pruned the garden/overgrowth as I think a lot of them were hiding out in there.

[Johnnie Walker]

I love reading about people's experiences in New Zealand. Thanks for such an informative entry redsheesha.