3 Months in NZ.. So far So good..

[peekaboo]

Dear Friends,

This is to update you all on whats been going on with us... Straight to the story :-

So, we have finally made the big move. We arrived Wellington on 26 th Sept 2010. Husband, 2.5 yr old kid and myself, no jobs, PR. One of our friends helped us secure an apartment in the city before we arrived and we moved in straight to the apartment upon arrival.

It was THE MOST SCARIEST 2 weeks in our lives... Reality was hitting pretty hard on us.. Dull market, high cost of living etc., We were kind of prepared for these situations, nothing unexpected. We were holding on to our guts and kept trying. Kept our purchases to minimum, went around places, had fun.

By the end of first month, we were feeling a bit settled down, but was still feeling unsecured coz none of us had a job. We got our internet/telephone at the end of first month, until then applying for jobs/keeping in touch with the family was really a cumbersome task.

Unexpected, but to our surprise, I got a permanent job ! I couldn't commence the job immediately because we had travel plans to India during October to attend my sister's wedding. India of course had some greener pastures in terms of Job market and earning potential. We were in a dilemma as in , whether we have made the right choice of NZ in terms of career..

I commenced my new role after we returned from the trip. My husband started applying for jobs, and in 2 weeks or so, he got an offer.. ! So life took a positive turn there, and we truly started enjoy being in NZ.

We got our shipped goods delivered, but we dont have space in our match-box sized apartment to open those boxes. So we are looking at moving to a bigger house this March to be able to resume our old habits .. (lots of clothes, shoes, bikes , lots of kitchen utensils etc., ) We do feel it is really worth shipping few goods, and absolutely unnecessary to have shipped some other stuff.

We purchased some goods for our home during the boxing-day sale. TV, DVD Player, GPS Navigator, Microwave, I-pod dock, Beds, Cots etc., We found a childcare for our daughter, and both of us started our jobs. A normal life after a very long time.. Without having to wait for a mail from your case officer, interview call etc., Settled, secured, contented. Its calm after the storm now..! We weren't put off by anything during the storm, because all the way, we knew we are going to be fine.

We bought our car 3 weeks ago ! We have brought our car seat from the USA. Absolutely worth going through the pain of carrying it in the airport, or we can assume to have added some 400 bucks to the car price, to get a decent one on par with the quality of our's !

I have nothing more to whine about high cost of living, because it is so typical of a big city, and I have been well informed about this We kind of sinked-in right away.. It is a bit weird that you have to think so much.. so much like in buying an appliance or something to buy a pair of Levi Jeans ! But you will get used to it.. You will get used to making decisions like that !

We even went on a little road trip/wine trail to Wairarapa .. Loved it !

NZ in our View :-

Beautiful, Breath-taking views. clean and Crisp air. Heaps of public transport so you wont feel bad without a car. That means freedom, cheap entertainment .. I am not saying anything new about NZ here, but You have to see it and feel it to say it from the heart

Absolutely, positively Wellington !( Wellington City Council's logo ).. We are happy that we have chosen wellington, we love it, and we look forward to live here unless the destiny takes us somewhere else in NZ.. No regrets whatsoever ...!

So far, we had heaps of nicer things/experiences with people, Immigration @ Airport, Work places, Kid's child care, Grocery shops, Banks (extremely helpful and friendly ). Getting a Driver's license, IRD Number are breeze..

Getting a telephone/internet was very difficult. The prices weren't competitive, and for new immigrants it is difficult because you dont have a credit history here. Same goes with applying for credit-cards/loan cards or car loans etc.,. Having a job offer takes the edge off the difficulty in these processes.

Weather :- Funky like fashion here ! But absolutely no problems.. We are OK with surprise rains, cloudy sky and bright days .. Wellington has so much to offer, and lets embrace the weather along with other things it has to offer

Cheers to everyone !!!!

Peekaboo

[JandM]

Congratulations, and continuing good things to you.

[Tui2too]

Thanks for posting. Uplifting reading :-)

[tigerlily]

Congratulations! Glad to know you are settling in and have found work. Now that you have wheels you should bring the family up the Kapiti coast for a day at the beach!!

[Sun777]

Well done and good post

[Mamee & Co]

Great post. I remember that insecurity in the first few weeks, no job etc....but for us it is coming along nicely too...great post!

[April18]

happy for you..

[samay]

Thanks for the post .We are also thinking to come to Wellington for job search . See you soon.

[shawankit]

Thanks for posting your experience , very valuable read to make our minds mentally ready for the big move

[peekaboo]

Thank you everyone for the posts...

@JandM , Sun777 and April18 : Thank you for the wishes.. I cannot go without appreciating you both, for your consistent reply/response to the posts and threads in the forum... I would say, seeing a reply in such a forum is the first ray of hope for people aspiring to move to NZ..

@ Tigerlily : We are planning to visit kapiti coast some weekend soon.. Wheels= Wings !!

@Tui2too, Mamee&Co and Shawankit : It feels good to share that it has worked out well for us.. I am sure it gives hope to many others out there. I felt the same, when I read these kind of posts.. I wish it turns out positive for all of us, and hoping to see more of the success-stories in the future..

@ Samay : Hoping to see you in wellington soon...Always available for any info or help.