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Thread: We're finally here!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    19

    Default We're finally here!

    Hi Everyone,

    I havent posted here much during the course of our move, but I have gleaned lots of useful information from many posts, so I felt I should update and say, yes, we finally got here and so far it's great! It's taken about a year from starting the visa process to us both to be here, and that was with us being fast tracked, and much of that time was spend agonising the 'will they won't they' decision from INZ. But, we did it!

    We moved over together in Oct to Auckland, and I had to fly back to the UK for Nov & Dec to finish my job. Whilst i was over, we got a rental, bought a cheap-as-chips car and DH started work. Our stuff arrived in mid Nov, after only 7 weeks, which was great. Only casualty was a cheap clip-photo frame, which I think is pretty impressive. We shipped aboslutely everything, the only snag is trying to find everything now! As i was back in the UK when the container arrived my husband dictacted what did and didnt need to be opened straight away - where is all my stuff ay??!!!

    DH flew back the UK for xmas - made it easier to sort out some family stuff, and then we both came out last week. And the best news was that when we got back our cat was ready to come out of quarantine and we are now reunited with her. She's been living with my parents since Oct so its absolutely great to be back with her. And she seems to have been completely unfazed by her travels, which was such a relief.

    So so far, we love being here. People are so friendly and customer service is fantastic. Yes, somethings are more expensive, but others are cheaper and if you're prepared to shop around a bit, cook from scratch and eat seasonally, we've found that food shopping is a fair bit cheaper. only thing thats been disappointing on the food front is the quality of the chicken - really poor i think. But overall, the wonderful fish, fruit and veg make up for that - i guess we're going to be eating healthily!!

    only thing to do know is that I need to find a job, and then hopefully we'll be able to buy a house in about a year or so. So that's it - still can't believe it's actually happened but there we are - and all the hard work for INZ paid off in the end!

    And yes I know I need to change my location - just dont know how to!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Napier NZ
    Posts
    789

    Default

    Kia Ora.

    Welcome to Aotearoa!

    Change location; Click "Forum Actions" and then "Edit Profile"

    Nick..

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Waikanae Beach
    Posts
    176

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hoglet121 View Post
    Hi Everyone,
    We shipped aboslutely everything, the only snag is trying to find everything now! As i was back in the UK when the container arrived my husband dictacted what did and didnt need to be opened straight away - where is all my stuff ay??!!!
    Ha ha ha ha....
    We've still got around 50 John Mason boxes and a load of furniture (still wrapped) in the Boat-shed/Garage thingy outside.
    We have odd forays into the pile of boxes with a Stanley knife and a tape gun when the fateful words "I'm sure we packed it but..." are uttered.
    I found some small tools I had been looking for on the latest "I know I packed 'em and I knew Exactly where they were in the UK..." foray.... and we've been here 4 years now!! and the damn boxes have been dated and relabeled with a felt tip pen so often that we now have no idea what is in any of the boxes any more... so best of luck with that one then.
    How many boxes did you have by the way?
    We had 327 and they ran out of official blue stick-on numbers by box 302.


    Quote Originally Posted by hoglet121 View Post
    And the best news was that when we got back our cat was ready to come out of quarantine and we are now reunited with her. She's been living with my parents since Oct so its absolutely great to be back with her. And she seems to have been completely unfazed by her travels, which was such a relief.
    Glad the moggie is fine, our 7 cats didn't appear to be anything other than a bit hungry when we picked 'em up from Welly airport they were fine, the worst thing for them was the 30 days house arrest (the at home quarantine period) as it was middle of summer when they (and we) landed.

    Best of luck and enjoy living in NZ.

    Cheers
    G
    Last edited by Falcon_XR6; 9th January 2012 at 05:57 PM. Reason: Quite a few typos....

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Waikanae Beach
    Posts
    176

    Default

    Changing your Location etc......

    OK, to change your location (and other bits you may want to change).
    1) On the Dark Blue header to the forum look top right for "My Profile" and click on it.
    2) Center screen there are 3 tabs above the message box, click on "About Me".
    3) Change or enter anything you want on anything with a Yellow Pencil next to it.
    4) Click the "Save" box on anything you change... and that's it.

    n.b. You are limited on number of characters on "Location", "Interests" and "Occupation" but not (with in reasonable limits) on "Biography"

    Cheers
    G

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2008
    Posts
    37,822

    Default

    Congratulations!

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    3,697

    Default

    Welcome to kiwiland

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    19

    Default

    Thanks guys, changed it!!

    Falcon, we had 220 boxes, tho we only had a 20' container. It just all fitted - fortunately the week before I'd had a panic and sold a fridge on ebay or that would have been left behind! The garage and 3rd bedroom are chock full of boxes and wrapped furniture, most of which looks like nothing we've ever owned. Just need some enthusiasm for serious unpacking......

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Waikanae Beach
    Posts
    176

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hoglet121 View Post
    Thanks guys, changed it!!

    Falcon, we had 220 boxes, tho we only had a 20' container. It just all fitted .The garage and 3rd bedroom are chock full of boxes and wrapped furniture, Just need some enthusiasm for serious unpacking......
    First off... welcome to New Zealand and may you have a permanent and happy stay.

    Believe me just "seriously unpack" what you actually really need, stuff to sit on, stuff to sleep on and in, stuff to wear, cups and plates, kitchen stuff.

    Buy a gas barbeque before buying a cooker.
    Buy an outside table and chairs with a big sun shade.
    But a load of food to cook on the barbie.
    Buy a load of beer and wine.
    Sit outside drinking wine and beer watching your food slowly cook.

    Don't think I have missed anything out......

    Seriously, just spend some some time unwinding, you may not realise it but moving halfway round the planet actually takes it out of you.
    So spend a few days just relaxing and unwinding and let all the stress disappear and get to know and appreciate your new surroundings.


    OK, boxes.....

    2008-01-04 100.jpg
    This is a 40 foot Hi-cube, the bigest single container available, I thought it was overkill when it arrived...

    2008-01-04 101.jpg
    By now panic had set in.... It won't all fit!!!

    2008-01-04 102.jpg
    It took a lot of moving and shifting of boxes but they DID manage to get it all in... eventually... much to our relief.


    Then we watched as everything we owned (apart from 7 cats and what we were standing up in and everything could carry for the journey) disappeared up the road, a very weird feeling if ever there was one.

    And then when it all got here 6 weeks later.
    But that's another story.

    Welcome, and enjoy NZ
    Cheers
    G
    Last edited by Falcon_XR6; 11th January 2012 at 08:32 AM. Reason: typo... several of them in fact....

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