Hi Sara,

I must admit it was daunting bringing our 5 year old daughter out here - half the reason we decided to come was because we believed we could provide a better life here for her than we could in the UK, so we could only hope that it was the right thing to do in taking her away from her grandparents/family, school, routine, etc...
In hindsight, I would say it was the right choice. I was, by my own admission, sometimes an over-protective parent whilst we were in the UK. If she went out out of my sight for a few second in the supermarket, I would start to panic. Now, when we go the local shopping centre, I will quite happily let her go to the toilet on her own and have a wander around a nearby shop on her own, without the feeling of dread that something will happen to her. This is not to say that kids are 100% safe here and should be left to wander the streets from a very young age of course - it's just that, well, kids seem to be allowed to be kids over here, because they grow up in a much safer and friendlier environment. My experience here is that NZ is, in general, a much more child-tolerant place than the UK.
When we first got to NZ, we lived in Tauranga for a few months, and I admit to having doubts as to whether it was the best place for children. Yes, it's a beautiful place, but we felt quite isolated there and there's not much for kids around that area. Since we came to Hamilton however, I am convinced it was the right thing to do. There are so many opportunities for children here. I guess it's to do with it being a larger city, with more amenities, etc. The people here are friendly and the schooling appears to be of a high standard. Our daughter hasn't actually started school yet (Immigration red tape :013: ) but when she does, it will be an opportunity for her to make plenty of friends and also for me to make a few friends (hopefully!).
Anyway, enough waffle! Sorry for the long post but I feel quite strongly that this is just a NICE place for kids to grow up!