You were enquiring on "Safe Flight Taffy". :icon_biggrin: Well, I do pop onto the forum now and again! Just feel a bit worried I might get carried away and a Part 5 suddenly appears. :icon_rolleyes: :icon_lol: :icon_wink:

Hubby is in the UK, changing estate agents at the moment for a fresh approach on selling the house. :icon_rolleyes: I think he is having a whale of a time travelling and meeting family and friends. :icon_mad:

Here in NZ, the kids have settled into school. They actually quite like it. My eldest could take a bus home in the afternoons but it means missing 15mins of the last lesson and ... guess what? ... he doesn't want to miss 15mins of the last lesson, so I have to pick him up. No.2 child is happy in the local high school - she says the assemblies are actually interesting and nobody worries if they do not do their homework. :icon_eek: icon_exclaim.gif She is surprised that the class plays recorders in music lessons as they are considered babyish in the UK, and having to learn actual dances (waltzes etc.) in dance lessons instead of some modern interpretation of dance as they had to do in the UK. She does complain of having to do PE in bare feet (whatever the weather), and also the work being too easy for her - she really needs to be in the next year up. This is something that new immigrants should think about carefully when putting their child in school here. No.3 is still being homeschooled - which is a battle of wills. The youngest is fine at school but jealous of all the love, cuddles and kisses he thinks I am giving his brother at home.

We have pulled out the section of land we were buying. The geotech report stated that whilst the ground was fine for building, it was not for the absorption of water due to a thin layer of soil and clay before hitting rock. Therefore, we would need three water tanks in the garden and the whole of the half acre would need to be dug up for soakaway drip-pipes. No one dare say what the cost would be. We have heard from other ex-pats that whilst these building companies do put up gorgeous houses, they can be a little uninterested in what works have to be carried out on the site before and after the house is built. Indeed, had I not chased them for the geotech report, I wonder if we would have ever seen it!

We are still waiting for our container. At the moment Crown have it in storage. :icon_sad: We have 20 days from arrival of the container (3 August) to get PR or have to pay GST on the lot! :icon_eek: icon_exclaim.gif PR in our case is complying with the conditions of the business investor visa we have applied for. Unfortunately, this has been delayed a week or two and it looks as if it will not happen before the 20 day limit. Crown are hoping that Customs will accept that we expect to have have PR shortly and we only have to pay a returnable bond in the meantime. My fingers and toes are crossed.

That really is all that is happening. The mandarins are rotting ... so we are picking the newly ripened oranges. :icon_mrgreen: The weather is not getting much warmer yet ... still have to put a fleece on in the mornings. :icon_mrgreen:

Must say that we are still happy we are here. No homesickness as yet. We do miss decent TV though - not just programmes but reception. It seems about 40% in NZ have Sky and I can understand why. As soon as we get the elusive PR, I will be getting it installed.

::):