[MotherBear]

As requested, here are some of my random impressions and thoughts about my first few days in NZ. These are based on living with a family and doing everyday stuff, so we aren?t in holiday mode all the time. This is important, so we can gauge how we will react to living here. There are no rose-coloured specs being worn whilst making the following statements and they are purely my early thoughts and someone else would undoubtedly see things from a different perspective, particularly one who hasn?t left their home country before. In fact, my own opinions may well change the longer I?m here, for better or worse. The comments are in no particular order, just how they popped into my mind and are only relevant to the Waikato, a farming area.

Airport external ground staff, police, posties etc. all wearing shorts. Gives an informal, relaxed atmosphere to the place. The posties here travel round on mopeds with a little flag sticking up at the back.

Exiting Auckland airport, I was surprised at the cool wind blowing, even though it was midsummer. I hadn?t expected that, as people had said how warm it is, even when there is cloud cover. It?s not just us coming from Oman and feeling the cold either, as it?s a similar temperature there now, being winter. Lot of cloud around every day, even though it?s sunny. Haven?t experienced a totally cloud-free day yet, but I live in hope. Apart from the first couple of days when we had heavy showers, it?s been dry. When the sun is out it?s very strong and, away from the wind, can be quite painful on the skin if you stay in one place for long. Easy to see why people can burn without realising it. The cool wind takes the sting away, so you wouldn?t necessarily be aware that your body was about to become a slab of crispy bacon.

The scenery ? I found it not too dissimilar to the UK, plenty of green around, fields, mountains, trees etc. Although people had raved about the wonderful scenery, I didn?t find it different or exotic enough to get excited about (remember, this is just in the Waikato). Before coming here, I guessed that this would be my feeling from what I?d researched myself, so it wasn?t a disappointment. I would say that I love the various palms, huge ferns and fern trees and there are other things, which, on closer inspection are unusual and interesting. I also love the areas of smooth, green rolling hills that almost look like an undulating fluffy velvet carpet. They are soothing to the eye. Roads aren?t too bad, bit bumpy in places (need resurfacing), but they are quite well signposted. Warning signs for schools are bright lime green, so no excuse for missing them. Central reservations on dual carriageways often have colourful flowerbeds and, generally, there are a lot of flowers around. Things grow well, including weeds.

Quite a bit has been said about the standard of driving here but, so far, we haven?t had any problems. Apart from peak times, the roads are comfortable to drive on, allowing for thinking time when we don?t quite know where we?re going.

The people are certainly more friendly and helpful than in the UK and, particularly, Oman, but I haven?t experienced it wholesale i.e. on a regular basis. It?s nice to smile at someone and have the smile returned and a few strangers have spoken to me in the shops, which was nice. I?m a great fan of the kiwi accent and it always brings a smile to my face to listen to them. More Maoris than I expected, but we are near to Ngaruwahia where the Maori queen lives (and where our new house is), so perhaps it?s to be expected. It?s nice to have the mix. I look forward to mingling further with the locals in the coming days.

I wouldn?t say I was anticipating a lot from NZ, Daisyspop, I was looking more for ?normality?, the sort of life I could see myself living. So far, in that respect, NZ has well come up to scratch. To see yourself as an inhabitant of NZ, I think you need to have both feet on the ground and your sensible hat on. If the scenery and the weather are stunning and everyone around you is in holiday mood and the hotel you?re staying in caters for your every whim, cleans, cooks and washes up after you, that would eventually pall and you?d wonder ?OK, what now?? Whereas, when everything around you looks like something familiar, something you can fit into and relate to, you can then judge better how you?d settle in this country. That?s why this rambling ?life of everyday folk? is probably not entirely what members want to read. As the days go by it will evolve along with my feelings. When I have more time, I?d like to try to spell out some of the day-to-day happenings of ordinary NZ folks in case they are of help to our members about to make the move. I don't want to gush about how things are here, better to keep it low-key and then people can make up there own minds when they get here.

More to follow??.. doing some garden tidying now, pre house move on Saturday.