Hi from Auckland

toots · #1 (**permalink**) 23-12-2004, 11:17 AM

Hi there. I came across this site from a link in Steve Netwriter's site.

I live in Northcross, Auckland. Not many people know where Northcross is so if I say it's almost Browns Bay you may get a better idea. (the real estate agents call this area Browns Bay, so even I get confused sometimes).

Myself, husband and 2 children have lived here since June 2004 and moved from Somerset, UK. Lock, stock and barrel never having visited NZ before. We haven't applied for residency yet and just hold WTR permits.

We are enjoying life here, very different to life in Britain but with enough similarities to make us feel comfortable.

Looking forward to joining in the chat :icon_biggrin:

Lisa · #2 (**permalink**) 23-12-2004, 11:24 AM

Hi Toots

Welcome to the forum, looking forward to your insight and on the ground experience.

It'll be very interesting to hear of your immigration story to date and how you and your Family have settled into NZed life :icon_biggrin:

Wishing you a happy first Christmas in Auckland :icon_razz:

Lisa :icon_biggrin:

andersonclan · #3 (**permalink**) 23-12-2004, 11:28 AM

Toots

Welcome to the forum. Glad to hear things are going well in NZ and it's good to hear of other people taking the plunge without a visit first.

Hope you have a great Christmas - will it be turkey and all the trimmings or the BBQ?

Merry Christmas

Margaret

toots · #4 (**permalink**) 23-12-2004, 11:58 AM

Hi Lisa and Margaret.

We're looking forward to our first Summer Christmas (not much sun around just at the moment so we're keeping our fingers crossed). No :icon_lol: no Turkey this year - just a roast leg of ham from the Madbutcher. Still need to buy the crackers thou' so it's off to the Warehouse this evening.

The kids are so excited about Christmas, they've been making decorations for the last week so that's kept them occupied.

Potted history here goes:

Decided we wanted to live in Australia (where we have relatives) or New Zealand and started to apply for jobs. Settled on NZ, got the medicals and police checks sorted at about the same time as Hubs got a job offer over here.

WTR visas came through pretty quickly. We took the applications into NZ House in person, just as well as we still needed to add some stuff.

Put the house on the market first weekend in May and it sold in 3 days, to a family who were effectively first time buyers (they were living in army quarters).

Got quotes in from shippers, decided on PSS. Cleaned everything until our fingers were raw and threw out all the pinecones.

Packers took 3 days to pack and almost filled a 40' container on day 4 in less than 3 hours (inc. a piano which 3 of them lifted into the back :icon_eek: icon_exclaim.gif ) We took everything with us except the kitchen sink and the lawnmower. Should have kept the lawnmower
:icon_confused:

Spent a week with the rellys saying goodbyes and then left on Malaysia Air
and had a stopover in Langkawi for a week. Arrived here in Auckland in the rain (hmmm, not much changed since then!)

We're living in rented accomm. at the mo, waiting for exchange rates to improve and hoping house prices may come down soon. It's very expensive here and we don't want to add to the problem.

Lots more to add of course which will come out over time.

Have a good Christmas too!