How often have you been back home since your move?

[macfod]

We have booked to go back mid July..only stopping to visit a daughter in Dubai and then in UK for three days!!
Need to collect some bits and go to Ikea! ha ha.
Plus see my dad and collect two of my daughters who are coming over for the first time to stay a month..
Its been 14 months since we left to travel...
Cost us $11k so far in fare!! ug!
But, we are looking forward to a break from heartbreak cafe now..........

[Dawn]

$11k to fly back to the UK!!!!!!

[Welshgirl]

I've been back to Wales 3 times since we got here in November 2004 but then I have 3 children there, so I have good reason to return. I plan another trip some time this year, but it's not going to be easy financially and, to be honest, I'm not looking forward to the plane again

Woudn't be so bad if it was just the cost of the flights, but when you take into account the spending money too (notwithstanding however good or bad the exchange rate may be at the time), it turns out rather expensive. Last time I was in Wales, I set myself a budet of 250GBP per week - not unreasonable for a holiday with 4 kids to feed and entertain I thought, until I realised that was $750 coming out of our bank account every week

I wish they had The Sun newspaper over here, where you could cut out the token and fly to the UK for $5, like they used to do for going to France, Spain, etc.....

[fisheress]

We've been here 18 months and did plan to go home as a family in July. After seeing the prices of flights and only 1 of us really wanting to return, we have paid for our 18 year old to go alone. He's there now and having a good time. I'm hoping he will return once he's got the 'want to see friends before they all go to uni' bug out of his system!!!

I do have the desire to pop back for a couple of days to see friends for coffee etc but, as a couple of days is impossible, I'm happy getting on with life here.

[selchie]

Good to see you're still haunting us now and again, Fisheress. I hope all is going swimmingly with you.

[Glenda]

Hi Fisheress,

Must be a bit of a wrench having your son in the UK, especially if he is enjoying himself a bit too much! I know very well that is going to happen to my kids at some point, probably individually (due to the cost) after they have done their school exams and before work or uni, though rellies in the UK would like to see them sooner. Also hope they don't stay away too long.

Like you, I think a visit would be nice - but not worth the expense, fatigue, travel and queueing at airports.

[jamesthecarman]

Ooh, good question.

My first trip home was after being in NZ for 16 months (was home for 6 weeks).

Then my next trip was 14 months later (home for 7 weeks).....this one was paid for by my family, and was semi-unexpected.

And my next one is planned 12 months later (June 08).

At first my plan was to go home once every other year. But it's been really close to once a year....I also phone home about 3 times a week (once on the weekends, and two of my lunches), so I'm still keeping fairly connected. Shoot, I still 'live' back home for 1/9th of the year (6 weeks/52 weeks).

I kind of "work to travel", so don't work a full 52 weeks every year. I don't have a wife or kids(yet), so my travel expenses are 2-4 times cheaper. But I save* a pretty large portion of my money (*save is a loose term, since that money tends to get used up when I'm not working, and afterwards there's maybe a few $100 left)

[selchie]

I'm glad to see you back, John. I hope life in Welly is still treating you well?

[Debd]

Hi Lil Amy, how are you doing?
It's been ages since I heard what you've been up to. I hope all is well.
We've been here for a year now and I'd like to visit England next year but just lately I've been talking more of taking a holiday in Fiji or the Cook Islands as it seems a bit mad to spend all that money to go back so soon when we don't even know if we'll ever have the chance to go to these exotic places that are fairly nearby!
It's interesting to hear about the term 'home'. I'm sure that I only call here home in NZ and England is England ha!
This does feel like home to me now. I'm really getting into this Auckland living.
Spring is here and the hot weather will come around Christmas and it seems daft to think of going back to England just yet ha!
Debra

[LilAmy]

Hi Debra,

Good to hear from you I was wondering how you were.

We're still doing well in the process of doing our ITA and hitting a few problems with my medical but that's another story. Hopefully it wont cause too many problems.

Still loving life here but desperate to get back on the road exploring again. Work is not the best at the mo...for my sins I am working at the IRD!!! Yes you heard right. I'm contracting at the moment as a Proj Coordinator so the money's good. Cant wait for my contract to end though as the work is awful!

Hope the kids are still enjoying themselves!

Chat soon,
Amyx