[phatsharpie]

I just joined the forum, and I wanted to say hi.

I am from the United States, and I just got notified that my application for PR has been approved in principle. I am very excited, and I am sure I will have a lot of questions for the board regarding moving to and life in New Zealand. I am looking forward to having interesting conversations! :)

Cheers,
Brian

[kanatakiwi]

welcome brian, you will find all the answers here!. I am from Victoria Canada and wish I had found this forum BEFORE I arrived in NZ.

[willsken]

Hi Brian, welcome to the forum. :clap Do you have any idea where in NZ you will settle?

[Nienke]

Hi Brian, welcome to the forum and congratulations with your PR!:nice1

[CjChris]

Hi, Brian, welcome. My OH and I are also in the US. Our application is in process. We are hoping to be in NZ in September. What are your plans? Will you be bringing anyone with you? You'll find lots of support here and lots of information.

Christine

[phatsharpie]

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone! :D

Nicola - I am currently planning to settle in Wellington. I don't want to get a car right away, and I was told that it's one of the only two cities (the other being Christchurch apparently) that it's possible to get around without a car. Also I lived in Melbourne, Australia for a couple of years before (and loved it), and I was told that Wellington is very similar to Melbourne in character and lifestyle.

Christine - I will not be bringing anyone with me. Currently I am planning to be in NZ by early next year.

[holland]

Welcome Brian, hope you find this forum as useful as I have!

J and G x

[jess]

Welcome! We're Americans living about 45 min. north of Welly. I've never been to Melbourne so couldn't compare the character, but I do love Wellington. The CBD is so compact that it makes getting around pretty easy. Even as far out as here in Kapiti people commute to the city by train. Living closer in you should be able to do without a car nicely.

Hope your prep for the move goes smoothly! :)

[kelpy]

Welcome to the forum!

[Bruckner]

Welcome to the forum Brian! We're leaving NYC on July 31st, if not sooner. If you have any questions this is the place to be.

Emily

[Kim39]

Jeeze an influx of newbies:eek: looks like we can't keep NZ to ourselves, so i will wish you a warm welcome to our world.

Kim

[SarahEDH]

Welcome, Brian :)

Since you're traveling solo you'll have a number of options around where/how to land in Wellington. If you have questions about short-term rentals, finding furnished places, dealing with landlords, good/bad neighborhoods, etc., many people here can share tips -- don't hesitate to ask.

Sarah

[zardell]

Hi Brian and WELCOME to the forum.

Julie

xx

[jen]

Welcome to the forum! We moved from California to Welly 3 months ago & are very happy so far. You can get around without a car here, especially if you liver and/or work close to city center; the bus system is normally very good (they went through a driver shortage a month ago and had to cut service on some routes but things seem to be back to normal now). Good luck planning your move -

Jen