[Wannaway]

We heard a couple of weeks ago that our applications for permanent residency had been approved in principle :yes and all we have to do is get the stamps in our passports when Lee has been in the job 3 months. So we are waiting til 22 Feb and we will then send our passports back to the UK to get them stamped. It seems this will be quicker than getting it done here.

All in all we have had a busy year. We saw 2004 in in Switzerland and as we were preparing ourselves for the return to the UK at the end of May we started to think again about coming to NZ. We really didn't think we would get in but when we got an immigration consultant who specialised in NZ (the general one was crap) we were given a lot of hope. Then the hurdles of cutting ties, selling the house, quitting jobs - somehow we all stayed remarkably calm throughout, I think we knew we had to do this so we just got on with it. Lee flying over her for interviews was next and all those job offers :cheers ! DEFINITELY WORTH THE COST OF THE TRIP! Then just to packing up, shipping and then the worst bit- living with relatives until our work visas came through - thankfully only 3-4 weeks! A few stops in Oz on the way for hols and visit friends (BUSINESS CLASS REALLY WORTH DOING WITH KIDS!) and then finally to these shores :clap . After a few horrid and noisy weeks in the heart of the CBD we found a house big enough for all of us and our posessions in a quiet area ( most we saw were not big enough or real dogs and most were not quiet enough). We are paying a bit more than we wanted but it is worth it, we soon realised that property costs here for something decent (ie what we are used to) are higher than we had imagined. Weeks spent shopping for electrical goods etc are thankfully now over and we can just get on with normal everyday living. Happy New Year! :cheers

[Diny]

Brilliant posting.

By the way .... I was interested in your bit about "BUSINESS CLASS IS WELL WORTH IT".

I've done the journey between NZ and the UK and Oz and the UK more times than I wish to shake a stick at .... quite frankly ..... I hate it.

It's not the boredom. In fact boredom doesn't come into it. The chance to while away all those hours being waited on hand and foot is nothing to be sniffed at. However, my problems are my legs. I'm fairly tall (ish) - 5'8" and withing a couple of hours they are feelinglike they are locking up. I get a feeling that can only be described as cramp but without the pain and my toes just curl up and ache like crazy. There's just not enough room to be comfortable in cattle class. Yeah I know .... I'm an odd blighter.

So .... I've 'suggested' (in the female sence of he word. i.e. 'told') PB that when we leave, we either fly Business Class or have a stopoever in a comfy hotel in Singapore.

So - which would you suggest?

Diny

[Wannaway]

Hi Diny,

If you don't have kids, you may get away with flying economy and stopping over in Singapore etc for a few days. We didn't go for this because we figured the kids would hate Singapore and it would be too hot and sticky. Personally, if you can afford it, I would go for business class, particularly on Singapore Airlines. The service is top quality and the seats poractically go into flat beds - but it is a lot of money to spend!

We flew business class from London to Perth, stayed in Perth for a week, flew economy to Melbourne, stayed there for a few days and then economy Mel to Akl. That worked out quite well as the last few journeys were relatively short hops etc. But all those flights together for a 2 adults and 1 child cost GBP7k!

Go on, pamper yourself - go business class!

Lee & Nicky

[Diny]

Well I've just had an idea.

Business class AND a stopover in Singapore.

Our 2 boys - age 7 and 9 - love the heat of Singapore. We spent a few hours there on the airport roof garden (exciting eh) and we practically had to drag them onto the next leg of the flight.

Hey listen ... I'm sold on the idea. Just need to work my womanly charms on the old fella. ;)

Diny

[foolsgold99]

We thought about flying business class, it's a long flight and it does make a difference to your state when you get to the other side.

I've flown business class a few times on trips to the west coast of the states, and it's nice.

However we'll mostly likey just go cattle class for the move out to NZ though, it's hard to justify spending the cash on business class flights, when the money could be spent on a car when we get to the other side.

24 hours of not so comfortable versus a 2nd car at the other side is a price worth paying in my book.

Alan & Sally

[Wannaway]

Hi Alan and Sally,

If it had been just Lee and I then we would have gone cattle class and like you would think of the money we 'saved' as a car. As we have two young boys the flight out was the only thing I had been dreading and the more I dwelt on it the more I realised we had to go business class for at least the Lon to Perth stretch if I was to keep my sanity - and you can't put a price on that! I knew I woudn't get much sleep but if the boys got their full quota then I wouldn't be a tired mum trying to look after two extremely tired and cranky boys :wah . My eldest who is 5 has trouble sleeping if he is upright (long car journeys are NOT fun) so it really was worth it for him. The Crew kept back meals for him and his brother for when they woke up which was great - not sure if they do that for you in cattle class. We couldn't believe how smoothly the whole trip went! In fact it was far easier than the Easyjet flights Luton to Zurich we did at the start of 2004 and they were only 1hr 20 mins each!

[MikeandCez]

To be honest if we had the money then business class every time. However we've done the trip with 2 young children in cattle class and it's not as bad as you think. We only had a 2 hour stop off at KL but the kids coped well and managed better than we do.
Perhaps it's just that I'm stingy but I'd recommend cheap

[shagen]

No doubt Business Class is luxury but I personally think it is way too expensive unless someone else is picking up the tab (like when I travel on business).

You could do the trip on economy and spend a few days in Singapore before continuing on to NZ. The break in between is definitely cheaper than Business Class and it reduces the stress of a long continuous journey, quite a bit. Furthermore I am sure you can think of ways to spend that extra change in NZ!

We have travelled economy on Qantas with two kids (aged 2 & 4 then) to Brisbane from Singapore which is a good 7 hours and they fared quite well during the trip but were a little cranky on arrival. There wasn't much of a time difference for us but from London to NZ is entirely different. Personally the jet lag travelling east is worse than the other way around!

Cheers,