[Clare & Dunc]

Hi,
My partner and I are coming to NZ in Oct. We are living back at our respective parents houses until we fly out (coming back home when you are 35 can be a tad strange and frustrating!!!).
Both of us have been avid readers of the forum but haven't got around to signing up. I have a couple of questions to ask but will be posting them in the relevant threads.
So a BIG hello to everybody out there.
Clare

[speckythecky]

Hi Clare and Dunc,
congrats on your first post.

John

[Steadybears]

Hi Clare and Dunc
It took me a while to join the forum and its my treat every evening when we sit down for our wine to read up and see how everyone is progressing. Its been my life saviour!!

Welcome
Jayne

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Clare and Duncan and welcome to the forum.
We are a friendly bunch on here and most of what you need to know you can either search for or ask. Usually someone will be able to help.

Kindest regards

Dave and Caroline

[holland]

Hi Clare and Dunc,

Welcome to the forum...where are you heading in NZ??

J and G x

[lockstock]

Welcome to the forum. Well done for taking the plunge!

[srivett]

Hi Clare and Dunc, and welcome to the forum. You'll be out of your parents' places soon - but I can sympathize with the sudden restriction of it all! Good luck with everything :)

[Familyofmonkeys]

Hello Clare and Dunc...so where abouts in NZ are you headed?

[The Hodges]

Hi there Clare & Dunc

(I would call you C&D, but we have one of those already :D )

Welcome. Go on spill the beans, what-d'ya-do and where'd you come from?

[M&J]

Hi Clare and Dunc

I'm sure you will find this forum a wealth of information and loads of people offering help, we have. Good luck with the move, it will soon come round.

Cheers

Jo

[Clare & Dunc]

Thank you for all your hellos and warm welcomes. Here are all the gory details as requested!!!!
We have moved from Billericay, Essex back to our childhood homes in Gloucestershire. I am an Early Years Practitioner (this is the new name for nursery nurse) and Dunc is an Optoelectronic Engineer. We are moving to Auckland as Dunc's job is in Panmure.
The decision to come to NZ was made after we visited on our around the world trip nearly 5 years ago.
From start to this stage has taken 2.5 years without any hitches, so far!!!
We are having a holiday on the way, Singapore and Malaysia and then onto Auckland 2 weeks before Dunc starts his job.
Clare

[willsken]

Hello and welcome to the forum! :clap :clap

[LesleyS]

Hello and welcome

We are also heading out to North Island on the 8th of October.
Scary isn't it?

Regards

LesleyS

[Clare & Dunc]

Hi Lesley, I am not scared as yet!!! The stress of packing, sorting, re packing,selling stuff on Ebay and deciding whether to transport the car is overtaking at the moment. I am sure it will kick in at some point, probally when we land in Auckland airport with nowhere to stay!!!!!
Where are you moving to?
Clare

[LesleyS]

Clare.....
We are moving to the Bay of Plenty - Tauranga/Mount Maunganui. It's a lifestyle change for us, so good weather was always going to be a priority. :nice1

My OH was there this March and decided this was where he wanted to be (he toured around NZ before that to make justifiable comparisons)

No job offers as yet, but plenty of contacts and support when we arrive hopefully! :)

Good Luck
LesleyS

[HelenandPhil]

Hi Clare & Dunc
Welcome to the forum! We are also arriving in October and having to move back to parents in September before we go..we have rented our house out and are now living for the next month in an empty house a friend has just sold... living on two garden chairs and a futon! so we can appreciate your frustration! Where are you going to be living when you get there?

[Scotty69]

Hi Clare & Dunc Welcome to the forum and good luck at the parents could not go back myself, October you say wish it where us. good luck :raebanana

[Clare & Dunc]

Helen,
Have not got anywhere to stay as yet. We will probaly hostel it while we are looking for a rental. We have given ourselves 2 weeks to find something before D starts his job on the 1st Oct. Hope that is long enough!!!!
Clare

[holland]

Hi Clare,

have you managed to find any work yet? I work in the early years field also...we hopefully arrive in November, staying in Auckland for a few days then heading to Hawkes bay

J x

[Caroline and Dave]

Hi Clare & Dunc.
From one C&D to another, I notice you say you are going to stop in Malaysia on the way. If you can fit it in you should go to The Cameron Highlands. It is beautiful up there and cooler than the rest of Malaysia. Definetly are favourite place there.

Kind regards

Caroline & Dave

[Clare & Dunc]

Caroline and Dave
Thanks for the tip, but we have already been. I agree it is beautiful. Dunc spent most of the time Land Rover spotting!!!! Did you visit the tea plantation? We plan to go to some of the islands and do some diving.
Clare.

[Clare & Dunc]

Hi Holland,
I haven't got a job as yet. What do you do in early years? I have looked at a couple of agency web sites. What about you?
Clare

[bibet80]

Hi Clare & Dunc,

pheww...finally I got the chance to post something here. Would like to know which company your husband work as an optoelectronic engineer in Panmure? My husband is also an optoelectronic engineer and we have difficulties in finding suitable job in NZ. We're thinking to appply for skilled imigrant visa, but then it seems like no demand for optoelectronic engineer.

For diving in Malaysia, maybe you can consider Pulau Perhentian (or Perhentian Island) ?

[Clare & Dunc]

Hi bibet80,
Dunc will be working for a company called PureDepth, something to do with 3D displays????? A tad technical for me!!!! It is a very small company that does display optics (not really optoelectronics). The only other companyhe knows of is Southern Photonics. Hope this is of some help.

We ended up on Pulua Tiomon for the diving, its on the south east side of the Malaysian mainland. Lovely place, a turtle shaped island with small beaches and jungle covered mountains and no tarmaced roads.

Clare.X

[Clare & Dunc]

We have arrived!!!!
Well we have been here nearly a week, arrived on the 17th. Staying in a hostel in Mt Eden.
Been driving around looking for rentals, found a really nice unit, partially furnished in St Helliers. Will be phoning the agent on Monday for another look!!!
Clare.X

[whiskythedog]

hi clare and dunc - our rental in st heliers is available from 1 oct for one month - just enough time to buy a house ?
we were paying $600 a week but would accept $400
3 bed,fenced gardens,white goods,10 minutes walk to beach
pm me if interested
greg
ps st heliers is a really nice place to live !
greg

[kellyfamily]

Hi Clare and Dunc
Rentals generally are no probs i was in one within 4 days in Bethlehem (Tauranga) and then when i moved to Mt Maunganui 1 month later hee hee Bethlehem was toooo quiet for me without the wife and kids, It took about 10 days as the other tenants were leaving so it doesnt have to be a drawn out process and most rental companies now only seem to need 21 days notice. But if they want you out they have to give 42 days.
job wise not got a clue what a optoplaelecrtonictarian does:)

[kellyfamily]

Sorry i missed you before you went to Malaysia though i would have asked you to hit patayan st market for me and buy tons of snide gear (all xl)
that goes to anyone else travelling through Kuala lumpar too.

heehee
thanks
john

[Clare & Dunc]

We have somewhere to live. Yippee.
I phoned the agent this morning and she said someone else had appiled for the same unit. We then hot footed it to the office filled in a form and went off to look for other rentals, about 20 mins later the agent phoned to say the landlady had accepted our application. I don't know if this was a way to get our asses in gear???
We move in on Saturday. I have already bought a microwave and a wool filled duvet!!! (I am feeling the cold after 3 weeks in Singapore and Malaysia)
Any St Helierits out there???
Clare.X