[Pagan]

Hi - we are about to make the monumental leap to spend 6 months in N.Z. (South Island) to spend more time with our son, lovely daughter in law and gorgeous new grandson. This will be followed by 6 months U.K - we have a couple of years to go until we our son can sponsor us.

Has any one else tried this - are there any restrictions on what you can/should ship, as we hope to buy a property there? Please let me hear your experiences on settling in and meeting people, with out being too reliant on our family.

We are very excited but did not realise how much junk one house and attic can hold.

[Joanne100]

Hi and welcome
My dad stayed with us fro 3 months and would have loved to move out here but because i have 3 other siblings in the UK its not possible for him, he would be very jealous of u!
good luck to u and enjoy your 6 month hol.
Joanne

[Familyofmonkeys]

Welcome to the forum....a very friendly helpful bunch here :)

There are some restrictions on what you can bring here....mainly plant/animal products e.g. seeds, unproccessed foodstuffs, rattan/wicker/cane (may need fumigation on arrival, but only sometimes). No pine cones or similar allowed. Outdoor stuff like garden furniture, glazed plant pots, lawnmowers and garden tools need to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. There are loads of threads here about what to pack, or you could look at the MAF website, and ask on the forum if any specifics you are not sure about.

As foe settling in...join some clubs and activities when you get here, or go along to one of the regular meet ups organised on this forum....some are in UK and some in NZ. We have found people very friendly and welcoming here.

[Pagan]

Thank you for your warm welcome - I am just starting to weave my way through the various threads - all extremely informative and very addictive - I keep getting side tracked from sorting out!

[Mickstim]

Hi Pagan.
Welcome to the forum! We are being sponsored by our son and have our blue stickers all ready to go. Enjoy your 6 months visit and hope it all works out for you.

[Pagan]

Hi there - how exciting - when are you hoping to move - just how do you decide what to take, its quite difficult but will be so worth it. Good luck with your move.