[ncalfamilyguy]

I have seen a few posts of migrants to NZ missing the odds and ends (quality tea, good chocolate, autos, etc) I am currently in northern CA (US) with my family still planning our move, (no paperwork yet, stil gathering courage). Are some things just not available? ( admitted a difficult concept for an american) or the prices just out of reason? are there no import businesses? Is it difficult for friends/relatives to ship in goods? Has anyone thought or tried to open an import business with western ties? any feedback would be appreciated, would be happy to trade rough estimates on any price comparisons from my area of the world to yours.

---Dave

[phatsharpie]

Cheap books. Books are ridiculously expensive in general. A library card is a must.

Oh, and Trader Joe's. I love Trader Joe's.

-B

[Bruckner]

I miss the variety of food items available in the US. I miss places like Whole Foods, Fairway, Zabar's and Trader Joe's. And as stated above, books are ridiculously expensive but even with a library card I find I have to work to locate a specific book in the area.

Never thought about an import/export business but it can be pricey to have things shipped to you.

Emily

[LesleyS]

A really good 'Curry House' - never had a decent one here yet, had to resort to making my own. :yes

Coming from West Yorkshire we had an amzing choice of 'awesome' curry places yum! :)

[marcia]

We've learn't to live without stuff we can't have, or buy something similar and get used to it - the only thing (besides proper cadbury dairy milk :nice1 ) that i ask people to bring me is persil non bio washing tablets, can't get them here and my son who has mild exeama (sorry can't spell it tonite too tired!) reacts to the persil sensitive here. Theres a Brit shop here in Palmy where you can buy those specially missed items - at a cost of course, and the lady there says you can request to add things to her shipments, she is looking into the persil tablets for me. :nice1

But basically we do without stuff that we were used to and can no longer get, you have to change and adapt to the environment you are in! :)

[Sam B]

I have found that I can get everything I miss foodwise at a price. There are 2 delis in Cambridge that stock English and European foods, and a shop/cafe in Hamilton (vitro) that does a wide range of European cheeses. At a price.

[Bozeman]

We haven't made the move yet but I have already discovered that good wine from countries other than NZ and Oz is hard to come by at a reasonable price. The good thing is that NZ and Oz wine is good!

[CJ22]

No curries?? :wah

[mikewalkerfrom]

There are plenty of curry houses (not as many as the UK though of course).

They're just "not the same" as the uk. We had a curry on Waikeke Island which I thought was the best I'd ever had. My wife thought the ingrediants were "to fresh" and that it obviously hadn't been stewing for a week.....

Go figure!

[DMcG]

No curries??

There are plenty of Indian restaurants, but their selection is fairly limited and the NZ curry style seems to involve a lot more cream. Getting a decent Methi Gosht or a Dhansak is very difficult.

One exception is Great India in Wellington who do the full range of curries you would expect in a good Curry House in the UK - I think the owner is from Leicester :D

Dougie

[Lupin]

BBC.

I know I can listen online but this doesn't help me integrate- I need the BBC to provide commentary on Kiwi life.

[Milliemoo]

BBC.

I know I can listen online but this doesn't help me integrate- I need the BBC to provide commentary on Kiwi life.

Totally know what you mean.

I listen to my fave shows (we have some gadget thing that plays the internet through the stereo) but it's not the same as if the BBC were with me here.

Milliemoo

[steviec]

:D Galaxy Ripple..................

[KerryS]

Hmm, not much anymore other than my friends. I really wish I could see all their babies growing up. My best friend's baby started school this year, and wasn't even born when I left the UK! Seeing pictures and talking isn't the same as actually being there with them.

I also miss Percy Pigs. I keep having big cravings for them for some odd reason...

[Sam B]

Fantastic curry restaurant in Hamilton - The South Indian Restaurant - God I love it, we all do, Peachgrove Road. It's half veggie too. Mmmm, I'm SO hungry - where's dinner?

[Potato]

We've learn't to live without stuff we can't have, or buy something similar and get used to it - the only thing (besides proper cadbury dairy milk :nice1 ) that i ask people to bring me is persil non bio washing tablets, can't get them here and my son who has mild exeama (sorry can't spell it tonite too tired!) reacts to the persil sensitive here. Theres a Brit shop here in Palmy where you can buy those specially missed items - at a cost of course, and the lady there says you can request to add things to her shipments, she is looking into the persil tablets for me. :nice1


Why Persil especially? It's easy to get hold of stuff made by Ecover or Down to Earth for washing clothes, which aren't based upon detergents and are surely better for everyone's skin :)
(Provided they can get the grass stains off of course :) )

[sweetpea]

Are some things just not available? ( admitted a difficult concept for an american) or the prices just out of reason?


eyeglasses ($$$$)
books ($$$$)
mattresses ($$$, even well-used)
trader joe's
ikea, or any inexpensive, stylish furniture
quality leather shoes (not available, mostly, or $$$$)
burritos like you get in the Mission
solid deodorant (only Dove stick is available)
ben & jerry's ice cream

The reason these things are not available is because of population - NZ is smaller than a US metropolitan area. And the American expat population is small, so there's not a huge market for this stuff.

[MaxG]

One exception is Great India in Wellington who do the full range of curries you would expect in a good Curry House in the UK - I think the owner is from Leicester :D

I second that - the only decent curries we had. And yes, he is from Leicester. Standard Kiwi curries (IYKWIM) are just too bland. And what is it with all the brocolli and cauliflower? :confused:

[Andy-Dee]

'''''' Percy Pigs''''''''' they are sooooooo fab

[marcia]

Why Persil especially? It's easy to get hold of stuff made by Ecover or Down to Earth for washing clothes, which aren't based upon detergents and are surely better for everyone's skin :)
(Provided they can get the grass stains off of course :) )

I've just alwasy used persil non bio, four of us are ok with just about anything, its just my eldest, if he used towels that my mum had washed in her powder it made him itch like mad, so we've tried to avoid changing, we even used to take his own sheets with us on holiday becasue the starch made him itch!

I'm just reluctant to mess about trying different stuff, at the moment I'm managing to stock pile the persil non bio, but at some point in the future I may have to re think it - so thanks for your suggestions!:)

[Familyofmonkeys]

Marcia....I also have serious problems with skin and detergents etc. One that I have found good for me here is the Ecostore Washing Liquid.....might be worth a try.

[shakyle2906]

Here is my list -

Eastenders............ (yes i am sad)

Hubby misses local rugby team 'Ospreys'

NEXT for clothes

M and S for 'treats' and special occasions

Decent Tv - UK wasnt up to much but here is utter rubbish!

Sharon

[dharder]

I miss the BBC as well, and the other biggie for me is Newspapers. There isn't a decent one to be had, and although I read a number of them online, it just isn't the same.

A couple of weeks ago, I picked up someone at the airport (Saturday or Sunday, can't remember), and while waiting, said 'I'll just go and get a newspaper'. So I went to the Whitcoulls at the arrivals terminal, and they had the Weekend Herald and some racing gazette and ... and that was it.

I almost broke down in the shop in despair. My local cornershop in London had loads of papers in various languages, and that wasn't even a special one, just your run of the mill cornershop.

I read the Times online, Herald (refuse to spend money on that), a couple of German newspapers, and of course the BBC.

But it really doesn't replace having a proper paper. Sigh.

When we came for a visit two years ago, we asked friends of ours living here already what they would like from the UK, and they said 'an Observer, or a Sunday Times, or just any newspaper, really, we don't even care if it is old'. We did bring it, although at the time I thought the request rather strange. Can totally relate now.

Daniela

[Sam B]

Yeah, I miss the papers and channel 4, and BBC and radio and all media really. My best friend sends me a monthly parcel of clippings and the family section from the Guardian, with her comments written on the side, I love it ... God I'm welling up .... she's such a great friend!

[Potato]

Hubby misses local rugby team 'Ospreys'



Who needs the Ospreys when you have the Magpies?! :exit :clap

[Watna]

Hmm, not much anymore other than my friends. I really wish I could see all their babies growing up. My best friend's baby started school this year, and wasn't even born when I left the UK! Seeing pictures and talking isn't the same as actually being there with them.

I also miss Percy Pigs. I keep having big cravings for them for some odd reason...

That's so weird. I'm sitting in work in Dublin munching on a bag of them right now. Spooky! They have new ones too, called Percy Piglets. They're tiny versions of percy pigs.

Guess I should eat as many bags while I still can!

[boatieman]

M + S

Esp Their original Pesto

Mozarella,

Pizza Express,

Proper Sausages

Proper Beer,

Music Shops that are not so expensive, Instruments are a rip off here

Sheet Music

TV

Comedy


Not a lot to ask for really!!!

[nippa&pippa]

There is very good indian place in Rolleston, very nice!

I miss....

Tesco's and sainsbury's children clothes :laugh

seriously because they are cheap, hard-wearing and best of all, easy to get hold of in supermarkets without making trip into city to stock up bodysuits, sleepsuits, socks, pants etc. for children

[LesleyS]

It's a bit sad, but I cannot find anything as good as Schwartz Roast Lamb, Beef, Chicken, and Turkey gravy mixes...used them for years in the UK and got perfect results every time.
I may have to peruse the UK shop in town, but wont like the prices there I guess! May have to ask a friend to send 10 of each and reimburse them the cost and postage.

[willsken]

May have to ask a friend to send 10 of each and reimburse them the cost and postage.

Mum sent me some Bisto and a few packet sauces, a shoe box full. It cost her £53 in postage. :no It wasn't even that big a shoe box. She didn't tell me how much it was going to cost before she sent it or I would have told her not to. No wonder I had to put up with sarcastic comments about putting Champagne on my food, from my dad, every time I spoke to him! :uhoh :uhoh

[caz]

I have found just about everything I need here, the only thing I buy from the Brit shop is Ready Brek, my son loves it. As I prepare everything from fresh ingredients I have so far not missed anything. Even the chocolate tastes ok to me and I am a chocoholic!!!:yes

[Familyofmonkeys]

I finally thought of something we can't find here.......veggie/vegan parmesan substitute from Tesco. We brought 2 tubs over with us and my mum brought 3 more with her last September......but we only have half a tub left now.....time to ask someone to post more :wah

[JandM]

Boatieman, I noticed your comment about sheet music. I wonder if you've seen there are websites where you can download it? Obviously, it'll all depend what style you're after if this is any help.

[boatieman]

JandM

Thanks for the suggestion I'm gonna do a few googles.
But, its a bit like amazon. I go to the book shop for hours to browse, which I feel is a must for books. Then see if they are cheaper on Amazon, or more than likely just make a spontaneous binge type purchase.
With sheet music, I like to look through and get a feel of what I'm getting similar to books. Might be Radiohead, might be a Vaughan williams symphony who knows ?

Thanks anyway

[JandM]

I know just what you mean. Cheers, anyway.:nice1