[sarahw]

OK I thought I'd start a new topic for those of us who are out here already to give those who are going through the painful process to get here something to look forward to!!! Stuff we've done for leisure that we never would have done at home & how different the outside of work part (the fun bit!) is.

We had such a great weekend where I ended up having a 'wow we're here & this is our life' moment & I'm sat here in the beautiful sunshine today just reflecting on it all & how lucky we are...

We have rugby season tickets - something that we would never have had at home & go to see the Wellington Hurricanes home matches - we can't believe how well organised everything is - there's a walkway to the trains afterwards & all the trains are lined up waiting to take you home (as well as buses waiting at the stadium too). They also reduce the price of a return on the train (from our house) from $10 to $6 on match days - how cool is that?! They sell wine & beer (in plastic bottles) for you to take to your seats & there's not a policeman in sight in the stadium or the city.

We sit out at restaurants/pubs watching the sun set & the boats in the harbour coming in & going out - we used to sit in a restaurant watching the traffic jams outside!!! :eek

Ian has just started windsurfing lessons & is buying a mountain bike, taking up sea fishing & eventually getting a jetski. He's also taken badminton up one night a week. At home he did pilates once a week - that was it - no other activities.

I'm going to get a kayak as we live next to an inlet that is great for kayaking (thought would never have crossed my mind at home) & am going to take up mountain biking again (10 years since I did it last) The only exercise I had time to do at home was to do the gardening & cleaning! I'm also so inspired by the scenery here (even out of our kitchen window that I'm going to take up watercolour painting (never done that in my life either).

We go to the beach most weekends (we live 5 mins drive from the nearest beach) - even if the weather is not so good just for a walk - (and an icecream) to take in the extraordinary views. We didn't really go out for walks too much at home (well to the pub & back if that can be counted :laugh ).

We don't watch much TV - maybe 2 nights a week & a film one night a week whereas the TV was always on at home & it drove me nuts! Now instead we both enjoy reading, chatting or sitting out with a glass of wine.

Our life is being lived a lot more outdoors & I must say its marvellous! We've really got back our get up & go rather than our too tired to be bothered attitude at home. I can only imagine how wonderful this lifestyle must be for those with kids!!!

[Radders]

We used to drive 5 hours down to Woolacombe for our surf with every other surfer from the UK. You'd see a wave coming turn round and be confronted with a thousand bobbing faces, and no where to go! Now it's a 5 minute walk and I have the surf to myself, although sometimes I do have to share it :no :cool .
I have tickets to 5 of the lions games in june, where I could never get a ticket for twickenham back home.
We too enjoy ice cream walks down the beach.
I haven't worn a pair of shoes outside of work for the last 4 months.
TV's awful, so no need to watch!

[ruthyroo]

Woo hoo a positive post :clap (though it will be interesting to see if a high % of responses come from DINKYs like ourselves who have the time and money to do all these great things without financial worries ;) !)... we bought kayaks about 6 months ago and have been out and about in most of the Rotorua lakes with some fantastic weather - swimming, lunching, snorkelling en route usually. We also took them up to the Bay of Islands and had a fantastic weekend of island hopping and swanning about on a friend's yacht... DH has bought a fabby mountain bike and often heads off on the world class tracks in the redwood forest here to risk life and limb. Something that really impresses me is how well organised and well supported the community sporting events are... DH entered the Round Lake Taupo (160km cycle :eek ) Cycle event last year and there were over 10,000 people there just as competitors - no way would that hapoen in Scotland! We read a lot and talk and write to friends. We bought a hooded BBQ so that has become our kitchen - the oven is hardly ever on and we eat outside whenever possible. Finally, we were lucky enough to land a dream rental overlooking Lake Tarawera and the volcanoes - architect designed, contemporary and something we could never have afforded to rent in Scotland.

How nice to come on an post some of the good things that have happened for us - it's easy to forget them in the midst of job nightmares!

[Tate6]

Wow!! Thanks so much for the nudge back to why most of us want to get to NZ!! I know the money facts are something we all need to know and consider, but what you all have reminded us is that there are tons of free or inexpensive things to do WITH our loved ones!! Something we forget to do in the rat race of life in US/UK or where ever.

Keep these positive images coming!!
:clap :nice1

Terry

[Diny]

What a brilliant thread !!!!

There's no point in ignoring the 'negative' reports about life in NZ becuase they will and DO exist, but heck .... forget them for a moment!!

This is the kind of stuff that is needed every now and then to give everybody a boost. Leisure reports .... keep them coming.

We're in abit of a unique situation as hubby will be staying in his present job (oil industry) when we move to NZ next month. He works one month away and then has a month off. We manage to fit plenty of family time and outings into our lives over here in the UK so can only imagine how wonderful it will be to spend all that free time in NZ.

We're keeping the boys out of school for a couple of months until we're really decided upon a place to settle (another unique situation - we don't have to take anything other than our own personal choice into consideration when deciding where to live in NZ) - hopefully we'll make the most of that time to really get to grips with what the country has to offer. I still can't get my head around the idea that next month we'll be arriving in NZ on a one way ticket. I wonder whether trying to cram everything into 4 weeks will be a hard habit to break?

This is the time of year we're normally visiting NZ. It seems rather odd being in the UK at the moment.

Great to hear your 'fun news' ....... well done all.

Diny

[Annierobrigado]

thanks this is indeed a positive thread... i enjoyed imagining the sights and sounds you all described. this is just the perk-me-up i need to remind me that some of you all went through the same things i had and have come out hale and hearty and thriving!

:clap
annie

[paulwardle]

what a great post, & subsequent posts. They all reminded me of our time in NZ during the whole of 2003 & they're all the reasons why we're going back permanently in June of this year. For anyone condering it, all the things on this post are what makes it, & make up for the negatives. We used to live walking on the beach where we lived, Lyall Bay eating ice creams, or getting a few beers & sitting with our dinner on our decking overlooking the beach. As someone said, i never wore shoes outside of work for months.....what a place.
Cant wait to return & buy a kayak, go kayaking in the bays, had never done it before going, & haven't since we came back, its so expensive & restricted here. The time me & my partner had together there was extraordinary, walking all the time along the beaches, cycling around the bays, here the best we can manage is a walk to the rugby club & back, maybe a walk down the local canal.
We cant wait to return, thanks for this post.

[Beach Kiwi]

This is all you need to remember! :nice1

Most British beaches:

http://www.strike9.com/Kiwi/bourne.jpg

Most Kiwi beaches:

http://www.strike9.com/Kiwi/cooks.jpg

:cheers

[Nicola]

Just like to stand up for the beeches up in Northumberland. They are the same as the NZ beeches and never ever crowded, mile upon mile of golden sand. But and here is the catch as you all know they are totally freezing.

[Beach Kiwi]

Just like to stand up for the beeches up in Northumberland. They are the same as the NZ beeches and never ever crowded, mile upon mile of golden sand. But and here is the catch as you all know they are totally freezing.

They have deserts in Antarctica, but they're not exactly like the deserts in Africa. :mrgreen:

NZ beaches, in the North Island, at least, are reasonably 'accessible' during most seasons - ie, not too cold. :cool

[Glenda]

Just like to stand up for the beeches up in Northumberland. They are the same as the NZ beeches and never ever crowded, mile upon mile of golden sand. But and here is the catch as you all know they are totally freezing.

Can second that! :nice1

We was thinking of moving there but were a little worried about heart attacks .... just could not get used to the fear when the fighter jets suddenly appeared screaming behind us.
:smile

[Nicola]

How weird Glenda, as I am reading this, one has just shot over the house making all the windows vibrate. You do sort of get used to them after a while.

I swear they get lower and lower every year. When I was little we used to joke that you could see the pilots. Now we joke that you can see the colour of the pilots eyes. Maybe that is why there are no people here. I think the popultaion density is 28 people to the square somthing or other(a technical term), in comparison with 238 which is the UK norm.

Do they have problems with low flying fighter jets anywhere in New Zealand?

Nicola

[Diny]

Just an observation here, has anybody else noticed the odd behaviour of people on Brit beaches?

A couple of times a year we try to take the kids over to the 'seaside' (usually somewhere in north Wales) - just for a day out really - and they like the sea.

There's a beach we go to at Taly Bont which is between Barmouth and Harlech. The people there park their cars, get out their deck chairs and wind breaks etc and walk onto the beach. That's it !!!!! They stop right there. As soon as they feel sand beneath their feet they a glued to the spot. You get hundreds of people all crammed into a few hundred square yeards.

Walk 5 mins down the beach and you get it to yourselves - very odd.

But - (always one to give a balance of opinions :roll: ) - have just recieved the 'Coast to Coast' DVD (thanks Marie & Dave) this morning. Eagerly selected the Coromandel ('cos that's where we're going) and was amazed to see a shot of a beach in the height of summer which could have been any beach in the UK ..... it was packed !!!!!!! Can't remember the name of the town but if any of you have a copy of that DVD have a look !!!

Diny

[Nicola]

Just an observation here, has anybody else noticed the odd behaviour of people on Brit beaches?

The people there park their cars, get out their deck chairs and wind breaks etc and walk onto the beach. That's it !!!!! They stop right there. As soon as they feel sand beneath their feet they a glued to the spot. You get hundreds of people all crammed into a few hundred square yeards.

Walk 5 mins down the beach and you get it to yourselves - very odd.

Diny

I thought it was just me that noticed this, why do they always set up there rug etc right at the base of the only path on to the beach. So you have to walk right through there picnic, dad reading the paper, grannies sleeping and kids half way out of their wet costumes. then they frown at you for disturbing them, do they expect you to fly over them. If anyone could explain this behaviour, I would love to know why.

Nicola

[Beach Kiwi]

Do they have problems with low flying fighter jets anywhere in New Zealand?


No, mainly due to the fact that we no longer have a strike (fighter) wing.


and was amazed to see a shot of a beach in the height of summer which could have been any beach in the UK ..... it was packed !!!!!!!

Sounds like Whangamata, the place where all the boy racers and their hangers-on go for Christmas. :uhoh

The Coromandel is getting busy nowadays as it's so close to Auckland, and is mostly 'owned' by Aucklanders - ie, almost all the holiday homes belong to them. :uhoh

However, even when a beach is busy it's only a short hop to another one that isn't. :cool