SykesFamily
3rd April 2009, 11:14 PM
Not sure if this is the right place for this, but here we go.
We've now been here a for full week of work, although we arrived a week and a day ago.
Until last thing this afternoon, things had been going really well. We managed to find a house we liked within a day of arriving, sorted out our bank accounts without too many problems, got access to our PO box and found our way around our new area.
We've settled in Ellerslie, as we need to have access to trains for my OH to be able to get to work, and so far we're enjoying it here. There are enough shops to get anything we need in a hurry (milk, bread, bakery, takeaway plus post office, banks and cash machines), but it's still quite small and so not horribly busy. We have a number of big supermarkets within a couple of minutes drive, and Sylvia Park (where there is all sorts of everything) is about 10 minutes away by car.
Our son has settled into preschool really well, and we've both been getting on fine at work (well, until last period today for me. I teach high school and had a bit of a rubbish last lesson!).
But I guess what may be most helpful are our first impressions of being here. To begin with, we still have to keep pinching ourselves a bit as it seems almost surreal that we're finally HERE after all the worry of packing and travelling etc.
People have just been amazing - people we're working with, people helping us in the bank and the post office and this evening, our new neighbours who have lent us a tv and a sofa until our container arrives!
The one thing that has been annoying has been waiting for an IRD number. I actually called the IRD from the UK before we left to find out what we needed to do and was told we could present our form and documents to a post shop, tell them that we were starting work straight away and we would have our numbers within 48 hours.
It turns out that you can only get your number that quick by going to the AA and paying a $10 fee, so for now we're stuck waiting unable to be paid!
Otherwise, we've been loving the good weather, the fact that there are so many open spaces within such easy reach and the fact that the 'terrible' traffic translates into a 20 - 25 minute journey for me going from Ellerslie (south of the CBD) to the west of the city (think Borough to Bayswater for anyone who knows London). I also get to see the most beautiful views on the way to and from work, so I'm currently very happy.
I have struggled with a couple of things, like finding tvp or soya, although I did manage to get hold of some in a shop right here in Ellerslie, so that's a bonus. We also still need to track down a car we cab afford as the rental car is due back next week, but all in all I think we're starting to settle in quite nicely.
Sorry for the long ramble, but I hope some of this is useful!
We've now been here a for full week of work, although we arrived a week and a day ago.
Until last thing this afternoon, things had been going really well. We managed to find a house we liked within a day of arriving, sorted out our bank accounts without too many problems, got access to our PO box and found our way around our new area.
We've settled in Ellerslie, as we need to have access to trains for my OH to be able to get to work, and so far we're enjoying it here. There are enough shops to get anything we need in a hurry (milk, bread, bakery, takeaway plus post office, banks and cash machines), but it's still quite small and so not horribly busy. We have a number of big supermarkets within a couple of minutes drive, and Sylvia Park (where there is all sorts of everything) is about 10 minutes away by car.
Our son has settled into preschool really well, and we've both been getting on fine at work (well, until last period today for me. I teach high school and had a bit of a rubbish last lesson!).
But I guess what may be most helpful are our first impressions of being here. To begin with, we still have to keep pinching ourselves a bit as it seems almost surreal that we're finally HERE after all the worry of packing and travelling etc.
People have just been amazing - people we're working with, people helping us in the bank and the post office and this evening, our new neighbours who have lent us a tv and a sofa until our container arrives!
The one thing that has been annoying has been waiting for an IRD number. I actually called the IRD from the UK before we left to find out what we needed to do and was told we could present our form and documents to a post shop, tell them that we were starting work straight away and we would have our numbers within 48 hours.
It turns out that you can only get your number that quick by going to the AA and paying a $10 fee, so for now we're stuck waiting unable to be paid!
Otherwise, we've been loving the good weather, the fact that there are so many open spaces within such easy reach and the fact that the 'terrible' traffic translates into a 20 - 25 minute journey for me going from Ellerslie (south of the CBD) to the west of the city (think Borough to Bayswater for anyone who knows London). I also get to see the most beautiful views on the way to and from work, so I'm currently very happy.
I have struggled with a couple of things, like finding tvp or soya, although I did manage to get hold of some in a shop right here in Ellerslie, so that's a bonus. We also still need to track down a car we cab afford as the rental car is due back next week, but all in all I think we're starting to settle in quite nicely.
Sorry for the long ramble, but I hope some of this is useful!