[Paul and Linda]

Hi All,
We have decided to use while away the eons until our house sells, by looking at all of our options as to what we are going to do when we arrive in NZ. We are going with 2 sons, 4 and 7 (odd names I know), and without a job for either of us.

We thought about minimising our immigration luggage, putting our container in storage (if needs be) and having a 2-3 week holiday around NZ to get a bit of a feel for the country and to reward the kids for beeing so good through all of this last 18 months.

We are heading for Welly, and don't know whether to go straight there, sleep, buy a car, organise a rental then go off for a few weeks (so it's all sorted for our return) or whether to get off the plane at Auckland, buy a car and holiday first?

I was wondering what you all thought and if anyone had done anything similar?

Paul

[Diny]

Don't teally know what to suggest on this one. On one hand you could head straight for Wellie, get everything sorted such as rental etc and then head off for a few weeks holiday knowing that you have a place to call home to go back to.

But ..... on the other hand ..... what happens if you do that, get yourself signed into a 3 or 6 month rental agreement and then when you're on your tikki tour you come across a place you would prefer to be.

Guess this hasn't helped much has it? :?

We have a month before hubby has to return to Egypt for work after we arrive, we plan to get sorted with accommodation etc a.s.a.p then the rest of the time can be spent relaxing (if we can remember how to do it). He's a Kiwi and I've been there heaps of times so we've decided where to settle after visiting 'all over'.

I guess the real bonus would be to get a rental on a month to month basis, I don't know what the possibilities of this are.

We're going to 'home school' our boys for a couple of months or so until they are really settled - may be this could be an option for you too, that way, it doesn't matter if you decide to move from your first chosen town.

Reading this back it doesn't actually make a whole lot of sensce, but I hope you get my drift. Please feel free to PM me at any time as we are in similar situations. By the way our kids have funny names too .... 8 and 9.

Good luck.

Diny

[jonSE]

Paul and Linda

You WILL all be knackered when you arrive. Not the correct frame of mind to be making decisions about where you may be living for the next 6 months (unless you are lucky about getting a rental property on a month by month basis) I know it is very very tempting to want somewhere you can call "home" even if it is non permanent, soon after you arrive.

Likewise buying a car - it feels like throwing money away to rent one. It is very simple to buy a car and insure and register etc. Can be done in an hour or so, but unless you feel mechanically competent enough to buy a cheap say $2k car (No offense intended if you are) it could be a better financial option to just hang fire for a bit and suss out the local prices and opportunities.

From our experience. we hired a car for three weeks eventually. total cost about $700 - should be cheaper now, but be aware of arriving when the Lions tour is on. Yes money we could have put toward buying our own car but not feeling pressured meant we could search for a good deal, we did and got one and more than saved the $700 we had spent.

Re renting a property - we knew where we wanted to live (to start with at least) we had fixed timescales - by others but then who has'nt - so we thought we should get somewhere that we could get rented so that when our containers arrived we'ld have somewhere to have them delivered to and unpacked etc. No paying for storage fees. Mistake. 'cos we had decided to live on a "Holiday" island and arrived during the holiday season (albeit toward the end of season) Rental properties were few and far between. ended up with a choice of two places - had we waited three or four weeks, we'ld have found a better choice at better prices. Now this specific example may not apply in Welli (unless it is now the capital of Extreme windsurfing or something like that) but the lesson still applies. Do your research prior to leaving if you can.

Rambled on long nough

Jon
Waiheke
If only they could invent foot and mouth for mice rats and slugs - non of which are native species.

[zsj]

Paul,

We wanted to do that, arrived in Welly early Feb but hubby had to start work beginning of March so instead we spent the 3 available weeks mooching and exploring what we *knew* would be our new home town. Now cos we knew we were going to be living here, I actually found that time invaluable, to have my family by my side in those first few weeks of exploring a brand new place but then as you say, you have to do the whole job hunt thing and may end up somewhere diff than Welly.

Definately rent a car, they are cheap - rent a wreck 20 odd bucks a day, we rented for the first month or so and Zac is v mechanically minded but wanted a 'deal' when he bought. You might be able to find a house and sign a lease with a start date a month or 2 in the future but then if you decide to end up somewhere else, whats the point?

If I was you, really, seriously, I think I would minimise the luggage and land in AKL and hire a car or motorhome and mosey your way down the island until you get to welly. You can get one way car hires, drop in Welly when you have settled. You will have a chance to see a bit of the country you have landed in (it's going to take us years!!!) and a month off school isn't going to hurt the kids at that age you know? (In fact it definately won't hurt the one that is school age!) When they do start school, they will understand dollars and cents, hot springs/geysers, a bit about Maori History and the geography of their new home. Invaluable I say.

We are in Welly and would be happy to provide you with any info/help that you need when you do arrive here finally to get you off to a running start. Your container will take about 6 weeks to get here and then a week or so to clear customs and MAF (v approximate) so it would also minimise your time 'camping' in a cold rental that doesn't feel like home.

Do it!

Sarah.

[sarahw]

Think I've posted these details before somewhere. We arrived in Jan & list of stuff to organise as follows:

(Carhire organised from UK - 1 week, B&B organised from UK - 1 week)

Day 1: Arrive & sleep!!!

Day 2: Organise SIM cards for mobiles, PO Box at post office, IRD numbers at IRD office & bank accounts.

Day 3: Rental property viewing (pre-organised from UK with estate agent but did some walk-in's on the day too - luckily we knew which suburb we wanted before we arrived) We were lucky we found a rental on the first day of looking...

Day 4 & 5: Car shopping & to-ing and fro-ing to the bank to arrange car insurance.

Day 6: Organised Motel for 3 weeks until rental was available.

& that was it really - all done in a week & then we spent the next couple of weeks on the beach, in bars & shopping for bits & pieces for the house (and a washing machine & fridge!)

I know it might take longer to find a rental - all luck of the draw & really if you dedicate a couple of days to car finding there's a couple of great streets in Welly that have most dealerships on them & Lower Hutt is pretty good too.

[Moorf]

Our first few days are documented on this forum! Wow, seems like eons ago now...

http://www.emigratenz.org/forums/viewtopic.php?t=319&highlight=woz