Diny
8th September 2005, 02:15 PM
Well we've done it !!! Here we are in our new home. Got the keys at 1.20 on Monday afternoon ..... I was so excited.
Moved our one or two bits of furniture which we'd bought for the rental and our suitcases. Spent the night here on futons and 'put-u-up' beds but it was brilliant. My sister in law called around in the evening with food and wine and everything just felt right.
On Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. I took delivery of our new bedroom suite, just as the truck was pulling away so the lorry with our container on the back arrived. It's a weird feeling seeing it ..... kind of difficult to believe that it's the same tin box that was parked outside of our old house back in the UK.
We'd told NZ Van Lines that our house is on a back section at the end of a long narrow drive so they also sent some guys in a smaller van. They then un-loaded the container and ferried everything to and from the house in the smaller vehicle. Everything went like clockwork. No breakages, dents or damage at all, and the delivery men (all 6 of them) were great. Everything was unwrapped and put in place within about an hour.
There were 4 items which the MAF officer needed to look at, 1 x box of dried food stuffs and 3 ladders. The food passed without any problem at all ..... so my gravy granules are now here !!!!!! As for the ladders, 2 of them are indoor ladders from the boys bunk beds so didn't need inspecting in the end, and the other was a step ladder. The MAF man just had a look at it and sprayed it with some 'zapper' spray and that was it. He was a really nice guy - a Frenchman from Normandy. He's been living out here for 22 years and had one of the strangest accents I've ever heard - real half and half. He roared with laughter when he saw the gravy granules, he said that his English wife gets them sent over from the UK because they both 'can't live without them' ...... his words not mine !!!!!
It's really strange seeing my furniture from home here in my new house on the other side of the world. It's a nice feeling though - kind of comforting in a funny way. Have only opened a couple of boxes so far but it's just like Christmas ..... funny how soon you forget what you own. It's so nice having my old faithful kitchen knives and pots and pans back ..... let the cooking begin !!!!
Now we live in the same village as where the boys go to school they walk by themselves to and from school. Must admit this has been a major milestone for me .... my heart was in my hands the first morning they did it. However, it's very quiet out here and when I see the ages of some of the kids who walk to school alone it kind of puts my mind at rest. It's hard to cut the umbilical cord but it makes them feel very grown up and important.
To show how busy I am with all the unpacking etc, it's our 16th wedding anniversary today and it got to 1.30 pm before I even remembered !!!! Have heard from Mark - he's on a 9 hours stop in Dubai at the moment, he arrives at Palmerston North tomorrow. Can't wait ..... it's been a long 5 weeks.
Will take some pics of the house as soon as the packing cartons are out of the way.
The first 7 weeks in NZ have been very very difficult, lonely times for me, but the mood has lifted now that things are starting to look up for us - long may it continue.
Diny
Moved our one or two bits of furniture which we'd bought for the rental and our suitcases. Spent the night here on futons and 'put-u-up' beds but it was brilliant. My sister in law called around in the evening with food and wine and everything just felt right.
On Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. I took delivery of our new bedroom suite, just as the truck was pulling away so the lorry with our container on the back arrived. It's a weird feeling seeing it ..... kind of difficult to believe that it's the same tin box that was parked outside of our old house back in the UK.
We'd told NZ Van Lines that our house is on a back section at the end of a long narrow drive so they also sent some guys in a smaller van. They then un-loaded the container and ferried everything to and from the house in the smaller vehicle. Everything went like clockwork. No breakages, dents or damage at all, and the delivery men (all 6 of them) were great. Everything was unwrapped and put in place within about an hour.
There were 4 items which the MAF officer needed to look at, 1 x box of dried food stuffs and 3 ladders. The food passed without any problem at all ..... so my gravy granules are now here !!!!!! As for the ladders, 2 of them are indoor ladders from the boys bunk beds so didn't need inspecting in the end, and the other was a step ladder. The MAF man just had a look at it and sprayed it with some 'zapper' spray and that was it. He was a really nice guy - a Frenchman from Normandy. He's been living out here for 22 years and had one of the strangest accents I've ever heard - real half and half. He roared with laughter when he saw the gravy granules, he said that his English wife gets them sent over from the UK because they both 'can't live without them' ...... his words not mine !!!!!
It's really strange seeing my furniture from home here in my new house on the other side of the world. It's a nice feeling though - kind of comforting in a funny way. Have only opened a couple of boxes so far but it's just like Christmas ..... funny how soon you forget what you own. It's so nice having my old faithful kitchen knives and pots and pans back ..... let the cooking begin !!!!
Now we live in the same village as where the boys go to school they walk by themselves to and from school. Must admit this has been a major milestone for me .... my heart was in my hands the first morning they did it. However, it's very quiet out here and when I see the ages of some of the kids who walk to school alone it kind of puts my mind at rest. It's hard to cut the umbilical cord but it makes them feel very grown up and important.
To show how busy I am with all the unpacking etc, it's our 16th wedding anniversary today and it got to 1.30 pm before I even remembered !!!! Have heard from Mark - he's on a 9 hours stop in Dubai at the moment, he arrives at Palmerston North tomorrow. Can't wait ..... it's been a long 5 weeks.
Will take some pics of the house as soon as the packing cartons are out of the way.
The first 7 weeks in NZ have been very very difficult, lonely times for me, but the mood has lifted now that things are starting to look up for us - long may it continue.
Diny