marcia
3rd December 2006, 07:58 PM
Ok we’ve been here for just over two weeks now, but it doesn’t feel like our feet have touched the ground yet, rushing around trying to sort things out. Anyway I’ll try and go through our time here so far step by step.
The flights were good, can’t fault Singapore airlines at all, fantastic service. The flying time was slightly shorter as we had a tail wind which was good news! As soon as we landed at Singapore we went straight to the transit hotel where we had booked a family room for 10 hours, best 10 hours we could have bought! We slept flat out for about 9 and a quarter hours and I woke up and we then all rushed around having showers and getting dressed. Then had breakfast, found a free internet connection and had a chat with dad on MSN, whilst Kev went for a massage.
The next leg of the flight was ok, the boys were all really good, had loads of people saying how well behaved they were! (If only they knew!)
We arrived at Auckland and before we had managed to clear immigration, we had two calls over the load speaker asking for us!! One of our bags had gone missing – we had checked in 8 items including the car seat, TIP - anyone going with Singapore air and also using air NZ for internal flights, they will book your bags all the way through and give you boarding cards for the 3 flights if you ask, but you still need to collect the bags at Auckland and once you clear customs you take your trolley around the corner, check the bags in with Air NZ and then catch the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal. We had been worried that because Singapore airlines had given us extra allowance but the internal flight was with Air NZ that we may have to pay excess baggage but we didn’t because it was booked right though from Manchester.
We had a couple of hours to wait for the internal flight cos we had allowed time in case of delays, but we had a cuppa, watched the planes taking off and landing from the viewing area, this was when I realised the size of the plane we were going to be going on – TINY – it one of the bigger small planes but still flippin scary!
The flight down to Palmy wasn’t too bad, better than driving that’s for sure; as we were landing we could see our welcoming committee waving out of the windows of the terminal at us. The pictures are quite amusing, Kev with loads of bags all three kids and me regally coming down the steps with just one bag and no kids – sorted!!
Our welcoming committee consisted of friends from the Emigratenz forum, Diny, her boys Fergie and Henry, Julie and Steve and John. There was also a lady called Sylvie from PNCC (Palmerston North City council) who had come in case there wasn’t anyone to meet us. She had brought a box of groceries for us, a mobile phone for Kev and was delivering a hire car the following morning; she also sorted out with Carole and John the owners of the Pavilion Motel to send the bill for our accommodation to the council to sort out. The council also arranged and paid for time with a lady from a company called not just moving, Vicki – she helped us to sort out a nice furnished rental, she had been around viewing them all for us and once she met us she crossed a few straight off the list and when she took us to view some she told us not to bother getting out of the car at some!!! Vicki brought us wine, chocolates and flowers too, files full of information how to do things, maps showing us which areas to avoid. We think she took a liking to us as well, because we were invited to her house for Sunday lunch and to meet her husband and two boys who think our kids are ‘cool’!!
We spent 8 nights in the motel and the owners are really nice, they have already invited us for Xmas dinner – they take in all the strays that haven’t got families around at Xmas! TIP – when packing a large amount of cases which you are going to have to live out of for a while, number them and write down what’s in each one – I found our list was referred to on a daily basis to find allsorts from plug adaptors to shaving kit, the first day until our lost case arrived we seemed to need everything that was in that bag but we managed.
We had a BBQ at Helen and John's house from the forum, the day after they moved into their new house the mad beggers, but was nice to catch up and see a family who have already been where we are now, and are really well settled months down the line.
It was lovely to get into the rental at last and unpack the bags, everything that we need is here, and it is really clean, the area is lovely too, very quiet and peaceful. Kev loves the street name – Buick crescent – he was looking to see if he could find a street called Chevy or ford!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ayrton and Mika started school last Wednesday at a good school, 5 minutes walk away called Riverdale – they keep on referring to the place as Rivendell from the lord of the rings and looking for the elves and hobbits!!! They were very apprehensive the night before they started but once they got there they were fine and Ayrton went out the first evening to a lad who lives on the same street – which was the plan – we know they will only be in school for 2.5 weeks, they are due to break up on 20th Dec and don’t go back till Feb, by which time we hope to be in our own place, they may have to go to a different school then but at least they will have some mates here to play with in the holidays.
A lot of our time has been spent looking at properties, but we did have some time at Himitangi beach which is west of Palmerston, the beach is covered in driftwood and there are massive sand dunes, we parked the car on the beach and immediately went up the sand dunes only to discover later on a sign asking people to please keep off as the local school children had been planting seedlings to grow there – oops! We then walked along the beach collecting some pieces of driftwood, Ayrton started to collect some nice straight pieces and found a piece of rope; they decided they were going to build a raft!!!!!!!!
Right at the side of the car where we parked there was an estuary flowing in and the boys decided they were going to build their raft and sail to the other side – it was a sunny day, but really windy and it was giving me earache so we sat in the car watching ‘Jack Sparrow’ and crew building the Black Pearl!!!! They had rolled up their trousers and were trying not to get wet, we told them to just go for it – and that was it, they launched the raft, managed to heave another great big log in and were frantically trying to paddle across with two sticks – me and Kev were falling about in the car laughing, it was better than a comedy show – tried to take pictures but the camera batteries went flat – moral of the story is pack spare batteries – but the boys had a great time and it cost nothing – we said if we’d have taken them to the seaside in the uk – it would have cost us a fortune in the arcades but they had as much fun and it was free.
We’ve been to the speedway already last Saturday, and Kev was invited to race the Track car at palmerston last night night, which he did - no great results but had a good time and will be back!!!
Kev spent most of yesterday looking at cars for us both, managed to find some that seem pretty decent, and we picked them up today. Can't beleive they let you take them after only leaving a small deposit on the EFTPOS. I have to work out now to to do an online payment to them for the balance - and sort out some insurance tomorrow.
We had our first trip to the doctors today - we've registered with a medical group which is open 7 days a week and also has an accident and emergency centre too (if this is the norm in NZ forgive me first time I have come across it!) Emerson has Tonscillitus poor kid, we were expecting to pay a fortune to see the doctor especially with it being Sunday but it was a total of $5!! Free prescription too. Need to book the older boys in now though for their Men B jabs!!!!!!!
Think thats about all for now, but will be online much more now we have our internet access again. :raebanana
The flights were good, can’t fault Singapore airlines at all, fantastic service. The flying time was slightly shorter as we had a tail wind which was good news! As soon as we landed at Singapore we went straight to the transit hotel where we had booked a family room for 10 hours, best 10 hours we could have bought! We slept flat out for about 9 and a quarter hours and I woke up and we then all rushed around having showers and getting dressed. Then had breakfast, found a free internet connection and had a chat with dad on MSN, whilst Kev went for a massage.
The next leg of the flight was ok, the boys were all really good, had loads of people saying how well behaved they were! (If only they knew!)
We arrived at Auckland and before we had managed to clear immigration, we had two calls over the load speaker asking for us!! One of our bags had gone missing – we had checked in 8 items including the car seat, TIP - anyone going with Singapore air and also using air NZ for internal flights, they will book your bags all the way through and give you boarding cards for the 3 flights if you ask, but you still need to collect the bags at Auckland and once you clear customs you take your trolley around the corner, check the bags in with Air NZ and then catch the free shuttle bus to the domestic terminal. We had been worried that because Singapore airlines had given us extra allowance but the internal flight was with Air NZ that we may have to pay excess baggage but we didn’t because it was booked right though from Manchester.
We had a couple of hours to wait for the internal flight cos we had allowed time in case of delays, but we had a cuppa, watched the planes taking off and landing from the viewing area, this was when I realised the size of the plane we were going to be going on – TINY – it one of the bigger small planes but still flippin scary!
The flight down to Palmy wasn’t too bad, better than driving that’s for sure; as we were landing we could see our welcoming committee waving out of the windows of the terminal at us. The pictures are quite amusing, Kev with loads of bags all three kids and me regally coming down the steps with just one bag and no kids – sorted!!
Our welcoming committee consisted of friends from the Emigratenz forum, Diny, her boys Fergie and Henry, Julie and Steve and John. There was also a lady called Sylvie from PNCC (Palmerston North City council) who had come in case there wasn’t anyone to meet us. She had brought a box of groceries for us, a mobile phone for Kev and was delivering a hire car the following morning; she also sorted out with Carole and John the owners of the Pavilion Motel to send the bill for our accommodation to the council to sort out. The council also arranged and paid for time with a lady from a company called not just moving, Vicki – she helped us to sort out a nice furnished rental, she had been around viewing them all for us and once she met us she crossed a few straight off the list and when she took us to view some she told us not to bother getting out of the car at some!!! Vicki brought us wine, chocolates and flowers too, files full of information how to do things, maps showing us which areas to avoid. We think she took a liking to us as well, because we were invited to her house for Sunday lunch and to meet her husband and two boys who think our kids are ‘cool’!!
We spent 8 nights in the motel and the owners are really nice, they have already invited us for Xmas dinner – they take in all the strays that haven’t got families around at Xmas! TIP – when packing a large amount of cases which you are going to have to live out of for a while, number them and write down what’s in each one – I found our list was referred to on a daily basis to find allsorts from plug adaptors to shaving kit, the first day until our lost case arrived we seemed to need everything that was in that bag but we managed.
We had a BBQ at Helen and John's house from the forum, the day after they moved into their new house the mad beggers, but was nice to catch up and see a family who have already been where we are now, and are really well settled months down the line.
It was lovely to get into the rental at last and unpack the bags, everything that we need is here, and it is really clean, the area is lovely too, very quiet and peaceful. Kev loves the street name – Buick crescent – he was looking to see if he could find a street called Chevy or ford!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ayrton and Mika started school last Wednesday at a good school, 5 minutes walk away called Riverdale – they keep on referring to the place as Rivendell from the lord of the rings and looking for the elves and hobbits!!! They were very apprehensive the night before they started but once they got there they were fine and Ayrton went out the first evening to a lad who lives on the same street – which was the plan – we know they will only be in school for 2.5 weeks, they are due to break up on 20th Dec and don’t go back till Feb, by which time we hope to be in our own place, they may have to go to a different school then but at least they will have some mates here to play with in the holidays.
A lot of our time has been spent looking at properties, but we did have some time at Himitangi beach which is west of Palmerston, the beach is covered in driftwood and there are massive sand dunes, we parked the car on the beach and immediately went up the sand dunes only to discover later on a sign asking people to please keep off as the local school children had been planting seedlings to grow there – oops! We then walked along the beach collecting some pieces of driftwood, Ayrton started to collect some nice straight pieces and found a piece of rope; they decided they were going to build a raft!!!!!!!!
Right at the side of the car where we parked there was an estuary flowing in and the boys decided they were going to build their raft and sail to the other side – it was a sunny day, but really windy and it was giving me earache so we sat in the car watching ‘Jack Sparrow’ and crew building the Black Pearl!!!! They had rolled up their trousers and were trying not to get wet, we told them to just go for it – and that was it, they launched the raft, managed to heave another great big log in and were frantically trying to paddle across with two sticks – me and Kev were falling about in the car laughing, it was better than a comedy show – tried to take pictures but the camera batteries went flat – moral of the story is pack spare batteries – but the boys had a great time and it cost nothing – we said if we’d have taken them to the seaside in the uk – it would have cost us a fortune in the arcades but they had as much fun and it was free.
We’ve been to the speedway already last Saturday, and Kev was invited to race the Track car at palmerston last night night, which he did - no great results but had a good time and will be back!!!
Kev spent most of yesterday looking at cars for us both, managed to find some that seem pretty decent, and we picked them up today. Can't beleive they let you take them after only leaving a small deposit on the EFTPOS. I have to work out now to to do an online payment to them for the balance - and sort out some insurance tomorrow.
We had our first trip to the doctors today - we've registered with a medical group which is open 7 days a week and also has an accident and emergency centre too (if this is the norm in NZ forgive me first time I have come across it!) Emerson has Tonscillitus poor kid, we were expecting to pay a fortune to see the doctor especially with it being Sunday but it was a total of $5!! Free prescription too. Need to book the older boys in now though for their Men B jabs!!!!!!!
Think thats about all for now, but will be online much more now we have our internet access again. :raebanana