holiday trip

sprite · Testing The Water Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

hi,

i'm going on holiday in nz next year for a couple of months with a view to emigrating. any tips on where i should see and the best airline/route please? i am a chemist. Shy

karltsmith · Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2003 10:14 pm Post subject:

Hi Sprite, Nice One

Interesting name! Mr. Green

I'm also a Chemist and I'm emigrating with my family next year, March we hope, but under the prevailing emmigration criteria who knows. I used to live in Auckland for 3 years and have travelled around most of NZ with a few exceptions. To answer your questions I recommend the following places of interest all of which I've visted and all of which are just incredible in their own right. Any or all of the following if time permits!

North Island:

The Bay of Islands, take a boat trip and if you dive try the Poor Knights Islands; The Waitakere Ranges, west af Auckland for a bush walk on marked trails, fairy falls is nice, Piha and Murewai beaches, Piha is good if you surf and climb Lion Rock; Auckland The Sky Tower of course, Kelly Tarltons under sea world, the harbour area, Victoria park market, the colonial village at Howick, One Tree Hill (if you're a U2 fan), Waiwera hot pools Just north of Orewa, watch a movie while soaking; Snorkelling at Goat Island marine reserve; Long bay is good for a weekend picnic and a game of touch Rugby; Rotorua a must for thermal stuff and Maori culture, the Huka falls and just opposite the Craters of the Moon, Lake Taupo, Hot Water Beach on the Coromandel Peninsula, National Park along the desert road with too many volcanoes to mention or spell correctly (e.g.whakapapa) but if you're the outdoor type I also recommend the 14 mile hike from the Hermitage through about 5-6 volcanic craters all situated around Tarawera, all dorment, and then a climb up Ngarahoe it's like a mini mount Fuji with with red scoria at the top and an iron pole to hang onto! Lake Taupo, Windy Wellington and then onto South Island. (New Plymouth, Napier and Gisborne are nice if you've got the time but if not catch them later).

South Island:

Nelson and the Able Tasman National Park, lovely walks and beaches, whale trips leave Kaikoura; Christcurch a very beautiful city and about as english as you get in NZ (my opinion only), Dunedin, the Moereki boulders, the seal and shag sanctuaries just to the north of Dunedin and the Royal Albatross colony on Tairoa head (opposite Dunedin); Mount Cooke but only on a fine day otherwise you wont see the peak! Arthurs pass and onto the west coast , the Pankake Rocks, Grey mouth and Hokitika (if they're open...private joke), the Haast pass and the Franz Joseph and Fox Glaciers, try walking the Robert track to the terminal, the Church of the Good Shepard on lake Tekapo. also check out a star watching evening from Mount John or Cowans hill and the green and blue lakes, Queenstown and lake Wakatipu for a bit of white water rafting and bungie jumping if you're mad enough! Or you can pan for gold on the Kawarau or Shotover rivers and you must try a Jet boat (a Kiwi invention, first designed in Hamilton! Awesome....sorry for lapsing into Kiwi speak). On then to Milford Sound and Mitre peak for a boat trip on the sound, look out for the mirror lakes and stop at the end of the Homer Tunnel to say Hi to the Keas! To walk the Milford track you have to book well in advance but some local guides with boats will take you to the starting point for a days walking along the Clinton River! Other good tracks are the Keplar and the Routeburn.

Theres just too much......theres loads more I've just scratched the surface of the touristy stuff but if you come back and haven't fallen in love with the place I fear for you!

Have great time!

Regarding work..initialy check out the NZ immigration web site and also the postings on this site to get a flavour of whats involved! If you keep in touch I can give you some advice re getting a job as a Chemist once I know your background. Mine is environmental and analytical.

Take Care.............and enjoy!! Nutcase

Karl

P.S. My apologies for any spelling mistakes or obvious omissions I've not been back for 8 years! cool

volusia · Posted: Fri Dec 05, 2003 7:01 am Post subject: airline to nz

hi ya my family and i spent all of october just touring the north island,what a great place,and yes we will be back.
we hired out a campervan,great value depending on what time of year you arrive. we travelled over 3500kls and went off the tourist routes often,and at around 20p per litre of deisel the country is all yours for the taking.
the people are the friendliest you could wish for,and helpful to the point of annoyance,but i mean that in a nice way.
we travelled with maylasia airlines,very good and highly reccomened,try to deal with them direct for a good price,there uk office is at heathrow.though we booked our flight through virgin travelstore,another flight booker that are good are "airline network" check out there websites.
our children are aged 5+3 and the flight is a long one,there is no getting away from it,but the cabin crew were brill,all the seats have there own monitors and remote controls,but at 5+3 my two found it very difficult to sit still,and after two showings of the nemo film they were ready to pull my hair out.
upon your return home you will be thinking of nothing but nz, good luck and have fun,we did. when you are ready to go or want some more help/advice please let me know,if i can be of help i will.

sprite · Testing The Water Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

thanks karl and volusia. it sounds like 2 months won't be enough. i'm planning on going in dec next year and i can't wait to see it all for myself. so as a substiture for going soon i'm making plans so i can see as much as i can while there. i've done some hill walking in the uk but nothing to compare with whats in nz. i wonder if i'll get up enough nerve to try a bungy jump. Eek

did you find the roads easy going in the campervan volusia and was it very expensive? did you fly without an overnight stop? i'm working in lube oil additives karl. don't think there's much of that work in nz though.

karltsmith · Posted: Wed Dec 10, 2003 4:54 am Post subject:

Hi Sprite,

Most of the big oil companies are situated in and around Wellington. I used to work for SGS in the UK and NZ and we had a lot of dealing with these companies of a surveying nature. SOme of the private labs offer wear metals analysis on sump oils...is something that might be close enough to explore?? Is your background R&D or analytical...if the latter what type of analytical experience do you have???

sprite · Testing The Water Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

hi karl,

my experience is in formulation rather than analysis. i wouldn't know an nmr from a mass spec. i'm wondering if i get residence in nz about training to be a chemistry teacher. probably more opportunities and flexibility about location doing that.

karltsmith · Posted: Thu Dec 11, 2003 9:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Sprite,

I suggest that a) you contact Scientific and Technical Recruitment (str) in Auckland. They are the only specialist scientific recruitment agency in NZ. Secondly if teaching is an option for you, you could get a PGCE over here it might be quicker, but check with the NZQA and the Education department before you do anything. I think it will take you about 1 year over here though and I don't know your time frame. Alternatively you should consider a lectureship at one of the Uni's. In the UK you don't need a teachers qualification to lecture...I don't know about NZ. I have a freind in Auckland who is in formulation but it is mainly Pharma and Vet stuff....If you have any background in these areas you could be in demand.

Hope this helps! I'll keep you posted if I here of anything!

Karl Nutcase

JCM · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 8:44 pm Post subject:

Hi Sprite,

Unless you get residence here first, you'll be treated as an 'overseas student' for teacher training. This means you'll pay hefty fees. If you can get residence first, you'll pay the much cheaper NZ fees and you also get paid $10,000 to train in a 'shortage subject'. As of Jan 2004 these are biology, chemistry, computing, English, maths, physical education (PE), physics, and te reo Maori.

http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/scholarships.html

Aside
I wonder if the NZIS will look favourably on applications from people with just over 100 points who say they want to train in NZ to become teachers in 'shortage subjects'? fingers crossed

I think financially you'd probably be better off training in the UK. Doesn't the UK government pay all fees and provide fairly generous grants for trainee teachers?

When it comes to finding a job teaching in NZ, it might be easier if you're a NZ trained teacher. Having said that, there are plenty of British trained teachers working here.

From the teachnz site:

"The majority of overseas teachers appointed to New Zealand schools have been from countries with strong language, cultural or educational similarities with New Zealand such as Australia, Canada, South Africa and the United Kingdom and Ireland. Teachers need to be extremely competent in written and spoken English. "

http://www.teachnz.govt.nz/

JCM · Posted: Fri Dec 12, 2003 9:06 pm Post subject:

Hi Karl,

As far as I know, getting a lectureship in NZ is pretty much the same as in the UK. The universities couldn't care less about teaching ability Rolling Eyes

but they want people with Ph.D's and plenty of papers published in the academic journals.

sprite · Testing The Water Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

thanks so much for that info karl and jcm. theres a lot there to think about but i have to rush off now. hopefully i'll catch up with you again later this weekend.

sprite · Testing The Water Joined: 01 Dec 2003 Posts: 9

here i am again. nice and early on a sunday with no distractions Uhoh

from what you've said karl, and reading robert's posts, it seems my best route to a job will be getting my cv into specialist agencies. if that fails i could train to be a teacher in nz. it would cost about $14,000 in fees and $10,000 in living costs. if i train to teach a shortage subject like chemistry i'll be virtually guaranteed a job and residence. it seems £10,000 is enough to buy me residence! unfortunately that's a bit steep for me Sad

. alternatively i could train in the uk at much lower cost but i'm not sure how much demand there will be in nz for inexperienced chemistry teachers who have trained overseas. Confused