HELLO From New Zealand

chevalier · 19 June 2013 at 3:27AM

Thanks for your support guys. It means alot.

I have signed up with Manpower to see if I can get any temp work. Was funny though, they had several people due in to do the registration process (3 hours:eek:, has changed a bit since I last worked for manpower lol), and I was the only one who turned up. What does it say about people that they can't even be bothered to turn up for a temp agency. Still I think I made a good impression at the day, so we will see what comes of it. If I get something it will only be min wage. But even that would balance the books if it was regular.

I have been thinking and thinking about what to do about being here. OH and I still haven't talked about it - sigh. I am thinking I might say to him that we stay until eldest finishes the next phase of his schooling (18 months). Youngest would have finished primary by that point too, so it is another natural break point. By then we will have been here 6.5 years, and that is enough surely to be sure it isn't going to work.

It is just so frustraing. Auckland region has one of the highest house prices compared to income in the world. I am pretty certain that if we had our own place then things would (might be) better. But places we would like (ie with a bit of land so I could do a proper veggie garden eg), are out of our league. It is nuts. Round where I live somewhere like that is $650k to $750k. Ok when you convert that back to pounds that doesn't sound like much, (about 300k pounds), but they want 20% deposit and we just don't have that or even any means of saving for it. In fact we are doing well if we break even each month.

I really don't know how other people do it really. There are people I know here that are on less money than my OH who have their own home, but I suppose that is also because they have been in the property for long enough that they bought before the massive house price rise that has happened here. Even in the recession house prices DIDN'T fall here.....

Yes we could sell out house in the UK, but if we did that we are totally committed to here. There have been such a lot of dodgy builds here (google leaky buildings in nz for info), that have left people trapped in houses they can't sell after putting all their savings in it...

And it isn't as if you can get a survey done and be safe. It is well dodgy how things are done over here. If you don't ask a question about a property they won't tell you about, even if there is a problem. Buyer beware indeed....

The thing is if we stayed another 18 months, I could do some courses over here, to continue with my degree. On the other hand I could do that in the UK probably easier than here (eg via the Open University).

I know that I am not in as bad place as others on here. And I kind of feel bad for winging about it, but it is affecting me. I feel resentful to OH that he can't tell how unhappy I am. I have told him. I have even told him I would go to Aussie with him, but HE has to get the job etc. I can't do it for him, and to be honest I am pretty sure he didn't even bother looking. Just hoped it would all blow over.

chev

chevalier · 21 June 2013 at 3:28AM

Sorry for the winge the other day. Can't do it any where else though:(

I read back the first 20 pages of my diary the other day. I had forgot just how often I did lists. I certainly got more done. Interesting how it mentioned getting sucked into Farmvill that was prophetic, I play on it alot... oops.

So I think that I will start doing lists again. It certainly can't hurt can it.....

Had some really wild weather last 24 hours. Some parts of the country had 70cm of snow in less than 24 hours. Like wow. DS2 was most put out that none of it fell here! He really misses snow, strange lad.

But we did have one bit of excitement. We had had some rumbles of thunder, but then there was this almighty flash bang. The biggest clap of thunder I have EVER heard. I literally jumped about 4 inches straight up! I found out today that it hit a tree up the road, and the force actually blew out some windows! So we were very lucky. Was glad I had the bunny in the house though.
chev

banwa · 21 June 2013 at 11:12PM

That sounds like excitement I am glad to be without...

Chev, I thought I had subscribed to your diary but clearly not so sorry for not posting for a long time. I am so very sorry to hear about your niece, its so unfair that she should have been so unlucky to get TSS, so rare. I think you are right, there is not enough awareness.

Re moving back to the UK, do you think that might be what your family wants too anyway?

PiggyBankShaker · 21 June 2013 at 11:49PM

Dear Chev,

I am sorry to read how hard things have been for you and how unhappy you are.

It was only today that OH and I mentioned the possibility of moving to NZ. If we did you and I could be friends. However, we are in no position to sell our house anytime soon. And, even if we did I do not know if we would truly have the courage to emigrate.

Yes, dear Chev, what you have done is very brave and I hope you are able to remember that. There are many in the box who admire your courage and are grateful for your friendship. For we can indeed be friends here in the box. I am always here if you need a chat or a moan. Please remember that also.

With love and virtual (((((((hugs)))))))

brizzledfw · 22 June 2013 at 3:28PM

Thanks for posting Chev. I love NZ and would be there like a shot. But have scouted around a few jobs but nowt going on at the moment. But..we have friends out there and that makes a difference.

Hope you see a way forward soon. Can you move further out than AKL?

Brizzle x

chevalier · 17 July 2013 at 9:53PM

Hi guys sorry for disappearing. That lightning strike I mentioned actually fritzed out modem and we had no internet for nearly 3 weeks. The line men had to replace most of the junction boxes on the peninsula where I live. And then we were connected up to someone elses line so the poor guy had to go through all the connections out on the road until finally he manually connected us back up again!

Thanks for the replies.

Brizzled having friends out here can make a difference that is true.

As for moving further out of Akl we could but we would have to balance the cheaper rent, with getting another car. We are not quite the terminus of the bus service, but we are close and that is how OH gets to work at the moment. Is inconvenient at times with only one car, but we do save all those yearly costs...

chevalier · 17 July 2013 at 9:54PM

I had this passed to me on facebook. About a girl who usually gears up to get on a motorbike, but didn't 'just this once'..

Please share it as widely as possible. If it stops one dopey git getting on a bike in shorts and a helmet, that will be a good thing.

http://fzronline.com/wiki/doku.php?id=extreme_road_rash-cause_effect_and_lesson_learned

chev

brizzledfw · 18 July 2013 at 1:08AM

Hi chev

Good to hear from you. Being without the tinternet must have been weird and v irritating !!!

Any news re temp work?

Yes, AKL is a huge place area wise and from what I could tell public transport not great...everyone seemed to be quite car ( or ute!:rotfl:) dependent in NZ!

Take care x