HELLO From New Zealand

Kimsmum wrote: »

Hi, I understand how you feel I am from Northern Ireland lived in Wellington for three years and I worked but never had friends.
Then moved to Australia stayed a few years then came home.
Hope everything turns out the best for you.

Buffythedebtslayer wrote: »

It does sound quite grim Chev. Especially with the annoying things going on at home. Waiting and seeing for ANYTHING sucks. December. !!!!!!. And you know what I reckon it is going to be one of those things, where my OH will be walking in the door of the court, and we will get told they have dropped it! Gits.

Do you like New Zealand? Is it as beautiful as Lord of the Rings suggests? (lol) Yes it really is awesomely beautiful.I have been places that were so beautiful the made me want to cry!

Why did you move there in the first place? (just to see if you still feel the same) My OH had wanted to emigrate for a while. We had been here on holiday twice before that, and we were amazed at how cheap the house prices were here, and how cheap it was to live (we thought). The weather was fantastic and the people so friendly and willing to help, that we thought it would be an amazing place to bring up the family we were just starting to have.

BUT all of that is seen through the eyes of a tourist. And since 2005 when we decided to go, there was the biggest house price boom in NZ history. Now houses are on a par with the UK but not as well built. Over a quarter of homes have problems with leaking and not being weather tight, and it seems very hard to find out which ones are and which are ok. Since we arrive the exchange rate which made everything look so cheap when you are spending pounds has gone from 2.75NZD to the £ to 1.89NZD to the £. So everything seems more expensive. We are now fully using $ and OH wage doesn't cover our outgoings this is despite him earning a top 4% salary! This is mainly due to renting a house that is too expensive, but we didn't know that at the time.

Once you live here people are still polite and friendly, but letting you in their circle of friends that some of them have had since nursery? Er nope. And to be fair why should they, they have people who they have known all their lives still around, who they can swap childcare with, go on holiday with etc etc. So why do they need a new comer, why invest emotiional time with them, when they may not stay anyway? (I am sure this is some of the issue).

I do wish I could give you a hug. thanks virtual one accepted:)

I always suggest this but could you do something like Dog walking? shopping for old ladies? Sorry I hate shopping with a passion as it is lol.Can you volunteer in a Charity Shop? I do do this twice a week.

TO be honest I can imagine these ideas seem very silly, things don't sound good. I would find it Very hard to hold my nerve re the court case. more hugs. I just want it finished, and as I have said above, I am sure OH is going to get over there having spent all that money and it not happen, or the judge will take one look at it, laugh and throw it out in minutes.....And this will be a good thing, from not having to pay out £50, but bad in that it will have taken OH away from us at xmas time.

I would say at this point with the possibility of having to go home in December I would go all out with coffee invites and the job applications and think sod it, if its all still going tits up you can say you have given absolutely your best shot. I think for you that would be important, to look back say actually even tho it was hard I stuck it out and did all I could to follow the dream of living in NZ, regardless of whether it works or not. THis is when we are both 83 and in an old people's home and comparing stories! Yes I am trying to do this. In fact I was saying to someone else on her, that once we are moved into the new rental, I will be telling OH that we have 12 months to make this work, and then I WILL be giving it my absolute best shot. But if things are no better then then that is it. My reasoning is that DS1 will be about to start secondary school then, so if we are going to come back then that is as good a time as any. Then he can still be in on the ground floor of subjects like history and geography that tend to be euro centric. Also he would have enough time to start learning a language too. (they only do a bit of maori here in primary).

As for OH, eeek. does he like it there? Do you ever see much of him? what does he think about the gifted school and or coming home? Can he clean the sodding oven (as IF you would do that whilst you are still living there, it is cleaned on the last day cos you are using up till then)

hugs

Love Buffy xxx

GreyhoundAngel wrote: »

Hi Chev,

An awful lot seems to have happened in your life since I was last on the boards and read your diary

I am so very sorry to read of the loss of your dad, I empathise with all that you're feeling just now I still feel the loss of mine keenly, even after 3 years have passed.

I feel humbled and grateful at your kindness in posting on my diary recently, whilst you've been dealing with your own issues ... thank you :A

As others have said, let it out if you need to ... whilst it's not the same as having "real" friends around you ... people are here for support

Thinking of you and wishing you well
G'Angel xx

moo2moo wrote: »

Perhaps she'd OK you having a pet which lived outside. Or after six months of rental you could try asking again once you've proved you won't trash the place.

Owl is ready to flutter his way over to you but is delayed by the lack of surname on the parcel. PM me and he'll be in the post faster than you can say deep fried rat with noodles in korean.

Happy cleaning! I have that to look forward to this weekend.