Running away from home

1 year on

2009-05-26T06:16:00.000+02:00

Now that we've been in New Zealand for a year its probably time for an update... no complaints from the peanut gallery, I did warn that the blog wouldnt be updated often and in our defence its been a helluva year. The entire immigration process has been a whirlwind and if we expected things to quiet down once we were here - which we did - then we were delusional.

In the last year I've had 3 different jobs, Isabella has had 2 daycares and thankfully so far only 1 home. We've discovered that Aucklanders while friendly are not hospitable (our kiwi friends number, well, 0.5) and that out of sight really is out of mind when it comes to a lot of family and friends still in SA.

We dont regret making the move but in hindsight we could have been better prepared for the changes that come along with it!

The big positives for us all relate to the safety we feel here in comparison to when we lived in Johannesburg - there are no bars on our windows, no electric fences (hardly any fences at all really), no burglar alarms or any of the other paraphenalia that formed part of our daily life in Johannesburg. I no longer work myself into a panic deciding where to put Isabella's car seat so I can get her out if we are highjacked. Maybe I'm paranoid in comparison to friends and family who still live very happily in South Africa, but I am glad to be free of the fear that was invading every aspect of our life.

I dont know if we will be in New Zealand forever but I dont think we'd move back to South Africa now that we know what its like to live elsewhere.

Monthly living costs V2

2009-05-25T06:42:00.006+02:00

I thought I'd revisit our monthly living costs now that its been a year and we've got more of a grip on finances here. The exchange rate is now about R5/$1 which is also a lot better than when we moved over.

Rent: $1733 per month, but rent is paid weekly ($400 per week). Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance). No change here as we are still in the same house but rental prices have dropped from when we first looked and we are considering downscaling to a smaller cheaper property.

Water: $70 for 6 months.

Power: $100 - $300 per month (summer/winter). There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.

Telephone & internet: $115 per month

Childcare: $1300 per month. This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals.

Petrol: $400 per month. This is based on 1 tank of petrol every week for 2 cars.

Parking: $200 per month. Unfortunately working in the city centre means paying for parking.

Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $825 per month (R1235 per week)

Nappies: $60 per month (4 bags of nappies from a nappy wholesaler)

Car and home insurance: $180 per month (2 vehicles)

Mobile phone: $40 per month

Swimming classes for Belle: $60 per month

Medical insurance (basic cover for operations & hospital stays): $60 per month

Takeouts: $15 - $50 per meal ($15 will get fish and chips for 3, KFC is a bit pricier and pizzas pricier still)

This is a great site to create and manage a budget: http://www.sorted.org.nz/

Auckland in Winter

2008-07-04T10:51:00.001+02:00

Some pictures from the last 3 weeks...

Monthly living costs in Auckland V1

2008-07-02T10:09:00.004+02:00

Here are our weekly/monthly costs which will be useful for anyone trying to find out how much they’d need to earn in order to live in Auckland.

We live on the North Shore where rents are slightly lower but travelling time into the CBD is higher and impacts travelling costs.

Rent: $400 per week. In NZ rent is paid weekly, we haven’t found any that do it differently. This is for a nice 3 bedroomed home in a suburb with good schools. Budget for 3 weeks rent when you start a rental contract (2 weeks deposit/bond and 1 week paid in advance).

Water: $? This is paid every 6 months and we have not yet received a bill. Will update when we do.

Power: $300 per month (R1650 per month) There are a few different power companies here and you choose a provider and a package when you rent or buy a property.

Telephone & internet: $65 per week (R422 per week)

Childcare: $70 per day (R455 per day), $270 per week (R1755 per week), $1080 per month (R7020 per month). This is for 1 child, under 3 years old and includes meals. Ratio is 1 caregiver to 4 children.

Bus: $210 per month for an all zones bus pass (R1365 per month)

Petrol: $150 per week (R975 per week). This is based on 1 tank of petrol every 1.5 weeks.

Food, cleaning materials and toiletries: $190 per week (R1235 per week)

Car and home insurance (1 car valued at $8500): $72 per month (R468 per month)

Other costs: cellphone, parking, takeouts/entertainment

Costs of immigrating

2008-07-02T10:07:00.004+02:00

Apologies again for the intermittent blogging, but get used to it cause this will never be a daily blog (it might not even end up weekly).

We’ve been asked about the costs of immigration by a number of people so I’m going to give all the details here where it can be used by anyone. This is by no means a complete list – we got scared and stopped counting costs at one point.

One-way flights for 2 adults and 1 child: R24 844 - This is with an immigration concession for luggage where each adult is allowed 40kg and a child 10kg. You can only book these flights if you can show a work visa or permanent residence. There are cheaper options on Singapore Airlines and also Malaysian Airlines but we needed the shortest possible route knowing how well Isabella flies.

Container: 20 ft = R40 753 (40 ft = R72 703) as of 11 May 2008. There are additional costs when the container arrives in Auckland and I’ll add those when we get the bill in the next two weeks.

Medicals and x-rays to be done by a board-approved doctor: R3895

Work visa: R1320 (x2)
Long-term visitors visa: R715 (x 1)

Short-term furnished accommodation while you look for a rental: $85 per night (R552 per night) for 2 adults, 1 baby. This is a 2 bedroom cottage with fully equipped kitchen and broadband internet access

Hotel accommodation when short-term furnished is unavailable: R1810 per night (2 adults, 1 baby)

Car rental: R2832.40 per week (medium sized sedan)

To get permanent residence:

EOI (Expression of Interest)
Application fee - R1174
NZQA Pre-Assesment - R333

ITA (Invitation to apply)
Application fee - R8307
Full Birth Certificates - R150
Medicals - R3895
Police Clearances - R120
Photos - R315
Courier Fees - R806
Migrant levy - R4500

3 weeks down

2008-06-22T01:31:00.002+02:00

After 7 weeks of trouble from the NZ High Commission in SA we were finally able to fetch our visas and left the following day for Auckland. We're so glad that struggle is over and we're able to start settling in.

Its been busy from the day we landed - I started work immediately and Jay got working on finding us a home and a car.

We're renting a home in Glenfield on the North Shore and have bought a car so we're sorted on that front. Isabella is settling in beautifully and starts kindergarten twice a week on a half-day basis from Tuesday. Our furniture arrives in 3 weeks and until then we're renting a few things.

Auckland is fantastic and we are loving being here!

Long time no write

2008-05-02T20:39:00.002+02:00

Sorry for leaving this hanging for so long...

We accepted a great job with a fantastic company in Auckland and are due to start work on 12 May. Great right?

Yeah, only if we hadnt been assigned the world's only living brain donor as a case officer to do our visas. As far as she is concerned a vitamin deficiency is a life-threatening, communicable disease that will be a drain on New Zealands welfare system... and apparently a 15 month old child is not proof of a 12 month or longer partnership. I'm guessing she subscribes to the wind pollination theory?

We've been fighting this battle for 3 weeks now and there is no end in sight.

On Thursday our furniture leaves and in 3 weeks we have to be out of our home.

Hold thumbs!!!

Disheartening day

2008-03-31T11:20:00.003+02:00

Its been a disheartening day, again filled with interviews but no offers made. Things work differently here in Kiwiland - they like to do 3 or 4 interviews with a candidate, have them meet the whole team and then everyone has a say in the hire.

We aren't here for long enough on this trip to do more than 2 interviews with a company. So they're asking for more meetings that I can't make. Today I had a third interview with a company and there was mention of a fourth - can I curl up in a ball in the corner and have a good cry?

Only two more days to go and then its back to SA.

We went to two more areas on our list of suburbs we'd like to live in and saw a really nice house thats up for rent. It seems as though everywhere in Auckland is within easy walking distance of beaches and parks - such a beautiful city!

Keep holding thumbs for us!

7 down, 8 more to go

2008-03-30T07:50:00.002+02:00

Still 8 more interviews to go.

We are now all sick and all cranky. I cant wait until we can settle down again but I think it'll be a long time. Apologies for the short blog posts but we just dont have the energy.

The only thing we've managed to sort out so far are bank accounts (and we dont have the cards yet). Still to be done: job, work visa, house, car, childcare. If we can just get the job sorted out before we leave then we can do the work visa from SA and the rest when we get back.

Missing everyone madly!

Hectic day!

2008-03-28T09:50:00.002+02:00

Went from having no interviews to having 4 today. One was at the hospital because the interviewers wife just had a baby but he didnt want to cancel the interview.

Parking in Wellington is scarce and very expensive so we walk everywhere. I'm no longer walking, I'm shuffling. Slowly. Every bit of me hurts.

Tomorrow we head back to Auckland so the whole day will be spent in the car. Wish us luck that an offer comes through soon!

Wellington pics

2008-03-26T13:04:00.003+02:00

Finally some Wellington pics. There are lots so I've put them in an album (p.s the people in the pics are Jax and her divine girls): http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s141/Johnsont13/Wellington/

Still loving it here! Not managing to get any interviews here though. The agent I am with in Auckland is flying to Wellington tomorrow so I meet with him at 15h00 - wish me luck! Then one other meeting on Friday at 09h00 and we head back to Auckland on Saturday for a few days of back to back interviews.

Paranoia?

2008-03-25T03:58:00.001+02:00

This morning we took Isabella to the medical centre because her temp was still high – the doctor pretty much told us we were paranoid. He says there’s nothing wrong with her that he can see. Eish.

Had an interview with a recruitment agency – I’d like to say it went really well, but the thing with Kiwi’s is you actually don’t know. They’re always very, very friendly. So I have no idea how well it went, guess we’ll have to wait and see.

After the interview we headed for the Te Papa museum - amazing! So many different interactive things there – Isabella loved pressing buttons to hear commentary on each piece, feeling the tremors of a small earthquake, and playing with huge penguin toys in the kids centre. In the earthquake section there is even a panel you can jump on and see where you measure on the Richter Scale.

I’ll post photos soon – the camera cables are all in the car and we’ve parked a way away from where we are staying and are walking everywhere we can instead of driving.

Can we change our minds?

2008-03-25T03:57:00.001+02:00

We’d planned to go to Te Papa museum for the day but woke up to a very feverish Isabella. On the way to the pharmacy she began vomiting and we’ve spent the rest of the day trying to get her temperature down. On the bright side it is far easier to deal with in an English speaking country and finding a doctor will be very easy.

Drove through the Hutt Valley on the way to dinner at Jax’s house and it is divine! Suddenly we LOVE Wellington and don’t really want to go back to Auckland.

Auckland to Wellington

2008-03-25T03:56:00.001+02:00

The 600 km drive from Auckland to Wellington took an unbelievable 13 hours. With the winding roads, nervous drivers and 50km speed limit I’m not sure how anyone gets anywhere quickly. In places the speed limit dropped to 25km/h… I didn’t know it was possible to drive that slowly unless you were hunting for parking at a busy shopping centre.

We arrived in Wellington to find the streets full of skin-heads in death metal t-shirts all swigging beer and decided that this was definitely NOT the place for us. Then we found out it was due to a rock concert on that evening (something about Ozzy Osbourne and KISS).

Now that the Ozzy fans have cleared out it is a lot quieter although there are still a lot of students, pubs and clubs and Wellington itself doesn’t feel very family-friendly. The houses are stunning but all crammed together on the hills with no signs of any gardens or parks.

We arrived a day earlier than we’d planned and the hostel only had a dorm room available (our family room would only be free the next day). We gave Jax a call and then headed to Lowry Bay to gatecrash their friend’s dinner party. Thanks to Jax, Jane and families for their hospitality – we had a great time!

The Bays are really beautiful but we still aren’t keen on Wellington itself. It’s a pity because we’d love to be close to family and friends. If we were to settle here we’d have to take a look at the Hutt Valley or Porirua as a potential place to live.

Loving Auckland

2008-03-22T10:52:00.002+02:00

We're still in Auckland and leaving in the morning for a slow drive down to Wellington. Auckland is so beautiful we're almost hoping we dont like Wellington because we'd love to settle here.

I'm not sure what the biggest adjustments will be but I think the traffic and the food will be on the list.

The speed limit here is 50km/h on residential roads and 100km/h on the highway. People are very polite, everyone slows to let people into the traffic, we've heard no hooting yet and a bus driver even stopped to ask if we needed to do a u-turn. It sounds wonderful but can be frustrating when you're used to faster paced more aggressive driving. I can already picture the newspaper headlines "South African in road rage incident".

As for the food, it all looks fantastic and tastes horrible. I'm living on Reece's Peanut Butter cups and tinned rice pudding. I hope we find something edible soon! The baby food comes in many more varieties though than we're used to - Isabella has been loving couscous with harvest vegetables and rhubarb and polenta :)

Finally in NZ

2008-03-21T06:46:00.002+02:00

We're safely in Auckland after another long flight, and I dont think we want to come home at all. Today we went to Milford Beach and let Isabella play in the rock pools and then had an ice-cream in the park and just people-watched. It felt foreign to see people playing in a park.

Jay was mistaken for some famous author which is quite funny! If anyone knows which author, let me know :)

We also took a drive through the suburb we'd like to find a home in and I took loads of photos of the houses in the area. So I dont bore everyone with the pics, here is a link: http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s141/Johnsont13/Auckland/

Grey Malaysia

2008-03-20T08:10:00.001+02:00

No Malaysia pics I'm afraid - we werent all that impressed by KL, it seemed dirty and grey and the people were extremely rude. I did some shopping for work clothes and then we headed for the airport... I think we'd like it more given enough time in the city.

Off to the zoo

2008-03-20T08:04:00.005+02:00

We decided to hire a driver for our last day in Phuket and do some sightseeing, so off we headed to the zoo. Isabella was fascinated by a cockatiel (cockatoo?) and spent ages staring into the cage saying "Hi!" and cackling when the bird responded.

The birds and the aquarium were definite favourites but she was unsure about a very friendly baby elephant that wiped elephant snot on my shoulder.

We also got to see the Phuket Butterfly farm and had a detour past a jewellery shop (and no I didnt buy anything).

Thai food

2008-03-16T12:55:00.006+02:00

I'm surprised to find myself loving Thai food this time round after hating it the last time. My favourite so far is this hot and sour soup, served with steamed rice:

Tom Yum Kai (Spicy and Sour Chicken Soup)

5 cups of Chicken Stock
2 cups of Chicken (Breasts or any part that you prefer/ or Prawns), cut
3 cups of Mushroom (Thai Straw Mushrooms are recommended)
4-6 Tablespoons of Lime Juice
4-6 Tablespoons of Fish Sauce
2-3 Tablespoons of Sweet-Roasted Chillies Paste
4-6 of Tomatoes, halved or quartered
4-6 of Red Shallots, halved or quartered
4-5 of Fresh Kaffir lime leaves, roughly torn
2-3 of Fresh Lemon Grass, roughly sliced
1-2 of Galangal, roughly sliced
4-8 of Chillies, roughly sliced or crushed (de-seeded is optional)
2 of Coriander's roots, crushed-just broken with pestle
a pinch of sugar
Thai parsley leaves, roughly cut
Coriander & Spring Onion, roughly cut

Preparation
heat the chicken stock in the pot, bring to the boil
add lemon grass, coriander's root, kiffir lime leaves, galangal, wait till aromatic
add chicken, wait till the chicken is cooked through - do not stir
add tomatoes, cook for 2-3 mins
add mushrooms, lower the heat and cook slowly
add fish sauce
add sweet roasted chillies paste, liquidise the paste before adding
add a pinch of sugar (only very little, not too much)
add lime juice
add parsley leaves and a half part of coriander leaves and spring onion
turn off the heat, remove to the serving bowl
sprinkle with the 2nd half part of coriander leaves and spring onion
serve with streamed rice

Isabella the troll

2008-03-16T05:48:00.003+02:00

The Thai's love children. For the first few days its endearing but the charm has now completely worn off.

They arent child-friendly in the "smile and coo" kind of way. Instead they immediately reach out and snatch your child from your arms while making "AARRHHHH" sounds. Isabella has had enough. In the beginning she'd smile nervously and then reach out to Jay or I to take her back but now she screams hysterically as soon as a Thai person looks at her. Its making breakfast, lunch, dinner, swimming, shopping and pretty much anything in between a loud experience.

Jay now growls "leave her alone" the minute someone approaches. Poor kid! I'm sure she'll be very glad when we're back in a place where she doesnt get manhandled all the time.

From Patong to Karon

2008-03-15T15:41:00.003+02:00

Today we moved from Patong Beach to Karon Beach - it is a lot more family friendly here and we prefer this hotel. Isabella seems to be a lot better - thanks for all the good thoughts sent our way!

And for Mum, a pic of me :)

Cabaret

2008-03-14T17:14:00.004+02:00

This evening we headed off to see a Cabaret show leaving Isabella with Dithorn - her favourite person from the play centre - as a babysitter. The show was the Simon Cabaret and it was fantastic! I’d recommend it to anyone visiting Phuket. The performances were fantastic as were the costumes and sets. These “ladies” are more woman than I could ever be :)

Splurge

2008-03-14T17:12:00.001+02:00

Bought a snazzy new toy today, an Acer Aspire 4720Z. Its fast, its pretty and it means I’m likely to have more to talk about now that I’m no longer restricted by old PC’s in internet café’s. Buying it was interesting given that the salesperson spoke not a single word of english besides “Thank you” which is also the extent of my Thai. After about an hour of pointing, drawing and circling things in pamphlets I walked away hoping I had what I’d ordered – so far so good!

Isabella has kept all her food down today so we hope she is on the mend but maybe I shouldn’t talk too soon, Murphy and all that.

Phuket Aquarium

2008-03-13T13:24:00.003+02:00

Today we ventured out to Phuket Aquarium with a sick kid. The aquarium is stunning - I loved the underwater tunnel and the Turtle pools.

Isabella was violently ill in the taxi and we're watching her very closely at the moment. The pharmacist we spoke to didnt recommend medicating her because of her age but gave us rehydrate and said if she is still ill in a few days we will need to get her to hospital.

Any get well thoughts would be appreciated!

Muay Thai

2008-03-11T15:46:00.002+02:00

Last night Jay went to see the Muay Thai Boxing at Patong Stadium - sounds like it was a good evening out.

We've been spending most of each afternoon in the pool with Isabella and tomorrow will head for the beach and do some snorkelling.

Some pics attached...

Link to pictures

2008-03-10T07:06:00.002+02:00

I've uploaded some pics here: http://s151.photobucket.com/albums/s141/Johnsont13/Thailand2008/

No idea what they're like, I did a bulk upload so no complaints, k?

Elephant trekking is only fun for 10 minutes

2008-03-10T06:44:00.005+02:00

After 10 minutes it just gets painful trying to hold yourself, your child and your backpack on an elephant that is far more interested in ripping shrubs from the ground than it is in sedately walking along a path to amuse tourists.

Isabella is still stuck in SA time so she only starts going to sleep around midnight and then we struggle to wake her around 10h00. She is also cutting teeth and is still grumpy.

Other than that everything is fab - loving the people, the food and not being at work :)

Jay is heading off to the boxing stadium this evening to see a Muay Thai match. We booked him ringside seats and Isabella and I will swim in the hotel pool and order room-service like lazy tarts while he is there.

Shopping, shopping and more shopping

2008-03-09T06:51:00.006+02:00

Seems like all we've done since we arrived. We went to a very large department store and replaced the stroller lost by Malaysia Airlines and I plan to go back and pick up loads of stunning baby things when Jay isnt looking.

Tons of Hello Kitty stuff for Jamie, Holly and Tyla (and even Elaine - he he he), beautiful clothes and toys like we've never seen before.

Had a great meal last night - fish in butter and spices and chicken satay with rice and veggies - hope all the food we have is this good. I'll post some photos as soon as we've had them put on CD.

We're still very tired despite almost 12 hours sleep and Isabella goes between being cranky as hell and singing and clapping whenever someone looks at her.

Love to you all!

Contact Details needed

2008-03-08T08:51:00.002+02:00

We've arrived safe after an awful flight. My cellphone is working - but everyone's numbers are saved in my other phone...

Caro, Declan and Colleen especially, please send me your cell numbers (to johnsont13@gmail.com)

And we're off!

2008-03-07T07:38:00.003+02:00

Finished packing last night and we're shocked at the mountain of bags waiting at the door. We're used to it being just us and a backpack... this is LUGGAGE. We're up to 2 suitcases, a large rucksack, 2 hand luggage bags and a stroller - and Jay keeps trying to reassure me by saying "but you can throw things away and then use the space for shopping".

On the job front no offer has been forthcoming yet so best we cram in loads of interviews while there.

Medicals and other boring stuff

2008-03-05T09:39:00.002+02:00

Yesterday I went off to have my medicals done and ended up in the waiting room from hell. It was full of the louder, more obnoxious breed of South Africans and all were trying to express their mostly nasty opinions louder than the next person.

The doctor came out after a while and asked them to be quiet. I was tactfully sitting in the corner with my fingers in my ears like a five-year-old. I stopped just short of humming loudly as well.

All I can say is thank god most were heading to Australia and not New Zealand.

I see today NZ is in the top10 on the Heritage Index of Economic Freedom - always nice to know: http://www.heritage.org/Index/country.cfm?ID=NewZealand (South Africa ranks 57)

Lesson 1: Lose the list

2008-03-03T21:53:00.003+02:00

Just finished the preliminary packing. Thats the packing that comes before the actual packing that comes before the last minute packing and the "what the hell have I forgotten" packing.

Considering this is my packing list I think I need to relax a little, maybe lose the list. Its stressing me out more than its helping (although I'm hugely proud that so far this all fits into 2 suitcases - with our clothes)

Passports x 3
Cash /credit cards/debit/ATM cards
Drivers' license
Photocopies of passport & drivers’ license - in case ID is lost or stolen
Calling card & number for out-of-country calls
Health & travel insurance documents
Address/phone book
Trip itinerary
Plane tickets, or confirmation number for e-ticket
Hotel and car reservation numbers
Cell phone & charger
Camera and batteries & charger
Pen & paper
Guidebook
Assorted plastic bags
Travel alarm clock
Toothpaste
Toothbrushes
Shampoo & conditioner
Brush
Shaving gear
Sunglasses
Skin cream
Nail clippers
Lip balm
Insect repellent
Sun block
Band-aids
Topical antibiotic ointment
Disinfecting liquid
Pain relief tablets
Children's pain/fever reliever
Oral rehydration sachets (Hydrol)
Prescription medicines
General antibiotic
Baby Sunblock
Fold-up stroller
Bactroban
Formula
Baby food
Baby Cereal
Eating utensils
Bottles & teats
Sippy Cups
Extra dummies
Blanket
Changing mat
Nappies
Swimming nappies
Wetwipes (lots)
Nappy Cream
Baby Toiletries
Swimsuits
More sunhats
One-litre zippered plastic bags containing:-travel-sized toothpaste-travel-sized mouthwash-travel-sized hand sanitizer-travel-sized moisturizer-travel-sized liquid soap or small bar of soap-travel-sized deodorant-travel-sized shampoo-travel-sized conditioner-travel-sized disinfecting liquid-small tube antibiotic ointment-toothbrushes-a few cotton swabs
One-litre zippered plastic bag for Isabella containing:-liquid baby antihistamine-liquid baby acetaminophen-travel-sized baby wash-travel-sized baby shampoo-travel-sized baby moisturizer-travel-sized nappy cream

Please note... we havent even reached clothes yet :-/

Lessons in irresponsibility

2008-03-03T14:16:00.006+02:00

On Friday we set off on the craziest trip we have taken yet as a family. We are not by nature very impulsive so this is quite a scary move for us.

Resignations have been submitted, the house is on the market and we are off to hopefully start a new life in a new country - New Zealand. But not without a stop in Thailand and Malaysia first for some well-deserved relaxation.

Blogging seems like an easier way to keep friends and family updated than sending multiple emails. Wish us luck!

Dates:
07 - 18 March: Thailand
18 & 19 March: Malaysia
20 March - 22 March: Auckland, NZ
23 March - 28 March: Wellington, NZ
29 March - 03 April: Auckland, NZ
04 April - 25 April: Johannesburg, SA
26 April - ?