We arrived in Auckland on 31st Oct 2006 and 9 days later Daf was working for Vodafone. I've been temping in credit control and collections for various large companies. Just now I'm at Vodafone as well, calling people who haven't paid their bills, taking abuse and then cutting them off.We stayed with Jennifer and Jethro in their wee house on top of the hill in Orakei from November until March when both Jen and Jeth's parents came over visiting. We've been living here with Emma and Dan (newly Mr & Mrs Channing) and Siegfried since March in
Epsom. We've pretty much done nothing since arriving here, apart from the 4WD day and a day trip or two to Piha!! It's been all about saving!! We spent most of our savings from the UK in Australia so if we want to leave NZ without missing out on all the LOTR sights we need to save our pennies!!Our working holiday visas expire in 2 weeks and, rather then extend them at a cost of nearly $1000, having to submit blood tests, medical certificates and chest x-rays, we're going to Tonga for 3 nights then back into the country again as UK visitors!! Immigration are a bunch of monkeys, honestly.
The itinerary so far is:
Tonga on the 29th,
3 nights on the beach for some snorkeling and lounging,
back to Auckland to send stuff home,
down to Masterton to see Daf's relatives,
fly to Christchurch,
drive around South Island for 2 weeks,
onto Thailand for 3 weeks,
home on Xmas day.
We've both made loads of really great friends here in Auckland, it's a complete pain in the arse than the govt won't let us stay. Especially since VF have just announced that they can't get the staff here in NZ so they've out-sourced an entire call centre to Egypt!! All good things must come to an end however and it's not like we're coming back to get a mortgage and 'settle down' OK?!
I think it's safe to say we are both dreading coming back home to no jobs, no house and no cash on Xmas day having spent 3 weeks in the glorious tropical heat of northern Thailand. Obviously it'll be great to see our mums and families and having the seasons round the right way again will be good. NZ is so spacious though! The Kiwis don't know how lucky they are to have their 'section' or not to have to live in a glorified tenement costing roughly 8 times the average salary!! It'll be strange going back to the squashed up, everyone-on-top-of-each-other housing in Edinburgh.
Tonga on the 29th,
3 nights on the beach for some snorkeling and lounging,
back to Auckland to send stuff home,
down to Masterton to see Daf's relatives,
fly to Christchurch,
drive around South Island for 2 weeks,
onto Thailand for 3 weeks,
home on Xmas day.
We've both made loads of really great friends here in Auckland, it's a complete pain in the arse than the govt won't let us stay. Especially since VF have just announced that they can't get the staff here in NZ so they've out-sourced an entire call centre to Egypt!! All good things must come to an end however and it's not like we're coming back to get a mortgage and 'settle down' OK?!I think it's safe to say we are both dreading coming back home to no jobs, no house and no cash on Xmas day having spent 3 weeks in the glorious tropical heat of northern Thailand. Obviously it'll be great to see our mums and families and having the seasons round the right way again will be good. NZ is so spacious though! The Kiwis don't know how lucky they are to have their 'section' or not to have to live in a glorified tenement costing roughly 8 times the average salary!! It'll be strange going back to the squashed up, everyone-on-top-of-each-other housing in Edinburgh.
Looking forward to public transport and a good local pub again though!!
I can't wait for a haggis super with a can of Irn Bru..... 
-AM
-AM
1 comment:
Alison, everytime I hear the word "formaldehyde"... I think of you! No, not you as such... but you describing Victoria Beckham...
Ha-ha-ha... I just heard the word in my mind again.
You should stay/return to NZ and live your dream of sunshine (yeah right) and a quarter acre lawn and what not.
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