Knock, knock......

[Dr Bob]

Hi Fordy

In a previous career I was a QS cadet (didn't quite finish the quals, but it was in a very previous career), and born in Llandalf, so your picture was particularly touching. I have been here since 1975 and have no intention of going back for anything longer than a short visit. Once you get here you may or may not feel the same. Plenty of brits come over here more than once before they realise that they have made the right decision, try not to be one of those.

[merv]

Hi, I hope you do enjoy it out here. One thing we have always liked is the lack of crowding and space to ride, but the bad news is the country is filling up more these days - just ask those in Auckland.

So the moral of the story is, well you are a biker, so you can come here, but once you settle in please tell all your other mates back home its a prick of a place and you wish you hadn't come and that way we can keep it to ourselves and hope the roads stay somewhat lightly trafficked.

That's what I tell all immigrants, but it doesn't seem to be working and the country's population has grown from 3 mill to over 4 mill in about the last 25 years.

[カワサキキド]

hi there..
because you come from over there, i think you will like the weather in CHCH as it is tooo nice for you in Nelson, ie tooo many sunny days, too many hot days, a couple of cold days(3-4) a year.. CHCH has heaps of wet, cold smog filled days, A hot day a year...so pick CHCH ...by the way you are not one of those winging poms we have been told about hahahaha

Hey chch isnt that bad..*looks out window* oh yeah :disapint:

[dangerous]

...... let me in!

Another Brit wanting to move to Godzone, I'm a quantity surveyor and apparently you haven't got enough of those, I'm in the process of having qualifications pre-assessed before applying for residency for me, wife and 2 kids.

I like what I've read about Nelson, but reckon there are more opportunities in Christchurch. We'll be over in January to check for ourselves.

Anyway, here's a pic of my last trip to Wales

Welcome man, what you have said above is fairly accurate about Nelson/Chch, I was up there this w/e gone its only a 4hr drive so if you do settle in Chch its not far to go for a play on the bike.
Depending on what kind of surveing you do theres heaps of work here I have mates in the bussness.

I had a new workmate from wales start this year he moved with his wife, and I dont think they will be going back..... that pic you posted looks wicked awesome view, but plenty like that here to.

[Fordy]

I'm glad the pic went down well. IIRC the lake is Llyn Cwmystradllyn from the Pass of Aberglaslyn, near Beddgelert. My wife had taken the kids to her Uncle's in Fishguard, I followed but via Snowdonia and the coast road. I'd stayed in a guest house in Criccieth and that pic was taken at 6.45 am, I was that eager to get going. 800 miles over 2.5 days, fantastic You work in km's, don't you?

The weathers not that bad in CHCH is it its better than here according to http://www.emigratenz.org/NewZealand...l#christchurch. I haven't considered Auckland due to population size, and its a bit sweaty isn't it?

dangerous, you have pm.

[ching_ching]

Hi Fordy,

Welcome. Have you considered North Island? I stay in Turangi which is pretty much smack-dab in the middle right next to the biggest lake in this land (pic attached of Motutaiko Island, Lake Taupo).
Oh, and as you may know, Graham Henry is now coaching the All Blacks. I think he got pissed off at you Welsh giving him a hard time.
As far as this site is concerned, keep an eye out for the nutjobs that lurk on here... I assure you I am not one of them.

ching

[Fordy]

Nice bike ching

We have considered the North Island, Napier was on the shortlist but like Nelson opportunities are probably more limited. Auckland's too busy, Wellington too windy. If I'm gonna move round the world I want to be on the beach, even though that is a stunning picture.

you Welsh

Never been called that before, he he, just passing through. I was born in Ulster but grew up in Milton Keynes so I talk wiv propa est'ry Eng'ish, innit.

[aff-man]

welcome mate . Auckers is a bit of a pig pen but 20 minutes later you can find some really wicked twisties aye . But from what i hear it's like that all over

[magnum]

hello and welcome in

[Fordy]

Nice bike aff-man and steve My last bike a G1 at a trackday at Snetterton. If only I'd move my bum my knee would hit down I'm sure

Submission made to NZIS, should be okay

[scumdog]

Welcome to your nightmare- the KB site where you can be insulted in ways you never dreamed about, most are self opinionates psycho road warriors with NO respect of the law (except moi of course) so you'll most likely fit right in!!

DON'T come down south, no smog, no motorways, no traffic lights (in fact no traffic) and horrible long open interesting roads,nothing like what you want!!!!

[HanaBelle]

Plenty of brits come over here more than once before they realise that they have made the right decision, try not to be one of those.

We let them in more than once??!!

[HanaBelle]

DON'T come down south, no smog, no motorways, no traffic lights (in fact no traffic) and horrible long open interesting roads,nothing like what you want!!!!

Dunedin is cold, hilly, and silly (student antics). And there are cops living there. No one rides because your fingers freeze and drop off, one by one. Scumdog has a treadmill in his air conditioned garge on which to exercise the Sportster. He doesnt go out much (it shows).

Christchurch is culturally british, smoggy unless you live at Brighton, Sumner, or Lyttleton (they have outlawed open fires in an attempt to curb it, the Port Hills cause a capture effect so avoid Spreydon etc unless you dont care), it suffers from a hellish wind (the Norwester) which is hot, laden with pollen and dry - always followed by a brisk chilly Southerly...Chch's temperature range is probably wider than most places in NZ, gets hotter than 30 during summer and colder than hell during winter. Its a fine city if you like Arts, and it has a nice road over to the Peninsula for a sunday morning ride. And just a heartbeat from spectacular scenery, the Alps, harbours, dolphins, fishing.

Auckland just sucks. Its horrible. Avoid it.

[scumdog]

Aw, c'mon HanaBelle, We banned all the nasty stuff from my town, you know like traffic lights, steel man-hole covers, unlicenced foreign drivers, traffic jams, lanes that need split, shreiking harridans etc, etc

Mind you, you're dead right about the treadmill thing, I've even had to fire pebbles at the front of my Sporty with a shanghai to get authentic looking stone chips to give me some cred!

[Fordy]

^^BOING^^

CHCH is a little closer now. Just received confirmation that our Expression of Interest has been accepted and we've been invited to apply for residence. More form filling and cheque writing Still, its all positive stuff and we had the points without a job offer so self employment is the plan

Santa got me Great Escapes a book thats filled with fantastic looking routes that I'm eager to try when we eventually get there.

Oh, and passed the Institute of Advanced Motoring motorcycle test too. Which was nice. Don't suppose it'll make any difference to insurance in NZ :disapint: