How's life in NZ/Aus?

watna · 10-08-2008 9:55pm #1

Well, well well. Our very own NZ and Aus forum!

To start us off I thought I'd make a thread for general/off-topic chat. Feel free to drop in to us and tell us how you're getting on, are you homesick, having a difficult time?

If you have specific questions about travel or visas etc please start a new thread. This is for random chat.

I'll start.

Man, New Zealand is cold.

Jim · 10-08-2008 9:59pm

I'm the other way around. My mates have been in NZ for agggeessss

Come back Anna and Ronan!

watna · 10-08-2008 10:01pm

Jimeatsmenu wrote: »

I'm the other way around. My mates have been in NZ for agggeessss

Come back Anna and Ronan!

NZ sucks you in. They'll never escape now!

Jim · 10-08-2008 10:10pm

They're travelling around the north in a van called Frank. Last I heard they were stuck in Coromandel because of the flooding.

The Sweeper · 10-08-2008 10:31pm

Australia isn't cold at the moment, but Victoria is wet. It's rained nearly every day for the last four weeks. That's on the back of 10 years of drought though, so some of the dams and lakes are still at only 20% capacity, so there are STILL level 4 water restrictions in the area I'm in. Hahaha, my excuse not to clean my car continues...

sheepshagger · 10-08-2008 10:34pm

Am opposte to most on here (I'd imagine). . am orginally from NZ, have been here (Dublin) for 7 years. . . went back to watch the rugby earlier in the year - No desire to go back for good at all !

watna · 10-08-2008 10:40pm

Jimeatsmenu wrote: »

They're travelling around the north in a van called Frank. Last I heard they were stuck in Coromandel because of the flooding.

Yup, they might be stuck for a while! I get traffic/accident alerts from the NZ police sent to work in case it effects staff. I had 30 of them when I got in to work. There's flooding and accidents everywhere.

Minesajackdaniels wrote: »

Australia isn't cold at the moment, but Victoria is wet. It's rained nearly every day for the last four weeks. That's on the back of 10 years of drought though, so some of the dams and lakes are still at only 20% capacity, so there are STILL level 4 water restrictions in the area I'm in. Hahaha, my excuse not to clean my car continues...

Wow, we've been told our water levels are back to normal and we're good to be wasteful again!

sheepshagger wrote: »

Am opposte to most on here (I'd imagine). . am orginally from NZ, have been here (Dublin) for 7 years. . . went back to watch the rugby earlier in the year - No desire to go back for good at all !

You kiwis get everywhere!

hussey · 11-08-2008 1:14am

Hey peeps, living it up in sydney 16C outside not a cloud in the sky.

Just beautiful :pac:

Xavi6 · 11-08-2008 1:53am

Got sunburnt yesterday playin football here in Perth. It was a decent 20 degrees and warm when the sun was out. Feckin freezing once it hid behind the clouds though.

watna · 11-08-2008 3:38am

Boo-urns to you Aussies and your sun!

I went skiing in the north island last weekend but the weather was so bad that they just closed the mountain! Managed to get a day in later in the week but it was nowhere near as good as skiing in Europe.

I must have a chat with robinph about the ski conditions. He's coming over this way fairly soon.

One Cold Hand · 11-08-2008 4:39am

Starting to get slightly warmer here in Melbourne. You can actually feel a little bit of heat during the stay. Still pretty cold at night. Bucketed rain last night.

Uuuuggghh. Mondays. Halfway there, come on!

watna · 11-08-2008 4:41am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Starting to get slightly warmer here in Melbourne. You can actually feel a little bit of heat during the stay. Still pretty cold at night. Bucketed rain last night.

Uuuuggghh. Mondays. Halfway there, come on!

Only 1 hour 20 minutes for me. You gotta love the time difference!

One Cold Hand · 11-08-2008 4:43am

Yeah well....I was still in bed when you were working this morning. So HA!

watna · 11-08-2008 4:47am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Yeah well....I was still in bed when you were working this morning. So HA!

Burn!

Xavi6 · 11-08-2008 4:48am

4 and a half hours to go for me

watna · 11-08-2008 5:02am

Xavi6 wrote: »

4 and a half hours to go for me

Mwah hah hah! 1 hour for me. Going to go home and watch some Olympics after work. It's strangely mesmerising!

One Cold Hand · 11-08-2008 5:33am

watna wrote: »

Mwah hah hah! 1 hour for me. Going to go home and watch some Olympics after work. It's strangely mesmerising!

I'm an ABA (anyone but Australians). It's only cos Australians are so damn compeditive!
My boss is a bit of a legend. He brought a television into the office and has the olympics on! Was cheering as the Aussies lost the swimming at lunch time!

Coileach dearg · 11-08-2008 5:35am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

I'm an ABA (anyone but Australians). It's only cos Australians are so damn compeditive!
My boss is a bit of a legend. He brought a television into the office and has the olympics on! Was cheering as the Aussies lost the swimming at lunch time!

I'm the same. I let an awful roar out of myself last night when Argentina scored in the soccer match against Australia and the girlfriend was fit to level me!

One Cold Hand · 11-08-2008 5:42am

It's funny how the girls are mad into the sport too! Especially the AFL in Melbourne, everyone has a team and supports them!

Crumble Froo · 11-08-2008 6:23am

hey all! mmm.. just breathe in that new forum smell!

im in a fantastic mood today! im working as a reliever in preschools and my fave centre asked me if i'd be interested in being a member of permanant staff!

probably wont be able to, but just the fact they asked has me floating!

BraziliaNZ · 11-08-2008 6:40am

I hate AFL, Melbourne is mad for it. Weather here has been lousy the last while, today has been on and off but it's feckin' baltic outside. I spent last winter in Wellington and that was seriously bad, worse than Ireland, more wind and rain, never again!!

SquirrelOnCrack · 11-08-2008 6:44am

Im in Melbourne, did someone say that the weather is getting better here? Liar... 12c outside and about to rain again. Oh well, 15 min till I finish work..

BraziliaNZ · 11-08-2008 6:46am

yeah it's shocking out there and supposed to be woeful all week

Xavi6 · 11-08-2008 6:54am

No rain here. Feckin football pitches were rock solid yesterday so I've got some horrible grass burns down my legs

2 hours til the workin day is done.

SquirrelOnCrack · 11-08-2008 6:55am

In 2 months we'll all be on here saying 'Its too bloody hot'. Its never a happy medium.

BraziliaNZ · 11-08-2008 6:56am

Crumble Froo · 11-08-2008 6:57am

today was a shorts and tshirt day.

once you got over the morning frost which was pretty awful, a squinchy smattering of raindrops at lunch time,a nd now the sun is going down it's getting chilly again.

but the afternoon in general was lovely.

Crumble Froo · 11-08-2008 6:58am

SquirrelOnCrack wrote: »

In 2 months we'll all be on here saying 'Its too bloody hot'. Its never a happy medium.

oh snap! i can't tolerate the heat down here. i think there'll be about 4months of the year, spring and autumn where ill be kinda comfortable in the heat. but summer's too hot,a nd winter's too cold.

SquirrelOnCrack · 11-08-2008 7:03am

I dont have heating or cooling in my house which is worse. I think we Irish would win gold at the Olympics for moaning about the weather, lol. Are you guys living in Oz or just on a WHV?

Xavi6 · 11-08-2008 7:05am

Bring on the 40 degree heat I say. I haven't been in my swimming pool in about four months and I need to hit the beach again to do some boarding.

Mahatma coat · 12-08-2008 8:38am

hey crumble if you are workin with Little Kiddies, check out the WorldBearProject.org

Crumble Froo · 12-08-2008 8:53am

rainy rain today.

spent another age on the phone to immigration again.

told that i probably wouldnt get my visa on the thing im applying under, all sorts of new complications ensue :rolleyes:

Skittlebrau · 12-08-2008 11:21am

I just booked my flights home for Christmas! Will be nearly 3 years I've been here by then. I'm a tad excited to say the least.

Xavi6 · 12-08-2008 11:23am

How much did that set you back if you don't mind me asking? It cost me a small fortune and I'm not going til Feb.

Skittlebrau · 12-08-2008 11:27am

Xavi6 wrote: »

How much did that set you back if you don't mind me asking? It cost me a small fortune and I'm not going til Feb.

Just under $3000 return. Thought it would be more to be honest.

I was all set to come home in Jan when the prices had dropped but the ma wanted me home for Christmas so she paid half the flight. Worked out well.

Xavi6 · 12-08-2008 11:33am

Not bad so.

It's costing $4000 for two of us in early February. Crazy stuff just for a feckin flight.

watna · 13-08-2008 12:27am

Xavi6 wrote: »

Not bad so.

It's costing $4000 for two of us in early February. Crazy stuff just for a feckin flight.

My parents paid e2,000 each to come out to me this Christmas. That's NZ$8,000. When I think of all the things I could do with that money!

Coileach dearg · 13-08-2008 2:12am

Is everyone aware that if you are on 457 visa and sponsored by a recruitment agency, you are entitled to have half the price of your flight payed for by the agency?

I don't know if it works business class but it would be deadly if it was!

One Cold Hand · 13-08-2008 2:53am

watna wrote: »

My parents paid e2,000 each to come out to me this Christmas. That's NZ$8,000.

You either have 4 parents, or you're really bad at maths, I'm not sure which!!!

Xavi6 · 13-08-2008 2:55am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

You either have 4 parents, or you're really bad at maths, I'm not sure which!!!

Or else you're just forgetting about currency conversion! :pac:

e2,000

NZ$8,000

One Cold Hand · 13-08-2008 3:34am

Xavi6 wrote: »

Or else you're just forgetting about currency conversion! :pac:

Oops!

watna · 13-08-2008 6:45am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Oops!

Yeah, was at work and keboard didn't have a euro sign. Couldn't be arsed going to the character map. That may have confused you!

Crumble Froo · 13-08-2008 7:08am

watna wrote: »

My parents paid e2,000 each to come out to me this Christmas. That's NZ$8,000. When I think of all the things I could do with that money!

my parents paid for both of them, as well as my bro and sis and part of my nana's fare to come over see me at xmas.

i dont even wana think about how much that's cost, but ****, i'd rather have the money than teh stress of putting up with them for a fortnight. not to mention ill have to take all that time off work, and go/take them out places that'll cost money :mad:

BraziliaNZ · 13-08-2008 7:13am

mine came to NZ for 3 weeks at xmas. My brother was living there too at the time so that took the weight off my shoulders a bit. It was nice actually, but once or twice I turned into an angry teenager with them and got stroppy, only your parents can bring that out of you god love them. Still they were wise enough to go and do their own thing most of the time. They had a blast though, I hope, and we got beautiful weather for the whole time.

Crumble Froo · 13-08-2008 7:21am

well, ive already told them in plain, simple language that i dont want them coming out then. 1. im not quite near the point of missing them yet... the fact im about to live with them for a month kinda highlights the lack of them needing to come visit... 2. i HATE the weather at that time of year. i have no intention of stepping out the door unless it's either dark, or i get surf out of it, and 3. i can't afford for them to be here then.

although, woo! my favourite centre, (that offered me the permanant job) have decided to take me on for 2 and a half months once i get back to nz! wooo! aaaaaand, there's a permanant job going after that period, which theyve advised me i should go for.

One Cold Hand · 13-08-2008 7:39am

Crumble Froo wrote: »

i dont even wana think about how much that's cost, but ****, i'd rather have the money than teh stress of putting up with them for a fortnight. not to mention ill have to take all that time off work, and go/take them out places that'll cost money :mad:

Ahh bless! It's nice to see you love your family so much!!

Crumble Froo · 13-08-2008 7:42am

well, im looking forward to seein my bro, sis and nana..

after that... there's a reason i ended up living 13,000 miles away... :P

rocky79 · 13-08-2008 5:37pm

Hi Guys,
Quick question re my visa and flights. I am currently on the one year programme but had to return home for the last couple of months. I will be returning to Oz in September to work and I hope to get sponsership. my question is will I need a return ticket showing an exit date? My visa expires in January and I don't want to pay for a return ticket when I'm planning to stay.

Thanks

watna · 13-08-2008 11:12pm

rocky79 wrote: »

Hi Guys,
Quick question re my visa and flights. I am currently on the one year programme but had to return home for the last couple of months. I will be returning to Oz in September to work and I hope to get sponsership. my question is will I need a return ticket showing an exit date? My visa expires in January and I don't want to pay for a return ticket when I'm planning to stay.

Thanks

This thread is an off-topic thread for general chat. If you want to ask a question about visas etc please start a new thread.

Thanks

One Cold Hand · 14-08-2008 2:25am

Maybe we (i.e. you Watna!) could start a thread on Visa queries? There's already a good few threads started on visa questions.

Or not. Just an idea.

Zambia · 14-08-2008 2:38am

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Maybe we (i.e. you Watna!) could start a thread on Visa queries? There's already a good few threads started on visa questions.

Or not. Just an idea.

Oh the visa queries will come from everywhereno matter what :cool:you do..

How's life in NZ/Aus?

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