My first 2 weeks in Palmerston North

Hi everyone,

It has been almost 2 weeks since we arrive here in Palmerston North and even though we have been kept busy with running around trying to get settle down as quickly as possible, we are actually enjoying the slow pace of life here in laid back Palmerston North.

I am able to write this blog for the first time because I have managed to get my internet account going only today. Below is a detailed account about our first 13 days in New Zealand.

We left Singapore on the 24th October and after a grand sending off by my relatives, friends, and colleagues we were on our way to NZ. The flight to Auckland was uneventful except that we only have 2 hours of sleep throughout the journey. When we arrived in Auckland, we manage to clear custom without any problem while the immigration officer smile and said welcome home matey. We waited for our domestic flight for about 4 hours and had to pay about NZ$150 because our hand luggage was too big and cannot be checked into the little domestic propellor airplane which can carry only 30 passengers. When we arrive at Palmerston, Lionel was there to pick us up together with our 120 kg worth of luggage.

The next day was quite uneventful except that we slept most of the time at Mid City motel to catch up on our sleep and to make an appointment with BNZ on opening our accounts the following day. On the third day onwards, we were kept busy looking for houses to rent. The process was very tedious. First, you need to view the house on the outside and if you like it you make an appointment to view them just like an open house with other viewers. If you still really like it, you fill up a form together with other applicants and the landlord will choose the best tenant based on what you have written including your employment status and references form your previous landlords which put us in a very disadvantaged position. We were getting quite desperate and frustrated because an application we put in at Conway Place was rejected even though we were the first to put in the request. Just then, we were then even contemplating of buying a house rather than renting one and even ask my dear sister if she could raise some loan from Singapore. Luckily for us, on the eighth day, we saw a house with only 3 potential tenants. The other two viewers decided to go for other properties and that make us the sole interested party and hence we got our place. It is a very quiet street, a cul de sac in NZ terms meaning that it has no through road, with lots of fruit trees at the back of the garden, a huge garden 800 square metres land area, 3 bedrooms and about 3 kilometres to town which is considered far by Palmerston North standard. It also have a garage which is important in winter and also I may need to mow my own lawn and get a lawn mower soon.

Beside the house, we had no such problems with buying a car as there were more sellers than buyers here in palmertson north. We had 3 choices a $13,000 2000 Honda Accord at 91,000 kms, a $16,000 2002 Toyota Corolla hatch with 56,000kms or $17,700 2001 Honda Accord with 55kms. After test drives we decided to go for the better $17,700 Honda Accord as we may need a little more power and safety when driving to faraway towns. So far I am loving the car as It would take me about 10 years to pay off the loan in Singapore but over here, I manage to pay all in cash.

J is enjoying himself here. School is fun and often he comes home with some sticker praising him for some deeds he does in school. He has no problem adjusting to school life here in NZ. He loves to go to the many duck ponds and feed the ducks here in Palmerston. He is also beginning to help me in taking out the weeds from the garden.

As for the weather, it is unpredictable. We can have sunshine and rain within a day for several times. Generally, it is getting warmer and the sun rises at around 5 and set at around 9pm. It can be cold at night when temperatures fall to 7 degrees while day temperature can range from 13 to 20 degrees.

That is all for now and will update you further.



Vincent