This New Zealand Life

Blog Roundup: Budget, weather, insulation, soft toys and birds

I unpacked our headless Wallace and Gromit alarm clock and sat looking at it. I thought that people would probably think we were mad bringing this 12000 miles

A QUICK look at what the blogs have been saying in the last couple of weeks. First up is Slightly Intrepid's look at the history of Sparrows in New Zealand. Many of the UK's birds ended up with NZ populations but the sparrow is the most noticeable, wherever you go.

As with so many of the actions of the colonial acclimatisation societies in New Zealand, the introduction of the house sparrow proved to have far-reaching consequences for the native flora and fauna.

Picture Factoids: Wellington, New Zealand

WELLINGTON has been the capital of New Zealand since 1865 when the capital was moved from Auckland, supposedly to provide a more geographically-central government for settlers in the South Island.

New Zealand budget a dreary warm blanket

We've long complained at the standard of Kiwi housing; moaning at the cold, damp, mould infested sheds they call homes

TODAY is budget day in New Zealand. In a few hours time finance minister Bill English will perform before parliament setting out the first National party budget in nearly ten years. Hip hooray! I can't wait.

But what is it about government budgets that makes me feel MPs and all the loud-noises of state are uttlerly pointless and, to be frank, a bit annoying.

Regional economic performance: Wellington top, Northland bottom

The outlook isn't encouraging

NORTHLAND, Manawatu-Wanganuiand Otago are the worst performing regional council areas according to the ASB Regional Economic Scoreboard (RES), issued for the last quarter.

The RES takes regional statistics and ranks the economic performance of New Zealand’s 16 Regional Council.

The fastest growing regions gain the highest ratings, and a good performance by the national economy raises the ratings of all regions. Ratings are based on measures such as employment, construction, retail trade and house prices.

Study restrictions eased for working holidays in New Zealand

A wide range of courses is currently available to travellers, from postgraduate research to short courses in horticulture or viticulture

A SMALL change to the New Zealand Immigration WHS (Working Holiday Scheme) has been announced today.

The WHS enables holders of the visa to work and travel in the country for up to 23 months, providing they are aged between 18-30, have no children, and hold a ticket to leave NZ before the visa expires (among other things, see the WHS page and NZ Immigration)

Finding rental property in New Zealand while abroad

ORGANISING somewhere to live in New Zealand when you are 14,000 miles away on the other side of the globe is like trying to eat peas with ten-foot chopsticks while blindfolded.

I expect, like me, you'd think it would be easy in this modern age of internet and wind turbines, to browse through a few property pages held usefully online, ring the agent or landlord and put your deposit down ready for your triumphant arrival in a few weeks time.

You can imagine the advantages. Landing at Auckland International Airport with tired-out, screaming kids, six oversize suitcases that have just been rifled through by bio-secucurity officials from the misery.. (er sorry typo) ministry of agriculture and forestry (MAF), you would have somewhere to go, a home, somewhere to take the pressure off while you evaluate your new life, start work, save the cost of hotels, and begin the search for more permanent lodgings.

Emigrating to New Zealand is not always easy

The kids don't like it. They have built their lives here. They don't like moving, but it's not a decision made by choice

A COUPLE of immigration stories for you to consider.

The first reminds us that it's not always easy to get admitted to New Zealand. There are many anecdotal stories of would-be-Kiwis thwarted at some point in the immigration process, but the story in the Dominion Post about the Habr family, who have called New Zealand home for five years, is shocking.

Eight things expats miss when abroad

RESULTS from the Halifax International's expat mood survey found that 41% of expats living around the world have no plans to ever return to the UK.

However, expats still miss some things back in Blighty. Forty-four percent say they miss family, people and culture and one third of expats confess they miss the traditional British way of life.

Others said they missed the UK’s standard of recreational sport and yet others, Marks & Spencer’s, John Lewis, Marmite and the countryside.

High earners and footballers want to live in New Zealand

As many as 250,000 of the UK’s highest earners will escape the country to avoid the financial implications of the 50% tax rate

AS a man in his forties, I am greeted with an astounded silence or howls of disbelief when I let on I still play football at the weekends. Some even question that they've heard right, preferring to believe I am taking my five year old son to a match rather than accept a forty-four year old should willingingly chase a ball around a muddy field for 90 minutes when he could be engaged in DIY or mowing the lawn or, for heaven's sake, watching the wife go shopping.

For some reason, in Britain, once the tender age of about 35 is reached, competitive sport becomes shorthand for sudden death. If you play squash or hockey or football, you should be worried your ticker might simply blow up.

Not that many of us engage anyway. Those few British schools still offering sports as an option (and I mean rugby, football or cricket here, not namby pamby music, mime and movement or a ridiculous brain-training hop and skip), encourage the elite while allowing those less able to bunk of school or light up ciggies in the forgotten recesses of the playground. No wonder Britain is a nation of fatties.

Cycle challenge nears Cape

JUST as in the UK there is a well-travelled charity route from Land's End in Cornwall, to John O'Groats at the North East corner of Scotland, so in New Zealand the path from Stewart Island in the South to Cape Reinga in the North attracts many ambitious Kiwis prepared to face a challenge for charity.

Anyone can take on a challenge and tick something off their 'impossible' list

Cyclist Vaughn Rowsell from Kerikeri is nearing the end of his epic journey. Inspired by his mother who has lived with a spinal injury for 45 years, Vaughan is fundraising for The Association for Spinal Concerns (TASC), a charitable trust based out of the Middlemore Hospital Spinal Unit, which assists the rehabilitation of patients and their families.