# Blessed.



## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

I very rarely start a thread, and try very hard to present the good and the bad about New Zealand. No doubt someone on a rival forum will point this post out as one from 'someone with delusions'.

But (and bearing in mind I am not religious at all) recent events have led me to think I am indeed blessed to live in such a beautiful land, and with the life that I have.

I will say that we are not 'on the breadline' - I'm sure that life in those circumstances is difficult, regardless of the surroundings. But we are not multi-millionaires, and we have had our share of health issues (hubby had a quadruple heart bypass on the NZ Health Service last year).

An inheritance from my Mum has allowed us to buy a small lifestyle block. It did not cost us a fortune - a small two-bedroomed bungalow in Eastcote covered the cost. 

It is in a beautiful area called Miranda - and is commutable to Auckland. I do it every day - 1.25 hours. We have 13 hectares of bush and pasture. I can stand at our house and say 'I own those two valleys'. 

Hubby stays at home, and looks after the cat, a phantom cat (arrived, hid in the garage, comes out for food but we never see her), ducks (2 x pekin) and their 14 eggs, orphaned lamb (Rambo) and Alpacas. Rambo thinks he's an alpaca with short legs and neck.

We had a bit of a disaster with the alpacas a fortnight ago. We had four, and two of them ate foxglove (which affects the heart with a drug called digitalis). They both died - very shocking, and very unusual. Everyone has foxgloves in their paddocks, and no-one else's stock eats it. 

So a large vets bill and a fencing bill later, we are back on track with 2 new alpacas (delivered today). There is nothing so relaxing as sitting in the evening sun, watching a small herd of alpacas with a lamb shouting for his bottle!

And the death of Steve Jobs from Apple at such an early age (56) brought into perspective what we have. My dad also was a genius, and also died of pancreatic cancer at age 63. Life is too short, and unpredictable. 

I believe that it is everyone's responsibility to take their own life by the horns and take it where they want it to go. 

New Zealand has taken our life in exactly the direction we want it to go. We've been here five years on 30th October, and we are applying for citizenship on 1st November. I hope others choose to do the same, and find New Zealand life as fulfilling as we do.


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## RossM (Jul 9, 2011)

I do want to thank you for presenting both the good and bad aspects about moving to NZ and for answering the questions I've PM you a few times. I'm glad to hear your doing well, except the 2 alpacas. My son will be 6 months old later this month and my wife and I are in good health, I can't ask for much more at the moment. We plan to visit NZ in the next year to make a final decision about NZ being the place we want to raise our son, and if time allows we may get the opportunity to say thank you in person. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as time goes on so thanks in advance. My wife is set to graduate next summer (US summer) and then off goes the EOI.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

RossM said:


> I do want to thank you for presenting both the good and bad aspects about moving to NZ and for answering the questions I've PM you a few times. I'm glad to hear your doing well, except the 2 alpacas. My son will be 6 months old later this month and my wife and I are in good health, I can't ask for much more at the moment. We plan to visit NZ in the next year to make a final decision about NZ being the place we want to raise our son, and if time allows we may get the opportunity to say thank you in person. I'm sure I'll have many more questions as time goes on so thanks in advance. My wife is set to graduate next summer (US summer) and then off goes the EOI.


Thanks for your reply - and yes, tell us when you're coming and we'll arrange to meet up. NZ is a lovely place to bring up kids (of course there are some bad places - but generally so) - I wish I'd come sooner. I went to lunch with my 22 year old son yesterday. We have tickets to both Rugby World Cup semis - one set each - and we were both arguing why we should get to see the All Blacks over England. He, like us, feels much more that NZ is his long-term home than England is now.


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## Jacqcampbell (Apr 17, 2011)

My husband and I can't wait to be in NZ! We will arrive in late May next year!


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## inhamilton (Jun 10, 2011)

Good on you Topcat ! I agree with your sentiments, especially this bit :

_I believe that it is everyone's responsibility to take their own life by the horns and take it where they want to go._


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## Song_Si (Jun 11, 2010)

topcat83 said:


> We have tickets to both Rugby World Cup semis - one set each - and we were both arguing why we should get to see the All Blacks over England.


well that matter was sorted without argument! I guess England are about half-way home now! My brother/nephew will be there at Eden Park Saturday evening, cheering for Wales I expect.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

Song_Si said:


> well that matter was sorted without argument! I guess England are about half-way home now! My brother/nephew will be there at Eden Park Saturday evening, cheering for Wales I expect.


True. My son is coming to terms with having to put his best Welsh accent on.


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## wazza2222 (Sep 7, 2011)

Hope you all get in before Margaret Mutu has her way!


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## dawnclaremaddox (Jan 7, 2011)

topcat83 said:


> I very rarely start a thread, and try very hard to present the good and the bad about New Zealand. No doubt someone on a rival forum will point this post out as one from 'someone with delusions'.
> 
> But (and bearing in mind I am not religious at all) recent events have led me to think I am indeed blessed to live in such a beautiful land, and with the life that I have.
> 
> ...


I lost both my parents, one in 2004 and the other in 2006 both to cancer. Made us rethink life. That was when I asked other half to save for a few years to come out for a month to NZ. Best thing we ever did and now we are back here for good.

Father-in-law is 83 and he would have been the only reason we wouldn't have come, we could have waited until he had gone, but then it would have been too late for us. He didn't want to be reason for us to stay in the UK, gave his blessing and told us that he wished he had done it 50 years earlier. Sadly, for my own father it was only a dream. So, this is not just for myself and hubby, but for my dad as well and hope that he is looking down on me and is proud that we made it.


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## topcat83 (Apr 16, 2009)

wazza2222 said:


> Hope you all get in before Margaret Mutu has her way!


Every country has them - in our case it's Hone Harawira and Margaret Mutu. I wonder if they realise how fortunate they are to live in a country that allows them to peddle their racism and get away with it? If a European descent New Zealander had said anything remotely similar about another race, they would have been ridiculed - and quite rightly so.


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## sandy16 (Aug 14, 2010)

)


topcat83 said:


> I very rarely start a thread, and try very hard to present the good and the bad about New Zealand. No doubt someone on a rival forum will point this post out as one from 'someone with delusions'.
> 
> But (and bearing in mind I am not religious at all) recent events have led me to think I am indeed blessed to live in such a beautiful land, and with the life that I have.
> 
> ...


Hi Topcat

You could not of said it any better, its taken us 3 half years to get to NZ, and we finally arrived 20th Aug 2011, husband loves his job, I dont see much of the children always out playing plus they love the out doors, they come home dirty after making dens etc but its good just to see the smiles on their faces. Im enjoying the laid back life, no hassel even not getting stressed while looking for work.


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