Wayne Potgieter

Actually, you are 100% correct. There is a dark ugly side to this. We have spoken about it before. Off the top of my head, here are some of my "uglies" 1. I miss my mates 2. The winter days are short and this pisses me off. 3. There is a crystal meth problem in some areas 4. The meth problem leads to petty burglaries etc 5. The ground shakes occasionally 6. We are very close to Australia and that means Australians 7. Houses are pretty expensive But as with most things in life, I suppose its not what happens around you that's important, but rather how you deal with it, so here is my opinion on the above (use the numbers for a guide) 1. I get to make new mates and remain in contact with my old ones. 2. the summer is absolutely epic and i can fit in a 5 hour bike ride AFTER work and still come home in daylight - the winters bring snow and snow sports. 3. this is a worldwide issue and i cannot see any difference with most countries 4. very little murder takes place that is not family related. so yes, someone might break into my car parked in the street at night and steal my wallet that i carelessly left on the dashboard, but i wont be shot for my wallet in the street. 5. average of 3 people die per year due to earthquakes versus 60 murders per day in South Africa. ill take my chances with the earthquake. 6. Melbourne is pretty cool and we pop over for long weekend holidays. 7. It took me quite a few years before i began developing a property portfolio in RSA, its unreasonable for me to expect to walk into a new country and start where i left off. But there is an opportunity for motivation and goals here. I made mistakes in RSA, this time, I wont make the same ones. In summary, there is some **** here, but a lot less than RSA (at least for me) i love living here and have been welcomed with open arms. I can see how much more relaxed my wife and children are. you have to experience it to understand it. it has made all of the negatives worthwhile. So yes, there are negatives, but in comparison, its petty small things compared to the negatives back in RSA. Tell me 123Goat, have you been to NZ before? Not being a knob, I genuinely want to know.

chips okes. It's the cops. Just kidding.

then don't read it. Plenty of other threads for you to read. If this one bugs you, make a choice to stay out of it.

television match official?

turning 8 in a couple of months. Here is a recent pic of them together.

what does "TMO" mean?

of course. She is five years old and started school a few weeks ago on her fifth birthday. It's a soft year.

Just received this email from my daughters school. She is busy with a school play that takes place in the evening. Dear Parents, The children have had a very busy time this week with a night time performance last night and another one tomorrow plus a matinee performance. As a result they are very tired. Please feel free to let your child have a bit of a sleep in on Friday and bring them to school later once they have had a good sleep and are feeling refreshed. Kind Regards.

do you expect us to discuss every local news story? This thread is about the PERSONAL journey of each Hubber living in NZ. This family has no connection to any of us that I can tell. Sounds like you are trolling.

it was covered extensively in local news.

like most countries to immigrate you must pass the medical. This little girl has failed the medical. Her family have short term visas and they need renewal constantly. The requirements frequently change and this child is not eligible for residency. It's not nz fault. The family should know the rules before coming here.

My god but this country is beautiful.

Its a very valid question. One we considered before moving. Being a numbers sort of guy, i turned to statistics and facts and this is what i found. Last year, there were 32,828 earthquakes in New Zealand. In total there have been 458 deaths in 150 years due to earthquakes. This is an average of 3 deaths per year. South Africa has a murder average of approx 50 deaths per day (i cannot find an actual source as it seems shrouded in mystery) So statistically speaking i have a much higher probability of being murdered by staying then an earthquake. Not sure if this logic would work for everyone, but it worked for me.

Miss you man. Come back dude.

this is so true.

sadly a lot of folks in sa are trying to find employment here. Most employers are more interested in candidates that are physically in the country. It's a bit of a catch 22. You need a job for a visa. You need a visa to search for a job.

are you applying for work here from Sa?

yep. They don't muck about.

Have I redeemed myself?

Cornwall park is amazing. We often do picnics there in summer I haven't ridden my bike in a while. Starting to feel a bit bad about it.

Actually the Rice Krispies were pretty good. Added a small hint of sweetness. Plus, I ran out of panko.

tried something new

Jalapeño poppers. Baked not fried. Covered in a mix of panko crumbs and rice krispies. Home grown jalapeños.

The problem with foreign dogs is when they chase me down the beach they don't understand one of the greatest words in South Africa, "VOETSEK"

I did not know there were places on this planet that are that beautiful. The drive between Te Anau and Milford had me choked up. Arrowtowns autumn colours are simply sublime. Given half a chance I would move in a second. I will post a more detailed response tonight when i can apply myself to it.