hayleyearth

Yip, here the electronic one is official because non of the police stations takes finger prints anymore, only the post shop at certain locations and it's got all those thingies on (signature and stamp etc)

I have used P4U before I came here. I think it was like R1500 without any courier cost, I went to fetched it from them, so I cant imagine how expensive it will be now. I have done the finger prints at NZ Post Office, $55 (electronic copy). Now to post it (and the other documents) to the SA police department - don't know how much that will cost. Plus the R114 of application (small change) and then what concerns me most is to get someone to collect it and post it back to NZ. PostNet in Pretoria can do it, they charge R300 for collection and R575 to courier back to NZ. (Which I guess is quite less if one goes through a company as above.) Wonder if I can trust normal postage from SA to NZ...

As anyone applied for Police Clearance from this side?

It is very true. And that is how the dad (also an engineer) and I plan to raise her, to be 'out there' /sporty. Both of us ride bikes and surf etc (yes I got my 4.5months belly into my wetsuit ) and just this past weekend we were at the beach and we were watching the little 6 or 7 year old girls getting on their surf boards paddling into the water by themselves and the dad going in later to help them get onto the 'bigger' green waves and we were even more happy as we knew we would have a little one raised like that too (instead of in the shops etc). He loves to windsurf too and constantly speak about this image he has in his mind of her standing in front of him and them doing it together. (So sweet.) This is what is a BIG GOOD about living in NZ, we can do this, raise our girl to be outside and not worry every second if we are not by her side all the time. (Yes this might also change over the time to come.) The father is from France and he says that even now there in the main towns/cities (as big as Auckland say) he wont feel it to be safe to do like here. The only reason I guess I would hope for our 2nd one to be a son is for his surname to be carried forward; it is quite unique and he will be the last in his line to be able to make this happen.

I'm personally much closer to my dad than my mom, and it's generally the thing I've seen in most my friend houses....guess it's different in all cases

Another dream come true!!!

We find out Monday if we are having a boy or a girl The wait has been killing us just to see the little one again and we are quite excited to go buy our 1st items after Monday. (Have to say though that it seems like most of our things we will get off TradeMe because there are really good prices even for new things...and luckily the dad and I are both 'coin flippers' ) Through the last 20 weeks I have gathered many "good, bad and ugly's" of the pregnancy/maternity thing in NZ already, I will share in the near future.

http://www.sahc.org.au/election.htm

She however is only taking 6 weeks (her husband will take the rest), and because her baby is due in June she does not get the extended leave granted ..... I however is hoping that mine does not come earlier than the expected date, because then I can use annual leave till the 1st of July and the PPL after that and make use of the 'new' 20week.

Why are you doing a VoC? You can apply for residency already

Oh my, our current PM and I might even have our babies on the same day ... https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/100713394/prime-minister-jacinda-ardern-announces-shes-pregnant?cid=facebook.post.100713394 We found out 3 days apart.

We are thinking of going for 3 nights or so somewhere from end-Fed till end-March. We are also keen to do Mt Taranaki with you guys, T said it is tough though! As in 2 hours of the hardest part of Tangariro Crossing (which only lasted about 30min)......I think I will still be able to do it in Feb, but maybe not after than

Anyone here been to one of the Cooks Islands?

I have been looking into getting a job from them too, I have heard about all the 'perks' there is working for them. It has been put on hold for this year though (due to obvious reasons), but I might look into it early next year again (if something better don't pop up before then). Good move I'd say

Thanks all. Been quite different this December, no beer! AND no biking!! Happy 2018 all!! Been good being back in SA

Thank you

Ah, thank you. All signs thus far (movements at scans) indicates that it will be a cyclist for sure

With time and not things I hope Edit: 'smiley' wasn't added

It is BIG news (well for now very small actually) But as WP said, super exciting!!

Well you can always just post me the card while I'm in SA and I can go draw your money out when I return to NZ. I can then transfer it to Ramrods account in NZ and he can give you Rands. Or if you want the NZD I can get it to you some other way.

So.... Sooooo..... It seems like I'll have a NZ citizen in my house from end of June next year ...not me though

You do have internet banking right?

Does anyone have Rands in a bank account back home that they want NZ Dollars for here? I want to send some money back home, so thought about asking someone here and then we both save on fees...

We have plenty of photo's, I just haven't had time to go through them and I think the only time I will have will only be after I am in SA on Sunday

Regarding food for hiking etc., we took just these to Great Barrier this weekend and I was pleasantly surprised, especially with the porridge and muesli breakfast options, because I am a difficult breakfast person and I finished mine. (Cheapest I have found was at Torpedo7). http://backcountrycuisine.co.nz/bcc/index.php/archives/category/breakfast Easy and cheap - just add one cup boiling water to most of the options and wait 10min.