hayleyearth

My daughter is starting school this year. It's a scary thought as I dislike the way kids are taught in NZ. We applied to 2 schools "out of zone", one 2km from our house and one 4km from our house. She got into both. The latter is a 349 on the list and the other a 364. I also believe the teacher is what makes it, one teacher might not work for all but if the kid and her/him is in the same brain space then it's going to be a good fit.

We are still in SA currently, it's week 5 for us and we are on a big road trip currently. Started at my folks place in Bushmans river mouth (close to Port Alfred) up the less dangerous route through Elliot, Underberg, Howick, Centre Drakensberg, now in the Northern Drakensberg and then Clarens before making the journey back to my folks. (So basically circling Lesotho.) Here's my view: All small towns have become dumps. Even places like Howick we didn't feel comfortable at all parking at Woolworths foods and then the Howick falls. The roads are in pieces. I can't see any parts okay to drive at night anymore. I remembered Underberg not to be bad at all, it's like a township now. We keep on asking ourselves "where do the middle-class people living here (or farmers) buy groceries". Groceries prices ... Wow!!! The same as in NZ with way less options. We miss our fresh salmon and fish we buy weekly at the grocery store and our multi seed breads and and and Load shedding...In Bushmans river they don't get loadshedding because they have the water filtration plant there and on our trip or places we stayed elsewhere we mostly had access to gas stoves or generators. But I can see the areas is places on the businesses and restaurants. The radio news bulletins constantly speak about Eskom, the price hikes, the attempted murder of the CEO etc etc but I never hear something about the roads, it is the infrastructure needed to keep a lot going in the country. This country is now in big trouble.

3.5... I did brakes 1st and removed the pedals from her bike. Took her down a VERY steep hill and asked her to stay behind me and said we will go very slow. She used her brakes very well. I then asked her a few times in the few weeks to follow if I can put the pedals on. We had them in her front basket on every ride. She just one day said yes (after many no's) and that day she started cycling by herself.

Wanted to say that that "lapsed" status means it is done ... Edit: mine will only come possibly from June when Layla starts school

Did you add a screenshot to her visa application page as additional information of the email you/she would have got when they completed the medicals with the ref nr?

Did she send het passport to be 'viewed'? Did she go for medicals yet?

Applied on the 30th Aug. Visa approved on 1st Nov.

My son still has a far way to go.... My daughter though is really enjoying it. She's 4 years old. I took her to the 'famous' Rotorua redwoods where we did the simple family trails, we didn't intend to go far as her dad was walking our son in the pram (for a nap). She did just over 5km there. At home she can do 10km on our city cycling trails (quite flat here where I am next to the water ways). She's very skinny and have weak legs for the hills, but as long as it's flat she can just go and go..

My folks were granted their grandparents visa. I just keep on adding letters to state the process steps has been completed. Talking summer... Yes... Where is it? About the holidays, we are going back to SA for 7 weeks can't wait for all the baby sitting and having some time for myself.

Anyone have Rands for about $3000? You pay from your SA bank account into my moms SA bank account (Nedbank) and I pay from my NZ bank account (ANZ) to your NZ bank account with the exchange rate as is on the day of transfer?

What I've seen thus far with my daughter (4 years old), she's enjoyed riding because she's been on the right bikes from year 1 till now. She started riding a pedal bike when she was about 3.5years old, most of her friends (actually all of them) can not ride yet. All of them have been on bikes not well designed for the age I'd say (the one 4 year old boy is actually on a Specialized.....with back pedal brakes! What nonsense!) and side wheels.) We didn't always go with the most expensive or lightest, just with what I could see made the best sense for her development. The bike she had before her current one was one of the cheapest balance bikes we could find. What made it great was that it had a much wider handle bar and was actually heavier that the popular Strider etc bikes. Being heavier added to the stability when moving so she didn't get a fright and was thrown off balance when going over the smallest opstical. Now she has an expensive bike, purely because there isn't many 16" with no back pedal, 6kg and nice looking ... Prevelo!! I could have paid even more if I wanted a fork and disk brakes, but as this was her 1st pedal bike we went 'entry level's and it was about R10k (landed). If I gave her the choice she would have picked the pink bike in the 1st shop with the front basket, rear seat for her doll and tossels on the handlebars. I asked if she wants to ride with us when we ride or when we walk and she obviously choose the 1st so I said that bike won't get her to do that. She was over the moon when the plain silver bike arrived and wanted to go test it even though it had no pink. As a family we often go on bike tours (Monkey see monkey do), till now she's just sat on one of our bikes, what makes her keen to ride long term is so she can be independent when we go on tours...what makes her keen to ride daily is the fact that she has a comfortable bike that is easy to ride. She's very proud to always show others her skills on her bike.

Anyone here looking for a new job and in the engineering field? We have multiple of jobs available and desperatly looking of people all across the reporting structure... Here's one position... https://www.lioncareers.com/job/923672000/ They are basically looking for people, so anyone looking for a change, now is your time

Wifi options in SA? My parents are paying through the roof I think for a Vodacom package which doesn't give great coverage. Most of the time I can't even video call over the phone. What options do you guys know of in SA that doesn't cost an arm or a leg?

I'm really keen on that woodhill ride. Would love to see my daughter on the trails a bit, she's just turned 4 but such a confident rider. If she's not riding her own bike, she'll love to go in front of mine on the trails for sure.... I'm just not too fit at this moment after baby nr 2! So I'll struggle a bit uphill for sure. Just wish this weather will get a bit better!

Yip! Just do it yourself. If you have kids around the age of 4 years old, I'll do it for a play date in return.

Come on, just offer to help hom out for a Bundaberg in return..it will take you less time and we all can build a bike better than any oke at any Torpedo7, etc etc!!!! (Have i told you yet that we make Bundaberg at my work!)

Can't be that long, there's one in Oct no? We are leaving for SA on the 14th Dec, going till the 29th January. CAN'T WAIT for some holidays with the family looking after the kids and me relaxing in the sun!

Who of you have NOT done financial immigration from SA? If you have not financially immigrated, but also have no bank account there anymore with no income or expenses have you done SARS filing? Have you even actually still logged into SARS? If you have not financially immigrated and have bought a house here, what did you put on your "tax residence form" from the bank? Urgh... I'm confused!

We are in a cottage built before 1940, one of the originals on the Bucklands Beach peninsula, it was 12° inside the other morning at 9am... It's not even winter yet. We are moving out on the 22 June (eventually after many delays). Looking forward to some warm and dry house! (Pic was a couple of weeks back, the house is basically windows!)

We are going to France in Aug and SA in Dec. It's been toooooo long now and with this &$#@+:&'**_:;6_+-'3 -ing government that doesn't want to let our family in if I didn't have such a good job at such a good company now we would probably have moved closer to some family by now. With 2 small kids and no support it's crazy hard.

Interesting.... Is Matt (from BikeHub) now getting money from Bunnings because patches speak so much about them on this thread.....

It takes me back almost exactly 1 year ago to when T broke his neck. For about 2 days we didn't know what he will be able to still do going forward, luckily he healed 99.9%!! We are so lucky.

We have a job available for a Project Engineer .... If any of those Saffas want a job in a brewery again.

One doesn't even have to drive to get a country feeling in Auckland. This spot is 400m from our new house, which is 14km from CBD...

Damn! What's keeping you from going? Nice pics though!