New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[patches]

So all the more reason to try and shed a kg or 2 or 3 and try get a bit fit in one week....

I thinks maybe we should forget about that 25km goal and push for a 30km Spruit ride this afternoon....we can maybe even squeeze a 35km if we do Emmarentia twice...     

 

Medical all done. Funny enough the doctor said I was a "healthy weight" for my height.

 

He may have said "hefty weight"... I didn't do so well on the hearing test

 

But yeah, everything submitted to the agents, so now the wait.

Edited January 13, 2016 by patches

[Wayne Potgieter]

Here is an interesting comparison to the service levels between NZ and RSA.

 

On Monday 11th Jan, i popped in to my local AA store. You know the kind, the sell roadmaps and AA memberships. They are also the "retail" arm of the department of licensing.

 

to apply for a NZ drivers license I filled out 1 form, had my eyes tested, signed and they took my photo. Paid a few dollars and left.

 

This morning (14th) i checked the postbox and found my license.

 

The letter was dated 12th January.

 

That means in 1 day they received, processed, printed and dispatched my drivers license ID card. Plus another 2 days for the post office to send it to me from the office that printed it (500km away).

 

3 days.....

 

Wonder how long that sort of thing takes in SA?

 

Now the reason i am telling you this is everyone talks about how expensive things are and so on...but when a country is this efficient and it has systems that work, it makes it less stressful to live here. Back in Jozi, i would get myself in a flat panic every time i had to go to home affairs or the licensing center. Everything is simpler here and that makes Wayne a very happy little camper.

[patches]

Here is an interesting comparison to the service levels between NZ and RSA.

 

On Monday 11th Jan, i popped in to my local AA store. You know the kind, the sell roadmaps and AA memberships. They are also the "retail" arm of the department of licensing.

 

to apply for a NZ drivers license I filled out 1 form, had my eyes tested, signed and they took my photo. Paid a few dollars and left.

 

This morning (14th) i checked the postbox and found my license.

 

The letter was dated 12th January.

 

That means in 1 day they received, processed, printed and dispatched my drivers license ID card. Plus another 2 days for the post office to send it to me from the office that printed it (500km away).

 

3 days.....

 

Wonder how long that sort of thing takes in SA?

 

Now the reason i am telling you this is everyone talks about how expensive things are and so on...but when a country is this efficient and it has systems that work, it makes it less stressful to live here. Back in Jozi, i would get myself in a flat panic every time i had to go to home affairs or the licensing center. Everything is simpler here and that makes Wayne a very happy little camper.

 

Thank goodness I don't need to renew my SA drivers card before I leave

 

As for your license, does one have to have a residence permit, or is a work visa sufficient in order to get a NZ drivers? And if a work visa is sufficient, does one just show their SA licence and go through the procedure you described?

 

Oh, and while I'm asking questions about the ins-and-outs...

 

Banks... who would you recommend? I asked Dirty Sanchez (fellow hubber) and he suggested ANZ.

 

I just need a bank that has decent online banking, as well as an easy, cost effective method, to send money back to SA.

[Wayne Potgieter]

Thank goodness I don't need to renew my SA drivers card before I leave

 

As for your license, does one have to have a residence permit, or is a work visa sufficient in order to get a NZ drivers? And if a work visa is sufficient, does one just show their SA licence and go through the procedure you described?

 

Oh, and while I'm asking questions about the ins-and-outs...

 

Banks... who would you recommend? I asked Dirty Sanchez (fellow hubber) and he suggested ANZ.

 

I just need a bank that has decent online banking, as well as an easy, cost effective method, to send money back to SA.

No residence permit is needed. All that is needed is a proof of residence and a RSA license. They did not even ask for my work permit. You simply fill out the form, show them your passport, SA Drivers and pay. One quick eye exam and you are done.

 

I bank with ANZ as does my wife...no issues.

[patches]

No residence permit is needed. All that is needed is a proof of residence and a RSA license. They did not even ask for my work permit. You simply fill out the form, show them your passport, SA Drivers and pay. One quick eye exam and you are done.

 

I bank with ANZ as does my wife...no issues.

Awesome, thanks!

 

I see ANZ has a "Migrant Package" that one can sign up for before they get there. I'll look into that.

Edited January 14, 2016 by patches

[Wayne Potgieter]

Awesome, thanks!

 

I see ANZ has a "Migrant Package" that one can sign up for brute they get there. I'll look into that.

This is exactly what we did.

 

Essentially, they open an account using your Passport and RSA proof of residence. But it is only a 1 direction (deposits only) savings account.

 

You send some money over to it.

 

Once you arrive, you present yourself at the branch and they immediately convert it to a proper cheque account with telephone and internet banking and hand over your personalized cheque card.

 

Its a pretty cool system.

[HowellingWulf]

Here is an interesting comparison to the service levels between NZ and RSA.

 

On Monday 11th Jan, i popped in to my local AA store. You know the kind, the sell roadmaps and AA memberships. They are also the "retail" arm of the department of licensing.

 

to apply for a NZ drivers license I filled out 1 form, had my eyes tested, signed and they took my photo. Paid a few dollars and left.

 

This morning (14th) i checked the postbox and found my license.

 

The letter was dated 12th January.

 

That means in 1 day they received, processed, printed and dispatched my drivers license ID card. Plus another 2 days for the post office to send it to me from the office that printed it (500km away).

 

3 days.....

 

Wonder how long that sort of thing takes in SA?

 

Now the reason i am telling you this is everyone talks about how expensive things are and so on...but when a country is this efficient and it has systems that work, it makes it less stressful to live here. Back in Jozi, i would get myself in a flat panic every time i had to go to home affairs or the licensing center. Everything is simpler here and that makes Wayne a very happy little camper.

I'm in week 21 of my alleged 6 week wait for my unabridged marriage certificate...

[Ramrod]

I'm in week 21 of my alleged 6 week wait for my unabridged marriage certificate...

if you get stuck let me know. I have a lady in PMB that got mine and my wifes in about 2 weeks.

[hayleyearth]

if you get stuck let me know. I have a lady in PMB that got mine and my wifes in about 2 weeks.

 

marriage certificate........I hope it was your and "your wifes" 

[Meerkat82]

I am so nervous to get everything going...

 

more nervous about how my ex husband will react and whether he will fight my decision.

and also I will miss my support structure (parents) immensely,  they look after the kids when I drop them in the morning and they fetch them in the afternoons do homework with them etc....

 

but I know with my brain I need to do this.

[FrankG]

I am so nervous to get everything going...

 

more nervous about how my ex husband will react and whether he will fight my decision.

and also I will miss my support structure (parents) immensely,  they look after the kids when I drop them in the morning and they fetch them in the afternoons do homework with them etc....

 

but I know with my brain I need to do this.

 

My ex-wife refused to see the problems our two young children will grow up into in SA. She has a UK passport and could leave but will not. I made the decision to leave so that when my kids leave school in 7 years time, I will be settled here and they will have a home and chance to study, work and live. I would never be able to afford to emigrate if I were to wait for them to finish junior school and high school.

 

Hardest thing I've done in my life, and every day I ask myself if I did the right thing. But ultimately I know I'm securing a future for them.

[Odinson]

Here is an interesting comparison to the service levels between NZ and RSA.

 

On Monday 11th Jan, i popped in to my local AA store. You know the kind, the sell roadmaps and AA memberships. They are also the "retail" arm of the department of licensing.

 

to apply for a NZ drivers license I filled out 1 form, had my eyes tested, signed and they took my photo. Paid a few dollars and left.

 

This morning (14th) i checked the postbox and found my license.

 

The letter was dated 12th January.

 

That means in 1 day they received, processed, printed and dispatched my drivers license ID card. Plus another 2 days for the post office to send it to me from the office that printed it (500km away).

 

3 days.....

 

Wonder how long that sort of thing takes in SA?

 

Now the reason i am telling you this is everyone talks about how expensive things are and so on...but when a country is this efficient and it has systems that work, it makes it less stressful to live here. Back in Jozi, i would get myself in a flat panic every time i had to go to home affairs or the licensing center. Everything is simpler here and that makes Wayne a very happy little camper.

 

Same here in Belgium. You get virtually all your official docs (driver's licence, eID card, etc.) from your local council (gemeentehuis) and the wife and I have never spent more than 15min during a visit. Within a few days, you'll receive a letter telling you that whatever you applied for is ready for collection.

[DawieO]

I'm in week 21 of my alleged 6 week wait for my unabridged marriage certificate...

Get hold of Bunnyhop.co.za

 

they'll sort it for you.

[DawieO]

Yeah Wayne, the service here is really good, especially in the public service.  I had an issue with an error on my work visa, which caused some frowning at Sydney on the way here.

 

The AirNZ folks called ahead and cleared my arrival with immigration and they flagged it on the system for me.

 

The next morning i went to immigration where they were expecting me.  The day after that they couriered my corrected visa to my house.  No charge.

[DawieO]

PS, if you need help with getting accounts etc opened BEFORE you come, take a look here:

http://www.westpac.co.nz/fx-travel-migrant/moving-to-new-zealand/

[patches]

PS, if you need help with getting accounts etc opened BEFORE you come, take a look here:

http://www.westpac.co.nz/fx-travel-migrant/moving-to-new-zealand/

 

Hmmm, interesting! I see they have a special account package for people moving to Christchurch.