Permanent Pom down under.

[drowningbitbybit]

I just got my permanent residency
I can stay amongst the singlet wearing, ute driving, melanoma-ridden masses for ever!

But the sun's out, the water's 21C (its a bit breezy and choppy, but never mind), so it feels pretty good right now

And it also means, I'm not coming back anytime soon... sooooo...

The SW (UK) crew has to come and visit!!!!



I wanna see Phil try and drop in on me at Maroubra

[billie_morini]

this is the best news of the day! Congratulations to you, drowningbitbybit.

[Hang11]

Congratulations!

Does ozzie residency come with a free make up bag and entitlement to being able to have a tantrum on a bad hair day

[PapaW]

Tis awesome news! Its excellent to hear some happy stories!

[libby]

Humph. As if I wasn't cheerful enough already.....

[essex sucks]

lol congrats mate but u must be missing our really waves and warm water

[RJD]

Gratz !!

Its ace when you get the full on visa and know no matter what (bar murder/treason etc...) you can stay.

Dont know about the UK crew but I is closer and may come visit one day!

[drowningbitbybit]

Dont know about the UK crew but I is closer and may come visit one day!

All welcome!

But I might be heading your way fairly soon (not sure which bits/how much of NZ yet) so I'll be sure to pop in!

[Hang11]

Dont know about the UK crew but I is closer and may come visit one day!

All welcome!

But I might be heading your way fairly soon (not sure which bits/how much of NZ yet) so I'll be sure to pop in!

Sweet! It's a nice place, but about 50 years behind oz, so quite different. Just say the word if you want the lowdown on some good places to check out for waves etc.

Does your PR let you convert to citizenship at some point? Us imported kiwis can do it after 5 years, and then use the nz citizenship to be able to live and work in oz.

[surf patrol]

they will let anyone in these days.

good on ya!

[drowningbitbybit]

Sweet! It's a nice place, but about 50 years behind oz, so quite different. Just say the word if you want the lowdown on some good places to check out for waves etc.

Does your PR let you convert to citizenship at some point? Us imported kiwis can do it after 5 years, and then use the nz citizenship to be able to live and work in oz.

Somewhere 50 years behind Oz must be prehistoric, surely? Aussies still havent worked out that the internet is quite a good place to go shopping

As for citizenship, its two years on this visa, so I can convert soon, and me and the mrs did think about moving to NZ in a few years time. But definitely staying in Oz for the timebeing

[Hang11]

Wait till you're 85 then you can move to NZ and be a youngster again

I think the two countries are very different. There's basically bugger all in NZ, even the cities, apart from Auckland, are really small.

There's 1m people on the south island, 400,000 of those in Christchurch, and a couple of hundred thousand spread over Nelson and Dunedin, then pretty much nothing anywhere else. It's a great place to be antisocial! But stunningly beautiful and a cool place to be if you like the great outdoors.

FWIW, if you are planning a trip accross the ditch, and plan to head south, winter is probably the best time, the scenery gets miles better once there is snow on it, and the weather is usually pretty good. Bloody cold if you intend to surf though.

[RJD]

Hah well winter can be any time up untill January in Chch.

We got lucky and got summer today pheeewweee hot. Not Aus hot tho ....

[surfingwif]

Congratulations on your permanent residency!!!!

Now, you can become someone who belongs to two places.

Sweet! It's a nice place, but about 50 years behind oz, so quite different. Just say the word if you want the lowdown on some good places to check out for waves etc.

Does your PR let you convert to citizenship at some point? Us imported kiwis can do it after 5 years, and then use the nz citizenship to be able to live and work in oz.

New Zealand was about 50 years behind Oz when I visited it in the 1980's. I thought it might have caught up a bit, by now.

It is really scenic, and friendly. They had little boxes of fruit for sale by the side of the road with an honesty box next to it. It seemed that everyone put money in the box and didn't take off with the whole box.

Make sure you spend enough time to see it all. You could devote a whole holiday just the South Island, particularly if you like tramping (also known as bushwalking over here in the West Island)

[RJD]

I've devoted the last 3.5 years to the south island still not seen it all lol.

Its caught up in some ways , hasnt in others, which is a good thing and a bad thing at times.

[Thibb]

Congrats, DBBB. Now all you need to do is move out of Sydney, where the international driftwood floats around the beaches and find a true Aussie beach to call your own!