I am a new Kiwi to this site and have been in New Zealand for 5 years having come from the UK via California for a few years. Unlike Bonniegirl I live in the south island and yes the houses can be cold and damp. We live in a weatherboard house built around 1940 and there is no insulation apart from a small layer in the roof which was added recently. We have a gas fire and a night storage heater but no central heating or double glazing.
It can get really cold here in the winter - we get snow occasionally and frosts down to -10C and I think the original kiwis liked to believe they lived on a tropical island rather than seeing the cold as it really is. Having said that we get waaaaaaaaaaaaay more sun than in the UK including during the winter and keeping warm isn't really a problem and as Bonniegirl said new houses are getting all the mod cons regarding insulation etc.
The climate here is great for growing veggies and we 10 minutes from the city centre but have a big enough garden to supply the majority of our veggies especially in summer. This forum has lots of great information and help and it doesn't matter that it is UK based - I just have to remember to flip the months which I still have trouble with.
I love it here and won't be coming back to the UK. Certainly the opportunities for self sufficiency seem much greater here than they did there.
George
Puzzled
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Bonniegirl
- A selfsufficientish Regular
- Posts: 645
- Joined: Wed Mar 14, 2007 5:22 am
- Location: Hamilton New Zealand
- Contact:
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ohareward
- Living the good life
- Posts: 435
- Joined: Thu Jan 18, 2007 1:48 am
- Location: Ohoka, Nth Canty, New Zealand
Hi George, Where abouts in ChCh do you live? I am in Ohoka, Kiwi is in Mandeville (at the moment, moving to Oxford) and Farmerdrea already lives in Oxford. I used to live in ChCh 9 years ago in St Martins. Lived most of my life in there.
Robin
Robin
'You know you are a hard-core gardener if you deadhead flowers in other people's gardens.
To err is human. To blame someone else, is management potential.
To err is human. To blame someone else, is management potential.
Thanks for the welcome. I have been busy so haven't been on here for a few days.
I am originally from Lincoln in the UK although have also lived in Leicester, Lancaster and London and a few years in California before moving to NZ. I live in St Albans in ChCh at the moment but have dreams of having a lifestyle block at some time in the not too distant future.
For the cold we find that electric blankets are the key - at least that way you always have a warm place to be and if it is really cold outside you get an excuse to stay in bed longer!
George
I am originally from Lincoln in the UK although have also lived in Leicester, Lancaster and London and a few years in California before moving to NZ. I live in St Albans in ChCh at the moment but have dreams of having a lifestyle block at some time in the not too distant future.
For the cold we find that electric blankets are the key - at least that way you always have a warm place to be and if it is really cold outside you get an excuse to stay in bed longer!
George