*waves* I’m living in ChCh and having a blast. I’m a mechanical engineer but not involved with the rebuild.
Sure, there’s no real city centre but I didn’t come here to spend time in shopping malls. It is missing it’s cultural heart though, which is more of a loss.
Accommodation is expensive, furnished accommodation ridiculously so. We’re paying $380 p/w for an ok-ish 3-bed place. Our in-laws are paying that (at a pre-quake rate as they’re good tenants) for a much nicer, slightly bigger place.
stevious is also here though I think him and his wife are going back to the UK in August.
There does seem to be a growing number of kiwis in Oz and I’ve heard from friends that quite a lot of kiwis they know will probably never go back….
every year Kiwis move to Oz and the intelligence of both countries rises as a result 😉
Feel free to email me, facebook me and have a look through the photos I regularly taunt my relatives and friends with.