Got the job, moving to Capt Cook in two weeks (Kailua: sales, Home Depot)

[Sratcliff3]

I got the job I wanted, they are paying my way out there. Housing provided. Does anyone have any advice - where to shop, things I must do/see, things I need to bring that most people forget? I'm sure my employer will give me a rundown on this stuff, but I like other opinions as well!

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Sratcliff3

I got the job I wanted, they are paying my way out there. Housing provided.

Aloha and welcome. That seems like a sudden change for you, and it's a very big move, even with careful planning, so I hope it works out for you.

Originally Posted by Sratcliff3

Does anyone have any advice - where to shop, things I must do/see, things I need to bring that most people forget?

Well, that's pretty much what this forum is all about, so you'll find hundreds and thousands of previous answers to these questions here in the archives. Use the Search function to access the topics of most interest to you. Or you can start at the top of the thread list and work your way down. Either way I recommend you spend as much time reading as you can, because you don't even know what you don't know yet, and you've got some very big changes ahead of you.

To help you get started...

Be sure to bring all your critical documents... birth certificate, social security card, proof of legal presence in the country if you were not born a citizen, in addition to whatever your current photo ID is that gets you on the plane.

Things to do and see? Everything. Are you coming for a specific contract period? Will you be beekeeping?

Most of your shopping will likely be done in Kailua-Kona, a few miles north of Captain Cook, which is the economic center of the leeward (west) side of the Big Island. Will you have a car? It's pretty difficult to get around without wheels.

Good luck!

[Sratcliff3]

Yes, beekeeping, probably long term. They are flying out to get my wife and the rest of our stuff after a month or so.

No car, yet. Not sure what the prices of used cars are there. Is it worth it to ship our car there? I will be using the search here, I like easy advice too though

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Congrats and good luck on the great new adventure.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by Sratcliff3

Yes, beekeeping, probably long term. They are flying out to get my wife and the rest of our stuff after a month or so.

No car, yet. Not sure what the prices of used cars are there. Is it worth it to ship our car there? I will be using the search here, I like easy advice too though

Lots of discussions about this already, which you may find interesting because there are two distinct trains of thought. I doubt that many will want to take the time to share again, and it would be beneficial for you to read through the explanations that people give for their personal opinions.

Factors include the age of your vehicle, is it paid off,etc. Also, when we were looking around we found limited choices for decent cars at a decent price.

You can do a little advance looking at prices on Craigslist.

[mdand3boys]

Originally Posted by Sratcliff3

Yes, beekeeping, probably long term. They are flying out to get my wife and the rest of our stuff after a month or so.

No car, yet. Not sure what the prices of used cars are there. Is it worth it to ship our car there? I will be using the search here, I like easy advice too though

What is the car? Do you trust it as a reliable vehicle?

[Snort]

Congrats! I used to live there too.
It hasn't changed too much over the years. The Choicemart is just south of "town", where there's also an Ace Hardware.
You may indeed spend nearly 100% of your shopping down the hill in Kailua.
Enjoy!

[hotzcatz]

There isn't any beekeeping equipment suppliers on the island, so you may want to bring the essentials with you. Provided they've been fumigated or whatever is necessary for them to travel between states.

There are lots of yard sales and thrift shops so you should be able to replace most ordinary household things pretty easily. However, there aren't a lot of high end kitchenware places. So if you have a favorite kitchen gadget, you may want to drag it along.

There is Costco, Home Depot, Sears, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, etc., in Kailua-Kona so there is shopping. There is also Craig's List for the harder to find things and or the things that are much less expensive second-hand and where second-hand doesn't matter. We have a mobile population where folks move in and move out all the time so there's loads of household goods available. What you will want to bring is documents and your health and dental records for your new doctors, too. Since your wife will be coming over later, anything you don't bring the first trip over can be brought on successive trips.

[Sratcliff3]

Thanks. My car is a 2000 Dodge Intrepid with 160k miles on it. Its a good reliable car.

Since I'm working for a beekeeping company, they are providing the equipment I'll be using.

Sounds like there are some good folks on here, hopefully I'll be able to meet some of you!

[Sratcliff3]

Everything is going great here so far. Work has started off well. There are a lot of fruit trees on the company property which is awesome. There are wild chickens too, one of my coworkers may show me how to butcher them. I got a chance to go snorkeling at Ho'okena. Everything is so beautiful and there is a lot more to learn/see.