What is it like in New Zealand? Should I emmigrate?

Question

What is it like in New Zealand? Should I emmigrate?

I'm constantly getting sick of the UK. It's over crowded, public services are getting worse despite best efforts of the government, immigration is out of control, crime is getting worse and the quality of life just looks grim for the future.

I work in an office, travel 2 hours a day and don't really have time with my family during the week. The weekends are only enough time to recharge my batteries and the it's back to work again.
The cost of living is getting ridiculous and I'm working just to scrape by.

I can't get my kids into any good schools unless I pay £1000 per month per head.

Is the grass greener on the other side of the world?
I've never been to New Zealand but they are trying to attract workers like myself to emmigrate.

What's good and not so good about New Zealand when compared to the UK ?

Answer 1

Hello from new Zealand,
Are you sure you could handle NZ?
First turn the clock back, some places 10 years other places 50 years. Where I live there is no need for a great emphasis on security, but people are encouraged to at a minimum to remember to close the door when they go out. There is a total of just over 4 million people in NZ, and 50% of them live in or near Auckland, so there is plenty of space everywhere else.
I drive to work, 3 min each way, I park out side my office. No parking meters, no traffic lights. 5 o'clock rush lasts about 15 min.
I go snow skiing most weekends, just a two hour drive to teh ski field , but I pass 4 others on the way. a day skiing can cost about 50 dollars or even less.
wages are variable, the unemployment rate is about 2%.
Temerature where I live is mild, we have about 5 frosts each winter, so is seldom cold, but we dontget tehextreme heats either with 25 deg being the high.
Schooling is of good quality, discipline is always a challenge in this day and age, Out door education includes lots of tramping, kayaking, mountain craft, skiing, etc.
check the web sites below, one will give you a lot more information and imigration advice , the other is a gallery of photos of the South Island.

I hope that helps

I have a daughter in London, enjoying the cultural differences, she is in Fullham and finding life quite exciting , i hope to visit sometime soon

Answer 2

There have been a lot of good answers here, but I just wanted to add my two cents.

I'm a kiwi, but have lived many of my 24 years overseas.

New Zealand is a beautiful country. Although I am hoping to spend a few years working in the UK, I will always call New Zealand home.

In my team at work, there are more Germans and South Africans than there are kiwis, so you certainly aren't alone in considering emigrating to New Zealand.

Depending on what you do, it will probably not be the best career move for you, as you will probably take a pay cut, and may find advancement opportunities limited due to New Zealand's smaller market.

The facts are that if work is more of a factor than quality of life, Melbourne or Sydney would probably be a good consideration.

However in terms of quality of life, Australia will always be a distant second.

My Mother's family emigrated from Portsmouth, and my grandmother has never been back, so it is possible. But I think for most 'brits' you never loose your connection completely. But there will always be air travel, so you don't need to say goodbye to your friends and family forever.

So there are ultimately a lot of factors to consider, and I wish you all the best in making the decision.

---
My blog:
http://www.peteandmegan.com

Answer 3

in case you have skills/a commerce which NZ can use, you mustn't have too many issues in being standard. in case you will get mounted up with an furnish of a job to circulate to formerly you notice, plenty the greater valuable. expenses of pay are decrease, yet living is greater decrease priced, so it balances out. Recommending an area is harder - the majority (i think of that's one quarter) of the inhabitants living in or around Auckland. New Zealand is this form of long u . s . a . - 2 islands that are completely diverse - the very backside of South Island gets rather chilly via fact it is so on the threshold of Antarctica, the very ultimate of North Island, above Kaeo, is rather balmy. In South Island, Queenstown is amazingly costly - that is one in all new Zealand's significant holiday lodges and costs replicate this. There are some high quality little cities approximately an hour's rigidity north of Auckland. homes regularly wood-framed and living areas thoroughly open-plan that's high quality - the prepare dinner isn't close away. All in all, a surprising place. i've got spent 3 long trip trips - a pair of months at a time in NZ - great place for toddlers - fairly some exterior - a million in each and every 3 New Zealanders owns a boat.

Answer 4

I spent three months last year in NZ doing a figure of 8 around the whole country and pretty much saw most of it and I can say it's absolutely stunning! It's friendly, it's clean, safe, and they have a lot of sheep!

Seriously though I'd say if you did emigrate you would definately have a better quality of life that's for sure. On the negative side, firstly it's a long long way from the UK. Secondly, outside Auckland and some of the other smaller cities it's just very quiet in terms of people and if your not used to it you might find it quite diffucult adjusting.
From my point of view in terms of emigrating, it's a massive decision and I know I'd always be thinking about England and home albeit with everything we seem to put up with here!

I'm just wondering whether it's possible to completely settle and never have a hankering to return home because I think once you go that's it.

Hope I've not put you off... give me a shout if I can be of further help.

Answer 5

Kia Ora

There are heaps of great answers here. Please remember if you take a pay cut, that will soon be made up for with your lifestyle change. Also living here is cheaper, so it all evens out. The climate varies right around the country so it depends where you decide to settle. Some places are sub tropical and can be very warm, others can be cooler. I live in an awesome little town down south called Wanaka. It gets cold in the winter (as you would expect with snow), but the summers are mean hot to, so you get the best of both worlds. I am originally from Whakatane up in the North Island on the east coast and it's pretty warm there all year round.
But if you want the lifestyle you might want to consider staying out of the cities. Check out this website it will give ya heaps of info about the whole country.
http://www.newzealand.com/travel
P.S we are not as backward as everyone makes out either. As far as technology we are pretty well up there for a second world country. Also we are a breed of inventors we are know for our kiwi ingenuity.

Answer 6

I've just moved to NZ from the UK for the same reasons, and I'm perfectly happy with the results. Don't get too spooked by the prospect of pay cuts - yes, I did take a 40%-one, but the lifestyle I can live with that here is out of reach even for millionaires in the UK. I have yet to find disadvantages of being here. Don't expect too much of the climate, it's a lot like the UK - but then, that's not so bad, is it?

Answer 7

My time in New Zealand 10 years ago was brilliant. The Kiwis are a good bunch of people, the lifestyle is less stressful than in the UK, the climate is that of the UK (the north island has climate you'd expect in southern England; the south island has climate you'd expect in Scotland) and back then was cheaper than the UK.
The population is less than the UK (which is probably why the lifstyle is less stressful - fewer people in rush hour, work and social is closer to home). This has an impact on jobs - there are fewer jobs and they pay less than the UK. Taxes are also likely to be higher (proportionately to income) than in the UK.

Answer 8

New Zealand is a lovely place .
Consider there is little employment , you would be better off in Melbourne Australia . there is work , the temperature is moderate , and the people are friendly .
I am building a blog to show people in the UK , what we are like down here .
It's a work in progress , but is on the way , and already worth a look .
The Mornington peninsula is the best place in Australia to move , and we have work , and a good education system .
That's why all the kiwis are moving over here .

Answer 9

I'm a native of Aotearoa too. I think you'll be very pleased with what you find here. We have a small population of highly talented people. Great outdoors, cosmopolitan cities and a pretty high standard of education.
The climate is gentle and there is absolutely nothing dangerous here in terms of wild life bar the odd spider.
NZ has always been an intellectually independent country, not easily influenced by international trends or political pressures.
We are also a very environmentally aware country, and place great importance on the preservation of natural resources for future generations.
If you have something to contribute to this, you'd be most welcome.

Answer 10

The climate is not dissimilar to our own. The lifestyle is very good, with lots of pportunities for different sports etc.

English is the main language so you will have no problems there.

The downside may be the distance from the UK. A friend emigrated a few years ago but came back after a couple of years because she felt very isolated from her family. Her parents were getting too unwell to travel.

If you decide to go, good luck.