[Closed] New Zealand emigration, would you?

I know of somebody who did a six month secondment to NZ. She's still there quite a few years later and fills her Facebook timeline with pictures of yomping around snowy and very beautiful mountains.

You can always come back.

while my knowledge is now 10 years out of date - wellington - you try and stop me .....

easily the best living/working city i visitied.

had you been looking at auckland id not have been so keen

Get the hell out of here!

I probably would, we have friends out there.

+ves: Countryside is epic. You never feel like it's busy (except maybe Auckland at rush hour). Work life balance seems to be good.

-ves: It's a bit mono-cultural - it's miles (3 hour flight) from the nearest other country and that's Australia.

My other half lived and worked in Northland for 9 years.

Better pay and conditions, kinder, friendlier, more human people, beautiful countryside and choice weather. I went over and stayed for a month and it was like a breath of fresh air.

We'd relocate to Wellington without a second thought if I didn't have inescapable family commitments in the UK.

I'd be gone tomorrow.

Would never look back.

I'd really like to go home to RSA, but, well, its all a bit mad out there at the minute..

Tomorrow.

Alas, child #1 due to launch any day now and a better half that can't even begin to contemplate spending 10+ days away from home kinda puts paid to the idea though.

As above - you can always come back, what's the worst that can happen?!

Enjoy!

My wife and I looked in to moving to NZ; it’s only that my wife’s medication (specific brand/type) which isn’t available in NZ/Aus means we can’t go.

if that ever changes we’re off!

We have family living in the Hawkes Bay area so surrounded by vinyards and sunshine. Every year for the past ten or so we always have a discussion about living there. We have yet to find a negative of any great sort but with a youngish family its all seemed too much hassle sorting stuff out so it just fades away for another year. May be post brexit might move us one step closer but if somebody organised everything for us i suspect it would be a very simple question to answer.

Aotearoa monocultural?? Are you joking? Parts of the south island maybe, but not in general, the rich mix of cultures is what I miss most. I grew up in Wellington. I consider going back from time to time but sadly due to the tanking pound and strong kiwi dollar by comparison I would only be able to buy a garage in the suburbs.  Or even worse, Tawa.

I'd love to live in NZ at some point in my life. Really awesome place.

Wellington gets really windy, though. if you don't like wind, consider somewhere else.

Some cool bars in Wellington though.

Even though I absolutely loved vanlife in NZ and the wilderness. Every time we considered moving, I found it hard to like the towns/cities and actually imagine living there.

In the UK you get used to this sense of history and everywhere being built around geographic features. Whereas there, it's all timber american-looking houses and sprawl.
You do get a lot more space though - and the opportunity to self-build.

At the time house prices in the UK were a little cheaper than NZ too (in comparison to wages), although that's probably equalised a bit.

Wellington is definitely more interesting than most. Probably the one place that feels like it's not just cookie-cutter.

I know a guy who worked there for 5 years. Came back and missed the place so he went back and has taken out NZ citizenship; he won't be coming back - ever. A keen Audax man and loves it out there.

Aotearoa monocultural?? Are you joking?

No, in three hours from my house (I live not far from Heathrow), I can visit something like 30 countries.

In three hours from Auckland, I can visit Kiwis.

It's also the reason a few of our Kiwi friends who live in London give as their reason for leaving.

So maybe that's not the word I'm looking for, but I hope you understand the point.

we should have never come back.

but no, don't go, too many poms already.

I was in wellington 10 or so years ago. I could have happily stayed, but I didn't have that kind of visa.

I now live in Canada and don't miss the UK. As someone above pointed out, you can always go back. Children could complicate settling, but you don't mention any.

personally, I'd do it. Check the realities out first, such as cost of food, availability and cost of housing to rent or buy and your ability to get a mortgage without any local credit history. Where we moved to has a terrible rental market and very expensive food!

As for being remote, that only matters if you want to visit another country.

Lovely place and scenery and outdoor lifestyle but depending on where u live it could be cold , few houses have central heating from memory,

I haven’t been for 15 years although it feels like yesterday great memories it all felt a little small scale like little England back in the day

the nz economy is small and things cost,  my mate was over last summer and he was saying to get tradesmen to fit carpets he sells it’s costs an absolute fortune, so maybe good if you fit carpet but not good if u need a house fitting with carpet/Lino ..

Id still go for a few years

Always wanted to go and live there. Mum, dad and brother all have at one time or another. Brother is buried there, not sure I could go back. Too many memories.

I've been lucky enough to spend 8 months over 2 trips in NZ.

I would literally rip your arm off for a NZ work visa.

Wellington is an ace city, well it was about 11 years ago.

Go!!!!

I'de be there in a heartbeat. Wellington was great but Nelson was amazing. Has the same vibe as North Shore Maui 30 years ago.

As a counterpoint of sorts, my wife is kiwi and other than "it would be nice to see family more" pangs doesn't want to live there. She loves city life though and the NZ ones don't really cut it for her. House prices in the cities are mental now too.

Oh and regarding MTB - When I was there in 2004/5 it was terrible for MTB outside of the designated bike parks and a couple of other small areas.
If that hasn't changed, I would investigate further.

My sister went to NZ traveling for a year, 11 years ago..... Now married (to another Brit) and with 2 kids she loves it and I can't see her moving back.

The only issue she has is that it's really far if you need to come back for commitments (funerals, illness etc are the difficult ones). She occasionally gets a bit home sick because of it.

We have family living in the Hawkes Bay area so surrounded by vinyards and sunshine. Every year for the past ten or so we always have a discussion about living there. We have yet to find a negative of any great sort but with a youngish family its all seemed too much hassle sorting stuff out so it just fades away for another year. May be post brexit might move us one step closer but if somebody organised everything for us i suspect it would be a very simple question to answer.

i have family out there too around Napier, i do feel with all these threads about emigrating i like to point out that there are problems and downsides wherever you go, nowhere is the land of milk and honey, there is a youth drug problem out there as bad as anywhere else and the standard of driving is poor and all the freight is on the roads (like australia they don't have a european attitude to road cyclists) , i guess if you like ute’s and check shirts it’s a paradise.

there is also the indigenous ‘issue’ which while not as bad as australias attitude to it’s natives is still sometimes obvious. it’s a lovely country but me personally could only visit not live.

So maybe that’s not the word I’m looking for, but I hope you understand the point.

I know what you mean. It's 20+ years since I was there but many people said we wouldn't come back. We did, not because it's not lovely because it and the people really are, but it just seems very young. They got very excited about these 'old houses' that were perhaps 100 years old and now I live a couple of miles from Hadrian's Wall which is, well, y'know. With that youngness there also seemed be a lack of diverse characters like you get here - most people seemed to be of a similar type and attitude (not a bad one, just not much variety). Massive generalisation of course and like I say, 20 years ago so things may be different.

I wouldn't rush to live there but I'd love to go back. It is a long way though.

Close as I came was 6 years in Tassie, visited NZ a lot, have a lot of Kiwi friends.

First up the obvious and easy to forget stuff, it's the other side of the bloody world, literally - and yes that is obvious but you need to consider it, for about half the year conversations with people in europe are at really bad times, nothing stranger than after a couple of cold ones chatting to your folks over breakfast.

It's a big cost and drain on holiday time to come back so factor in the choice of some unpaid leave in your deals.

Next up having been the partner of the one who instigated the move and not having a job to go to it makes it really hard to integrate if you can't get going straight away. As much as it seems trivial it takes time to establish that support group of mates who can help you through what is a very stressful time - and the ones who are your mates who can listen to you moan about your other half effectively. Work can drop you into a lot of those sort of circles really really quickly.

It's also the same shit different place, hate your job? You have to get one there etc etc.

Also see how far your cash will go, wages are generally lower than Aus and in the cities living costs can be high so make sure you are on a deal that will work for you.

Aside from that if you have little to tie you to the UK go for it, permanent really means until I change my mind.

I'd be there tonight if I could!

**** yeah this country is a dump (everything is really great but we can't afford anything any more) with angry, small minded, thick as **** shitheads everywhere. Opportunist two faced lying house n$$$$$$/stooges who spread lies/misinformation for monetary/status gains, encourage division and stitch people up to receive pats on the head from their betters about what a great job they're doing.

Britain is projected to have the worst wage growth of any developed nation of similar economic standing in the world. Says a lot about this countries direction and who's set to benefit.

Yeah but as somebody said, it's only three hours on a plane to Europe....

If I was younger in a heartbeat, was over in Feb riding and i'm back in a few weeks, ridden all over both Islands, loved the whole country but if I had to pick a spot Nelson is the place to go IMO, epic riding, watersports and a great vibe.

I lived and worked in NZ for about two years. Great place. I started the process of permanent residency.

However, I came back in the end because I realised I was so far from aging family. Previously, when I'd been living in Dublin my dad died and it was easy to come back to England (although dealing with the bereavement on my own when I went back to Dublin was tough).

I guess that experience made me realise how far away NZ was when I was thinking of staying there. Don't regret coming back at all. We live in a beautiful county and are close to a lot of good countries. There are far worse places to live in the world that UK. It's a privilege to live here. Imagine being born in Syria.

NZ has many pluses but it also has its negatives. Like all places I guess.

Do it OP. Grasp any opportunity that arises. If it doesn’t work out you can always come back. I’d love a chance to stay in a different country for a while or even permanently.

Well skimming through the post it looks pike a resounding YES from the forum.

My brother, wife and kids live in Eden Park, Auckland.

They emigrated 12 years ago, from Newcastle.

They've good jobs (architect and TV camera woman), nice but small house and a great circle of friends. They love the access to beach, the climate and school. The holiday locations are ace.

They say it's like any city - it has idiots and criminals, muck and traffic. School selection is an odd process. It's expensive in the city. Working hours are long.

They will never move back to UK.

Lived in nz 18 months over 10 years ago. As with canada i think nz is a better option for raising a family than the uk. Kiwis are great for the most part and the scenary stunning. I did however know a few families who moved back as they missed friends and family in the uk. It can all change when you get the call that so and so only has xx months to live. If only nz was a four hour flight i think we would all be living there now.

I lived in Wellington for 15 years. Came back to Edinburgh in 2014. It’s a nice place, depending on what you are thinking you will get there will define how much you enjoy it. Life is life no matter where you are. A few pointers - housing is mentally expensive relative to salaries, food is quite expensive, you’re miles away from civilisation. It’s beautiful, I used to kayak with dolphins before work. So many positives, so may negatives. Life is for living , have a crack. For me I wanted my kids to know our families, I’m sat in the hospital with my FiL who has had a heart attack. My wife is in bits - thank **** I’m not 27 hours away at best. YMMV. Do it.

Thanks for all the info, it's been very thought provoking to read all your messages. if the interview is successful we would always regret not taking the chance. Life is supposed to be an adventure. Like quite a few posts mentioned, if it goes wrong we can always come back and we will have gained from the experience.

I did, almost eleven years ago.  My wife and I moved on a bit of a whim – pre-GFC, pre-kids, both earning a bit, sounded like a bit of fun.  We came with the idea of staying six months minimum, to really give it a go, probably up to two years… we knew after about a week that we were never going back!

To be fair we both had jobs lined up before we came, so that took a lot of stress out of it, and meant we were on residency visas from day one (subject to remaining employed).  And our financial situation meant that we could have just put all our stuff back in a shipping container and gone back again if we didn’t like it, for the loss of a bit of cash but not a major issue.

I think all of the above comments pretty much sum up the experience of living here – even the contradictory ones, since depending on where you end up you’ll get different things out of it.

Wellington’s a nice little city, big enough to get some big gigs, sports events etc. and fairly close to some excellent riding  (Be warned that while there are quite a few walking trails around the country, and MTB networks (usually on private land but often publicly accessible) the RoW network that the UK has just doesn’t exist).  Wellington is windy though, and is probably the wettest place in NZ outside of the fjords.  And it’s very windy, did I mention that?

What else…? Life if very similar to the UK in many ways, 9-5 here is 9-5 anywhere.  People will tell you the roads are crap, but it’s the standard of driving that’s crap.  The house-price-to-salary ratio is generally abysmal, Auckland especially.

Some things are crazy expensive.  We put a new kitchen in recently, and took a long weekend to Melbourne (Aus), went to Ikea and got a whole kitchen shipped to NZ cheaper than we could get a similar quality kitchen locally.

I miss old stuff.  As others have pointed out, history here is anything beyond living memory.  I miss castles, cathedrals etc that have been standing since before humans first set foot on NZ…

It’s sunnier here though.  Most places get way more sunshine hours than the UK. Whenever we go back we notice that life there is more indoors than outdoors, seems to be the opposite here.

You can get excellent coffee just about everywhere here.

You can get excellent pies just about everywhere.

Everywhere except Taupo and Hamilton is on the coast, so you can get great fish and chips just about everywhere. (Don't end up in Hamilton, though, whatever you do).

There’s generally a more relaxed feel/vibe/pace of life than we felt in the UK, we find.  We had no issues living in the UK, we didn't leave to try to find something that was missing, it wasn't about trying to escape something.  We still love the UK and could, in theory, see ourselves living there again.  But we wont, because it's nicer here  🙂

. (Don’t end up in Hamilton, though, whatever you do).

I did a week there once, after being in the hotel for 3 nights I asked where people went out for food or a couple of beers in the week, answer was nah we wait for the weekend. Great night ride round the back of the sewage works....

 We had no issues living in the UK, we didn’t leave to try to find something that was missing, it wasn’t about trying to escape something.

Probably better put than my same shit different place comment.

There must be a reason why so many Kiwi's are over here in Oz. So when people say "ooh NZ should I...?" Then I always think "well if the Kiwi's don't want to be there...."

Their internet is better though. And they have some reet good MTB trails.

I love NZ and would very much consider moving there.

things to think about..

you will be a long way not just from friends and family but also from other countries, museums, live music etc. Don’t underestimate how the plundering of the world by the British to fill museums etc. can leave a gap.

The time difference means if you follow sports Sunday events are on when you are at work.

if anyone at home is old you might miss final days or funerals, likewise for birthdays and the rest. When you get down your support network will be the other side of the world

Either you can cope with this or not but you won’t know unless you try. If it doesn’t work you can always come back

Then I always think “well if the Kiwi’s don’t want to be there….

Most people I spoke to only really cited the weather as the main reason. It was a surprise to hear that that they lose as many to Oz as they take in from Europe though.

It's a beautiful country with friendly people. I think the cost of living is higher than here, so you may not be able to afford flights back. I guess it depends on your income and family circumstances, if that's a problem or not.

If I could work there for a few years I'd do it. But I'd want to come back.

Worked out there for a year and been on two extended holidays. Got offered a job out there about 5 years ago on 12 month contract and knocked it back like a fool due to other stuff. You can always come back. Goodbye and have a great time.

No interest in NZ, never really appealed. Timely article in The Guardian, maybe the NZ dream is only good for white people

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/30/the-man-on-a-mission-to-get-new-zealands-maori-out-of-prison

New Zealand has one of the highest incarceration rates in the OECD, and in March the country’s prison population hit a record 10,820 people – more than 50% of whom are Māori, despite indigenous people making up only 16% of New Zealand’s population.

I'd be gone in a flash.

My other half is a bit of a home bird though, so despite her love for adventuring, she still likes to come back at the end.

It's a bloody long way though 🙂

Stay away from Auckland, it's horrible.

http://shittownsofnewzealand.blogspot.com/2017/11/auckland.html

I've visited Auckland and Rotorua 4 times in the last 20 years, have a friend who lives in Auckland and has a decent job. It used to be fairly cheap, now really expensive. I checked out house prices out of curiosity and it's crazy expensive compared to the fairly crap salaries. The countryside is nice, but I couldn't imagine living there unless I was making megadollars so I could take an overseas vacation twice a year to get away from the bogans.

I would do it. Have a few mates working in Wellington and Auckland and they love it. Its hopefully on the cards at some point as having an Australian passport means no visa needed for me as well.  The missus might take some convincing as she is proper Australian and if we moved all the way back would rather go to Perth / Sydney.

The flip side is as others have said its a really really really long way away!  I lived in Perth for nearly 7 years and struggled a bit, and that's a good 6 hours closer!

It is also an expensive country so make sure the wages are actually good, not just compared to here.  Otherwise its a great place, nice people and its stunning.

Yes..... Only reason not to is the distance from family. If both parents were dead and I were an only child I'd be off.

My cousin went to Sydney for years ago for work. She now has residency and probably isn't coming back to the UK which is hard for her folks, my sister (they were close) and for her.

On the kids side she does go scuba diving aye work 3 days a week, which is her passion.

Ill make so with moving to Italy. Beautiful landscapes, relaxed people, and good food and wine.

I moved to Auckland from London 2 years ago and it is bloody amazing, esp with 2 young boys.

It is definitely not the place to be if you like city life. But I live 30 meters from the beach, go kayaking and fishing a few nights or mornings before/after work. Tons of outdoor stuff to do at the weekend, lots going on but a little low key compared to the UK. People are super friendly. Weather in Auckland is significantly warmer than London and many other parts of the UK - but it does know how to rain! Cost of living is on the high side.

But really are miles from anywhere, 3.5hrs is pretty much the closest international flight - AU or Fiji. I have got very used to 12hr flights to get anywhere else (SG/LA/HK).

Someone said NZ MTB trails are good. I disagree and so does my NZ MTB friend when he visited me in here in UK. I lived in NZ too and agree with him. Edit: I'm not saying it's bad just that UK MTB is a better scene for regular riding throughout the year.

So much of NZ is bush (wild) so apart from man-made MTB trails it's hard to bike elsewhere easily without committing to big day/s out unlike in the UK where you can ride natural terrain easily from the roadside. He came over here and was amazed at our biking - he loved the Lakes riding etc.

The thing I found was getting your head around the work life balence. There are loads of great things to see and do in NZ. BUT if you are the type of person that needs growth and challenge at work this can be stretch. The job market is smaller and oppertunities far fewer. I would flip it to focus on your work - as that is the thing you are going to need to do to enjoy the life as you want it to be if you are making the move.

I was in Christchurch - and had a great time - but my other half at the time could not make the move stick. Still, it was worth the effort to see if we could make it work. I did loads of temping in order to get going - and one thing you need to budget for from day one is the need to drive and therefore to buy a car as soon as possible. And if one of you does not drive - above all else get that squared away before you leave! I would often pick up jobs 10 -15 miles from where we lived and I started off cycling to these - but the very strong and persitent north westerly wind killed me - and then the wind when it came from the south in the winter was bloody cold!

All good stuff - the beer is good, you can be alone, you do see some very cool stuff, and everyone takes the piss out of 'your' rugby.

I know a couple who went and didn't enjoy it that much. I think they found the road cycling was shit (bad driving and surfaces, not enough routes), it was also expensive and not great quality of life. But that was compared to USA where they were before (and after). But I'd certainly say it's worth a try, so long as you go with your eyes open. You'll always wonder if you don't...and if you hate it, you can come back, it will still be a couple of years of interesting experiences that you won't get staying in the UK.

B-i-L worked in Sydney for a while (I know, that's oz not nz!). Enjoyed it for a while, didn't like the climate much (hot and/or rainy), happy to leave in the end. Not an outdoors person though.