gemmavc5

Hi everyone

I'm Gemma and 25 years old. I am moving to Wanganui at the start of February on an essential skills work visa which has been granted for 3 years. I am going alone (eeek!).

I was wondering if anyone was living in the area or nearby?

I also have a question about the health system over there, as I am used to our NHS system. I have taken out travel insurance, will this be sufficient? I was previously in Australia and I held a Medicare card, but I was wondering if there was a NZ equivalent?

Cheers,
Gemma

Snap Shot

Hello Gemma,

I lived in Whanganui with my kiwi husband from June 2011 to November 2016.

It's a nice little town (ignore anyone who says it's full of gangs, it isn't.)

There's no national health service anywhere in NZ. There's NZ Government run hospitals which are run on a mostly, 'user pays' basis.

You can buy private health insurance from any NZ provider e.g. Southern Cross etc. You just claim back your medical expenses according to your policy.

You will pay for your doctor's appointments, prescriptions and repeat prescriptions.

Some regular referral tests will be free i.e breast cancer screening, smear tests.

Please spell the name of the town with an, 'h'. Last year the then mayor of Whanganui asked the National Geographic board of New Zealand to spell the name of the town as Whanganui from then on.

Some older people who live there consider the spelling with an, 'h' as politically correct nonsense. I won't bore you with the reasons why. You will see plenty of examples of it spelled without the 'h' i.e. the local paper is the Wanganui Chronicle etc etc.

LoCarb

Really! My family have never paid for public hospital visits.

It's still a free service thank-goodness, similar to NHS hospitals.

Pom_Chch

Eh? You don't pay for hospital visits. Only doctors appointments, prescriptions, dental etc. But when you go to hospital you are not charged. Anything from outpatient appointments to cancer treatment is government funded unless that's what you meant by "user pays" via tax...

Genesis

Hi Gemma, I know and love Wanganui very well. It has the most fantastic pub called the Rutland Arms, it dates back to 1870 and was once a stockade. The pub has a lovely conservatory and a cute paved garden area too. Wanganui has a fantastic curry house too called the Spice Guru. There is a great Japanese place too, the name eludes me presently, but it is off Victoria Ave in a little walkway. The town has a lovely river and is on the cusp of wonderful bush, the mountain for skiing/tramping is only 1 hour away.

Wanganui (aka Wangervegas) is tipped for being an area that is going to see healthy growth in its house prices. It has a very nice lake called Virginia Waters too, the latter being a beautiful place for a stroll. The shopping is okay, obviously very small town and alas there are too many empty shpos down the main road which is Victoria Ave.

My partner Sue lives there (I live in Palmerston North) and I go over every other weekend for a long weekend. I love the place! It has an eclectic style of building, it is quite arty and a tad bohemian. There is a funky regenerated area by the quay and the town has lots of nice cafes. It has very nice topography, very undulating.

More than happy to help you with any questions you may have. You have lots to look forward to!!!!!

Please feel free to PM me and I will be happy to meet you in the Rutland Arms if you like when you get there. Wanganui is a great place and you will make lots of chums, I am sure, real soon!!

Dominic.

Bo-Jangles

Snap Shot is correct in saying that there is not a 'National' Health service in the way that we know it - it is very disjointed with twenty separate district health boards all having different priorities and ways of funding; the system is very complex and convoluted so not very easy to compare like with like from one area to another. If you have a medical issue whereby you are referred to hospital by your GP or you have to go to ED then those hospital services are generally free at point of use.

Unless diagnosed with a medical condition to the extent you need to see a specialist asap or are seriously injured your GP is however unlikely to refer you to the hospital in the first instance. You will be referred into private sector for minor injuries, hurty backs and knees, strains and sprains for physical therapy and some radiology or other diagnostic stuff first and do have to contribute a significant proportion of that cost.

You have to pay for non-essential services such as podiatry, chiropodists, mole mapping and some minor 'surgery' for nuisance things like mole removal and such like in the private sector.

The Breastscreening programme is a national programme (which is free) but run by a totally separate entity not within the health board structure. Cervical screening is not a national programme and it cost me $35 to have this done by the nurse at my own GP.

Mishclark

HI Gemma,

Congratulations on your move, I hope it all goes smoothly for you!

I can't help with NHS, but can help you with Medicare as I am Australian, have lived in NZ (am currently in Oz) and am going back to nz either later this year or early next year.

There is no equivalent of a Medicare card or the Medicare system at all, if you go to the hospital, it is free. My late husband needed an ambulance and I paid a donation (I can't remember now but it was either $50 or $100) to St John's. I had to go to hospital here in Oz in October and my bill was about $600 for the ambulance, which my private health insurance paid for.

When I went to the dr in Christchurch, I had to pay $34.00 for myself or the kids. Scripts were extremely cheap though, I only paid $4.00 for my Thyroid medication in comparison to Oz in which they were $34.00.

Anything like x-rays, scans etc I had to pay for in nz but could claim them back if I had private health insurance.

Hope it's not too confusing in comparing for you, but i am happy to help with anything comparing Oz to Nz as my late husband had cancer and chemotherapy so we had a lot of experience in both health systems.!

Good luck with your move, I can't wait to hear an update!

Michelle

jabu

perfect!!
thank you. I am in healthcare/medical field. what is durie hill like??
is Gonville ok to live in as it would make my hospital commute so much easier

Andrew.Family

Hi Gemma, we are hoping to move to Wanganui, are you able to provide an update? It would be really appreciated, especially regarding the areas.
Many thanks

KOH2

Not Gemma, but we've been here 18 months. What would you like to know?

Andrew.Family

Hi, I would love to know what the schools are like. Someone recommended Marton but we have been looking at Spring vale or St John's. We need to be in either walking or cycling distance from the town centre. We also like running and would like to join a family orientated running club. Any information would be welcome. Thanks

KOH2

Andrew.Family - have PM'd you

vorno

I for one, would love to learn more about the city itself and the surrounding surburbs - ones to plant down, ones to avoid, land-conditions and the like & generally the experiences that people have had!

I'm thinking of moving there from Auckland - looking for a more peaceful life to bring up a family