turkeytickler

outside of auckland and wellie vacancies are sparse and competition high

jonesey

Livewire

Where do you actually live on the North Shore, we were at Devonport and I am hoping to join the RNZAF soon hoping to be in by July 2006, we will no doubt be at Hobonsville and then onto a posting down south. Since i got back from NZ this is my understanding of my life here in UK at this present time, a day in the life of a Pom returned back to his homeland.

Interesting threads by all so far, as i may of said previous we have been back to UK since Aug 2004 and still have mixed feelings for UK/NZ but setting some important issues aside here for a moment, the time i have had here settling back into the mundane lifestyle here in UK, things have not got any better but gradually worse as overall observations go. Traffic worse by the year as all family members go about their everyday lives as public transport is decaying into the 21st century, Stealth taxes by the half dozen i have noticed since we got back, fuel prices still up at 93p a litre mark not Cents. Gas/Electric Utility bills sky high and still rising. House prices are still up there and out of reach by many. The best classic one for the future generations is the government draining off at 26p in every pound of Council Tax money collected and shoring up their own pensions for their own future retirements, and we all get to work until we are 70 years of age and draw the state pension entitlement. I still have 20 years of my life to work and i think i will give my Kids and myself a better chance in the Southern Hemisphere again Mr Blair........I thought i could kid myself that my Kids, pardon the pun that my Kids will have a future in 20 years in UK "But where" look around me i keep asking myself,when there are so many Europeans flooding into UK everyday looking for the same dream that they cannot get in Europe, Latvians, Croats, Serbs to mention a few.There are more in my City, Lincoln every week claiming handouts from the European gravy train.....So do my kids really have a future amongst this government or the next Tory party under Cameron, now im off my soap box and i am going to consider in great detail the pros & cons of both great countries i thought i new..... readers amongst you out there i am right or wrong to go back to NZ.......?????

helenp

This was a very good idea to visit first so many people I have read about emigrate across the world and do not visit first it is a real gamble, you have saved yourself a lot of money and heartache. We are thinking about it but will visit the country even then you cannot guarantee it will work out but you have to try it otherwise you will live to regret things.

Helenp

livewire

Browns Bay for the last 18 months or so, we're leaving though in a few days and headed over to the wild west coast.

Right or wrong to go back? there's no right or wrong about it IMO, both countries have their pluses and minuses.

Kids adapt to the environments they are brought up in. Every older generation looks at its offspring and worries about how they are going to manage in the big world. But despite that every new generation finds its own way and flourishes.

How many times do we hear people say on these boards "i liked NZ but we couldn't make ends meet"? If you can afford it, if you are going to earning enough to live the life you want to live, and can plan for retirement, then give it a go. Good luck to you

scracha

I think you're spot on. I'm in my late 20's and there's no way I could afford a house in the UK (9 times annual wage). Rent, council tax and commuting costs were swallowing up most of my wages and after working down south in a supposedly very well paid job for many years I was no further forward then when I started. Most people my age and younger are in the same boat or worse and it certainly isn't looking like it'll get better.

Congestion gets worse every year and the country seems to be getting overwhelmed with Neds (Chav Scum). It also appears to be the Neds who're living in decent housing (housing benefit, housing schemes and Right to Buy), paying less tax (cash in hand economics), getting better health care (free dentistry and opticians for starters) and driving cheaper motors (why bother getting a license, insurance. tax or MOT when the court orders you to pay back the fine at 50p a week).

I can also tell you first hand that the education system is a joke. Teachers are being replaced by low paid and underqualified "assistants". Who can blame kids for not trying hard at school when their older brothers earn more as plumbers or their Ned sisters get a house for being pregnant? There's no way I would bring up kids in the UK. It goes against all my leftie principals but I also wouldn't send kids to most of the state schools in the UK. As a generalisation I would say that most adults under 30 in blighty feel pretty much ignored by the government. The grass is definately greener abroad (especially if you're a UK home-owner).

IMHO, lots of the UK's problem stem from the money is everything attitude. Nobody seems to value working hard or giving back to the community. Indeed, every second person appears to be obsessed with "property investing", fund management and generally making a quick buck. Just look at the sheer number of TV programes or press articles with the word "property" or "home". That's why teachers, nurses and various other professions are almost regarded as being mugs in the UK compared to say, plumbers, electricians and estate agents.

I blame Mrs Thatcher

livewire

I think that you have a pretty idealistic view of NZ, the grass isn't greener - it's just longer

Lenmil

Actually the grass is greener in NZ, it's a richer more vibrant shade of green, unlike the dark viarety here in the UK. That was one of the fist things we noticed when we came back.

P18PPS

Ok so Scracha may have a a bit of an extreme view but he has been in NZ for a while and has made a go of things, perhaps he has had very good luck or perhaps he has just made the right move.
There are several authors on here that it hasn't worked out for and they seem to think that people are being economical with the truth or just don't want to admit that the UK is a better place to live than NZ.
We have only been here 5 months but feel as though we never want to go back to the UK, for many of the reasons stated over and over again and still the negative comments are made but they always seem to come back to money and the fact that you have more in the UK. Good luck back in the UK to these people I would take NZ any day.

livewire

Yeah, you're right - it is more vibrant, must be all this rain. I certainly notice the difference when I go over to Oz - looks very dry and parched there. Much of the green pasture grass is from SA though, interestingly enough

uk+kiwi

Oh Tony Blair is much much worse, and if Gordon takes over the reins, things will be even worse as he will have no problem doing major retrospective tax increases for starters.

I just wanted to say that it looks a bit gloomy when you're in your 30's also, not just your 20's, and when you have children, you really learn about struggling. It makes the double income no kids look like absolute luxurious living beyond my wildest dreams these days!

So I thought I'd let you know our real example. It may provide some inspiration to get you going on your migration even! House 11.6 x annual household income. I have just worked out that after the interest (only) is paid on our mortgage, our monthly expenses look roughly like this: £200 council tax, £200 season train ticket for hubbie, £400 food, £120 elec/gas/phone, £50 house insurance, £100 petrol, £50 car insurance, £50 other car related costs such as road tax, service & repairs, £10 RAC membership (vital with young kiddies!)

So it looks like this leaves us with about £2000/year for clothes, shoes, hair cuts, entertainment, Xmas, kids gifts & parties, holidays and any real splash out luxuries like contact lenses and leg waxing! And of course we do need to think about capital repayment on the mortage again at some point, plus pension provision etc etc. Having said all of that, we live within our means and do not get in the slightest bit persuaded by any type of debt, overdraft included.

Doesn't sound that great on paper, (thank God I'm off to meet some friends for coffee now!) but we're doing okay - actually better than okay. I do count my blessings that we got onto the housing ladder when we did otherwise we'd be in a tiny home. We have the benefit of space, beautiful countryside, no NEDS (???) in sight and great schools on the doorstep. Nothing's perfect, but when I read some of the realistic yet very negative posts about the UK on this website, I honesty sometimes think it could be another planet being described.

Carmen.

jonesey

I had a lawn mowing round when i was in Devonport, had a few customers in Browns Bay and this part-time round helped me make ends meet, but I'm sure i can do it all again, some very interesting opinions on this site and interestingly enough there are some truthful threads amongst us all that see it with there eyes fully open. Others seem to carry on and bury their heads in the sand and hope it is all mere scaremongering amongst us all, but i do really look long term as to where UK will be in 20 years time with an ever increasing populous of 60 million + with a land mass as the size of NZ we surely cannot sustain that increase with even more countries wanting in on the EU gravy train. As for crime or murder the numbers are increasing by each year. As yesterday's Sun " A SOLDIER who had seen action in Iraq and Kosovo was shot dead in his home town hours after returning on leave, was gunned down in a shopping precinct for the gold chain he was wearing. On his way home from Smethwick was approached by a man demanding his neck chain "He was killed because he fought back and so he was shot, his chain removed and left for dead. Prosecutor Anthony Barker QC said: "His great misfortune was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time". As a previous Thread makes out about teachers being useless here is another article from the "Sun" A mother was horrified to learn that her seven year old girl's homework was to write a "Sexy Dating Ad" The teacher at St Mary's Primary in Kent had taken the worksheet form its BBC Skills wise website for ADULTS to improve reading, writing and maths ability. The sheet even suggested including a drawing. A spokesman for the school admitted the work was "clearly inappropriate for children of that age, and admitted "It was a mistake. It will not happen again". These are but two instances of UK gone crazy and has lost the plot as we are all too wrapped up in making pots of money and the majority of parents having to work full time to make ends meet nowadays in a very demanding world. So i think i will choose the slower pace of life and go back maybe 15 - 20 years UK pace of life and join the Kiwi pace of life....give me the lifestyle back any-day Or maybe i will just be thankful for what i have Skeggie beach, or maybe Blackpool or even why not Looe beach in Devon will make a change if i can afford to fill me tank of Diesel........Good old Blighty there is nothing like it.....I should be grateful for small mercies......

Lenmil

Funnily enough i was told most of their trees etc (South Island) are mostly imported too and not indigenous. Still i love the way the hills just roll into the distance. Sometimes it remind me of teletubble land, as in how rounded the hills can be. Then the next land area you see looks like its been torn apart by quakes etc. Most varied land scape i have seen that's for sure.

uk+kiwi

I agree with the sentiment here, but I believe it is exactly the same in NZ. In fact I think it's worse isn't it?

It is considered quite normal in the UK for only one person in a family to work and thus support the whole family, wherease I am led to believe that in NZ it is considered more normal for both parents to work (obviously out of financial necessity since wages are lower and cost of living only marginally so). Did you not find this when you were in NZ?

Certainly I have many (female) friends in the UK that don't work, whereas all our female friends in NZ work (one is the sole breadwinner in fact!)

Australia would definitely be a better move from this point of view with the comparatively (to NZ) higher wages and lower costs of living.

turkeytickler

it is nothing to do with money for me i live very comfortably in NZ. Im an urban kind of person - much as i like the countryside i prefer to visit it rather than live in it.

Living in urban/suburban new zealand is like living in 1970s england. its grey, americanised, scruffy, overpriced (being able to afford something doesnt mean it isnt overpriced) lacking in character, and dominated by the car. the only unique culture is pacific island and only a proportion of the population can claim ownership of that.

jonesey

The reason to come back to NZ is not only lifestlye and other benefits long term for our family, i am joining the RNZAF which i think will be my savour as i served for 18 years in the RAF unitl Maggie Thatcher and her cronies made 15,000 + redundant before they could get their 22 years service in which would of given most of us a full term fininacial lump sum and 22 years pesion rights for the rest of their natural life. But alas no used crying over spilt milk as the saying goes and just get on with life as i have done, but now NZ are recruiting and i feel this is a good opportunity to serve again and maybe get 15 to 20 years back in uniform which will hopefully with pension rights give me a good retirement in a semi-decent sub tropical climate in the southern hemisphere to relax my remaining years away watching my grandchildren grow up into lower population growth rather than competing with UK/Europe's ever increasing gluten of migrant wannabies on the gravy train. I feel having listened to so many on this thread i do feel we can have a better life if i am prepared to commit to NZ way of life, my family will be in Base housing and my kids will ajust to forces way of life once more easily than they are at this present time in civvy street, lack of normal lifestlye activities here in UK are are the problem for children these days with constant hype of the "Must have culture" latest mobile phones, designer gear from shops with never ending last line sales items to draw them in, PS2, PS3, XBOX360, garbage on TV The Big Brother House, American bands like 50 cent, chucking gargage songs down their throats most hours of the day and night, this all gives the kids/teenagers all the wrong impressions in life. I would much prefer them going back to the days in NZ when they had their skate boards in Devonport or they were playing at the Devonport Bandstand gig with their made up band, or down at Devonport on their Kayak, they never once asked for the latest Vodaphone, Sony Erricson, or any other latest Designer gear wear from ADDIDAS OR REEBOK to mention a few.......just the good old boring kids will be kids having a great time, give that to me that means more to me than worrying where the next £80 for the latest mobile is coming next when carphone warehouse ads more offers of the month. Kids in UK need to have a vision as to what they want and need because i feel so sorry for a lot of them i see hanging outside local CO-OP stores these days because its the culture of the majority i see around me......Our city here in Lincoln can not even provide a basic skate parK their so hard up for money, so unless parents provide the facilities we all have to go begging.