Bo-Jangles

UK

Sarf East London
House - 3 Bedroom terrace - little or no noise from neighbours
Nearest beach - 1.5 hours away went regularly
Mortgage - tiny
Car - little and hardly used
Commute - 25 minutes each way to central London on train
Salary - decent
Annual leave - 25 days
Hours worked per week - 35
Spare time - seemed to have loads enough to do all that I wanted, do evening classes, home DIY, visit family, shopping etc
Social life - easy come easy go, weekend pub lunches, eating out, theatres, concerts and shows
Holidays - long haul twice per year, plus various weekends in UK and Europe

We were happy, life was fun and fairly spontaneous, except we just didn't know how good we had it!!


NZ

Auckland
House- 3 bedroom detached house - can hear every screaming child and barking dog
Nearest beach - 20 minutes away, hardly ever go
Mortgage - bigger than we had in UK
Car - small and used everyday
Commute - 45 minutes drive each way
Salary - still only 80% of what I was earning in London six years back Annual leave - 20 days
Hours worked per week - 40 paid (actual 45)
Spare time - never seem to have any, hardly ever go shopping at weekends and don't have family to visit
Social life - erm barely existent, occasional dinners at friends homes
Holidays - no holidays for ages, camped a few times, been to most other of the main NZ cities for weekends away on Grabaseat deals and went to Sydney for a few days.

In NZ we've lurch from pretty hard up to fed up and back again!!

lisamct

In the UK-
Worked as a full time midwife
7 weeks annual leave from work
Owned my own home with a small mortgage
Lived with my OH of the time
Irregular holidays in USA, Caribbean
Socialised with friends most weekends, mid week coffees etc
Reasonable amount of 'free money' each month for saving and spending

In NZ-
Work as a full time midwife, earn pretty much the same as I earned in the UK, possible slightly less
4 weeks annual leave from work
Rent a bigger house but pay the equivelent of twice my UK mortgage payments each month
Live alone
Only one 3 day break to Sydney so far mainly due to the minimal amount of free money I now have each month
Very little socialising, mainly just the odd week day coffee with expat friends


At this point in time my UK life was definitely more 'fulfilling' than my NZ one is. This is mainly down to my lack of social circle here and lack of 'activities' where I live that appeal to me. But, I'm not planning on moving back to the UK instead I'm moving onto another part of NZ that I hope will suit me better. i'm still convinced NZ is the place for me if I can just find the place I fit in best.

sandra arnott

Hi Lisamct bit of advise dont come to chch no social live here im afraid im in same boat as you so i should know all the best Sandra

EdT

UKHad a nice new 4 Bed Detached (with a mortgage that was affordable) in the Midlands.
Owned Sports Car and went to nice All Inclusive Carribean Hols each year.
Job was 40+ Hour weeks, 30 Days Hols, Flex Days, Company Car etc.
Travel to work was 30 mins good day, hour on a bad day.

NZ
Rent a nice 4/5 Bed Detached overlooking some nice scenery - can't afford to buy, exchange rate stops us moving what money we have across, high house prices (relative to income) and interest rates are a lot higher.
More senior role, more responsibility, working 50 - 60 hour weeks!
20 days Holiday per annum - which the other half wants to use to go back to UK.... so don't get to have what I would consider a relaxing holiday each year!
Pay is less, and package like Pensions are meagre... so a long term worry.
Love NZ and the outdoors - feel a lot more financially vulnerable here, and worried about long term prospects wrt buying / owning a house and Pensions.

Not sure if NZ is all it is cracked up to be wrt work / life balance..... relatively speaking housing is more expensive (as a multiple of wage and interest rates), food is more expensive..... and of course family and friends are a $3000 flight away!

Ed.

Kevin

Just playing devil’s advocate here, but the “no’s” seem to have the majority lead, consensus being it isn’t all its cracked up to be here.

Seems that finance is playing a rather large part in that, so once again, I strongly urge anyone who’s thinking of moving to do your homework with the finances very carefully. Sorry, not trying to turn the thread, but just to sum up a little.

turkeys

UK
Work - 37 hours, a lot of traveling around the south east but flexible wrt working from home and family stuff.
Salary - ok, above average
Commute - 40 minute bike in through the woods when in the office or 10 minute drive
House - three bed semi by the sea
Social life - Dinner parties, a few gigs a year, pub the usual
Activities - Biking, running guitar lessons

NZ
Work - 37.5 hours, very flexible
Salary -slightly better than UK, but only when converting against the crap pound
Commute - 10 minute walk to work
House - 3 bed detached, bigger than UK but 'leaky home'; hasn't been good for the old asthma for me and daughter.
Social life - Dinner parties, more gigs, less pub (at least less mid week beers don't seem to be the done thing here. Made lots of friends, Kiwi, Pom or otherwise
Activities - Five aside, lots of tramping, swimming, coaching kids' football team, gym, running. Hardly any biking, partly don't trust the Wellington drivers and my bike wasn't up to much here.

In all it has veered to much more of an active life, with weekends happily spent taking kids to their various sports. The crap TV is actually a blessing as it encourages you to do other things with your time.

The next chapter for me though is we are moving back to the UK, same town, same UK friends, family of course, same bike commute through the woods, new job (on a lower salary than when I left in 07 )

So, watch this space for the next comparison

Am Loolah

UK

Work - 32 hours per work.
Salary - average with working families tax credits top ups
House - 4 bedroom detached farm house, 1/2 acre garden
Commute - 15 minute drive each way, longer in summer
Social Life - pub with OH and/or friends occasionally
Activities - Walking dogs, that's it!
Holidays - None, maybe one every 5 years to Europe

NZ

Work - none at the moment, previously always flexible so hard to say, but definately had to be available more evenings and weekends
Salary - Better than the UK as was self-employed plus family tax credits
House - Large 5 bedroom detached with pool, one street back from beach
Commute - Not applicable
Social Life - Friends round several times a week, out for drinks, coffees, lunches, dinners, parties etc, etc
Activities - My social life is my biggest activity! But also enjoy the beach, walking, exploring and my Kombi.
Holidays - Usual NZ camping, plus Gold Coast theme parks - yuk and a few weekends away

Hard to summarise other than I have approximately the same amount of money in assets after 4+ years that we came with. I have no stress, other than a shitty ex to contend with. Much more relaxed, happier life. For me the weather (sunshine and plenty of it) and friends make me happy. The weather in Cornwall and the Cornish did not ...

Am Loolah

You need to go back through the thread, it's actually the opposite! I've only counted 2 not so great in NZ to 7 great in NZ. Just to play devil's advocate you know!

Although I didn't think the thread was really about that?

EdT

I sometimes feel (from discussions I have had with many expats) that people are constantly remaning 'strong' and don't want to accept that things here aren't all that they are cracked up to be....? Admitting these things to a lot of people appears to be like admitting to failure.....

All of us, who have made this quite profound and lifechanging move, have something to be proud of. We gave it a go.... we had the strength of conviction to take the risk and see if things really were so good in the Southern Hemisphere.

For some, I am sure they are..... but for me, I think there are a LOT of negatives here, including the cost of food, decent housing, career opportunities (outside the major cities like Auckland and Wellington), holiday entitlement, health care, and the extortionate cost of travelling back to UK to visit friends and family. Like many contemplating the move, and those that have made the move already, I did not anticipate missing family and friends as much as I do. When you take into account that it is typically 50% more to fly on the same day from NZ to UK than the other way around.... combined with a lower salary.... the cost of flights back to UK are extortionate. For me, the cost of flights, and the lack of holiday, makes me feel more isolated and remote than I would otherwise have felt.... It is almost like you can't (or are strictly limited) to seeing your family and friends when you want.

Take housing.... $500K house with an historic interest rate of around 8%.... Ouch! VERY EXPENSIVE. Pension provisions here are very limited, and if you do deceide to pay into one (above and beyond kiwi saver) then this will further impact on a lower disposable income....

So in a nutshell, beautiful country, laid back lifestyle (when you are not working - and you will tyically work as hard if not harder for your money here), but cost of living and long term financial provisions make it a worry for me..... and I am sure others (if they thought about it).

Ed.

Genesis

Whilst I like life in NZ, don't have problems about missing folk back in the UK or have any fiscal issues personally, all your comments above are spot on and to be taken seriously by those thinking of making the move. Well said. Or typed.

Mrs Pointer

I spent Sunday afternoon kayaking off Petone whereas in the UK I'd have been to Tescos, scraping snow off the drive, making small talk with the in-laws or watching something I'd taped off Sky earlier in the week

I think making direct comparisons (especially financial) is a bit pointless. It's a different country and depends what you want out of life.

We haven't been here long and have had some bad news from the UK so we have found it hard to settle. Most direct comparisons, particularly financial and emotional will stack up in the UK's favour. We will earn a bit more, which will cancel our the higher cost of living so we should be no worse off. We can also downsize a bit anyway.

However, we made a conscious decision to change our life, not just move our life to the other side of the world and hope it changed for us. It won't. And you won't have your family and friends.

Could we have gone kayaking in Scotland in Winter....yes but not without serious hypothermia and certainly not 10 mins from our house.

Kevin

I stand corrected

Kevin

Have to agree with Genesis.... spot on.

Kevin

Personally, I think that the thought of getting out of the rat race and living a life a bit slower and “greener” (thinking of Felicity Kendal’s bottom even as I write.. ahhhhh)........................ is a big draw for NZ, that is compared to Aus for example where the emphasis may be more about opportunities, and rebuilding your empire. The problem is that it isn’t always that easy to adjust. I know because I am guilty of that myself. It’s okay to want things to slow down, to want to change your values, but you can’t have it all ways. If you can live life as if each day will be your last, I think NZ might be your utopia. However, if like me you do consider your future, your old age, health care, comforts etc, well maybe you will worry yourself to death long before your time.
If we won the lottery (the BIG numbers), I think we would happily remain here, holiday abroad throughout the winter and not want for anything much, as paying “over the odds” wouldn’t be an issue, and I’m sure most things could be had for the right price. But to come here expecting to be able to have a comfortable life if you have little cash, that is unless you have a very well paid job waiting for you, well, it isn’t going to be all plain sailing unless your expectations of pretty much everything isn’t too high.

NZ has been a culture shock for us, but even so, I still feel we did the right thing moving away from the UK. If we had had a family “in tow” however, it would have been much harder. In fact I can only admire the courage of couples who have children, and still find the strength and conviction to make a leap of faith. My hat is off to you all.

EdT

There is no slower way of life here..... you simply work more hours, for less pay!! and as admirable as it may be in certain industries.... using Number 8 Wire Philosophy.... Hmmm not so sure the global markets relate to that.....

As for clean and green - most kiwis drive around in 20 year old V8's that are probably the least efficient and environmentally friendly cars you can find. I pulled up at the lights over the weekend, and a guy pulled up next to me with a vintage Datsun with no bonnet or wings.... takes the whole lotus light weight / power to weight concept to a whole new level. The country is not as clean and green as I imagined.... and it is only because it is a country the size of UK with less than 10% of the population that it appears that way.

I don't want to sound down on NZ - I love it in so many ways..... but the slower way of life / work life balance / clean green..... are all the things that netted me in the first place. This is just not the case for many expats I have spoken with.

NZ is undoubtedly a beautiful place, and a majority of the kiwi's are lovely people (although not as friendly as I had imagined). The secnery is stunning, there is access to some of the most stunning places on earth here.... and the time you do have free (when it is not raining) is definately enjoyed more outdoors than when in UK. I am sure for some, this far outweighs the material things that I may be comparing to.... but at the end of the day, financial viability and security are a fundamental to many families, and I don't feel this is sometimes considered in sufficient detail before making what is a very expensive move.

I second comments about folk making the move with young families - I have ultimate respect for you all..... and know that for many of you, the move has been for your children..... which is about as selfless as you can get. Hats off to you all