Maz1

Hi all, at the moment we are living in Christchurch but are moving to Auckland next month with OH job. Now he has been offered a job in Brisbane. Just wondering if anyone has made the move. Do you regret it, is it worth it, how does it compare, whats the wage difference/cost of living etc. Creepy crawlies. Did you find it easy to fit in. How safe do you find it. We have 2 kids - lad of 15 and a girl 12. Sorry for all the questions but thanks for all the replies (if any)

Nerine

Hi, I've just sent you a pm and then saw this post .

Your kids are round about the same ages as mine and it's been an excellent move for them. The hardest thing for them was leaving friends behind and being the new kids all over again, the older they are the harder it seems to be. It look them a little while to find their feet and there were a few tears to start with but to look at them now you'd think they'd been here for years.

DD uses MSN /Bebo to keep in touch and a few of her mates have already been over for holidays.

As for safe - the most dangerous thing here is the beaches, really need to make sure you swim between the flags as the rip currents are very strong at times. Coming from NZ you'll already know the sun safety issues.

Maz1

Hi Nerine, got your pm. We've only been in Christchurch a little over a year so they've made friends but they've only known them for a matter of months and not years so I dont think they will have any problems moving on.

Nice Guy

Do it......you won't regret it!

NG

Nice Guy

Wages are more, I can't give you a % but they are definitely more.

Cost of living about the same but more choice and as earnings are more the dollar goes that bit further.

Plenty of creepy crawlies if you want to go and look for them, found a massive cockroach in our kitchen the other day, caught and released......live and let live.

Have a 'pet' resident Orb spider, nice lady, catches flying things that might otherwise come in to the house, letting her alone, not doing me any harm. Had a couple of nests of red backs, tried to move them on but they refused, sorry chaps..............

Got a nice Cane toad..................

Easy for me to fit in and all of the family, especially the children who are both grown up brutes.

A very safe area where I live and they even drop your house insurance accordingly but.........having said that there have been 2 break-ins near to where I live. Choose wisely where to live and there will be no problemos!

Australians as a whole are different to New Zealanders and as I don't want to feel the wrath of the ever resident-and-ready-to-pounce PC brigade I'm not saying on an open forum what those differences are.






(Oh OK they are less anal)

kiwinow

Maybe I'm biased as we're moving to Brissy, but I'd look seriously at Oz. Obviously you'll want to compare the jobs. Auckland is OK. I lived there for 12 years and had two of my kids there. I love Piha beach (definitely swim between the flags) and the Waitakere walks and the vineyards out west. But if you're actually being offered a job you're a whole lot further than those of us who decide to go and have to find one when we get there.

A recent survey found that on the whole a family is at least $5,000 a year better off in Oz, and that's if you're earning the same as in NZ, because of tax and family benefits etc. Wages do tend to be better and jobs more plentiful. Plus you have those gorgeous beaches and warm weather all year round. I also think you'd get more house for your money in Brisbane, as long as you don't mind travelling for 30 mins. Do you like heat? It's humid, but so is Ak. Can you cope with bugs?

Can you shoot over for a few days and check it out? You can probably fly to Brisbane for less than you can fly to Ak. Lol. You'll either like it or hate it.

Ian & Sharon

We did it a differemt way!

Auckland for 12 months, then packed up sold everything and moved back to the UK (for 9 days) then moved to ChCh for 2 years.
We have now been in Brisbane for 18 months and was the best move we have ever done

Far better weather, double the wages, cheeper for day to day bits and the best one is we live 15 seconds away from the sea which we never had been able to do in NZ.

Saying that I liked Auckland

Anyway its all down to choice and whats best for you and yours!

kiwinow

Oh my God, that's scary and really, really expensive.
Mind if I hijack the thread a mo and ask where in Brisbane you live?

WithIce

As with most places you'd probably want to compare the actual suburbs you can afford to live in, in both areas, as being able to live in one of the best suburbs in one area and only an average one in the other can make a big difference to your day to day living.

There are definitely more bugs in Brissie and its more humid, but I suspect you'd be paid more (obviously with 2 job offers you'll know whether this is the case).

I think the 'feel' of the two places are very different with Brissie being more lively.

WithIce x

Ian & Sharon

Victoria Point, well very close to

Ian & Sharon

Brisbane is cheeper than Auckland, we bought a house in Akl 4 years ago for $460K, we bought a far better house near the sea in Brisbane for $480K

I can assure you there are 100 times far more flies in Chch than in Brisbane, as for bugs they are here but you don't see them, bit like snakes and sharks!

Without a doubt, far more things to do. However NZ does have some stunning places.............might go back one day as a tourist

Ian & Sharon

Very expencive, but we have found our place to be

Nerine

PC brigade?

I've generally found Australians to be open, friendly and less suspicious of outsiders than New Zealanders are. I think it must be the sunshine and coming home to a warm house that does it.

Nerine

We love the Gold Coast, if your husband's able to commute to work it's well worth the train journey.