di90

HI all,

I thought i had it all planned out and was moving to nz later this year but now i am seriously confusedsince reading threads on here. I'm woried that i won't be able to afford a decent lifestyle or make ends meet with only 1 income of around $45,000 to start with.

I am a newly qualified midwife and a single parent of a 7 year old. I will be coming over with about £100,000 and hoping to buy a 3 bed house (in a decent area) as will need an aupair due to working shifts.

Just unsure now as to whether i should move to oz instead??
Where will i be better off financially.
Any midwives that have made the move to either?

Thanks in advance for any replies. will post the same on the nz board.

Charlie Paynter

Hi di90 - if it is NZ$45k and only NZ$250k you will be bringing over, I have to say Oz all the time. In fact, Oz full stop. With your quals, you will be looking at moving to a main centre like Auckland, Wellington, ChCh etc, and you will struggle on that wage, even without a mortgage.

Read my post earlier today on the NZ forum under 'Wage'.

di90

hi
thanks for the reply. Why oz? is it that much better than nz and in which way, as don't know that much about it.
Would i really be better off or is it just swings and roundabouts??

nice to meet someone local, i'm from leicester.

Buzzy--Bee

We've lived in both. NZ seems about twice as expensive due to the wages / cost of living ratio.

If you do a search on posts by "Nerine" you will get some useful info but to summarise -

- wages are generally far lower in NZ (don't know specifically about midwives)
- costs are generally higher in NZ.

Australia is a far far more developed westernised country. But that may not attract you.

Buzzy

Lenmil

Lived in NZ in 2004 now in Oz (Tassie) and i have to say in all honesty, Oz. So much better in almost all areas. Not been up to the mainland yet. Just seems more modern and more money about. And friends i have in NZ (Kiwis)say the same. While the cost of living here has gone up heaps i can still get by. In NZ i was sucked dry by the fact the cost of living and poor wages. Not looking to offend any one by the way, just my personal experiences. NZ is beautiful mind you (South Island).

Potato_potato

Thousands of kiwis moves to oz every year for better opportunities. Hardly any aussies move to NZ. I think that says it all really.

It's hard to walk around where I live without overhearing the kiwi accent. There are so many of them here. Not that I mind as I find the kiwis to be friendly and down to earth. I'm yet to come across one who is arrogant or self obsessed, unlike many aussies you meet.

bjddavies

Wages are higher in Oz in absolute terms. Housing is expensive in both places especially the main centres Sydney and Auckland. Cars are far more expensive in Oz as is insurance. Fresh food a bit more so. Most other things are cheaper in Oz. Houses about the same in relative terms. You get the feel there is more money in Oz and people seem more affluent. People save very little in NZ and the NZ worker gets a far worse deal.

Having said that you could do OK in NZ on $45,000 if you think you could live in the UK on £15,000 in the South-East of the UK.

Having said all that once I pay off the home loan and save a decent amount of money I will be off the NZ without hesitation. A much nicer climate and far more things to see in a smaller area so less driving.

Buzzy--Bee

My Hyundai Tucson city was $22,000 drive away brand new in Oz. The same car in NZ is $29,000. Don't agree with your statement, but haven't compared other cars.

Buzzy

Nerine

You don't tend to find so much of the cheap used Jap imports here which may be why some people think the cars are more expensive.

Di90 working in a profession such as yours you should be able to have the pick of jobs in either country. I wouldn't worry so much about which country to choose as such (you can move relatively easily if you change your mind) but which employer can offer you the best job and working environment.

bjddavies

I should have said "Second-hand cars".

Charlie Paynter

Pop in for a coffee!!!

From the posts, you should take the hint and head for Oz. Without a mortgage in NZ or an au-pair, $45k should be fine, but with an au-pair, forget it!

Think very very carefully before you decide. 1 wage in either country will be cutting it fine (in my opinion, but there may be someone out there who can comment from experience).

Why do you want to emigrate in the first place?

di90

think i will need something alot stronger that coffee at this rate - my head is spinning with all this info. Glad i stumbled accross this site, despite my confusion now, as before i did, i had my rose tinted shades on!

Looking at everything i have here in uk, i am really not sure anymore about moving at all! I don't even think that my reasons for moving are valid anymore.
I guess i just wanted a better lifestyle for my daughter to grow up in and for myself, in a country that i am able to practice as a midwife and not an obstetric nurse second to the doctor, where i didn't need to learn another language and we would intergrate easily. NZ seemed to provide all that, but now i'm not so sure.
Wish i had another half to consult! I think its worse as the decisions are on me, and whatever it is, it has to be right.

Charlie Paynter

Perhaps all you want is a move to a better area - and boy do I know what you mean re Leicester. Leicestershire is a beautiful county and there are some great towns and villages about. What I have gleaned from your posts is that you are reasonably secure in the UK, and you will have to go a long way to find even a compatible lifestyle. PM me if you want.

di90

thankyou to all for taking the time to reply with your views.

It sounds to me like most people on here including the PM's i've recieved are saying go to OZ as will be better off. I am starting to swing towards Oz, however will have a reccie to both before i decide for sure.

thanks again to you all.

Di