UKNZAUS

I am usually found lurking and sometimes posting on the NZ forum as we (me, him and 3 not so littlies anymore) are planning on moving to Australia in around 18 months or so. I realize it is a long way off but it soon creeps up on you

We have been here for 4 and a half years now and I still haven't settled 100%. We said we would give it 2 years in NZ but then I started studying and have just completed my Bachelor of Education (well I will have this time next week). I plan on getting my years work experience then I will have enough points for selection for PR so I am frantically looking for work here. My degree is in Early Years and so I am trained in both Early Childhood and Primary school, although I know Primary teachers are not on the SOL I still have the flexibility to pick and choose my sector.

I say 18 months but it could be more or less, depending on the goalposts. I am going to apply for PR as soon as my years work is up, and in the meantime use the time to get all of my stuff together for qualification assessment etc. Although by that stage we will qualify for NZ citizenship, I don't want to go down that road as we would have to pay for Australian PR anyway so I would rather not have to pay twice.

Long winded introduction but that is me. Him, he works in IT but is looking for a career change in Australia. The kids, well eldest will be 16 and the other two will be 8ish and 7ish. We're split about where we want to move, and apparently we all want to go to different states but I'll win, I shout the loudest I have family in Perth, friends in Sydney, friends in Geelong, and friends in Brisbane so we're pretty torn there too.

Anyway, I'll be here reading and no doubt asking stupid questions that have been done to death (I've probably read them all in my 5+ years being on BE) but I promise I won't talk about Bisto or TVs/Xbox/PS3's working in Australia

Michelle

Mike-T

Good luck mate.

We did 8 years in NZ, and then moved to Perth, and despite a shaky start, we have settled and have a marvelous life here. It's expensive, but it all balances out, as wages are higher here too.

We have visited NZ a few times since we left, with a view of maybe returning there to live, but as a family, we were unanimous that we are definitely living in the right place.

I can only put it into plain English (well my type of plain English)

NZ: It's OK if you want to get out of UK, and you can tolerate the "crap" that goes on there.

OZ: Well, It's "normal". It's "Proper". It's "Living" DO IT!!!

UKNZAUS

Thanks Mike.

We are tolerating the "crap" with gritted teeth now after 4 and a half years of "she'll be right". We have made some wonderful friends here and it will be sad to leave them but we are all looking forward to moving to Oz, just not quite sure which part yet.

As you're aware, NZ is expensive to the extreme where it's not much more wonga to fly a family of 5 to Oz than to holiday down to the SI for a week or two (we're in Auckland). We don't really have too much negativity about NZ, it's just not for us. We are still a youngish family with plenty of life still in us and want to experience 'more' than just eating fush and chups down the beach, or those manky sausages at BBQs...

I was sat at Eden Park watching the semi's a few weeks ago, on my own wearing my huge Australia flag and cheering on the Wallabies, sat in the middle of a massive section of All Blacks fans. I should use my pic for my PR application

Mike-T

Funny that, we used to cheer on the Aussies against the All Blacks when we lived there.

Now we're the opposite. Cheer on the All Blacks. We're just awkward buggers really. lol

Good luck. I'm sure you'll settle into Oz life easy enough. if you need any info, just PM me, if I can help you out, i will.

UKNZAUS

My hubby and 3 kids are All Blacks fans now, me I like to be different

Thanks. I've had some good responses from job applications I have sent off, just getting my name and CV out there in advance :fingers crossed: I think the difficult part is setting down a state to move to before I can start looking more into getting assessments and stuff done. Will holler if I have any questions, thanks for the offer

DeepSix

we did 10 years in NZ before we made the move (Perth).
I do miss a bit of the greenery... and i was rural based in NZ so it was a bit of a shock getting back into "the burbs"..

but on the whole.. we like the new adventure.. and more cash in our pockets at the end of the week

UKNZAUS

I'm thinking that actually living in Australia is not going to be 'too different' (please don't shoot me down) to living in NZ as we are aware of the way schools run/operate, shops, etc. so it won't be too much of a culture shock. We always lived in the 'burbs here in Auckland so we probably won't miss the greenery. We tend to spend our days on parks and at the beach anyway, and are used to crowded beaches having lived in a popular suburb for beach holidays for years.

My aunt is trying to get me to move to Perth (she's in Clarkson) but it's a little too isolated for my liking. She loves it there but the isolation gets to her sometimes.

I'm looking forward to having extra cash too

DeepSix

i dont know about the isolation..
Its a city of 1.5 million

i lived in CHCH.. the whole south Island wouldnt have that amount of people.
Maybe after i have been here a while.. it will feel like that? who knows

and you are right about NZ and OZ.. its basically the same.. same culture.. same systems.. i havent found it particularly different.. i'm even getting used to the accents.

and yes.. the extra cash.. makes up for anything that i miss

UKNZAUS

I mean being so far away from the other side of the country S'pose the extra cash would pay towards the flights though

DeepSix

yes.. the east coast is a way off... but people over here tell me they do more trips to places like Bali than Brisbane

UKNZAUS

and just like that, Perth is back in the running...

fish.01

Cancelled out by the trips to all the Pacific Islands from Brisbane

DeepSix

"15 all!"

ahh.. the agony of choice

it is also fair to say.. but really.. no matter which side of the country you live on... will you really be heading off to dusky islands every weekend

people here say to me.. it must have been great living in the UK with europe on your doorstep.. just hop on a plane and be in some european capital in a few hours...

well i suppose.. but.. you very infrequently do..

sheene

Some people seem to 'fit' in NZ, others don't. It is difficult to put your finger, or indeed anybody else's finger on why - but maybe due to a certain level of non-conformity and having your eyes open.

Personally, I am finding OZ much more to my liking - with caveats. NT was feral whereas QLD is just lovely - especially the people. Every day I am blown away by just how friendly and helpful they are. No hidden agendas, no snide remarks, and they actually want you to succeed!

Do your homework, try and visit to get a feel for the place. To sum up - OZ feels 'up', NZ just felt 'down'.

Kiwikaye

Good luck with the move! Its hard deciding where to settle sometimes. I'm a kiwi but OH is from Yorkshire. We've ping-ponged between OZ and NZ a little bit - 5 years in NZ when we first got married, followed by 13 years in Melbourne, and now been back in Christchurch for 2 years (just in time for the earthquakes). We're considering a move back to Melbourne maybe next year.

I agree that in a lot of things NZ and Oz are quite similar - there are no doubt things you will love and things that will drive you nuts in both places, but Melbourne is a great place to live, so if you want any info on that city, feel free to ask.