Age making a difference?
 

Put this on the Introductions thread by mistake!:o

I have read many forums on moving to NZ over the last 6 months and seen many opinions on how good/bad it is. Everyone has a story to tell but what really interests me is if age is a major factor.

If you're young and have a small family and limited resources to arrive with, I think it highly probable that you would struggle to get by and would not be able to forge the lifestyle that you had hoped. Seems a strong reason for young New Zealanders moving away to make their fortune.

If your 40 ish then you probably have a completely different view on life and perhaps have more resources and experience to judge the advantages and disadvantages on emigrating.

We have no kids, a reasonable amount of cash to bring over, a job offer and have experienced living and travelled in many countries.

I read once on aforum that "You can't eat the scenery" which was a great comment.

According to the news bulletin on BBC today, over 15,000 brits made the move to NZ and a relatively few seem to post on Forums, so you could argue that they have all settled in and are developing their new lives.

Either that or they can't afford the internet:)

But age and experience must make a difference. I for one look forward to living in a beautiful country and trying to integrate with the community.

My friend lives there and thats what he and his family have done and they couldn't be happier.

They can't get the food they always want and the shops arn't as varied in the UK but is being less commercial a bad thing?

He does however go surfing with his lad on Saturday and holidays in Fiji (before the Coup:) )

So if anyone has an opinion on if age makes a difference then it would be interesting to discuss.

Cheers

Re: Age making a difference?
 

Spot on. I have lived in four different countries prior to recently moving to New Zealand, and often get asked by people "where was the best place that you have lived"? The best reply I can come up with is that there are so many variables that it is impossible to compare - age, marital status, kids, closeness or otherwise of your extended family network, job and of course financial status play such an important bearing on lifestyle that your experience of living anywhere can be changed drastically with any one variable changing.
This was brought home to me when before settling down in Nelson we took a long trip around the country with our four and six year old, and I can tell you it was a very different experience from similar type of road trips I took around the States as a bachelor in my younger days - not better, not worse....just very different.

Re: Age making a difference?
 

No I don't think its age, I think is attitude, and its the goals you set yourself.
I think you need to be prepared to go out of your comfort zone more than you have ever been in your life.
We basically had to start again with careers and we had no money and no life at age 30 and yes over the first two years at different times we both were unhappy (at different times) and would have gone home had it not been for the rule we set, that we would stay here for two years no matter what so we could get returning residence visa.
Hey 5 years later we still here and now happy:)

Re: Age making a difference?
 

No I dont think its age either. I have a friend here whos parents are going to come and live here in a year or so's time.... they are so looking forward to it... they have visited many times and are here now for 5 months.

I think its your attitude too. Of course you will need money to emigrate and for things that you need when you get here. I surprised myself, Ive never really been one for travel... I like to be at home and feel settled, yet I'm here!! I still cant believe it some days.

We are old and left starting a family quite late (yeah mad I know! :D ).... it seems a pretty nice place to bring up a young family.....plenty of parks, beaches and outdoor activities.

I think its all depends what you want out of life.... and are prepared to do about it??? If that makes any sense at all.... please excuse my preggy brain this morning!! :D

Re: Age making a difference?
 

My hubby sells cars and whenever a UK person comes in he always asks them if they're on a forum. Apart from two who went to see him BECAUSE of a forum the answer has always been no. I think Jude's right - it's all about attitude.

Re: Age making a difference?
 

We're (quite) young with small children and didn't bring 'much' money (felt like bloody loads to us!) and we have a fab time! I hate that 'you can't eat the scenery comment (sorry!). No, you can't, but you CAN explore different ways of eating/storing/living that don't cost very much at all AND are way healthier and more sustainable!!

If our grocery shop including such delicacies as crisps, squash, pop, ready meals, stuff full of trans fats and modified starch (pretty much everything not made from scratch then!) there's no way that we'd live the way we do - we'd both have to work 24/7 to pay for it all!

If you read, ask questions, experiment, and gradually learn to be more selfsufficient, less wasteful, and more appreciative of the goodness and wholesomeness (if that's a word) of what's available to you, you can live so well on very little. I thought that we had quite a low shopping budget in the UK - but we're SO much better at it now!! the freezer is stocked at all times with great food.

that's my rant! :D

Re: Age making a difference?
 

I wish I was still young like you!! :D Feel way too old for all this breeding malarkey!;)

I like your post. Sometimes its knowing where to shop isnt it.... and youre right, you need to ask questions..... trying things out for yourselves etc.

I moaned like crazy when I got here as I couldnt find stuff I wanted in the supermarkets.... Ive got over that now and make do with what I can get. I love Fruit World, and the size of the fruit and veg still impresses me. Last week I got 3 carrier bags stuffed full of fresh salad, fruit and veg for just over $30. I make my own bread when I can and had friends over at christmas and they ate up every last piece of my bread, saying how good it was.

So good post and have some Karma for it!

Re: Age making a difference?
 

Good post from you too Sarah, I remember reading your posts when you were first here and it's lovely to see someone who faced some initial difficulties, now getting on well and loving life.

Good for you!

Re: Age making a difference?
 

oooh, yes - and congratulations!! when are you due? :D

I'm not THAT young (I just feel it!). But when we got here (16 months ago) my dp wasn't yet 30... is that young? old? somewhere in between?! ha ha ha

x

ps - what's 'have some karma'? isn't karma sorted out by the godess/universe/dalai lama/afterlife/whatever you believe in? :D

Re: Age making a difference?
 

I believe attitude changes with age.

I still feel young at heart, but wouldn't do the silly risky spur of the moment things I did when I was younger.

Re: Age making a difference?
 

Hiya.... popping on and off today as my feet have swollen up, just spent the last hour with them up but they still are swollen.

I'm having the baby this wednesday by elective c-section. I feel a bit older than the average mother, will be 40 this year! :eek: :scared: I think we left baby making a bit late! :D Fun though! ;)

You can give Karma on here if you like somebodies post... just click on the Karma button under their name and add a comment.

Re: Age making a difference?
 

Me too!! I remember riding a horse with no bridle or saddle, jumping it over logs and barrels at top speed..... would I do that now? Erm NOPE!:)

Re: Age making a difference?
 

In the humble opinion of my mother, age makes a difference. She visited me when I lived there and quite liked the place, she even said she could imagine living there. She didn't have her rose-tinted glasses on, she mentioned things she liked and things she didn't but her main comment was "...But I am in my sixties - I think if I were still your age and living here I would want to top myself. It doesn't strike me as a place for young people at all."

Of course, it depends on the type of young person you are - and, I guess, the type of older person you are.

Before anyone replies, remember this is the opinion of my mother who is not on this forum to defend herself.

Re: Age making a difference?
 

Some good responses, and I agree that attitude is a key factor in deciding whether you've made a good decision.

But also attitude can change as you get older and we often reflect on experiences before making informed judgements and obviously experience comes with age.

I think luck has a big factor too. Choosing one job or another, one house over another, one area over another.

All these can end up being a good or bad decision and significantly affect your state of mind.

If you end up with an active social circle and support group then you can handle many issues. But if you're isolated and find it difficult to make friends then I can imagine New Zealand really feels like the isolated place it is and thoughts often go back to a previous life and home sickness kicks in.

I like the comment that stated for better or worse they would stick it out for 2 years. A good idea if that works out fine in the end.

I'll find out soon enough if I've made the right decision :rolleyes:

Re: Age making a difference?
 

If it doesn't you have gained the right for yourself and your children to try again later, at retirement age maybe, and what a gift to be able to give our kids (if you have any) the chance to live in NZ with out going though all the immigration rigmarole that you have had to go though. Our thoughts were that if we gave up before the two years then yes we had lost much ($, careers, houses etc,) but to last two years we had gained something from the experience. (that green returning residence sticker). Could be valuable in years to come.

Believe that you have made the right decision don't underestimate the power of positive thinking!!!