Don

Took us about 12 weeks to get agreement in principle from NZIS (ie we then had to provide proof of funds and send the passports for stamping - we were accepted). Took us a couple of months before that to organise documents, translations, police checks, NZQA etc.

wombat42

Is the that the only reason you got why people should immigrate to NZ, 'no one has been bitten by a poisoness snake there' , What, 2 people are killed by snakes in OZ each year, more people are struck by lightning or killled by bee stings, should you put aside the fact that Australia has a far larger and
stronger economy, many more jobs and employment opportunities, a far better climate, more things to see and do and a much higher standard of living, because of that.

Don

Not everybody would be happy living alongside so many Aussies though - there are certain aspects of life, attitudes & people there that I would find very tough to live with (not that I wouldn't appreciate the good aspects ) and I find it quite simple to understand why some people prefer NZ to Aus.

To draw a UK parallel (not very close), we could be talking about people who would be very happy living in the home counties or the Highlands of Scotland not being too happy living cheek by jowl with denizens of the East End of London or deepest Manchester.

I spent an unhappy 4 years or so in Birmingham for work when I couldn't afford to move to one of the good bits and had to make do with a crap bit - it was awful.

dundee

Hoping for something in social work. Have worked in this setting for 9 years (for my sins). Have a degree in community education and finish social work degree next year - hopefully! husband is electric cable jointer with Hydro. Reckon we would need 3 years to get organised and save. have a dog to bring with us (couldn't bare leaving him) and my daughter wants to bring her horse, dont think finances will go that far though. would love to move sooner if poss dont think so though. great speaking to folks who have made the move.

dundee

proof of funds? do you need to be well off before you're accepted or what. Getting there takes up a good chunk of what you manage to save doesn't it. A friend has told me immigration costs around £12,000, tell me this isn't true PLEASE

dundee

agree with what your saying. we moved to village life 5 years ago which is partly why we are choosing nz instead of oz - less hectic and more laid back - hopefully.

JWW

New Zealand has lower unemployment and faster growth currently. People are sucked from NZ to the Australian big cities for certain job opportunities, just as people are sucked from the smaller Aussie cities and regions for the same reason. The NZ guys at least have a decent place to come back to.

I have lived in both countries and far and away prefer NZ. Can you walk out your door and have access to great trout and salmon fishing in glacier fed lakes and steams in Aus, or drive an hour and have access to dozens of ski fields? Don't think so, except maybe Tassy, which always brings a sneer to the face of anyone from the mainland. As for climate, NZ's mild winters and long warm summers are about spot on I think. If you want hotter, try east coast of the North Island or Kaiteriteri to Nelson on the South Island. You can keep your unbearable summer heat.

I would also like to dispell the myth of NZ being a place where you cant earn good money. I currently earn more here in a permy job than I did in the UK IT contracting...plebs will suffer in any country, NZ tolerates them less in a financial sense.

So you keep you big dirty sweating cities Wombat, and keep wishing you were America. One day you may wish to visit NZ, because like most ignorant ockers you probably haven't even been here.

wombat42

New Zealand is just another one of those little bankrupt pacific countries Aussie taxpayers have to keep bailing out, If it was'nt for our immigration laws which allow New Zealanders to immigrate to Australia freely l bet thousands of New Zealanders would be paying people smugglers to sneak into the country and there would be New Zealand boat people washing up on the shores of Australia.

JWW

Normally I would mention that as a excellent sailing nation the boats would make it to Aussie ok, but after the America's cup performance this is no longer certain. However, the financial powerhouse that is Oz couldn't even afford a decent challenge.

Can't actually remember Oz bailing NZ out anytime, just whining that we didn't grab our ankles for the US like you lot.

southerner

Spoken like a true Australian! ...with your infinitely wisdom and sophisticated humour like that, its no wonder you are the envy of the whole world.

deedee

rotfl