jarv5116

Yes mate, the Sun burns here.
be very carefull with the young kids out here in summer on beach or even in the garden.
You need slap some serious amount sun cream on the young ones out here.
Iv been some extremely hot places and never burned in my life.
I put factor 50 on twice a day and wear a cap. My ears and nose still burn and peel lol I'm dark hair and quite dark skinned aswell.
So if your a ginger from the mountains stand by lmao

Also all the negatives you hear about South Auckland is mostly crap. I live in South Auckland and enjoy it. It's no rougher than any where else in Auckland.

Also beaches vary alot. you see what I mean when you get here.
If you like been tanned up laying on beach and a swim you go northshore or mission bay or Maratei.
If your into water sports like surfing ect you go west coast.
If your into driving 4x4, motor bikes and donuts in your car on beach you go waiuku beach.
Be very carefull in the sea here and at waterfalls. there loads and loads people drown here every year and mostly tourist. There 3 people drowned in one weekend in Auckland in summer at different waterfalls.

Also everyone goes on about negatives in here. If you lived in London the house prices are cheaper in Auckland than London and a lot more closer to commute to CBD. The traffic ain't anywhere near anything like London traffic.
Also I find food prices balance out. I eat two takeaway a week. the money I save on takeaways out here is about same as difference in food prices.
The rent prices you see includes council tax. Again if your use to London prices it's cheaper.
Cars are alot cheaper to run here. fuels is about 20p litre cheaper. insurance is 15 pound a month. Road tax cheaper.

mexnick

jarv5116

I make about 75k plus company car.
My wife makes about 65k.
We have a far better lifestyle in NZ than essex.
We bank over 2k dollars a week. you have decent lifestyle. Well I think so. You ain't a millionre but very comfortable.

mexnick

jarv5116

I don't have kids.
People that say they need over 100k salaries for husband and wife each to be comfortable. I don't know what sort of lifestyle these guys like to live. but it ain't normal to me. As long as you and your wife have decent paying jobs like that. you will have plenty money. If it was just one wage on 70k then yeah things might be a bit tight. same as any where else in the world really.
Its not like keeping up with the Jones out hear or a pissing comp to see who's got biggest house and newest car on tick. It's not materialistic like the UK. its like before everyone started getting debt up to there eyeballs like the UK.
How old is your kids?
kids have alot more freedom out here.
I'm 38 and its like living up in Scotland in a village when I was a kid.

Chris B44

mexnick

That's is one of things that has been doing my head in for years here in the UK, seems everyone has an ultra materialistic attitude towards houses, clothes, cars, holidays etc etc and don't seem to mind getting into ridiculous debt in the process. I was brought up to buy only what you can afford. We as a family have always managed to have a decent sized home, 2 cars on the go (2nd hand of course) and the occasional holiday abroad and i'm proud that the only debt we have is the mortgage, even that is quite low.

The cost of kids is alarmingly high. For a start we'll need to rent a 3 bed home as my two are either best friends or hate each other depending on which way the wind is blowing! Child care is a killer but my 2 girls (10 & 11) are getting to the age where they'll be able to take themselves to school and home again which will greatly reduce outgoings. Despite this we like to be around as parents as much as we can and like doing stuff as a family. Which is another reason why NZ is on the cards. A comment that comes up regularly is that there is a much bigger outdoors lifestyle there, often at no or little cost, which on paper sounds like our ideal situation.

Another comment I've heard a lot too is about NZ being like the UK 20 years ago which ties in with your Scottish village comment. For some this is a negative but for us it sounds great as we want to get back to a simpler life.

mexnick

That's useful to know thanks. We have similar issues here, a simple breakdown or set of roadworks on our roads can easily double your journey time. I grew up driving around London and didn't realise how congested it was until I moved somewhere quieter, guess I'll either get used to it or find a way to work around it?

jarv5116

If you enjoy living in Yorkshire you most likely love it here. most things are geared towards out doors. There campsites and nature reserves pretty much every where usually with nice beach too. If your into any sort of water activity it's good your only ever 10 or 15 mins away from a boat launch or water.
loads bush and trails everywhere if your into trekking.
If your into commercial places like America or places in uk like Blackpool for example, you dont get things like that in NZ. Also all the leisure centre here has free swimming for kids.
As I says Kids have alot more freedom out here. I see kids every where on there own.
There is big play parks everywhere for kids. where i live I have about 15 rugby pitches behind my house. They are packed every nite with kids. Aw don't be suprised if your girls wanna play rugby it's a big thing and everyone plays it.
I prefer NZ with nearly everything and my wifes the same. I only miss one thing Football lol. All games are on at silly times. That's only thing I miss.

One thing that does my head in about British people in general when I watch that wanted down under.
People just want want want.
I want to immigrate to NZ I live in 2 bed house terrace house in Newcasle. I work 60 hours a week to fund my life style.
I want to move to OZ or NZ. I want a 4 bed house on half an acre in Auckland with a pool. But I only wanna work 35 hours a week and my wife wants to work 20 hours to fund it.
Its just want want want.
If you work 60 hours a week in uk to fund your lifestyle your going have to do the same out here. I knew that before I come Work hard and start a new life in different country.
Also seen someone talking about Holidays. I work in construction. Everywhere always shuts down at xmas in uk for 2 weeks. You keep 5 days holiday plus the bank holidays you have 2 weeks off its same here. only difference is it's in the middle of the summer and when your kids have there 7 week holidays over Xmas. You still have 15 days to take off anytime of the year plus 5 days sick payed every year. Plus more bank holidays. I don't see what there is to moan about.

Also I would agree it would be best for you to go alone first even just a month or two before your wife and kids arrive. Have everything in place ready for your kids arriving. house ect.
Its very stressfull. I found it stressfull with no kids so wouldn't like to be doing it with a 10 and a 11 year old.
Most properties here are 3 beds. you dont really see many 2 beds. the 2 beds are usually units or apartments.

Also Auckland is nothing like London.
Its no where near as built up and congested.
I wouldn't even try comparing its so different.
I would say Auckland is more like Edinburgh sort of size. I think Edinburgh is more congested than Auckland.
If your use to driving anywere around London, Auckland is a breeze. Traffic doesn't jam like London. Out of peak or at weekends it's a joy to drive around Auckland honestly. I can leave my house and pretty much drive straight into city centre park up at sky tower going around shops have food and its stress free no traffic what so ever. The motorway pretty much goes through the CBD.

mexnick

Thanks for the feedback on your experience of AK life. It all sounds good to me, am still a little concerned on how far our wages will go with 2 soon to be teenage kids. Long term if all goes well we want to buy so there'll hopefully be savings there as we have a good chunk of equity in our house here.

Thanks again for all the input, much appreciated!

BtotheR

Be very wary of this as actually there were a lot of 2 bedroom houses in NZ that are now 3 bedroom with two small bedrooms in them. When the property boom hit a few years ago, people realised dividing a room into two increased the property value by around $40k+. I have lots of friends that bought "3 bedroom' places that have rooms at the end of the, now quite small, lounge now ortwo tiny bedrooms with a 40 grand wall between them.

At the risk of being slated by others - I would have to say the comment about South Auckland being as rough as anywhere in Auckland is really not true.

Also free swimming for kids at the leisure centre?? Where? Didn't have that anywhere in West Auckland or anywhere I have heard of????

"Another comment I've heard a lot too is about NZ being like the UK 20 years ago which ties in with your Scottish village comment. For some this is a negative but for us it sounds great as we want to get back to a simpler life." - I can see why this seems ideal but you have to think when the uk was 20 years ago we didn't know any different - now we do so living 20 years backwards can be really frustrating in many ways!

But yep, don't forget your sunscreen.

simonsi

BEVS

and one in the garage.
I am not up in Auckland but swimming pools here charge for child swims. They are not free. However schools do have swimming pools and of course those swim lessons are free <----- donations notwithstanding.

With regard to the enforced two/three week Xmas / New Year shutdown. It is a pain in the bum. Not everyone has kids and not everyone wants to be taking precious time from work at the most expensive height of the season when everywhere is crowded out.

We left the UK 15 years ago. I well remember the UK 20 years ago of course. The saying used to be that NZ was like the UK in the 50's , not Y2000. To be honest, I don't think it's like UK 50's or any decade for that matter. It is more American in its approach to my thinking and it is very much its own place with its own ways. If someone wants a simpler life then that can be achieved anywhere. Just live more simply.

Justcol

Been preaching that for years now and get abused for it, apparently it's not that simple...!!!

Mishclark

No abuse here, makes sense to me!