ukmouse

....did those of you who are there, or at least on your way, ever think 'this is crazy, it's just a dream'?

Its just my hubby said earlier, "I hope one day we'll have moved and can look back and remember this moment.. standing here in our UK kitchen, stirring a curry and talking about sending off the EOI"

I suppose I just wondered what other's memories were of the 'early days' before your dream became a reality.

HHBoP

don't I just. My EOI has been selected and my ITA is in. My NZ employer wants me by end of Nov. If only I could sell my house...........

shelloid

I've just lodged my ITA, but I still kow how you feel.

However, I do remember almost a year ago when out of the blue my boyfriend told me he wanted to move to NZ.
Talk about a shock- this is something I had spoken about many years ago when we first met and it was always 'someday we'll do it' I was just witing until he was ready.

Until we're actually there I think I will keep thinking it's something we'll do 'someday' - it doesn't feel real yet.

Jo-Chris

We have just booked our flights and it still doesn't feel real!!

zoglet

We've been here about 4 months now- and it still doesnt seem real!

Good luck!

nero

We did, I was just mucking about on the PC and before I knew it I had started the ball rolling. It was always my dream to return to NZ after visiting back in 95. We just had never got round to it. Before we knew it we had sent off our EOI and we were beginning to think what had we done! Whilst waiting the sell our house and move we had lots of thoughts of 'we must be mad' and 'what have we done'. Now after two years here we know it was the best decision we made.

ukmouse

Thanks for the replies folks... its nice to hear about the early days of others. It helps me to convince myself that we haven't lost the plot

Here in the UK we kind of feel all our dreams have been swallowed up and spat out... its only over the last couple of weeks we've been thinking... now is the time get off the bench and do it.

I've researched quite a few options, having friends and family in various countries around the world .... but we both feel very drawn to NZ.

Keep 'em coming folks. It's lovely to hear the stories.

Good luck to everyone

BEVS

Yup. I still have those thoughts even after 5 years. One minute I was in the UK . Next ,I am in NZ for 5 years.

We were a bit like Nero really. I was mucking about just typing in stuff on the PC about living elsewhere in the world & suddenly realised that despite being a bit older, we could emigrate to NZ as Mr BEVS is a plumber/gasfitter.

ukmouse

5 years... crikey. Mat I ask which area you live in?

luvwelly

Could you elaborate...? Be very sure it is what you really want because it's a very expensive mistake to make....the grass really isn't always greener.

Many people find themselves trapped in NZ's low wage economy and then have to justify their decision to emigrate by playing up the positives, it is generally not a good move, if you are very close to your family for instance or if the finances will likely be extremely tight or if you will be unable to live mortgage-free.
Crime and road traffic accident deaths adjusted for population size difference are the same or worse than UK so it's not a crime-free paradise here either.
Professional Kiwis I know in UK don't want to return to NZ because of the lower wages primarily but also the geographical isolation.
I returned to UK for a month in July (still have house there - did not emigrate) and thought it all seemed lovely despite the recession. Life in the UK is much more tolerable if you don't read the 'Daily fail' for instance.
All I am saying is 'don't burn your boats lightly'...the NZIS propaganda is very misleading...the visas are so hard to obtain, you can be easily be lulled into thinking it must be paradise here or else why would it be so hard to get in?
Yes the scenery is stunning but it doesn't pay the bills. The coffee is to die for as well .

The actual moment you asked about...yes it does exist...more than once in the early days....my OH and I turned to each other and said....'what happened? how did we get here so quickly..pinch me am I dreaming?'..we had visas within 3 months of job offer but a further non NZIS delay which meant it was 6 months from start to finish before we arrived.
For us a role/posting with existing employer came up and we were never dissatisfied with UK or our previous location (another posting) but I can see how easily people could get trapped here on economics alone .

ukmouse

Hi luvwelly.. thanks for the advice. I suppose what I meant was that we are ready to move onwards and upwards. Most of my family are far flung across the globe and I only ever see them once or maybe twice a year anyway.

Financially... from my research I believe that we would be able to comfortably afford a modest home which is all we are looking for.

We enjoy the outdoors and a simple life I suppose. We are not looking for gold plated streets so I hope at least that we are realistic in our expectations. We arent motivated by flashy cars or anything like that... we are just looking for a new start, new people to meet, new work environments, a new experience and challenge.

We have read the 'blurb' of course on NZ but I have to say what I have read so far appears to be a very honest account of both the good and bad. I haven't yet thought 'they're wrapping this up with a bow on top"

We expect to have to work harder, and we want to give of ourselves not just take, there will be things we dont like and things we do, we'll need to get out there to make friends and there will be sacrifice no doubt and huge change... but its the 'change' we crave I suppose. We want to embrace a new life and give ourselves the chance to really live it....not just exist. The scenery is worth a few grand of anyone's salary in the whole scheme of things.

Quite simply, when we suddenly realised that there was nothing keeping us in our home country, the world suddenly became our oyster.

kejktfc

Great post ukmouse, certainly many of our sentiments in wanting to move to NZ are very much like yours.

We know the pavements aren't paved with gold but we have looked at the advantages and disadvantages on all aspects, and for me I can't wait to get back to NZ.


kejktfc

ukmouse

Hello there... you're down the road from us. We're in Leicestershire so virtually neighbours.

BEVS

I dunno a bloke called Mat but Mr Bevs and I live outside of Nelson. Top of the South.

kejktfc

You clicked pretty quickly ukmouse..... added - (I forgot the avatar said Northants, thinking you picked it up from my sig)

I will be working in Leicestershire very shortly, and when I left the Royal Navy I spent 3 years at Leicester Uni doing my degree in Criminology.


kejktfc