Mrs Pointer

As someone currently sitting in a freezing office in Glasgow, I am going to New Zealand because most of it doesn't have weather like Glasgow

Have you heard Billy Connolly's joke about Scottish people moving to NZ and they start in Auckland but leave because it's too hot and end up in Dunedin where it's horizontal rain and freezing and they say "ah this is just right".

But then Scottish people do like a good moan about the weather. Have you ever seen Scottish people when it's too hot.

kenpom

You need to go to Dunedin and see for yourself.I remember being on pilots beach in July ( mid winter) in my t shirt in lovely warm 16C sushine.
Dunedin is NZ's best kept secret IMO ( until now )

dannigirl

weejie

Hi
I am originally from Glasgow now in Dunedin and loving it!! Weather not too bad,been here 18 months and no snow lying in streets,just on hills at 350m or so. Houses are cold but that's NZ housing not just Dunedin. I loved my home city but felt it was not the right place to bring up my kids,hence the move here.

Any more Q's just ask or send me a PM.

Phyl x

Dizibella

We moved to Dunedin from the North Island just under a year ago and we love it! It is chillier than NI but today I'm sitting inside with a sunburnt nose, it does get lovely and warm too. I work at the Uni so I can vouch that it's a wonderful place to be, very friendly campus, not too spread out and lots of international students from undergrad right up to PhD. Anymore specific questions, let me know. We live about 10 mins from the Uni, chosen more for its location right by the sea and good schooling for the kids - probably not a huge concern to you but accommodation-wise there is a good range on offer. It is a friendly place, great outdoors potential - my OH surfs almost every day, we bike a lot (mountain and road) and I swim regularly, albeit in the local pool. In winter, the skiing and snowboarding is widely available, the nearest fields about three hours away so occasionally we even do day-trips!

One of the main reasons for us choosing Dunedin, apart from the Uni, was the enormous range of places that are easily accessible for camping, visiting and generally just hanging out in. Our original location in the NI was a bit isolated and we did feel stuck in a goldfish bowl, swimming around. Having said that both islands are gorgeous, just different!!

All the best with your decision!

Dizibella

Fooferfish

We miss you to Kenny

DUNEDIN and OTAGO beautiful area and wonderful place to live, if you want heat and rain go to Rockhampton in OZ they got heaps of both !!

Been here on the Taieri just outside Dunners for nearly 6 years this year , sometimes forget we ever lived in Dorset.

Where ever you live in the world , its what you make it !

Expat Kiwi

Blimey mate, you wouldn't want to go up to old Rockers right now! Not unless you want to share your canoe with a croc.

fluffy

Thanks everyone. It does sound nice!

I'm originally from the Canadian border area so almost everything seems warm to me, but I did spend a few years in Hawai'i so I am pretty fond of warm weather and the sea. I love bodyboarding and always wanted to learn to surf - unfortunately I never did while I lived on the islands.

I think it's the strangeness of moving there to study a country I live in that's giving me the most pause. I do miss the sea... and having been broke for a year because of the cost of schooling here it would be nice to have extra money for once.

A lot of Glaswegians over there, it seems; wonder why?

fluffy

One more thing - do I have to apply for a visa ahead of time, or can I arrive in New Zealand and get it? I wouldn't normally ask but it appears that there is something available called Visa on Campus.

Also - pm'd you back, Wood pigeon!

Woodpigeon

Sorry, bit of a slip-up – literally – at the weekend which has kept me away from the computer a bit.

My previous jobs involved me working within the student visa application area in a couple of NZ tertiary institutes. Some areas of the immigration act have changed since I left those roles, but the following still applies. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) state that a person must arrive in NZ with a visa appropriate for their reason for being here. Therefore, if you travel using your visa free status (i.e. without applying for a NZ visa in advance) but are intending to study (i.e have an offer of place etc) on your arrival border control have the authority/power to refuse you entry to the country. Whilst I do know that a number of students have travelled this way and been able to enter, I am also aware of some who have been refused entry, so it is a very real risk. You should also be aware that if this happens you would be required to declare that you had been refused entry to NZ on any future application to any country’s immigration authority.

Visa on Campus is a service that many tertiary institutes are able to offer through an MOU between them and INZ. It is intended for students who are already in NZ to either apply to ‘renew’ a student visa, or for those who are legally in NZ on a valid permit of some sort who are changing their status in NZ by enrolling in a full-time programme of study.

Basically if your intention is to come to NZ as a student INZ expect you to have a student visa when you arrive. If you did travel visa free and then applied for your student visa through the on campus service you would not be able to enroll and start your studies until you have received your student visa – INZ is very strict about this!

As a PhD student you may be eligible to apply for a Length of Course student visa. If granted, this would mean that you wouldn’t need to apply to renew your student visa unless you were unable to complete your studies before the eventual expiry date of that visa.

Have you looked at the INZ website ( http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/study/ ) for info about student visas?

Will also PM you

fluffy

Hi Woodpigeon,

Thanks for your reply! Yes, that is what I would normally expect - getting a UK visa was extremely difficult, so I was prepared for something like that, but the Visa on Campus thing threw me a bit.

Warm and damp in Glasgow today. What would you all say are the pros and cons of living in New Zealand? Particularly as opposed to living in the UK?

fluffy

I have just received word that the university is processing my application, so fingers crossed!

I also wanted to ask if there were any large insects in New Zealand, and if it is feasible to live on the beach, or to have pets in rental accommodation?

MnB

Re insects....have a look at this thread
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=700568

weejie

Some places to live in are near the beach but pay a bit more I would think. However,not more than 10 mins from anywhere in Dunedin to get to a beach really. Pets are variable...some do,some don't.

Phyl x

fluffy

Wow! I have always wanted to live on or near the beach but it's usually so prohibitively expensive that I haven't been able to. Living in Glasgow I miss the sight and scent of the sea. So there is a positive about moving, should I get accepted! Even if I live somewhat away from the ocean knowing that it's close would be fantastic. Of course, Scotland is surrounded by it too but it's hard to notice when you live in the city. I suppose Edinburgh is probably better for that.

Insects concern me after living in Hawai'i - giant centipedes, cockroaches, giant spiders - but I suppose there is always a give and take wherever you live. I did see the thread about spiders and wondered if the insect life was different on the South island to the North? Warmer climates tend to mean more bugs, but I haven't quite gotten a hold on what the weather in Dunedin is like. Glasgow is a fairly warm climate to me - not Hawai'i, of course, but much warmer than where I grew up - so what I think you are all saying is that it is colder than a place like Hawai'i, but warmer than Glasgow?

I met a guy the other night who said that I'd like New Zealand, since I am a very straightforward person. I've found living in Britain difficult because I am not familiar with, or good at, some of the cultural aspects. I was told being outspoken wasn't looked upon favorably here - but that might be due to where I was working, rather than Britain/Scotland itself.