Expat Kiwi

+1

BEVS

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sparkie down under

Hi MaryV

my answer for you has nothing to do with your immigration - others here can answer that so much better an I. What I can tell you is about the lifestyle.

Like Pixy dust, we have a lifestyle, or as kiwi's say hobby farm. (hate that term). We are just about successful and like pixy dust we have NEVER EVER made a profit. Both I and my partner work for a living and we have to poor money into this place.

I'd say we are successful lifestylers as we had a small holding back min Wales and had some animal husbandry skills. What we learned in the first year here is what worked in Wales, doesn't in N Z. You have to re-learn just about everything. Since coming here I have had to relearn fencing, electric fencing, animal health and well just about everything. It's been a hard and steep learning curve and I am still learning.

Like so many before us I had a rosey picture of a dew animals roaming over our fields, all happy and cosy. The real picture is scorching sun in the summer and summer drought, winter storms and cows knee deep in mud. Stock always breaking out, fences always need mending, crops failing because we were to late with something or other, having to buy in feed at top price, having to medicate sheep, (when we tried to be organic), because of barber pole worm which just comes totally unannounced and unwanted. The list is endless.

And then there is the time that we dedicate to this 'hobby'. This morning I was up at 4.45. It was pissing down with rain, so I'm soaking wet. I have to go to 'work' now, and when I get home there will be more 'hobby' work to do ! And that is every day, 365 days a year. You try telling the cattle it's christmas day and you'd like a day off!

I am not trying to put you off honestly, By all means do become a lifestyler, but be aware of what you are getting into.

by the way - we are up for sale - want to buy it

Catchafire

Great post sparkie.

I have met a lot of people Kiwi and expats who have invested into buying a vineyard.

And it amazes me, how rich successful people can be completely clueless on the realities trying to make a living from this. They think its a life of endless long lunches and drinking your own wine. No one thinks that its actually hard work.

love30stm

enough said

sparkie down under

I've just had a re-read of my post to Maryv and I so hope I haven't put a damper on her enthusiasm because that would be wrong of me, who am I to say I know better than you.

We, sorry, I say with annoying frequency, I wish I knew then what I know now. Well Maryv I am hoping that I am giving you some advice that will stop you saying that same annoying phrase.

My partner and I have been small holders from 2001, first in Wales and now here. Neither of us came from farming backgrounds, although I did have a bit of knowledge to begin with.

We came to NZ thinking that we could take the knowledge we’d gained with us, and coming with the pound we could afford so much more than we could back home in Wales. Well the latter part was right.

Weather you own 5 acres or 50 they eat up ALL of your time. You can’t be a lazy farmer. In some ways owning more lands is easier. Contractors are more interested in fencing, ploughing, spraying (whatever) 50 acres than 5. But the end result is the same – you will end up spending every moment doing ‘stuff’.

Your day is never your own and every day is fluid. This morning when I wrote the original post the farm was ticking over, as it normally does – 3 hours later I am driving into town to take one of the dogs to the vets. Totally unexpected. But what that also means is that vets bill will be the equivalent to say the sale of one or two ewes and when you are only selling 20 that’s a big percentage GONE!

Kiwi’s have this terrible saying that we are hobby farmers – BULLSHIT – we are way beyond hobby farmers. We farm, all be it smaller numbers and most of ‘us’ work. If we didn’t work then we would have gone brakcrupt years ago. Any spare cash goes straight back into the hobby farm – fence posts – hay – wire – and a whole heap of tools you never even knew existed are always needed. We have less money now that we have ever had in our lives and it’s tied up in this hobby farm. And with no one to pass it on to when we finally decided to quite/retire/die (which ever comes first) you do begin to question your sanity.

Yes, of course there are days when everything goes well, the sun shines and the prices are up at the yards. But there are also days when you have to destroy a cow – yourself – because you can’t afford the $200 for the vet to do it and treating it would cost more than what you could possibly get at the sales for it. You have to look at that animal as a cost=product and not a living creature. Heartbreaking does not begin to describe what you feel as you take aim. Anger, annoyance at my ignorance, at our poor financial situation, rage all of that and more, and you still have to pull that trigger. You can dress it up any way you want, logic, farming, financial sense – it still doesn’t stop you from feeling shit, and that Maryv is a SHIT day, and that Maryv is a page you never see in a John Seymour book!

We once kept pigs, (and did exceptionally well at it), but they were just a total drain on our finances and they were slowly bankrupting us. We kept at it for almost a year before we finally let go. We should have let go as soon as we realised that they would never, ever make any money for us, but being ‘hobby farmers’ we didn’t. That was a mistake that took us right to the edge and we constantly remind ourselves about so that we don’t end up in that same situation again.

It has been an adventure. It has been an experience. It has been character building time. It has brought us magic times that so few people ever get to experience, and it has shaped us into the people that my partner and I have now become. If I knew then what I know now, would I have done it? Well maryv that’s for you to decide.

maryv

Am I right to think that without a residence visa, a UK citizen is only normally allowed to live in NZ for 9 months on, 9 months off, although an application can be made to do it 12/12?
Mary

j19fmm

Normally, as a 'visitor' you get a 6 month Visa on arrival

alan118

family stream going to change? hope not, just sent my family application in after waiting for 3 years

ellenarosemary

Visitors visa is valid for 6 months (maximum stay) but you cant normally return within 1 year regardless of whether you stayed for the 6 months or not.

Trish M

I did. I returned to UK in the April & returned to NZ December the same year and nothing was said.

Catchafire

Vistors are allowed to stay a maximum 9months within a 18month period.

http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migra...isit/visitors/

cappuccino

I thought you had to be out of the country for the same length of time as you were in NZ on Visitors Visa e.g if you were on holiday for 2 months, you couldn't come back within the following 2 months.

maryv

But is there anywhere that's English-speaking?

(We stayed a while in Ireland - it's not our cup of tea.)

Rolfie

Here's a Wiki link that 'may' help. . .
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...ing_population