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Guide to project planning our move to NZ

Guide to project planning our move to NZ

Old Aug 4th 2019, 7:55 am
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Default Guide to project planning our move to NZ

Hi, my potential move to NZ is looking on for Jan next year. We are family of 5 and there seems so much to think about in terms of prep.

Did anyone on here use a guide or some kind of project plan to ensure you captured and managed everything?

Also a couple of other questions:

- I’m getting contradictory info on schools, I will have a temporary visa to work in NZ, then I will apply for visas for my family. Do I need to pay for my children’s schooling? They are 5, 9 and 11.

- one possible area to live is Tauranga- we like the look of it from the internet, anyone living there and can give me any feedback? I will be spending a lot of time in the various cities of the north island but will also travel to South Island less frequently- how are the roads from there around rush hour?

thanks in advance for any support you can offer!

Glenn
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Old Aug 4th 2019, 10:34 am
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Default Re: Guide to project planning our move to NZ

Originally Posted by Glenn120903
Hi, my potential move to NZ is looking on for Jan next year. We are family of 5 and there seems so much to think about in terms of prep.

Did anyone on here use a guide or some kind of project plan to ensure you captured and managed everything?

Also a couple of other questions:

- I’m getting contradictory info on schools, I will have a temporary visa to work in NZ, then I will apply for visas for my family. Do I need to pay for my children’s schooling? They are 5, 9 and 11.

- one possible area to live is Tauranga- we like the look of it from the internet, anyone living there and can give me any feedback? I will be spending a lot of time in the various cities of the north island but will also travel to South Island less frequently- how are the roads from there around rush hour?

thanks in advance for any support you can offer!

Glenn
Hi and welcome.
Congrats on the potential move to Aotearoa.
Yes there is a huge amount to think about and get your head around. I remember those months before we moved and that overwhelming feeling that there was just too much to arrange.
We attended a couple of overseas expo's before starting the process which gave us a good foundation of it so we had a better idea of what to expect. The expo's also provided literature with easy to follow guides about what things you needed to arrange and how much time out from moving day. We actually had a few and cobbled them together to give us a comprehensive list which worked well. I'd suggest attending one of these just so you can ask questions and maybe take some free stuff home that'll help the process. There are lists on the internet if you search.

As for schools it all depends on your temporary work visa duration. It must be for a minimum period of 2 years (24 months) or you and any family on associated visas will remain classed as temporary. If for 2 years or longer you will be classed as permanent (even though you have temporary visas) which gives you access to domestic student status and associated normal school fees and prevents you having to pay for them as international students. Juat bear in mind that no school is free in NZ. You will always have fees to pay but in a state school you are looking at maybe $300 per child per year plus uniforms, field trips etc.
You will also get ACC subsidized care at the GP and not have to pay as an international patient. Maybe $50 per consult instead of $80. Still not free but subsidized. Kids up to 13 are generally free assuming the GP used has opted in to that particular government scheme.
​​​​All of your children can attend school. The law here states children can start school on the day they turn 5 bit must be in full time education before they turn 6.

Yes we are in Tauranga and yes it is awesome. If you want to know any specifics then just ask or PM me. We've lived in NZ for 7.5 years. Wellington for 2.5 years and the other 5 years here in Tauranga. We have defo found our slice of paradise. We're in Te Puna just 10 mins West of Tauranga on SH2.

Roads and kiwi drivers are shockingly bad. There are very few motorways. The state highways are basically big A roads with various passing lanes every now and then. Fine in themselves and better maintained than in the UK but unable to handle large volumes of traffic. Each city suffers from traffic nightmares at peak times. Auckland is the worst. Tauranga has them but there's not as many and they don't last as long but one major issue with NZ is the lack of infrastructure especially with roads. Can't knock government for it though in my opinion as there hasn't been the population to cause them to spend billions of dollars on it. They are slowly investing in new roads and all that jazz but way too late however NZ is no different to any other country with an ever rising population.
The only bad bits in Tauranga are :-
SH2 Omokoroa to Bethlehem from around 7.30 am to 9.30 am
The end of the Tauranga Eastern Link (TEL) coming from Te Puke way in to Tauranga on SH2. Lots of road works for infrastructure reinforcement around Bayfair and Bay Arena so pretty snarly at morning and evening rush hour.
The last one is SH29A Maungatapu/Hairini in to Tauranga on SH2A then 15th Avenue. Dual carriageway feeds in to single lane. Never gonna work.

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