EvanM

My wife, 2 kids and myself are seriously considering the big move to NZ.
Auckland doesn't float my boat, the Hamilton/Cambridge areas interest me more.
How are these areas for new families, employment and housing? Can anyone please help?!

MrsFychan

Hamilton by all accounts is a good area but it will come down to where you can get work.

EvanM

Thank you kindly for your reply.
So, is there a buoyant employment scene, or is it true that non NZ'ers struggle getting work (as I have so far read!)

MrsFychan

totally depends on what field you are in, know someone in the telecom industry and 3 years on not got job, a lady has only ever managed to get on off temp work

what visa do you intend to gain to get out here?

EvanM

We are still in the early stages of family debate. My wife is ultra keen on moving permanently to NZ, I am also keen, but cautious too.
I believe if/when we move, we will be seeking a permanent visa (resident visa) but will take a work to residence visa if we qualify primarily. Do you have any advice on the right visa?
My wife is a psychotherapist, and I am a printer.

MrsFychan

looks like neither profession is on the skills shortage lists but does look like they maybe classed as skilled jobs so I think you would need to get a job offer to enable to uplift a work to residency visa/temp visa/visa. (?)
I'm not to hot on the visa front so someone may come along with a more detailed explanation or indeed some experience in either field and advise.

In the meantime you could be gathering evidence of your life together, marriage certificate does not mean much when it comes to Immigration. So joint accounts, bills, invites, holiday bookings anything that shows you are connected on a daily basis. If you don't have these right now you may wish to set some thing up as Immigration will require at least 12mths worth.

EvanM

Fab advice, and something I'd never have thought of.....despite being with my wife for the last 13 years (8 of which married)
I shall get collating evidence
I am a retired doctor of haematology, but as I left the NHS over 10 years ago, I'd need to re-sit some lengthy exams and get medical hours back under my belt (impossible with a 5 year old son and 9 month old daughter! Hehe.
You advice has been very very welcome thus far, and I hope to chat with you again.
Thanks.

escapedtonz

I work in Hamilton and in all honesty quite like it.
I have spent a fair amount of time in Hamilton over my 3 years here and usually stay overnight 1 night a week due to shifts as I live over the Kaimai's in Tauranga 100kM away.
It's seems to be one of those places that can be attributed to Marmite....you either like it or you hate it!
The centre itself in my opinion is quite cool. Lots of bars, restaurants and cafe's and good shopping, BUT it also tends to be full of hoons at night and the weekend in their pimped out cars and big bore exhausts. Fair few homeless people hang around during the day begging on the street and early evening. I feel safer walking through Wellington CBD than Hamilton CBD, but I don't feel intimidated in Hamilton but you wouldn't want to be walking down by the river at night.
The Waikato River than runs through the middle is beautiful and a cool walking/cycling path runs up and down either side for a good way. There's also some quality housing over on the Eastern or Northern side of the river.
I work in between Glenview and Rukuhia and when I stay overnight I'm in Fitzroy.
I travel through Cambridge whilst commuting and really like the place. 4 of my colleagues live there and the town itself is really nice. Very cosmopolitan with many individual shops, boutiques and cafe's etc and right on the edge of rural living. It was a small farming town but has grown exponentially since a lot of people who work in Hamilton have moved out that way and commute which is easily done.
Leamington is very popular and new houses are being built there now. A couple of my colleagues have recently bought a section of land and had a house built there.
The reason why I don't live there ??? I wanna be near the beach and in Cambridge you're at least an hour away from Raglan on the West Coast and a tad more time to Mount Maunganui on the East coast.
There's a lot of work going on with the roading infrastructure in Cambridge. The Cambridge bypass is under construction and due to be completed next year which provides a bypass of Cambridge centre for traffic travelling between Tauranga/Rotorua/Hamilton/Auckland on the State Highway. This should knock around 10 mins off my journey.
The government have also recently pledged another $1Billion for roading improvements so it looks as if the Hamilton Southern Links will get the official go ahead soon.
You can see all these improvements on NZ Transport Agency | NZ Transport Agency
The Southern Links in particular Home | Southern Links | NZ Transport Agency

At the moment I'm bypassing Cambridge to steer clear of all the roadworks so use the country road route from Karapiro Village / Leamington / Rukuhia to avoid all the traffic delays.

People from this area spend a lot of time at Karapiro for obvious reasons due to the lake which is beautiful and just like the Waikato River through the region is great for watersports.

Cambridge is great for families. Good schools and lots of outdoorsy things to do.
There are a lot of houses in Cambridge but there is high demand for them both purchase and rentals since every man and his dog seems to want to live in Cambridge. This keeps house prices and rental prices high.
Employment wise it all depends what job you are looking for. Unlikely that you'll find anything professional in Cambridge but you should be OK finding work in Hamilton which isn't that long of a commute.

Justcol

I'm in Cambridge, love it here, I don't like hams much and couldn't live there
but that's just me, I have friends in dinsdale and rototuna who are very happy there.
You can commute very easily to a lot of places from Cambs, its up to you
how far your prepared to go, I do 38km each way to work and it takes me 25 mins.
Cambridge houses cost more, not because of low supply and high demand
but because its a nicer place to live

Charismatic

...for living?

EvanM

Quality detailed advice . ....keep it coming! Many thanks. It does appear just outside Ham or in the Cambridge area seems to be more popular with the replies I've had so far.

EvanM

Maybe the Cambridge area then? Hehe.
I take it you are not keen on Ham?
My wife likes the Bay of Plenty area, but I'm more concerned that it's more a retirement area?

Charismatic

It always surprises me no one has started a PTE in Cambridge. Actually Hamilton is fine, I'm sure it's habitable...in fact I've been several times but don't recall ever stopping the car . MryFrychan speaks well of it anyway, all future complaints should therefore be directed to her.

escapedtonz

BOP is great
There is supposedly a higher percentage of retirees in Tauranga but in reality it just appears to be the same as everywhere else. Only place I've noticed more older people is Papamoa.
Mount Maunganui is defo young and hip - especially in summer when it's all surfers and students. You get days when the town appears full of retired folk, but only when there's a cruise ship or two in dock.
We never had any concerns living here and after spending the last 5 months here we love it, retired fold and all

MrsFychan

yes if you do have any complaints they can be forward to:

wellshetoldmeitwasgoodasothershadtoldher @ trybeforeyoubuy.co.nz