Pushkinias

Hi to everyone.

I just wanted to introduce myself (Amanda) and my husband (Brad). I have spent many hours reading these forums in anticipation of taking the plunge and planning our emigration to NZ and want to say a massive thank you to all who contribute. They are so helpful for people like us who are trying to get their heads around things.

We currently live in Cornwall and have been thinking about NZ for many years. I'm about to be at the point in my career of being eligible to apply for my first job as a consultant psychiatrist and have now decided to make this jump to the North Island of NZ rather than the UK. As I'm sure you know, there are lots of changes happening in the NHS and they are pretty dire, IMHO.

The recession also affected my husband in that he was made redundant a year ago form his teaching job in a special needs school. Down here in rural Cornwall, nothing else has come up for him and he's pretty fed up.

That said, we are not leaving the UK to escape from something bad - we see NZ as very much a positive lifestyle choice for us and something that we think will suit us as people.

I have been offered a job in Palmerston North so far and have two more interviews set up for jobs in Rotorua and Tauranga. I'm also likely to be offered interviews for Wellington and Hawkes Bay. I think I'm very fortunate to have so much choice - it seems NZ has a big shortage of senior psychiatrists at the moment! I'm not sure exactly what my pay will be but I think it's around 150,000 dollars (sorry, I'm not bragging, it just might help you imagine what our budget might be). We haven't got any savings other than whatever money we clear from selling our house (hopefully around £20,000 GBP).

I don't have any specific questions other that to say, if you were me, where would you choose and why? We don't have children and love the outdoors. We like peace and quiet but want to be fairly near a few shops for those emergency chocolate cravings. We've never been towny people and like to have space around us but with friends not too far away.

Thanks and I look forward to getting to know people on here more in the coming months. Amanda

hazeandsteve

Morning, and welcome.
Congratulations on your decision to head this was.
We came from the Isle of Wight, pretty much all small villages and rural roads. The best advice I can give is to come over, have a look, see where suits you.
I had open job offers when we emigrated, and it was being here previously that helped us decide where not to go.
No offence intended to anyone, but Palmy was one of them.

You'll find it very easy to live rurally and commute to work. The reduced population make life easier. The major cities still have far too much traffic though.

Say hi to Jack and Hifumi in Porthtowan for us, enjoy the input you'll get.

Pushkinias

I know what you mean about Palmy - it really seems to split people. I think my preference is going to be for either Rotorua or Tauranga. I'm afraid, due to current finances (I'm not on the big bucks yet) and lack of annual leave allocation, we are not going to be able to come out in advance. I guess, if we get it badly wrong, it's not like I'm super-glued there for ever. Yikes!

hazeandsteve

Good choices, both of them.
Tauranga is currently on a big expansion as far as I can tell. Papamoa will very soon be a mere suburb. However, head inland rather than south and you can get a lot more freedom.
Rotorua has many, many attractions, but we only ever pop in. However, saying that, for us lucky few in Taupo, it's a big day out to go shopping.

RobDon

We are very biased and we love Rotorua.
As has previously been said there is plenty to do here.
We live on the outskirts of town with fields and the mountains out of every window.
Shopping is ok here, but having said that, don't think anywhere in NZ is like shopping in the UK......It Isnt!
Rotorua is predominantly a tourist area, and as such is quite busy with tourists for a lot of the year.
Cant help with your job sorry although I am a nurse up at the hospital and OH works in Retail.

Anything you want to know please ask away and we will do our best to answer.