BEVS

Actually no. Not really. I felt her post was totally clear .

Are you somehow trying to suggest that their sights were always set on Australia?



Sensible advice.

Kiwikaye

Sorry for butting in - I know your question was directed at Sarah, but we are in a similar position, so thought I stick my 2 cents worth in.

I think you raise a good point. We were living in Melbourne when the last lot of major bushfires went through. We weren't directly affected but knew people who were and drove through some of the affected areas quite regularly. It was horrific and incredibly stressful for those involved. Its one of the reasons I won't live in the Dandenongs at the edge of Melbourne. I think the major difference with the earthquakes has been the land damage. If a fire burns down your house or a cyclone tears it apart, the land is still there and you can re-build (insurance permitting). My big beef at present is not with my insurance company - its with the other authorities. Our land has major damage but they are holding off making a decision until god knows when. This is the frustration. Its the inability to move forward and the feeling everything is out of our hands. For that reason, yes, Oz does have more attraction.

Had Christchurch not had the earthquakes, we would no doubt be staying, but there is nowhere else in NZ that offers both somewhere we want to live and the ability to earn a suitable living.

I wish the OP all the best - as others have said, regard it as a temporary move for now, if the money is enough to you to justify the move look on it as an adventure - I don't think you will regret coming.

Charismatic

I love this “still beating heart of the city was ripped out by the earthquake”. Let’s be honest here, we hardly referred to Christchurch in the same breath as Paris, Milan, New York or London before the earthquakes. No one had ever said “I was considering a trip to the Côte d'Azur but decided to go to Pegasus bay instead.”

The city still has much of its original merit…just, as a real estate agent might say, it’s now got a lot more potential.

chauxfleur

A lot of the people responding on here have had to live through what must have been a terrible last 15 months or so. I've only been here a couple of weeks so I don't have the depth of insight that the others have, but I can tell you what it's like to land here now and have to find your way around and start building a life here.

Essentially you need to get the idea in your head that you're moving to a city without a city centre. For the people who were used to it being there, this must be really hard, but you can't miss what you've never known and the bars in Riccarton and Merivale are more than enough to keep me amused for now. I came from living on the edge of the city in Leeds - the traffic in comparison (including parking at any of the malls that are still open) is a doddle. You just need a little patience, but patience is easy to come by when the sun is shining, the sky is blue and the air is all lovely and clean.

I can't tell you how much I love it here and how happy I am in this beautiful city. No, it isn't perfect - and if you're coming out to work on the rebuild be prepared for some mind numbing tedium - there is a LOT of paperwork to go through before the building can really begin, but the negatives for me as a new comer are beaten to a pulp by the positives.

I'm learning to surf (badly), starting to enjoy cycling around the trails in countryside near the city and my workmates are great people. It will be nice to make friends outside of work, but that's going to take a little time.

Depending on where you choose to live, depends on how much of the earthquake damage you're going to have to deal with - I had big plans to live by the sea and I was so sure that I could deal with whatever I found when I got there, only to get to Lyttleton and see the houses hanging off the edge of cliffs and all the bars and shops shut to realise that my plans made in the comfort of my living room in the UK were all a bit pants! As a result I'm in the middle of moving to my new house in Merivale, which is a lovely part of the city - the damage here kind of looks like everyone is having their extension done at the same time. My neighbour is just brilliant and is genuinely thrilled at the chance to show her "newbie" neighbour secret bits of the city and the best places for Sunday morning coffee.

Every single person I have met, both expat (brits, South Africans, Germans etc) and Kiwi's alike has been great. I've only met one rude person and that was in Timaru, so it doesn't count!

I suppose it depends on what you're giving up at home, but there really is only one way to tell whether this is for you, and that means getting on the plane. Better to find out than spend forever wondering, surely?

In my vast two weeks experience of Christchurch I can honestly say that i love it and have no intention of looking backwards. For what it's worth I think this whole process is one of those things where you get out of it what you put in - my expectations when I arrived weren't exactly low, but everyday so far I have found another thing to make me smile here.

Best of luck with your decision, and if you do come here I hope you love it as much as I do.

Stormer999

Not so much set on Oz more already paled on NZ....

sarahinnz

We came to chch with the intention on permanently staying here, our children were settled in their schools, we had made some good friends etc. But the earthquake really affected me to the point of i had to go to counselling to help come to terms with what happened and for my own sanity. The Quake was back in Feb but it is still constantly on my mind and effects my day to day simple decisions like i wont park near a brick wall or go in multi story carparks, i have only been to the mall twice since and then i was so uneasy. I dont want to live in fear of the not knowing, and i want to get on with life without these issues. So relocating to any part of NZ is not an option for me at the moment. This has played a big part in our decision along with other issues i mentioned previously, so no OZ was not the main attraction before but is now.

BEVS

Don't be daft mate. They've lived through 2 major quakes & all that comes with that afterward. They have needed to look at their options seriously. In NZ ,options can be very limited. They have already stated they were Ok with where they were before the quakes.

I'm sorry that you can't understand this Stormer but please understand that many throughout NZ are also considering their other options.
It's happening all over here & that is just how it is.

MyNZAdventure

My heart really goes out to the people of Christchurch. The BBC showed a report from there only a couple of days ago regarding local reaction to the reconstruction. I guess it's only practical to suggest a reasonable time frame for the work, however that doesn't really help the people there that quite rightly feel more should be happening. I'm going to travel there next year just after I've visited a relative in Dunedin.

Stormer999

Thanks sarahinnz, for the answer, it is important for people like us coming in to find out how others have been effected. The decision on where to settle is important and all views are a great help....:sunglasses: All the best for the future....

Stormer999

I can understand people looking at other options, so long as I get the reasoning correct then their feelings and experience will greatly help me with mine. Taking into consideration all of the replies from those that suffered the major disaster will help others to relocate. No I am not bloody thick......well not totally...
On so many posts on the NZ site posts are anti NZ so the true reasons behind some posts are not always evident hence my question....nicely answered by the poster.....

Kiwikaye

I know this is slight off-topic, but this is the issue we all have. OH and I have a house in the white zone. This means we are on the Port Hills and have land damage in some form or another. Our house is unlivable and neither EQC nor the insurance company will do anything about it until a land decision is made. We have NO IDEA when that decision is coming. It could be tomorrow - it could be in 5 years. There are no time frames, for anybody. A small number of people who had minor property damage and no land damage have had repairs done and can move on, but there still isn't really any normality for anyone.

Is it any wonder people are looking elsewhere?

ellenl

Hi

You will have a great time in Christchurch, all my partner's family & our friends live there, non of them have moved away because of the earthquake, i still know lots of people who have businesses there too.
The city is getting better slowly, there is lots of potential for the future.

You will have a great time there, its a great city - in such a great location close to everything.

I am moving back from the UK next year to Christchurch, i'm excited for the future there.

Good luck with everything

BEVS

Goodness. I'm so sorry to read that Kiwikaye. Kiwi pals of ours down there feel it will be 2 years or more & have sorta resigned themselves to that, much as they would like to leave. Most of the folks that relocated up this way already had family or property up here. Some weren't tied into property so were able to relocate.
At a local craft group I go to , we are still being asked to do things like knit slippers, beanies etc for kindys & families that do not have suitable buildings.
Seems small and silly, I know, but these items are being welcomed and used.

love30stm

i cant wait to see what Oz has to offer

Stormer999

Kiwikaye can you explain the damage zone system a bit more please..