I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

We are hoping to emigrate next year. I am a secondary school teacher and husband is a policeman (though still in his probabtion). We have been thinking about emigrating for a while, but have just discovered that wages for teachers in NZ are pretty poor. I am really worried that we will not earn much and find it hard to make ends meet! I have heard conflicting stories about the cost of living, etc, so I thought I would try and get some answers form the horses mouth (so to speak). I would appreciate any advice you might be able to give me. Just to introduce us - I am Claire, husband is Barry and we have a 2 year old daughter Mollie - not forgetting the dog, Tyler (we didn't give him the name) and horse Willow

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

There are heaps of variables to consider Claire as far as affordabiltiy is concerned. A lot depends on your perceived needs, where you live, etc...

What do you need? If you can be a bit more specific I'm sure you could get more useful information. Your query now is just a bit too general.

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Hi Claire,
put simply the rest of us manage and we only have one income in our house. The costs are all relative and if emigrating is what you want to do then go for it...you won't earn as much as in the UK but you won't have to pay out as much either, it's the way of life most people come for.
Debbie

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

I think the pace of life, and a better place to bring up our daughter, etc, etc - the usual sort of stuff! We currently live just outside london which is hugely expensive! We are fortunate that we will be bringing accross approx £80,000 sterling as a deposit for a house, which will hopefully make a good dent in the repayments on any house we buy. I guess i just really want to know the general sorts of costs for things like council tax, gas, elecricity, car insurance, etc - as i am finding it hard to get ball park figures on the net. A rough idea would be fine as we know the sort of wages we will be getting each month.

If we live on the North island I would like to live around the Bay of Plenty, and if the south island, then Christchurch - this being subject to where I can find a job of course!

Thanks for your help x

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Hi ya

We moved to The Bay when we first came over back in Dec 2005, found it a lovely place if you wanted to retire or be on holiday but difficult to make friends as it can be quite clicky. If you were born and bred in tauranga it is a little different or maybe if you have children in school ??? My Hubby is a Kiwi so it wasn't because of the "English" thing, which I hate to say that some of them do see us as wingeing poms !!
We have now moved to Whitford, beautiful part of Auckland, lovely green rolling hills and rural farmland but about 30mins from CBD, best of both worlds. I have also found that the shopping is better, more socialising and the job market is a lot stronger.
As far as bills go, we can live almost on one wage and are busily saving the other ........ to come back to the UK !!!!!!!
I have found that I love NZ for a holiday, this would have been my 6th visit but I am too English and I miss my friends and the lifestyle we had tooooooo much and haven't stopped being homesick since we arrived.
My advice, try it, but don't been too proud if it doesn't work, I have spoken to too many ex pats who feel that now they have done it they must stick with it. I am glad I have done the move, although an expensive exercise, I have learnt a lot about me personally and realise how strong a marriage I have and how lucky I am to have the man I have married.
So best of luck with your move and I hope it fulfills all your dreams.

I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Welcome to the forum........

Hello karma sent............

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Hi Claire,
if you look on a previous post called something like NZ how to survive on nz$1000 (around page 6 but I can't cut and paste it) I copied a list of average prices that we were given by an emigration consultant. We have found some costs slightly less and some more but it will give you a rough idea). Good luck,
donna
x

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Hi Clare,

Two full time wages & £80,000 deposit on house is more than many come here with. You'll be fine - just have to watch the dollars - limited retail therapy, but the quality of life here is richer.

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Cool, thanks everybody! You are all so helpful!

I don't know if anyone would be able to offer me some advice of the number of year's teching experience I would need, as it is likely I will only have 1 or 2. I know to be granted a visa for oz you need at least 3 years experience, but I can't seem to find out whether it is the same for nz. There don't seem to be many secondry teachers using this forum, but if anyone has an idea I would be grateful.

I think our household income will be about $90 thousand (before tax), and hopefully we wont have too great a mortgage. Hopefully this should be enough.

Also, could anyone reccomend/advise against any areas to live. We like the idea of the Bay of Plenty or Christchurch - but as I said before this id dependent on where I can find a job.

x

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

For your hubby they may try to offer a first up stint in South Auckland/Manukau district. I have heard others say to avoid this at all costs, it is the most difficult beat in the country.

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Thats good to know thanks! I will keep this info in the back of my mind!

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

I was talking to a guy and telling him i will be going back to NZ after 2 years back here. Well he knows a policeman who moved out there and loves it and thinks the cost of living seems to ballance out even. But the quality of life is way better. I don't know this guy personally by the way, make your own mind on it. But from my own experiences NZ is very expensive and the wages are lower. But as a family i think we were happier there. Kids are desperate to go back. Best of luck on what you decide to do.

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

Hiya and welcome

We came over nearly 18 months ago now and my partner is a highschool teacher. I work part time in a museum and we have two kids, one at primary school and one pre-schooler.

Your salary, as you probably know will depend on how long you've been teaching - so if you let us know we might be able to give you some idea?

My partner's in his 4th year of teaching (late starter!) and is currently on $54500 as an HOD (all teachers will get a payrise next month, as per inflation, and then they get one a year as they complete a year of teaching - so my dp started his job in the october and will get a rise this October etc.)

I get something massive like $16k per annum which puts our income at $70k.

We're not rich but we manage fine and LOVE our lives here we're so much richer in EVERY way :thumbsup:

Very soon (july) the government is introducing 20 free hours of care each week for 3-4 year olds which is going to be brilliant for us (just praying our local day care centre will offer it, as a private operation they have the choice.)

We also get family assistance of around $150 per fornight starting in a week's time! :D

HTHs

SF

x

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

I am sure that you will have already read up about life here in NZ and realised that wages are lower, houses still expensive, but people are happier and have great lifestyle. Life is good here as long as you are not struggling financially, i think that your standard of living will drop, but you will enjoy it on less money ! You will only be able to afford an average house, that will be cold in winter, something that any Brit under 40 will have never experienced. If 2 of you work, you will be OK ! You will get a job fairly easily if you are not a teacher.

Re: I am a newbie! Please tell me what NZ is REALLY like!
 

This is one of those 'Will I like it in NZ?' questions - unfortunately no one can answer this accurately for you. We all have our own personal criteria to measure against and baggage and expectations that come with it.

I think on the money you talk about you should be fine in most areas. We certainly earn a lot less than that and have 3 hungry kids - and we manage just about OK.

NZ is similar yet different to the UK - I personally love the changes and differences but others won't -you just have to try it to find out if its for you.

Good Luck!