tillyfluff

Hey Everyone!

There is SO much information on this site I hope that I'm not repeating things too much!

I have been having musings for a while about going to New Zealand - its somewhere I have always wanted to visit, but recently circumstances at home have been hellish and it suddenly hit me - why not just move there for a year or two?!

I'm under thirty so I know that I can get a working visa for a year, I am a Newly Qualified teacher specialising in Physics up to age 19 which I believe is a shortage skill set and I have no criminal convictions or anything like that which could hinder me.

My question to you guys is this - am I mad!? I would be going to the other side of the world totally on my own, to a country I have only read about and had friends tell me how wonderful it is. I have a great aunt out there who lives in Christchurch who I've met a couple of times as a child but that is my only contact out there.

I'm not bothered about being a teacher if that kind of work is too tricky to get and i'm not adverse to hard work.

What do you guys think?

Thanks
Tilly

DC10

I'm not sure anyone can answer that question for you. It's a bit like asking a stranger "should I leave my husband?"

It depends on all your personal circumstances.

Many Brits your age do travel alone to Australasia and have a great time/new life, but that proves little.

old dragon

What about trying to get onto the international teaching circuit. When we lived in Asia there were plenty of British Teachers, and every country we've ever lived in - the Brit teachers always make up at least half of the teaching staff in the private international schools. Depending on the school/govt where you'd be employed, the pay isn't always great but the benefits were. For friends with children, their fees were covered in the contract which was worth 10s of thousands a year, free flights home, subsidized housing/country club/yacht club membership etc.

It might not get you to NZ straight away, but it could be a 'safe and secure-ish' stepping stone and a way to make a break from the UK. A lot of the schools our children have attended follow the UK curriculum in a general sense, they just cherry pick the good stuff and leave out the nonsense.

We've had a lot of friends that move from country to country as singles and families - spending either a couple of years or (for one family 15 years) in each.

You should be able to find teaching work here with your qualifications, I don't know if a visa would make it more difficult to find work than PR though - unless you could find agency work. Perhaps there is a recruitment person here who can advise on that.

If you have itchy feet though and want to make a break, then in your shoes I would go for it. Just don't burn any bridges and leave the door open for yourself if you want to go back.

I left UK at 19 and have only been back to live 3 times - I only miss central heating and my Nan, otherwise - no regrets In fact, as soon as youngest is away to uni - we'll be off again

allisonwantstoemigrate

I'm (hopefully) going on my own!!

Gotta give it a try!

seansueplustwo

I say go for it!!

And agree with Old Dragon - don't burn any bridges as you may want or need to go home if it doesn't work out.

Kevin

It wouldn’t hurt to try and make a couple of friends first (and check them out as best you can), so that maybe you have a place to stay for a while, until you get to grips with things, or at very least a local who can put you right and who has your back.

Some may disagree, but personally, I think for a lone female unless you know the area and the neighbourhood, it would make sense to have an ally or two. Not trying to sound sexist here, just thinking of your safety and wellbeing that’s all.

When we came over I had made an acquaintance through a friend of a friend, and he did help out with a few things when we got here, which I’m sure most anyone on this forum would do, best they could.

Dustybin

Depends on you really, what is worse, trying something and failing or not trying because you might.

The only person who can answer that is you. I take Kevins point about travelling alone on board, but in my experience of meeting people travelling around the world is that it has nothing to do with the sex of the solo traveller, just about how 'together' they are.

Kija

I can't think of anything to add to the good advice you received here but just wanted to say hello & welcome

lisamct

I came over on my own. Didn't know anyone in the area I came to (nearest friends were 3hrs away) and had never been in the country before.
Worked out well for me, I'd say go for it!

melanieanne63

Hi Tillyfluff, just do it... at the age of 20 I said I want to do that, I didn't, at the age of 21 I said I want to do that and I didn't, you know the story, at the age of 39 I am doing it, alone... nervous, yes, excited yes! since deciding I am doing it, I have heard so many people say, I wanted to do that, you only live once and we only regret the things we don't do. x

allisonwantstoemigrate

Im actually thinking now of delaying for a while as there are hardly any jobs in my field!

I'll retire there instead!

Charismatic

Total mentalist, you'll fit right in .

elizabeth_j_gill

Hi Tilly
Just a few things to say - take them on board or ignore! Just my two-pence worth...
1) Getting teaching jobs in NZ is tricky, to a degree. You need to be aware that you have to register with the NZ equivalent of the Teaching Council before you can do any work there (even supply). This isn't massively expensive - I think it's about £200 or so, but you need to get it done before you go.
2) You'll have more luck, from what I know, getting a job in a city rather than in one of the rural idylls of NZ. My subject isn't shortage (History) here - or there, it seems, but even so, there are very few jobs that come up in Central Otago, SI, that I could even consider applying for (and I have also taught English to GCSE, so you'd think I'd be reasonably marketable. Look at www.edgazette.co.nz.
3) Are you an NQT now, or have you just completed your PGCE? Just wondering, as if you have only just done your PGCE and have not taught in a UK school yet, you might find it tricky to jump back into the UK system without UK experience. That said, you might love it so much in NZ that you don't return!
About going alone to NZ, I travelled there alone last year (I took a sabbatical) and never felt worried or alone. There is a vibrant backpackers scene and so a lot of transience to the place, and you'd be bound to meet fellow travellers. Pretty much everyone I met in NZ was friendly.
I'd echo what everyone has said here, about keeping your options open about coming back home again. NZ is really lovely but it is massively different from life over here; I think it's only people who travel over there for about 3 weeks who come back saying "Oh it's just like Britain but nicer"!
Good luck with whatever you choose to do!