delbert007

Hi,

What are your general thoughts about New Zealand?
I am trying to get a feeling for the place as we have a job offer for a permanent visa.This is in Tauranga(opinions of this area would be great).
We lived in Australia for two years which we liked except the weather.
Any comparisons?
Do you have any intention of moving back to the Uk, if so why?

Thanks

garryhg

hi jacky g here......well what can i say....i hated it at first......just missed my extended family i guess,and kids weren't settling at school....but now i really like it here.....

the people are friendlier,the weather is better,cost of loiving i would say is more expensive,the quality of food is not as good....IMHO.

the pace of life is far more relaxed....garry had same job back in uk as he is doing now,and the pressures back there just got to him,he was constantly stressed and had had enough....

he says there is no pressure here at all,and he loves work....
daughter is 13 and if the truth be told didn't like the way kids were back in uk..growing up way to quick....not like that here at all...they don't worry what names on there trainers or what kind of mobile they have

having said that we will be going back to uk at some point,not for a while .

i think we have a good life here,but i don't think its a better life,i've realised that extended family also plays a huge part in your life,and i want them to have a part of my kids life,not just for a holiday every few years.....

we will be hear for a while yet and intend enjoy the experience ,and be gratefull that we got the chance to do this...

and have a few stop overs on the way home,to see some places we probably would never have gone to...gl with your plans...

Hoyo

NZ - 'tis a bit hard to generalise as it is quite diverse but I will do my best

Imagine the UK about 150 years ago. A lot less people right? It would be green and underpopulated (the boffins can help me out on the exact figures).

Add in a couple of alpine peaks a few hot springs and a tribe of maori - and voilla!!!!

New Zealand - current day..

Now, get yer Gods to drag the country into the middle of nowhere. Literally so far away from any other country it would take hours to get to, even it's nearest neighbour would be over 4 hours away.

Get them to put the country into a micro climate where certain parts of the country enjoy good sunshine and others constant downpours.

Now, think about what that isolation would do to the national Psyche.

Now, add in another larger, more successfull island. (aka OZ).

Now imagine the national psyche again. (Do you have a really successful brother who is your parents favourite?)

Basically you got NZ.

But, seriously, before im hung drawn and quartered by the locals on here, if you liked OZ, thought the weather was pants (im assuming you thought it was too hot), liked Ozzies (what's not to like?), then there is a good chance you will like NZ.

Now im off to take my medication

karonious

Excellent post!!

Avid

Population of NZ is around 4 million. The last time the UK had a population of 4 million was about 1550.

luvwelly

Agreed...I would just add to that that despite the isolation and the low population, it is very 'up to date' in the areas which really matter e.g. internet, medicine etc. The only backward aspect I have noticed so far is the building regulations i.e. the lack of central heating/double glazing etc thing...unbelievably backward but something has to be given that isolation.

I think NZ is maybe unique for an island race in that a high percentage of the professional population feels compelled to go off on their 'OE' for a few years or even for forever....this seems to mean they bring knowledge of most everything back with them...except for central heating it seems .

For me I think being in Wellington is ideal..|I'm not sure I'd like being out in the sticks so much. Budget to put adequate heating/ventilation in your NZ home...I have rented one which does have heating but these are few and far between. I know I would be seriously unhappy without it!

mickey_d

Agree, apart from the internet, it's way behind, ours was better in the UK 4 years ago!!!

P.S. it's great out in the sticks, huge pile of wood to burn to keep you warm, what more could you want, & we still have 1/2 acre sections

luvwelly

Glad you like the sticks....our broadband internet here in Wellington is way faster than it was in my last EU country. The way they try to limit your download access to a set amount is unheard of everywhere else I have lived -so that's not so good. We have gone with Orcom as they don't slow down your speed to keep you within, just charge you more .

Hoyo

which is another reason for the move back to Auckland, seriously, an old villa in wellington without adequate heating and insulation aint much fun in the winter - or the summer on some days! Still you do get used to wearing two coats after a while - inside! I am not about to splash major $$ on a rental.

happynz

It's OK compared to the place whose passport I carry. Cost of living is a bit higher as far as shoes and electronics, but bread and some other foodstuffs are cheaper and of better quality.
The TV offerings are not much to get excited about, but I never have been much of a TV watcher anyway so no big adjustment.
The air is fresh for the most part except for a couple of days a year during winter when everything smells like a campfire and the air is a bit smoky (this is Christchurch).
It doesn't take long to go from urban to rural, even in the sprawling mess that is Auckland. The countryside in New Zealand is spectacular.
I've been there a couple of times and it struck me as a nice place with quite nice beaches nearby. Apparently it is one of the fastest growing areas of New Zealand.
It doesn't get as hot, that's for sure. As someone who spent nine years of my youth in the desert areas of the western US and many years in Southeast Asia I find it amusing when Kiwis whinge about the heat when it gets to something like 27 degrees.
I have no intention on going back to the US. Yup, I'm not British, but if you'd like to swap passports it'd be cool. I'd quite like to live and work in Europe for a spell and my US passport won't help me with that.

Good luck with your plans.

dubstar

good description Hoyo and good luck with the Bachelor of Nursing Degree, I started three years ago and just about to register.

Can't add much more except, and hang me if you like, its the scenery thing, yer its pretty spectacular, but then what? seen it looked at it hmm.

Both OH and myself have a few professional issue's at work specially OH, he is used to working to standards and quality assurance systems, over here it seems anything goes, so he gets a little snarky about this.

On the kids, its nice that chav's are only just developing over here and my kids being 11 and 12 left the UK before they were influenced by this culture.
And they can wear trainers that did'nt cost 100 quid and don't care.

However, they go to a rugby loving school and football is a minority sport, education seems to come 2nd place to sport.

I am also in disbelief about the cost of living vs salaries here as well.

mickey_d

Yeah, you get the cold & damp in Auckland though, wet windows & walls. Not seen any of that since we moved away & all we have is a log burner

luvwelly

My rental has warm air heating through most of the house - only the two downstairs rooms need free-standing heaters but happily I have seen no condensation whatsoever but this maybe comes at the expense of massive fuel bills as I do put the heating on a lot. Also the house gets a lot of sun.

My temporary apartment (modern) just a fan heater had the worst condensation I had ever seen in my life and it was recently built.

Friends in newbuilds with heating say they still get some condensation but I think it depends on how much you use the heating maybe and indeed whether you can afford to on NZ salaries.

Glad to hear a logburner is so effective. Do you need a dehumidifier at all? They were everywhere in the shops when we first arrived and I resisted buying one being unsure about the logic behind them. Still haven't got one.

mickey_d

No, we don't need a dehumidifier, no condensation at all. We bought 3 oil filled radiators when we were in Auckland, but since we have been in Hawkes Bay we haven't had to use them at all & we had a few frosty nights.
The house stays really warm, which isn't bad as the rooms are really big & the ceilings are 12 feet high.
We have a large ceiling fan (in the lounge with the log burner) which you can turn to winter setting & it helps spread the warm air around the house.
It just doesn't feel so damp/muggy down here as it did in Auckland. You can even count on one hand the number of times we've had to wipe condensation from the car windscreen in the morning, something we had to do up there nearly every morning last winter.