GoingIn2011

That's what my Mrs wants. So how can that be made to happen?

shocked kiwi

Stop globalisation

gcr

NZ is one of very few countries that may just be able to make a go of things without extensive input (and import) from the rest of the world. Unfortunately (and this is going to hurt me as much as anyone else) it is the mass immigration that has caused many of the problems.

Immigrants typically move to another country and while some embrace the new culture in it's entirety, most will try to impose their way of doing things on to their new surroundings.

The UK is terrible for this. Years ago, you shopped seasonally. Strawberries at Christmas? Don't be silly. Now though, they are imported by the lorry load from Israel. There are many other examples of this.

We looked at some land near Pokeno earlier today. 10 years ago, it would have been the back end of nowhere but now I can see it will be swallowed by the southern expansion of suburban Auckland. Even where we were, with idyllic views, we could hear a constant sound of SH1. It was a distant drone, rather than the rushing sound of individual vehicles, but it was certainly there.

Reduce immigration. Reduce industrial expansion. Stop the ever-increasing building of new houses. Stop selling NZ assets to foreign parties. Learn how to be, as a country, more self-sufficient.

An example: NZ exports milk and imports petrol. If NZ was to move to an ethanol fuel system for running cars (ethanol could be produced here) the dependency on petrol imports would drop massively. Instant beneficial change in import/export balance. Of course, this was tried in Brazil but the petrol companies were very unhappy, and as a group halted all import of fuel into the country.

No significant change that would be of benefit to NZ, while potentially harming a corporate profit, should be undertaken lightly. The world has become a global corporation, and it doesn't take lightly to people who don't wish to contribute to their coffers.

MOSO

Fortunately there is alot more to NZ than Auckland and its traffic and housing problems

Maybe the Government should offer incentives to companies to move out of Auckland and thus reduce pressure on the city - particularly back into Christchurch as the rebuild gathers momentum?

gcr

Charismatic

Agreed MOSO, similarly government departments in Wellington could be moved to the regions. There is a lot of waste that could be cut without changes to services on the ground.

trafford

We are planning to return to NZ after living 16 years in the UK. So how shocked will I be about the cost of living? I understand that it all depends on your income in NZ and that it is wrong to make comparisons. That's ok when we are settled and earning, but we plan to take 3-6 months off after arriving (after working very hard for the past 16 years building a business, we figure we have earned a bit of a break) and we will be using GBP obv. Then we plan to get regular jobs - nothing high paid.

I did a comparison and found that my food shop would be 1/3 more expensive, but my utility bills will be 75% cheaper (mostly because here in the UK we live in a rambling old house which costs £700 per month to heat and light). We will have no mortgage in NZ. I worry mostly because the things I like to do in the UK are eating out, holidays, days out, shopping and gym (bloody hell I sound a bit shallow). So, are they all so much more expensive in NZ? Maybe I should be hoping I will find other things that I like to replace them??? The shock of doing without ZARA, Whistles and M&S is shamefully worrying me....

AndyEvs

Trafford, I think it is impossible to answer your question and the views expressed on here demonstrate why.
On a daily basis we find it ridiculously expensive. Having been back in the UK only a couple of months ago, the difference in prices is still very much in my mind, especially in terms of food shopping and 'gadgets'. Also because we spent a couple of years in Qatar we we able to have holidays again while we we there, something we find too expensive to do here. We have a tiny mortgage and both work in education, we also have two teenage boys.
But Goingin2011 will tell you that to him/them there is no real difference. Can we both be right? Obviously we can because our circumstances and spending habits are totally different.
From what you have written it sounds like you have some serious money behind you (£700 a month on electricity!) and with no mortgage too I suspect you will be quite comfortably off. From my experiences here with people from all sorts of backgrounds I'd say that acts as a very effective buffer. We had a friend here who was a consultant gynaecologist, big money and we never heard them complaining about the cost of living. The CEO of the local hospital here is a Pom and I've met him a couple of times, he's the most highly paid public sector worker in the region and his dad is quizmaster down at the pub, a few chats with them and its obvious to me that the cost of living has zero impact on them!
Too me it's less about the COL and more about my continuing disappointment at how we are so blatantly ripped off due to either monopolies or inertia. The cost of paint is enough to make most poms blood boil here.
Your shopping habits might have to change a bit though. No idea if there is a Zara in Auckland , but certainly nothing like M&S.
I keep meaning to scan the article in N&S magazine and when I do I'll either put up a link or PM people who want it.

trafford

My shopping habits have to change here too AndyEvs! I was a bit of a shopaholic, but with the economy the way it is, I just can't afford it any more (maybe that is why the economy is bad here - I stopped shopping ). If we are sensible (and don't buy a dream house in Orakei or anything!), then we can buy mortgage free, and that would give us choices about work. We are wanting to slow down and de-stress. I just worry about how realistic I am.

I know that when I went back to NZ for holidays I was gobsmacked at the cost of some things, and like you I was peeved. I was incredulous at having to pay $6 for some paracetamol in a pharmacy when I can get the same for about 20p in the UK. I bored my sister senseless with the complaints and comparisons. And that's what worries me somewhat - I need to stop comparing if I have any chance of adjusting! Otherwise I will become a right whinger.

And no, Auckland has no Zara - though they have opened in Bosnia for f**ks sake. Saying that, I would probably just moan about how much cheaper Zara is in the UK

AndyEvs

Lol, I found the shopping in Serbia last year better than here! Although the paint did come off my red star Belgrade mug that I bought from a street vendor the first time it went in the dishwasher!

whitesand

For us, coming here was a geat shock due to the high cost of living. It's the adjustments you have to make on the day to day cost of iiving which stings the most. We're not extravagant folks, but wherever we've been in the world, we have always enjoyed a good standard of living and eating out in reasonalble restaurants and having a few drinks whenever we wished. Now, however, I find myself refusing to buy even the most ordinary of things here because I find them extortionate.

I've always loved looking around shops and finding variety and new things. Now, I find it annoying and stressful as I know I'm not going to find what I want at prices I can afford.

shocked kiwi

The fact that you will have no mortgage is good but most of the decent houses are in the million plus bracket now in Auckland unless you live a smaller city. Auckland and Christchurch have housing shortages due to lack of supply as there is high immigration from asian countries in Auckland and in Christchurch reduced stock of houses due to the earthquakes. All of your likes concern me - Nz has terrible shopping, that's one major thing that I miss from the Uk, gyms here are excellent though , holidays - very expensive to travel on the kiwi dollar apart from Australia or the Pacific Islands due to the airfares, and NZ being so isolated. I was looking to do an African Safari and the airfare from Nz to south africa was the same/more expensive than a return air ticket to the Uk and I priced it up using what it would cost in Nz dollars and uk pounds and it was cheaper by $3000 nzd to travel from Britain.(obviously Africa is closer to the UK as you can get there in one 11 hour flight so its not comparing apples to apples I know.) Buying things like cough mixture is $25 for a large bottle, nurofen $14.99. Be aware that food costs are set to increase as Nz is in the middle of a very severe drought and the prices of fruit/veges will soon skyrocket as it has not rained for approx 6 months. I have lived in UK/Europe I miss the culture, shopping and sophistication of Europe - did you want to swap passports?

trafford

Looking on trademe is so confusing because there are few asking prices - due to auctions I guess. But it means we end up looking at amazing houses we have no hope of affording. My OH wants a sea view and I want city buzz, boutiques, restaurants and café culture. Since I am not Bill Gates, one of us will have to give in, and it will be me probably - so I guess we will have to look further north - e.g Whangaparoa peninsula, to be able to afford it.

My likes concern me too! I really worry that I will miss retail therapy. Saying that, when it's sales season over here I hate shopping because there is nothing new to see. And I don't even miss it. My "addiction" is the thought that there is "unbought" stuff out there - maybe that perfect jacket, or boots (yet another!) - that I am missing out on. If I know there is nothing there worth having, then I don't miss it. Well, I guess I am hoping that's how it will work out!

Maybe I will spend more time in the gym rather than the shops! Good for the body, soul and pocket.


In the UK I feel like I am in the centre of the world - everything seems close. While I have been lucky to be able to travel lots already, I certainly don't take as many opportunities to travel as I could. I have been here in Cheshire for 16 years and never been to Scotland! It's so close that you always think you can do it any time, and then never get around to it.

So, shocked kiwi, would you really move back if the opportunity arose? How long have you been back in NZ? I am hoping that I will rediscover my jandle wearing days when we move back!

scottishstacey

I know what you mean about everything being so close yet some of us dont explore as much as we should!

shocked kiwi

Yes I would move back to the Uk if I could. I have been back in Nz 10 years and thought it my obligation to give it a good go here, and since the financial crisis of 2007 it has got harder.I loved the atmosphere in Auckland when the Rugby World cup was on as the pubs were full of people and is was so much fun - when you go out here on other times, the pubs/bars are really empty. You should come back for a short term and see if you like it first maybe before settling.