madeupname3

I've been trying to escape the UK for about ten years and decided this year (post covid) that either had to make it happen or suck it up and stay put. My first choice was Australia but decided to widen the net to NZ to try and make sure it happened. To try and cut a long story short, I've now been offered a job in Melbourne and another in Christchurch. Adjusting for currency there $64 in them so that doesn't solve my dilemma. I've been to Melbourne twice and know I'd love it but theres something alluring about NZ. Do you guys have any advice?

BEVS

Yes. Go to Oz. The Melbourne area is ace.

Pollyana

BEVS is right, Melbourne is a great city, and the area offers a lot. From there its easy enough to do trips to NZ, but of the two Melbourne probably offers more. (not wanting to offend the lovely people in the NZ fprum - personal opinion though!)

Mishclark

I love NZ so much, but Melbourne is awesome, go for it! So much better than Sydney, I hate that place and I'm from there!

Justcol

Go to OZ and visit NZ for a holiday.

For the first time in 15 years I wish I lived somewhere else. NZ is such a mess right now, and no sign of things improving any time in the foreseeable future

Tate

Totally agree with Justcol!

Mishclark

In saying that. Australia is also going through the same issues with cost of living, inflation, homelessness, housing crisis etc..you just need to see the news that people have their struggles as well.

BEVS

Not sure NZ is in a mess, at least no more than most all countries atm. It is undeniably very expensive however. Having written that other countries are also feeling a bad pinch. Bluddy pandemic.

Accessability , variety and diversity will be far better in Oz.

madeupname3

Thanks for the replies, was posted while slightly inebriated after Friday night drinks.

Posting in the NZ forum I was expecting a huge defence of Christchurch but it seems not :-) Are there really no redeeming features of NZ, would the same salary not go further in Christchurch than Melbourne?

Pollyana

From my personal point of view, there's more to it than that. Its quality of life - the standard of the housing, perks of the role as well as the salary - leave entitlements, superannuation etc. What is there to do outside of work - how does that kind of thing suit your own interests? Distance of travel to places where you want to visit? How cosmopolitan or remote does the city feel? I'm no lover of Australia, and I think NZ is a beautiful country, but given the choice it would be Melbourne any time

Moses2013

You are right and there's more to it than saying location A is better than B. Not everybody can cope with day to day life in a huge city and visiting Los Angeles/Hollywood is very different than life in Skidrow. I know a guy who is from Melbourne and has lived in Ireland for 20 years and decided to move back there to be closer to family. He and his partner just didn't realise how much Melbourne had grown and you now have over 5 million people. Despite good jobs, they couldn't find an affordable suitable house to buy and never saw family due to the traffic and distances between them. They now moved to a small village in France as it was just too much for them. Then there are others who love it there and some just generally love crowds. I could probably cope in Barcelona if somebody offered me a detached house with pool in Castelldefels for 200K with the same salary and work from home. It all comes down to work life balance and all I know is that it's cheaper for me to drive 2 hours to the city rather than living there. Christchurch seems to be an excellent choice if you get a similar salary and like smaller cities.

Tom H

If someone offered me a job in Melbourne, I'd be on the first plane there. This isn't an attack on Christchurch as we're 26k north from there.

Melbourne offers so much more than what Christchurch can offer. If you are into sport, Melbourne is paradise for it. When I went over there for a week with work, I was blown away with the sport that was accessible. If you have kids as well, Melbourne can offer ten times the amount Christchurch can for kids. When we first moved over, we were surprised about OE's but after being here for nearly 11 years, we totally understand why this takes place.

Its not just that, housing, lifestyle, superannuation, day to day costs. Yes I have seen Australia is getting expensive but here is really expensive. I'm lucky I can afford the high cost of living at the moment but I can imagine that there are many out there that can't.

North Canterbury is lovely mind, we enjoy heading into the city when we do and there's a lot of things that we tend to do and enjoy. Its a quiet place, which is an attraction as we enjoy the peace and quiet. However if you offered me Melbourne, I'd be there straight away

Mishclark

I agree here. I love Christchurch and intend to stay and retire, I don't like Australia even as an Aussie, I've only lived in Sydney, Brisbane and stayed an hour and a half north of Sydney since I got stuck here (yes, back 8th September!) I've been to a fair few places in Oz. I think Melbourne is my favourite. I have a few friends that have moved there over various times in the last 15 years or so and all love it there.

Personal preference but I don't think you would be disappointed 😊

Justcol

You don't say what the salary is, just that there's $64 between them.
Check out trade me and real estate NZ for houses and prices. Run through on online weekly shop with new world and countdown.
Have a look at car and fuel prices.
I like Christchurch its a nice place, and some of the areas around it it in the wider Canterbury region are beautiful.
I've never been to Melbourne so can't compare the two.
I love NZ, I've been very happy here, but if I was 10 yrs younger I would be living in OZ. Whether that's down to just being fed up with the whole situation in NZ right now and feeling like most migrants do at some point, that the grass is greener elsewhere, I don't know 🤔
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Moses2013

I'm surprised that so many here now prefer OZ. You are probably right and after 10-20 years most people feel that the grass is greener elsewhere. In that period you get to see the ups and downs (boom & bust) of a country and in reality it's the same everywhere. When you follow the Australian news it's all negative, same in Germany, UK, Canada, US, Ireland, Spain etc. Covid has also changed people and those who live remote now want crowds and those who had the crowds now seek remoteness. You get those who believe they are in paradise and those who believe paradise is elsewhere.