THR

May I ask the members of this forum what were the principal reasons why you chose NZ over Canada, Australia etc? Well, I guess I know the answer myself. Most of you have had family connections in NZ and had relatives in the country already. Those who didn't have relatives were driven by the sheer adventurer-spirit.

I have often wondered which type of outlook on emigration is better: The one you say that you are gone for ever and bye bye old life or the one whereby you say that you are going to live 1,2,3,4,5 or so years in a new country and see what is going to happen. If you don't like it there there is always the UK to come back to no matter how loud you banged the doors when you left.

To cut the long story short: When you decided to emigrate to NZ did you think it was going to be for ever or has the usual thing happened to you that you think: "I'll be there for two years and then I'll come back" but you became so enchanted with the place that it grew on you and the UK all of a sudden started to be a foreign country and NZ home?

J_E_T

Hello

We left the UK for the US initially for two years (for a job opportunity) and then it has ended up being four years so far and we are actually in Canada now......we like North America a lot but don't really feel completely "at home" here and equally we couldn't face returning home to Britain either. Just as you mentioned, we now don't really feel "at home" in the UK either! I think an appropriate term to describe us would be "culturally weightless" in that we don't feel at home in our country of origin or where we are at present.

We are now emigrating to New Zealand this summer with PR for a better work-life balance, more opportunities for outdoors recreation (hiking, kayaking, camping etc.) and a better quality of life. We don't have any family there or know anyone there at all. We are aware that we won't be better off financially over there but we are still willing to give it a go!

As for whether we've decided its 'forever', no, at the moment we are seeing how things go and taking each year as it comes.......but our life is certainly an adventure

Genesis

We knew no one, no relatives nothing. I had been here 15 years previously and thought it was a cool place..mainly because of low density population. Thats one of the main reasons I like it here...it hate crowds.

We came here on a full bridge burning excercise. For us it needed to be that way. Miss shed loads about the UK but we just did not want to bring our kids up there. For me I have to try to live in the now and would personally find it hard to put what I have into the 3 years here if I knew we would be soon moving on....but I am not every one and others love the transient air to their lives...I can understand that. Also at almost 50 I really want to hang my hat somewhere. For the first time I think in my life I am content with my country that I reside in and almost every aspect of my life.

Always left the UK believing 100% that it would be a forever move. I don't think that will change unless 55 million people decide to leave..then I'd return happily!!!!

owen

I was supposed to go to Canada, but I got distracted!!

irnbru14

I'd been out here in 2006 with a rucksack on my back and loved it, got home, back to work and felt restless and listless so looked into coming back out, sorted a job and here I am! Is it forever, no idea, its for now though and really trying to take it month at a time, which is all you can really do I think!!

Bo-Jangles

Who knows what life will bring in the next one, two, three or more years down the track? We had no plans to emigrate, it just came to us a silly half assed idea one day and we started to do some research. Internet is a wonderful thing and you can find out so much about places without ever having to go there yourself. We were going to Brissy, had job interviews lined up and promise of a job, subject to visas and then got sidetracked onto looking at NZ.

We knew not a soul here, we came lock stock and barrel for 'good' whatever that means? We're here for the forseeable and don't have a life plan or a map that tells us what direction life will take in the future. So just go with the flow, it's know big deal, people come and people go, things change, we change and if a new idea or something else takes our fancy it's not a given that we absolutely HAVE to stay here.

I don't believe you can go backwards, whatever you do even of you decide only to move for two or three years, there has to be something different or new at the end of that period. There's no way I could just slip back into the old routine, go back to where we came from and carry on as if nothing happened. It would not be right and I know I personally could not even contemplate such a move.

THR

Many people feel that it is some kind of weakness of mind unless you have everything planned in front of you; For example when you emigrate you decide you are not coming back. Some people have a different outlook saying that they give it a go and if they don't like it they can come back.

Both outlooks are ok. Of course, if you say to everyone in the UK before you have left that you are going to leave this crappy country forever and won't even piss in its direction and sod off you all but return in six months time because you just couldn't cope in a new country, you may hear questions: "Didn't you say you wanted to get out of the UK forever?"

However, it belongs to the spirit of an adventurer to have very firm opinions on the future.

Catkin09

Originally thought of going to live in Greece, but decided against that because of the kids education and big language barrier!!

So next we said it had to be somewhere that speaks English.... America..no full of Americans, Canada...no too close to America and gets too cold, Australia...no full of Aussies, so that left NZ. We'd never been here before, but after some research and a job offer for OH, here we are. Started to look at things July 2007 and hereon the 1st Jan 2008.

Will we stay forever, maybe..maybe not. You never know what's around the corner. At the moment, quite contented muddling along till we can buy our own house.

Life is what you make it and you only get one chance.

Catkin

happynz

Setting aside the current racketeers that run the US government, what is it that bothers you about the US?

Annoying British nudge nudge wink wink, aren't we so superior attitudes along with the near constant moaning of how shit everything is in the UK are not the most endearing qualities of UK culture. Jesus wept, there appears to be lots of passive-aggressive people in the UK.
See above.

THR

I know as I'm typing this message that I'm gonna get a lot of shouting at me but I'll this nevertheless: Why didn't you emigrate to Ireland? I mean, a next door country which nowadays is extremely prosperous(GDp per capita above the UK-figure) and a very progressive society.

Ok, start shouting!

Catkin09

When I was a teenager we moved to Ireland when my parents divorced, and unfortunately they were'nt the happiest times for me. Anyway, although it's a beautiful country and the people are great, it just wasn't right. Probably a case of "been there, done that, got the T-shirt"

Catkin

Catkin09

Sorry Happy

Didn't mean to get you all in a fluster
I know the US is a great big country and there are really nice places to live, but I suppose what really worried me was the crime rate, which you have to agree is high, and the fact as you said, the US government frightens the cr@p out of me

Yes you're right there are a lot of annoying British out there, and yes we do moan about how shit everything is in the UK, and many are passive-aggressive people, :curse: Hopefully I'm not as bad as some others are.... so get of your hight horse and let the British take over the world again

Only joking. We wouldn't be British if we didn't have somwthing to moan about, now would we

Catkin

heavenljm

i was meant to go to Canada but weather and job situ circumstances changed my mind always had a bit of a thing for NZ dont know why lol

happynz

No need to apologise. I enjoy a debate.

Not flustered. Somewhat annoyed at your generalisation, but flustered...I'm not that.
Well, yes and no. It's similar to New Zealand in many ways.
In some places, yes, but the overwhelming majority live in areas that are quite calm.
No argument there. Damned scoundrels, the lot of them.
I'm sure you're well-adjusted.
Only if you promise to do a better job than the last time.
Indeed.

Gill and Rob

Ireland was our second choice if we didn't get in to NZ. If fact I even emailled about a few job. Luckily we didn't have to settle for Plan B.

Gill