traykas

Hey everyone,
need some help & advise, my partner & I are awaiting our PR for Oz, but for some reason we keep getting drawn to New Zealand, reasons being, we have 2 dogs and a cat, we currently enjoy woodland walks, mountain biking etc, we have heard in oz that the dogs pretty much have to be left leashed all the time, and the country walks would be extremely scary, so putting the family first we are looking into NZ, my only concern is that my partner would find it difficult to get work, she is a qualified cabinet maker, carpenter, (20 years exp) she currently fits kitchens, bedrooms & bathrooms for B&Q, we love the look of picton and she is willing to travel up to an hour to work, I am a manager in B&Q so hopefully will get a position in retail, but we depend on her salary, we will be renting our property in the uk so will have minimal money when we leave, so i guess the main questions are
1 what is picton like?
2 is there carpentry work in and around the area?
3 decent salary to obtain a mortgage?
4 once validated in oz, do we get PR for NZ and can we then apply for citizenship later on?
sorry to ask so much, but really stressed about all this!!!
Thanks.

P2L

Hi Traykas

We live 'down the road' from Picton in Renwick, and have to say that Picton is lovely

However, whilst it would give you the lifestyle opportunities you are hoping for, I think you would both struggle on the job front in that particular area, as it is a relatively small town.

Can I suggest looking at Nelson?? Still have the 'lifestyle' on your doorstep, with a similar climate to Picton but lots more job opportunities for both of you

Sorry for adding to your confusion but hope that it helps!!!

Sarah

traykas

Thanks for that, our bubble seems to be bursting, we are open to options, but want to stay away from the city, as i said commuting up to an hour is fine with us. got friends in Nelson, but seems alot more expensive

P2L

I'm not saying that Picton is impossible, but it's cheaper than where we are because there is little there.; great to visit as it's quite quaint and picturesque but dealing with the reality of living there would be different.

Silly things like only one supermarket mean that you would rely heavily on neighbouring Blenheim for lots of things.

The outskirts of Nelson are much cheaper and it gets rural very quickly!!
If you hang on BEVShere lives up that way, and will probably be better able to advise you on the area and job situation.

Ted Logan

Nelson is hardly a city !!

dave.and.lisa

hi, we have just been through a very similar dilemma, hubby went on a recce to Oz and visited Blenhiem to see family and fell for the place. NZ was never on the table before that all our reasearch was based around OZ and we are half way through our PR visa for OZ. Our agent has informed us we are entitled to healthcare etc as NZ resident and can apply for citizenship. So feel we are in an ideal situation as if NZ is not for us we are able to look at OZ again. We have been very stressed out about making the decision to change track, worried about a variety of issues mainly cost of living and wages, but the more I read about NZ and the comments about the quality of life people seem to enjoy I feel confident we are making the right decision for our family...
Good luck with your decisions. Lisa

traykas

Thanks for that, at least we're not the only ones, , like yourselves, i have spent so much time researching oz, our visa is due any day now, fingers crossed hey, at the end of it all though, we have to go where the work is, (unless of course we win the lottery tonight)

Beachcombers

Hi There

We lived in Picton for six months and I did the daily 25min commute to Blenheim (and saw about four cars on the way). Loved living there, beautiful, quite.

There should be plenty of work for your partner, Blenheim is experiencing a building boom at the moment.

You could consider other areas close by that are also affordable and within commuting distance. Havelock is beautiful and is about 40mins from Blenheim (and a hour to Nelson).

Rarangi is a small coastal settlement, 20 mins from Blenheim (prices are rising fast though). Seddon in Awetere Valley is 30 mins and very affordable.

JAJ

You can only apply for New Zealand citizenship after 5 years.

And you should bear in mind that New Zealanders no longer get automatic permanent resident rights in Australia.

Many people in the same situation would do the opposite, go to Australia and plan make the decision about moving on to New Zealand after they have Australian passports.