MV5555

Hi ANN i have sent you the contact info in a PM for the guy at head office, apparently he is the fella in total command and responsable for the overseas recruitment drive in the UK and Holland

dekajack1

Thanks

Have received both. Will wait and see what happens now.

My fellow warder is flying out there this weekend to start at college in September "Nudenut".

Hopefully we will all have a little more information to go on with soon.


Take care


Ann

Billie

I think you have one year to go to NZ from the date of the stamp in your passport- hope that helps. What about renting the house out as a last resorty?

Den13

I'm in Rotorua at the moment. Another fabulous place, although the smell is a bit offputting!!

Thats more than compensated by the views......wow.

Off to Napier later. Might stay in the old jail!!

Thanks for your best wishes.

MV5555

Karma for u den

ranbysue

Hi

My husband is due to start at Waikeria Prison near Hamilton next March. We plan to rent out our house in the UK as nothing seems to be selling at the moment in the detached end around us in the Midlands.

Does anyone know or have looked into the cost of renting out in NZ on north Island. I saw some very average properties in Hamilton which were between $270 and $350nzd per week. The salary of $36000 equates to approx $550 per week so you can work out for yourselves how much cash will be left! This has worried me enormously as many on this site (not officers) have said that you need at least $60,000 to survive in NZ and that $36000 is equal to a cafe workers pay as it is very low. I am not in the position to say if this is true or not as I live here and not in NZ.

We have had our EOI accepted and have been asked by immigration to now apply further. My husband's collegue went out to Auckland in May to work in the prison there and promised us faithfully that he would let us know how it was going and the set up. However, we have not heard anything but know that he has contacted other ex colleagues (who are not applying) to say that he has arrived. Before apply further, we are going to try to write and send a letter to Auckland prison and hope that it gets there. This way we may be able to gain a better insight.

I work part time as a lecturer in social & life skills in Prison education and so could get a job myself, which would boost our finances (would have to fit in with kids though) but when I asked Scott Gwynne about this at my husbands interview, he said there would be no problem in my getting a job but went on to tell my that only prison officers delivered these courses and that each prison only employed approx 4 teachers who delivered higher academic qualifications. Although I have a cert-ed, I don't teach a subject - only social and life skills, so I think this may not be an option for me. I also work as a mortgage advisor in a building society at the beginning of the week.

It was a nice surprise to see this thread and any information is most welcome. Good luck to all.

Ps my husband really wants us to go, but it's me who's having the doubts (as you can proably tell!!!)

lapsed kiwi

There has been an awful lot written on various threads about what income you need in NZ, and the figures quoted vary enormously. The rentals you mention seem about right, I've been looking in Auckland where they are a bit higher. You may find something cheaper out of the city. I think I would be a bit nervous about managing on a single $36k income unless I were living mortgage-free, especially with children. That said, if you can find a job, you'd probably be alright with even a smallish second income. Depends what you're used to, I suppose

Den13

Hi Sue,
Over the last few days I've spoken to quite a few kiwis and expats about this. In fact just this afternoon I was chatting to a really nice Police Officer who endorsed any future new zealand drivers licence I may have with 30 points - how we both chuckled...... Moral=don't speed - not even a bit.
Anyhoo, he said a prison officers salary is about average and a Brit I spoke to last night was living in Auckland, albeit alone, on 30k.

I'm in Wellington now as I'm getting shown aroung Rimutaka tomorrow morning and meeting Scott in the afternoon. I'll be asking about money.

I'll keep you updated.

MV5555

Sue im in exactly the same position .........my wife will need to find work too for us to really give it a go, but we are determined to try....whats the worst that could happen ....we lose about 18 months of living in the UK and we can say be had a bit of an adventure trying if it dont work out the UK prison service will have your hubby back no need to re train and lose no increments. yes we may have spent some money trying ..but lifes for living and we wont be able to look back and say what if ....we will be able to look back and say either thank god i came or well its great to be back. The prison im off to is also hamilton so i hope we might be in a position for our families to help and give moral support to each other.
What ever you decide to do Sue good luck.......we are going to need a slice of it i think

Beef Wellington

I'm in Wellington now as I'm getting shown aroung Rimutaka tomorrow morning and meeting Scott in the afternoon. I'll be asking about money.

I'll keep you updated.[/QUOTE]
I would be interested in your opinion about Rimutaka Den coz it is where I am heading early next year. If you can, ask roughly how long it normally takes to drive from there to the Kapati coast.
Thanks and good luck,
Beef

scottish

Sue, sorry dont want to be a damp squid but there is no way on this earth you will be able to afford to live and pay full rent on that salary.....

Heres an example of our outgoings on hubby salary alone whilst renting in Papamoa. Based on 2 adults and 1 dog.

Hubby earnt gross $46,800 per year = $690 net per week.

Rent $320
Elec $30
Water $10
Telephone inc Broadband $15 - no phone calls home etc, mum always called me or emailed
Petrol to work until hubby got company van $50
Sky (basic package a luxury I know) $40
Food $170 ish
Car Ins $17
Heating - hubby scrounged wood from teh sites for our woodburner so free wood

Now you work it out.... when never had any money for WOF for car or repairs etc. Now and again we refuelled our LPG cannister for about $34. We also had to budget for our water rates which varied.

Now you can get rentals a wee bit cheaper but with the lesser salary its swings and roundabouts.

I think you really need to step back and think about this.

On that salary you really need to be mortgage free (god I hate that word Lol).

I managed to find work 5 months after landing and brought home an additional $180 per week. That was a great help and paid for extras like clothes, doctors, car repairs, car rego etc.

Will duck away again ...

xx

MV5555

we all know a salary of a correctional officer with a family with a mortgage is not going to cut it in NZ, we know that if we do go its going to have to be with both parties working, we know its not going to be easy and we arnt wearing rose coloured glasses, if we do want a new life it will be hard work and commitment, the positive posts i do hear about me the risk for me worth it and with the right mind set and positive thinking i set my goal on it working out for us

uk+kiwi

I know it took guts to post. Well done.

dekajack1

I would be interested in your opinion about Rimutaka Den coz it is where I am heading early next year. If you can, ask roughly how long it normally takes to drive from there to the Kapati coast.
Thanks and good luck,
Beef[/QUOTE]
Hi

Interested to know that you know which prison you are going to in Wellington, I was told that I could go to any of the Prisons within the region for between 6 months and 12 months at a time.

Were you told what establishment you were going to with job offer.


Ann

scottish

Glad you do know it all... one last piece of advice dont presume your other half will get a job right away. I made that awful mistake and ended up with a huge confidence blow and all our savings gone... Just make sure you have enough funds as back up just incase.

And for the record we also had the hard work and commitment speach its just some times things can go pear shaped.

Another thing you should take on board is if your other half or the major wage earner goes sick (only 5 days sick pay in NZ to start) what do you do when you have no wages coming in. We were lucky and ACC paid 80% of hubbys wages due to work related illness but this was a nightmare for us to try and live off.. so imagine if you have no wages coming in!!

Anyhow thing I have said enough.