Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Hi there and welcome to B.E. :)

It's my pleasant duty to welcome you to the forum and give you a point of contact should you need any help with the site in general. You can contact me here.

A list of all the moderators and helpers with their relevant countries including New Zealand can be found here.

Any problems, dont hesitate to PM me.

Enjoy B.E. :)

Alistair.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Hello & Welcome to BE. ;)

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Hello and welcome. Can't help on Hastings and Napier but I just wondered what was scary? Life in the UK? Earthquakes in Christchurch? Or just thinking about taking the plunge into the great unknown? :)

Hi
My husband and i and three daughters are seriously considering the move to NZ, probably in the Hastings/ Napier area. Can anyone give me any low down on this area? It is quite a scary time.

Just the unknown, and the new beginnings.
My husband has done the whistle stop tour for jobs and we now have to make our decisions. There is so much reason to leave Britain at the moment, but New Zealand still feels so far away.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

It is and it too is full of issues, unrest and irksome things! Been here 5 yrs and I love it but in lots of ways it is same shit diffo bucket. This bucket is empty which is NZs big attraction for me. But don't think NZ is not without problems. And the UK is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo far away and way tooooooooooooooo expensive to keep flitting back..even if you had the money you will not get the leave..about 3-4 weeks per annum is the norm. Think carefully!!

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Ah but you could look at it a different way as in another step on life's great adventures - and adventures are on the whole rather fun :D New beginnings are normally incredibly positive as well :thumbsup:

Yes there are issues here, same as anywhere, but there are upsides to being at the other end of the earth - fewer people, less PC-ness (sometimes), more practical and can-do/get on with it attitudes. I love how I can be in the middle of nowhere in less than an hour from an amazing city, and there are no people! I feel so much more safer here as well.

As for flight prices - it ain't cheap but what is these days? There are some great threads on the Australian forum about airmiles and cheaper ways of sourcing tickets.

What are your reasons for moving if you don't mind me asking?

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

My husband is a gp and i a midwife, so we fit the skill shortage.

The new government is doing its best to destroy any public services in Britain.
Also he works really long hours.

We very much want to live more rurally and love the outdoors lifestyle. NZ can offer most of this.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Well there are generally less public services here... its a bit more stand on your own two feet.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

GP & a midwife:eek::eek:? You might just squeeze in I reckon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whilst we need you both desparately did you know that Oz offers wildly better salaries for GPs than NZ? Really silly money is on the table in the 'dusty country'.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

I was reading somewhere the other day that older doctors in New Zealand were putting the benefits of its laid back rural lifestyle above the attraction of greater pay in Australia.

I guess that's because the more financially secure one is the more attractive New Zealand becomes, also older doctors are less likely to have students loans to pay off, probably have no mortgage etc.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

So far my dentist is English, and the only 2 GPs I've seen at our local surgery are English and South African, and the Doctor my daughter saw at Wellington hospital was English, as was the receptionist in the x-ray department:rofl:

Do your research, think, think and think some more....have a few doubts, it's perfectly normal....then take the plunge and if NZ can offer you the lifestyle and job you want, without the heat and insects you'll find in OZ, and you are well aware of the distance involved then why not? No, NZ is not perfect, and has its fair share of problems and of course it has a different culture despite speaking the same language.

I can't offer advice on Hastings/Napier as I've only ever passed through them on holiday. They've struck me as being quite remote, even by Kiwi standards, but hopefully some expats who live that way will be along to help you.

It may be worth contacting a few local hospitals and or GP surgeries and ask to speak to an English doctor to get their opinions of life here?

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Your husband is a GP and you are whinging about the Coalition cutting public services when it's very clear the NHS is the sacred cow that won't be touched. Funding for it has even gone up.

You have other reasons for moving to NZ/leaving Britain but blaming it on the current government is a cheap shot, especially as NZ has a much smaller public services sector.

If you want the rural/outdoor lifestyle have you considered a rural part of Britain? Scotland has large stretches of wilderness that may appeal to you. Consider Wales as well. North Wales is quite stunning.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

My GP visited NZ last year and is seriously considering a move. He says the hours he has to attend patients and surgery are now over demanding and greatly interfering in his family life. I can only take his word for what he has told me as I am not a GP to understand his concerns or to be able to tell wether a rural GP's lot is any better. For me to criticize the poster would be a cheap shot......;)

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

Yeah, hell, how could you be concerned about a paltry 500,000 jobs and the biggest public service cutbacks ever???

...and as for taking a poke at the government... jeez no one else has ever done that before you anarchist!

Get something real to whinge about, come back when you're terminally ill or someone has just dropped a dirty bomb on London. Actually, no you'd need to suck those in too. Come back to whinge when something really important happens like the All-Blacks losing a game.

Bloody Whinging Poms.

Re: Seriously thinking of nz
 

I guess the questions you should be asking are why does New Zealand have a skills shortage in health-care ? and how does that impact on existing health-care professionals?