Originally Posted by KiwiKate

Rationing - do you remember that then aphid?????? Jeez, I'm a poor judge, I had you as at most early 40's

Originally Posted by Poppy2

We are moving on to Canada after being here for 4 years, and it has been good in many respects being here, but ultimately we want to have a new adventure now.

We never came on a recce - never could afford to and I think I might have been romanced by the holiday aspect too. It took me a good year of living here, spending our savings, to stop converting to pounds and seeing everything as cheap. Its not so cheap when you are earning dollars.

We were thrilled with the scenery, the adventure of it all, the welcome, the fun of exploring and feeling like this is the final frontier. The beaches, though there is nothing there but a beach usually, no ice creams and bucket stalls - the beaches are wonderful. Usually they are timber strewn and black sand near us, but the sea is like mint coloured turlish delight. It moves your soul to be there. We would go after school (only 15 min drive) and make driftwood forts on the good days in the winter - it was warmer to be there in the sun than at home!

Housing - we didnt do very well on. We bought a massive renovation job and we knew nothing of the damp winters ahead. But if we had known more we would have bought a smaller, easy to maintain, modern house with good insulation and good heating. There are houses being built now with double glazing too, so thinking about those things are important.


Crime isnt as bad in the UK, but there are quite a lot of gang issues here. I dont mean teens in hoodies walking the streets, I mean gangs like the biker gangs. They are mainly Maori based and having worked with a few, they can be very intimidating. Quite a lot of violence exists between them. I think there is more domestic violence here that contributes to the news worthy crimes such as murders etc. So you do have the dreadful newsworthy items like murders every so often, and they always struck me as being extreme cases - but they are usually perpetrated by family or someone known to the victim - if you see what I mean.

As for other crime, theft and so forth, I havent much experience of it. I would like to say that I have left my 1994 Surf unlocked wherever it is and as yet it still hasnt been stolen!!! It would save me selling it if it got stolen, burnt out or stripped for parts...............but no.

Schooling is great here (I only know about primary level though) and if you have kids they will love it here!

Less commercialism is great on the one hand, no need to keep up with the Jones's, but can wear thin after a while for some.

And a little issue for me was that Christmas has never felt festive here. Not much piped muzak in the shops, usually just a festive message written on shop windows and no-one makes that much of a fuss - its a day off and a good opportunity to go to the beach for many. But lots of people dont mind that.

I think it is difficult to understand how few people there are here and how the few dots on the map arent the major centres with villages inbetween like at home - they are it.

But it is a dream holiday destination for many, and you cant know unless you try! We said we would give it 2-4 years and then review it. It took me 2 years to feel like a local and around that time the thrill of the scenery and the beaches were starting to pale because my daily work was not as thrilling!! So real life is real life wherever you go.

And I think here, if you dont come with some substantial funds from a house sale so you can set yourself up with a house (mortgaged if needed, but large deposit to reduce payments) and some cars, I think it can be a struggle.

Also we brought over a 20 foot container if our stuff and it was worth it for us to do so. We would never have been able to afford to replace those things for the money it cost to ship them. Though we have bought more here and leave with a 40 foot container this time!!!

Keep asking and reading, and just keep remembering that everyone will like and dislike different things. Take what is worthwhile from people's comments and give the benefit of the doubt to stuff that doesnt work for you!

Good luck!!

Originally Posted by Elsie03

Thanks a lot Poppy...much appreciated. We have some equity in our property here in the UK which will fund us to relocate. Sadly, timing (hubby is 52 this year and age limit for visa is 55) will prevent us budgeting for a reccie as well as making the move. So its go for it! I think its the adventure we are keen to undertake. We started together late in life and keen not to end up in an old peoples home having regrets of what might have been....

Good luck with Canada....

Originally Posted by Avid

1947?? Rationing? Hmmm...you might be right.

I'd say more 1958 myself.

Originally Posted by mazi

Ok this is a bit negative but I found I lived to work in NZ which I had never done in London and I also felt a lot safer in London than in NZ - I would happily (though possibly stupidly) walk down the street in London at 2am but would never go out in NZ alone after dark - I am not saying it definitely WAS more unsafe there - I just didn't FEEL safe there.

But you'll never know unless you try! Loads of people love it so you may well be one of them...go for it (but maybe do a recce first)