Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Dec 9th 2005, 10:02 pm
#1
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Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
I totally empathise with the problems Brit expats outlined in the closed thread 'dreaming of England.' You were all spot on! There is definitely a 'one eyed' small island mentality here in kiwiland and it can be really annoying.
But there is hope!
My husband and I have been here for 10 years now. When we first got here we loved it for the first 6 months and then hated it for the next 4 years. But, and this is really important...you have to make that commitment to making it work. If you give in to the homesickness and the negativity (and there is a lot here) you will end up running home with your tail between your legs. I would also say that you do yourself no favours if you keep going back for trips because it makes it harder to settle, we've only been back once in 10yrs.
Don't get so caught up in the statistics and instead concentrate on what opportunities are open to you. Even though I hated it here in the beginning and it was a real financial struggle I took the opportunity to go to University, something I had no chance of doing in the UK. Also, I really missed the closeness of Europe and jumping on the plane so easily. But, the South Pacific is truly paradise, like nowhere else on earth, and I've been to lots of exotic places around the world. Explore Samoa, Fiji, Raro etc.....they are truly spectacular and right on our doorstep!
Look beyond the financial...enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I came from the rat race of London, and even though I loved the place it was nice to slow down.
Also, NZ is a country of entrepeneurs so take the opportunity of making your own work. Employee wages are crap so work for yourself. Be creative, we opened our own company 5 yrs ago and it's doing well. It's much more forgiving here than England when opening your own business, so take the oportunity, make the best of it and go for it!!!
But there is hope!
My husband and I have been here for 10 years now. When we first got here we loved it for the first 6 months and then hated it for the next 4 years. But, and this is really important...you have to make that commitment to making it work. If you give in to the homesickness and the negativity (and there is a lot here) you will end up running home with your tail between your legs. I would also say that you do yourself no favours if you keep going back for trips because it makes it harder to settle, we've only been back once in 10yrs.
Don't get so caught up in the statistics and instead concentrate on what opportunities are open to you. Even though I hated it here in the beginning and it was a real financial struggle I took the opportunity to go to University, something I had no chance of doing in the UK. Also, I really missed the closeness of Europe and jumping on the plane so easily. But, the South Pacific is truly paradise, like nowhere else on earth, and I've been to lots of exotic places around the world. Explore Samoa, Fiji, Raro etc.....they are truly spectacular and right on our doorstep!
Look beyond the financial...enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I came from the rat race of London, and even though I loved the place it was nice to slow down.
Also, NZ is a country of entrepeneurs so take the opportunity of making your own work. Employee wages are crap so work for yourself. Be creative, we opened our own company 5 yrs ago and it's doing well. It's much more forgiving here than England when opening your own business, so take the oportunity, make the best of it and go for it!!!
Dec 10th 2005, 5:42 am
#2
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Location: Melbourne, by the beach, living the dream.
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
I totally empathise with the problems Brit expats outlined in the closed thread 'dreaming of England.' You were all spot on! There is definitely a 'one eyed' small island mentality here in kiwiland and it can be really annoying.
But there is hope!
My husband and I have been here for 10 years now. When we first got here we loved it for the first 6 months and then hated it for the next 4 years. But, and this is really important...you have to make that commitment to making it work. If you give in to the homesickness and the negativity (and there is a lot here) you will end up running home with your tail between your legs. I would also say that you do yourself no favours if you keep going back for trips because it makes it harder to settle, we've only been back once in 10yrs.
Don't get so caught up in the statistics and instead concentrate on what opportunities are open to you. Even though I hated it here in the beginning and it was a real financial struggle I took the opportunity to go to University, something I had no chance of doing in the UK. Also, I really missed the closeness of Europe and jumping on the plane so easily. But, the South Pacific is truly paradise, like nowhere else on earth, and I've been to lots of exotic places around the world. Explore Samoa, Fiji, Raro etc.....they are truly spectacular and right on our doorstep!
Look beyond the financial...enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I came from the rat race of London, and even though I loved the place it was nice to slow down.
Also, NZ is a country of entrepeneurs so take the opportunity of making your own work. Employee wages are crap so work for yourself. Be creative, we opened our own company 5 yrs ago and it's doing well. It's much more forgiving here than England when opening your own business, so take the oportunity, make the best of it and go for it!!!
But there is hope!
My husband and I have been here for 10 years now. When we first got here we loved it for the first 6 months and then hated it for the next 4 years. But, and this is really important...you have to make that commitment to making it work. If you give in to the homesickness and the negativity (and there is a lot here) you will end up running home with your tail between your legs. I would also say that you do yourself no favours if you keep going back for trips because it makes it harder to settle, we've only been back once in 10yrs.
Don't get so caught up in the statistics and instead concentrate on what opportunities are open to you. Even though I hated it here in the beginning and it was a real financial struggle I took the opportunity to go to University, something I had no chance of doing in the UK. Also, I really missed the closeness of Europe and jumping on the plane so easily. But, the South Pacific is truly paradise, like nowhere else on earth, and I've been to lots of exotic places around the world. Explore Samoa, Fiji, Raro etc.....they are truly spectacular and right on our doorstep!
Look beyond the financial...enjoy the relaxed way of doing things. I came from the rat race of London, and even though I loved the place it was nice to slow down.
Also, NZ is a country of entrepeneurs so take the opportunity of making your own work. Employee wages are crap so work for yourself. Be creative, we opened our own company 5 yrs ago and it's doing well. It's much more forgiving here than England when opening your own business, so take the oportunity, make the best of it and go for it!!!
I'm one of the ones with the tail between my legs - unfortunately there's only so long you can go on living on earning less than you are spending so we were forced to go back to England.................
And I was self employed too (because I couldn't get employment :-( ), but most self-employed people in NZ would agree with what you said.
Cheers
Buzzy
Dec 10th 2005, 9:51 pm
#3
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by Buzzy--Bee
Great post! Karma to you.
I'm one of the ones with the tail between my legs - unfortunately there's only so long you can go on living on earning less than you are spending so we were forced to go back to England.................
And I was self employed too (because I couldn't get employment :-( ), but most self-employed people in NZ would agree with what you said.
Cheers
Buzzy
I'm one of the ones with the tail between my legs - unfortunately there's only so long you can go on living on earning less than you are spending so we were forced to go back to England.................
And I was self employed too (because I couldn't get employment :-( ), but most self-employed people in NZ would agree with what you said.
Cheers
Buzzy
Most importantly, are you happy back home? If you are that's OK, at least you made an effort to make it work here beofre going back.
Have you had a look at Canada? That's a fantastic place, wages are higher, and the economy is stronger than NZ, its closer to home, fantastic scenery and outdoor life, and has all the good points of US (high standard of living, first world technology) without the crap (gun culture) ....
or will you stay in England? We're looking at Canada, which incidentally the interest rates are half of NZ so house buying much more affordable. Also, in Canada you don't feel so isolated as NZ, its a great compromise between England and NZ, I think
Regards - Camelot
Dec 10th 2005, 11:44 pm
#4
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
Hi Buzzy
Most importantly, are you happy back home? If you are that's OK, at least you made an effort to make it work here beofre going back.
Have you had a look at Canada? That's a fantastic place, wages are higher, and the economy is stronger than NZ, its closer to home, fantastic scenery and outdoor life, and has all the good points of US (high standard of living, first world technology) without the crap (gun culture) ....
or will you stay in England? We're looking at Canada, which incidentally the interest rates are half of NZ so house buying much more affordable. Also, in Canada you don't feel so isolated as NZ, its a great compromise between England and NZ, I think
Regards - Camelot
Most importantly, are you happy back home? If you are that's OK, at least you made an effort to make it work here beofre going back.
Have you had a look at Canada? That's a fantastic place, wages are higher, and the economy is stronger than NZ, its closer to home, fantastic scenery and outdoor life, and has all the good points of US (high standard of living, first world technology) without the crap (gun culture) ....
or will you stay in England? We're looking at Canada, which incidentally the interest rates are half of NZ so house buying much more affordable. Also, in Canada you don't feel so isolated as NZ, its a great compromise between England and NZ, I think
Regards - Camelot
Do they have a cut off age for prospective migrants Camelot?
I wouldn't consider it I don't think cos of the cold and the pumas and stuff, just interested to know if they have a cut off age.
Dec 11th 2005, 12:32 am
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by sky
Do they have a cut off age for prospective migrants Camelot?
I wouldn't consider it I don't think cos of the cold and the pumas and stuff, just interested to know if they have a cut off age.
I wouldn't consider it I don't think cos of the cold and the pumas and stuff, just interested to know if they have a cut off age.
There are different categories that you can apply under for permanent residency and I don't think they have a cut off age like some places. It works on a point system, for instance, under the skilled workers category you can get a max of 10 points for age. I think the most points (10) are awarded between 25-40 or 45yrs (this may not be completely accurate) but I know that the points definitely go down at 53yrs. If you're 53yrs you only get 2 points for age, after 53 yrs you get none. But if you score highly in other areas like education, skills, etc, you can still make the overall score which requires 67 points to qualify.
I don't know how the other categories assess the age criteria, but obviously if you open a business which employs locals age may not be such an issue. I think the skilled workers category is the most accessible as you can pick up extra points in areas that you may not be as favourable in others. That point system has the ability to balance out weaknesses.
Go to the canadian immigration embassy website and do the simple test if you want to see if you qualify. It's quite simple to follow. Hope this helps. Also, British Columbia doesn't get very cold - it's the other side (East) that gets the chill factor, so don't let the cold put you off, BC enjoys mild weather.
Don't worry about pumas either, it's the bears that can end up in your backyard! especially if you've left them a nice helping of last nights dinner in an uncovered rubbish bin! ha ha ha.
Hope this helps - Camelot.
Dec 11th 2005, 5:33 am
#6
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
Hi Buzzy
Most importantly, are you happy back home? If you are that's OK, at least you made an effort to make it work here beofre going back.
Have you had a look at Canada? That's a fantastic place, wages are higher, and the economy is stronger than NZ, its closer to home, fantastic scenery and outdoor life, and has all the good points of US (high standard of living, first world technology) without the crap (gun culture) ....
or will you stay in England? We're looking at Canada, which incidentally the interest rates are half of NZ so house buying much more affordable. Also, in Canada you don't feel so isolated as NZ, its a great compromise between England and NZ, I think
Regards - Camelot
Most importantly, are you happy back home? If you are that's OK, at least you made an effort to make it work here beofre going back.
Have you had a look at Canada? That's a fantastic place, wages are higher, and the economy is stronger than NZ, its closer to home, fantastic scenery and outdoor life, and has all the good points of US (high standard of living, first world technology) without the crap (gun culture) ....
or will you stay in England? We're looking at Canada, which incidentally the interest rates are half of NZ so house buying much more affordable. Also, in Canada you don't feel so isolated as NZ, its a great compromise between England and NZ, I think
Regards - Camelot
We are probably going to Australia next year to live as my Wife is NZ citizen so we have visas for Oz - hopefully that is a compromise between England and NZ too - would have liked to live in Canada though, love snowy winters!!!
Cheers
Buzzy
Dec 11th 2005, 7:20 am
#7
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by Buzzy--Bee
Thanks for the tip on Canada - arrrggghh 63 points, pass mark is 67!!!
We are probably going to Australia next year to live as my Wife is NZ citizen so we have visas for Oz - hopefully that is a compromise between England and NZ too - would have liked to live in Canada though, love snowy winters!!!
Cheers
Buzzy
We are probably going to Australia next year to live as my Wife is NZ citizen so we have visas for Oz - hopefully that is a compromise between England and NZ too - would have liked to live in Canada though, love snowy winters!!!
Cheers
Buzzy
All the best, Camelot.
Dec 11th 2005, 9:15 am
#8
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
82 if I arrange a job first - 72 if I don't.
Might go there next....
Might go there next....
Dec 11th 2005, 11:44 am
#9
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
4 points isn't much ground to make up, just become fluent in French and you're in. Yep, Aussie is a good compromise too, gotta make the most of your opportunities and take advantage of your visas to OZ, I'm sure you'll have a great adventure whatever you do.
All the best, Camelot.
All the best, Camelot.
I'm already proficient in French!!!
But still not enough points.................
Oh well Oz here we come!
Cheers
Buzzy
Dec 11th 2005, 5:17 pm
#10
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
Go to the canadian immigration embassy website and do the simple test if you want to see if you qualify. It's quite simple to follow. Hope this helps. Also, British Columbia doesn't get very cold - it's the other side (East) that gets the chill factor, so don't let the cold put you off, BC enjoys mild weather.
Dec 11th 2005, 7:01 pm
#11
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by Apple12
How long have you been living in Canada for, Camelot?
Dec 11th 2005, 8:09 pm
#12
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by Buzzy--Bee
I'm already proficient in French!!!
But still not enough points.................
Oh well Oz here we come!
Cheers
Buzzy
But still not enough points.................
Oh well Oz here we come!
Cheers
Buzzy
Dec 12th 2005, 2:55 am
#13
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by camelot
Not in Canada, living in NZ, but planning to to move to Canada.....Are you in Canada?
I will be very interested to see if the Canadian winter meets with your expectations, and further, if the Canadian sense of humour meets with your exacting standards.
Dec 12th 2005, 3:35 am
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Re: Still dreaming of England?...or somewhere else?
Originally Posted by Apple12
I have spent some time in BC, yes. In NZ now.
I will be very interested to see if the Canadian winter meets with your expectations, and further, if the Canadian sense of humour meets with your exacting standards.
I will be very interested to see if the Canadian winter meets with your expectations, and further, if the Canadian sense of humour meets with your exacting standards.
About winter, what I should have said was that the West is milder than the East, but I know it still gets cold but I don't think that should put Brits off as we already come from a cold climate, but I agree that will be an adjustment coming from these warm NZ shores. As a Brit, though, I remember well the freezing temps back home (I didn't come to NZ for the weather). I also think that colder weather is more conducive to creativity.
How can you accuse me of having 'exacting standards' when it comes to humour?, I like Little Britain and Bottom for goodness sake! I'm very easily amused, ha ha ha.
Did you like BC? And are you enjoying NZ?
