Thinking of moving back to UK!
Apr 29th 2011, 3:10 am
#16
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 44
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
I am from Newcastle been in NZ nearly 8 years and now hoping to move to Devon or Cornwall I don't think I could handle the NorthEast cold now.Mind you the good Indians and chinese and fish and chips could tempt me back.Good luck with your move.
May 1st 2011, 2:31 am
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2010
Location: Albany
Posts: 47
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
I think you're all making really brave decisions. My family and I moved to New Zealand in September 2010 having never been to NZ before and whilst we absolutely love the Country we do miss our friends and family in the UK. In particular, watching the Royal Wedding made me feel incredibly homesick. But everyone has to make the decision that's right for them.......a decision of going back to UK or staying in the NZ is of great magnitude but one which you will think about long and hard before agreeing on what to do.
Hels - if I can be of any help please do pm me - not sure what I can offer, but I will do my best to help in any way!!!
All the best to everyone else as well. Regardless of whether you stay in NZ or return to the UK, just think of the adventure you have travelled so far and the adventure you will continue to have wherever you lay your hat next. You should be very proud of what you have achieved in your life so far
Hels - if I can be of any help please do pm me - not sure what I can offer, but I will do my best to help in any way!!!
All the best to everyone else as well. Regardless of whether you stay in NZ or return to the UK, just think of the adventure you have travelled so far and the adventure you will continue to have wherever you lay your hat next. You should be very proud of what you have achieved in your life so far
May 1st 2011, 3:56 am
#18
Truth is the safest lie.
Joined: Jul 2008
Location: @ the beach.
Posts: 7,241
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
....Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
May 1st 2011, 6:52 am
#19
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 588
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Don't we all? Just for a nice pint of cider/beer down the local after work on friday and a bag of chips so you are "less drunk" when you get home to swmbo .
...Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
....Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
May 2nd 2011, 7:44 am
#20
Life is what YOU make it.
Joined: Oct 2009
Location: Christchurch
Posts: 3,312
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Don't we all? Just for a nice pint of cider/beer down the local after work on friday and a bag of chips so you are "less drunk" when you get home to swmbo .
...Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
....Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
May 2nd 2011, 10:05 am
#21
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Wales
Posts: 21
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
We have just moved here from the UK due to higher taxes and cut of child benifit, also the major cut of jobs in the public sector 
May 2nd 2011, 10:07 am
#22
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Wales
Posts: 21
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Don't we all? Just for a nice pint of cider/beer down the local after work on friday and a bag of chips so you are "less drunk" when you get home to swmbo .
...Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
....Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
May 2nd 2011, 6:05 pm
#23
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Joined: Aug 2008
Location: Far from home!
Posts: 1,024
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Ah went down to the local for a pint (£3....no wonder the place was nearly empty!) and there were a couple of women over from Oz visiting Stratford u Avon and Warwick castle etc. Their biggest shock about the UK was extortionate car parking charges....they hadn't budgeted for them and being mostly non transferable were racking up one hell of a long bill....on top of their massive fuel costs!
Beer was cheap as we pay up to 6 pounds/pint here in Dubai!!!
May 3rd 2011, 11:47 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 92
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
This is the sort of stuff I am more interested in, to be blunt- than whether my city has a good Indian.
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/...593&ct=9378127
My kids are the reason I'm in NZ. Perhaps subjective in rationale, but factored in with the fact that I do not have to send my kids to a private school, I know where I need to be.
My 5c.
http://www.savethechildren.org/site/...593&ct=9378127
My kids are the reason I'm in NZ. Perhaps subjective in rationale, but factored in with the fact that I do not have to send my kids to a private school, I know where I need to be.
My 5c.
May 5th 2011, 8:54 am
#25
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Dec 2006
Location: From Essex to Christchurch.
Posts: 578
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Don't we all? Just for a nice pint of cider/beer down the local after work on friday and a bag of chips so you are "less drunk" when you get home to swmbo .
...Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
....Of course there is the rubbish stuff as well like the months of rain, crime, living on top of each other, transfering your bank account into your petrol tank with every fill (and you will be driving for a long time if you intend to park anywhere useful), persecution of drivers, good food is expensive, being Americas lapdog, more limited job oppertunity (in terms of position, not pay obviously), yoofs and chav culture, keeping up with the Jonses and resulting Affluenza, social status anxiety, etc.
Also additional worries at the moment about if you will have a job in the long term or if your house will still be worth anything by the time you give it to your children.
May 5th 2011, 10:34 am
#26
Just Joined
Joined: Apr 2011
Location: Wales
Posts: 21
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Education - Pisa report from Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...world-rankings
The UK is slipping down world education rankings in maths, reading and science, and has been overtaken by Poland and Norway, a major study of 65 countries reveals today.
Around 470,000 15-year-olds across the world sat a numeracy, literacy and science test last year, the results of which inform the latest Pisa study by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Top countries in the Pisa study
(Shanghai-China)
Korea
Finland
Hong Kong-China
Singapore
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Australia
This is the main reason why we moved here! Two teachers with 3 young chilren
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...world-rankings
The UK is slipping down world education rankings in maths, reading and science, and has been overtaken by Poland and Norway, a major study of 65 countries reveals today.
Around 470,000 15-year-olds across the world sat a numeracy, literacy and science test last year, the results of which inform the latest Pisa study by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Top countries in the Pisa study
(Shanghai-China)
Korea
Finland
Hong Kong-China
Singapore
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Australia
This is the main reason why we moved here! Two teachers with 3 young chilren
May 5th 2011, 8:20 pm
#27
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 92
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
You factor that (education report from c4udynz) in with the report I provided a link for where you want to be a Mum........with NZ ranked 6th, behind only 4 Scandanavian Countries & Oz.
I'm about to take my 5 yr old boy to his first ever year of sport, tomorrow. The attendance at the parent's evening- to give us the rundown on how the soccer was organised & what the expectations were, was also a pleasant surprise & we (the parents) are expected to play a big part in the day. The outside opportunities afforded a kid growing up here, are in stark contrast to what I experienced in Montreal, where kids were super glued to their game consuls, every spare minute.
I was absolutely staggered when we moved to NZ, how my boy's kiwi cousins, girls to boot- 5 & 8 yr olds, were able to climb trees & hang off monkey bars, this was completely alien to my Canadian raised kid. It was very, very enlightening. There are 4 parks within a square km of my house. Again, using my Montreal experience, there was one, which was overrun with graffiti.
These factors are not all that significant on their own, but when you start to add free education.....a global ranking on where you want to be a Mum.....opportunities for kids, it starts to resonate.
To the original post, though, you can be sure that there is no nirvana, guaranteed template or magic solution, when we move to the other side of the world.
I'm about to take my 5 yr old boy to his first ever year of sport, tomorrow. The attendance at the parent's evening- to give us the rundown on how the soccer was organised & what the expectations were, was also a pleasant surprise & we (the parents) are expected to play a big part in the day. The outside opportunities afforded a kid growing up here, are in stark contrast to what I experienced in Montreal, where kids were super glued to their game consuls, every spare minute.
I was absolutely staggered when we moved to NZ, how my boy's kiwi cousins, girls to boot- 5 & 8 yr olds, were able to climb trees & hang off monkey bars, this was completely alien to my Canadian raised kid. It was very, very enlightening. There are 4 parks within a square km of my house. Again, using my Montreal experience, there was one, which was overrun with graffiti.
These factors are not all that significant on their own, but when you start to add free education.....a global ranking on where you want to be a Mum.....opportunities for kids, it starts to resonate.
To the original post, though, you can be sure that there is no nirvana, guaranteed template or magic solution, when we move to the other side of the world.
May 6th 2011, 12:10 am
#28
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,298
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Education - Pisa report from Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...world-rankings
The UK is slipping down world education rankings in maths, reading and science, and has been overtaken by Poland and Norway, a major study of 65 countries reveals today.
Around 470,000 15-year-olds across the world sat a numeracy, literacy and science test last year, the results of which inform the latest Pisa study by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Top countries in the Pisa study
(Shanghai-China)
Korea
Finland
Hong Kong-China
Singapore
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Australia
This is the main reason why we moved here! Two teachers with 3 young chilren
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/...world-rankings
The UK is slipping down world education rankings in maths, reading and science, and has been overtaken by Poland and Norway, a major study of 65 countries reveals today.
Around 470,000 15-year-olds across the world sat a numeracy, literacy and science test last year, the results of which inform the latest Pisa study by the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Top countries in the Pisa study
(Shanghai-China)
Korea
Finland
Hong Kong-China
Singapore
Canada
New Zealand
Japan
Australia
This is the main reason why we moved here! Two teachers with 3 young chilren
May 7th 2011, 5:30 am
#29
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
I think believing these studies is a big mistake tbh. According to a similar study the Netherlands is the best place in Europe to be a child. If you've ever lived there, you might question this. They do have a lot of indoor play centres though as it rains a lot
.
The truth is that Brits will always slag their country off to market researchers more willingly than other nations' people....we love a good moan and often really don't appreciate what we have. Data available varies a lot in quality and accuracy from country to country.
The truth is that there are good and bad schools, good and bad areas to live, high and low crime areas, good and bad food, exciting and boring things to do, good and bad weather days almost everywhere in the democratic world but what counts is whether you personally as a family can afford to take advantage of them.
Your job may be less secure in UK than it seems in NZ but you can more easily trap yourself in NZ financially than you can in UK.
NZ probably is a good place to be a stay at home Mum if you can afford it as no one seems to look down on you for staying at home like they tend to in UK rather they envy you for not needing to work.
But poorer kids in NZ are definitely suffering more than in UK where healthcare is free at point of use. If it's such a great place for kids....(for young kids it can be good I agree) why is teenage suicide such an issue, why is child abuse so prevalent? What happens when your young adult heads off on their OE?
The main benefit of NZ over UK for my family is the ability to ditch the daily commute....but for Charismatic to say everyone suffers from homesickness, just remember the bad points of UK is just so typical of the attitude on this website that we have to grab every bit of research which backs up the view that 'coming to NZ' was a great decision even if in our heart of hearts we are less sure.
NOWHERE IS PERFECT. THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER. PLEASE VISIT BEFORE EMIGRATING....I can see it's very hard to reverse if you sell up in UK. (I didn't sell up btw).
There's also the extremes here: let me see Christchurch earthquake, tornado in Auckland last week, skin cancer very common and deadly - I know someone dying of this right now.....the only absolute better thing about NZ to UK imho is the MMP electoral system - can't believe those muppets in UK on Thursday rejecting at least partial reform to First Past The Post by 70 to 30 per cent just to get at Clegg it seems. Of course less than half those eligible voted so there must be quite a lot wrong with UK education system and electoral system but that doesn't stop me wanting to return.
.The truth is that Brits will always slag their country off to market researchers more willingly than other nations' people....we love a good moan and often really don't appreciate what we have. Data available varies a lot in quality and accuracy from country to country.
The truth is that there are good and bad schools, good and bad areas to live, high and low crime areas, good and bad food, exciting and boring things to do, good and bad weather days almost everywhere in the democratic world but what counts is whether you personally as a family can afford to take advantage of them.
Your job may be less secure in UK than it seems in NZ but you can more easily trap yourself in NZ financially than you can in UK.
NZ probably is a good place to be a stay at home Mum if you can afford it as no one seems to look down on you for staying at home like they tend to in UK rather they envy you for not needing to work.
But poorer kids in NZ are definitely suffering more than in UK where healthcare is free at point of use. If it's such a great place for kids....(for young kids it can be good I agree) why is teenage suicide such an issue, why is child abuse so prevalent? What happens when your young adult heads off on their OE?
The main benefit of NZ over UK for my family is the ability to ditch the daily commute....but for Charismatic to say everyone suffers from homesickness, just remember the bad points of UK is just so typical of the attitude on this website that we have to grab every bit of research which backs up the view that 'coming to NZ' was a great decision even if in our heart of hearts we are less sure.
NOWHERE IS PERFECT. THE GRASS IS NOT ALWAYS GREENER. PLEASE VISIT BEFORE EMIGRATING....I can see it's very hard to reverse if you sell up in UK. (I didn't sell up btw).
There's also the extremes here: let me see Christchurch earthquake, tornado in Auckland last week, skin cancer very common and deadly - I know someone dying of this right now.....the only absolute better thing about NZ to UK imho is the MMP electoral system - can't believe those muppets in UK on Thursday rejecting at least partial reform to First Past The Post by 70 to 30 per cent just to get at Clegg it seems. Of course less than half those eligible voted so there must be quite a lot wrong with UK education system and electoral system but that doesn't stop me wanting to return
.
May 7th 2011, 5:33 am
#30
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,285
Re: Thinking of moving back to UK!
Funny how in the 6 years I have been here I have heard sooooooooo much negativity about NZ's education and how great the UK's is by contrast. I have always thought the opposite. I think the above table proves the point. NZ has loads of issues many of which I hate BUT it was a good move for my family to come to live in NZ, ifF ONLY for the children, the life they lead here and the great school they attend.
Last edited by luvwelly; May 7th 2011 at 5:45 am.