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To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
...........I'd personally consider somewhere else if NZ isn't for me before returning to the UK, just my opinion.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-..._Study_Reveals |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Variables such as net income, VAT and the cost of essential goods, such as fuel, food and energy bills, were examined. Last year compared with our European neighbours we were miserable but rich, this year we're miserable and poor. Also too were lifestyle factors, such as hours of sunshine, holiday entitlement, working hours and life expectancy to provide a complete picture of the quality of life experienced in each country. The UK pays the highest prices for food and petrol yet spends below the European average (as a percentage of GDP) on health and education. Brits work longer hours, retire later, and receive less annual leave than most of their European counterparts, the study says. Comparing the UK to the rest of Europe on holiday entitlements was never likely to be a winner, but you still get more annual leave than you will in NZ. :lol: Average working week in NZ is same or longer than the UK (typically 40 hours for white collar / office jobs). In my experience lots more people in NZ tend to work well beyond retirement age. In the event that you get lucky and earn the same or better wages as in the UK, it's likely you will get less holidays (typically 20 days) and possibly have to work more hours per week for it. Still, musn't forget, the scenery is nice!! :rofl: |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
(Post 8867306)
In my experience lots more people in NZ tend to work well beyond retirement age. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by jmh
(Post 8867312)
I don't disagree with anything in your post - you make some good points. However don't forget that many people in NZ choose to work beyond 65, while many in the UK have that choice denied them at present. My mum in NZ is 70 and still works and really doesn't want to retire - mind you she is the boss!:lol:
Well, I think that the early retirement, the many days of vacation will be a huge problem to France in the future. because somebody has to pay for it and there is no money left. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
You're quite right, you only have to look at the state of the finances of the PIIGS and the rioting in Athens earlier this year. I don't think it has quite got to that stage in the UK yet.
Just as an aside I wonder, have many people been on strike yet in the UK against the Government spending cuts? Will it be another winter of discontent? |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
(Post 8867470)
You're quite right, you only have to look at the state of the finances of the PIIGS and the rioting in Athens earlier this year. I don't think it has quite got to that stage in the UK yet.
Just as an aside I wonder, have many people been on strike yet in the UK against the Government spending cuts? Will it be another winter of discontent? |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
I just wondered because we presently have junior doctors threatening strikes and asking for 20% pay increase, teachers taking industrial action for more pay, a long running action by radiographers and laboratory workers meaning thousands of operations cancelled and I think it can only get worse before it gets better. :blink:
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Toon_Nut
(Post 8867239)
...........I'd personally consider somewhere else if NZ isn't for me before returning to the UK, just my opinion.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-..._Study_Reveals New Zealand teachers have one of the lowest starting salaries in the developed world - but work some of the longest hours, an international report says. The OECD's Education at a Glance report shows the equivalent starting salary for a teacher is $27,600 (US$19,000) - about $13,000 below the average and about $18,700 behind Australia. Of the 29 countries ranked in the survey New Zealand had the fourth worst starting salary. After 15 years' experience, Kiwi teachers still lag behind on the pay scale, earning $53,200 (US$37,000) - $7200 below the average and $10,100 behind Australia. http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/educ...or-NZ-teachers |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Stormer999
(Post 8867487)
Now that is a major concern in the UK. As the financial experts are predicting we are on the edge of recovery and any industrial action would quickly throw us back into recession.:(
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by tiri
(Post 8868206)
Yeah so where does it say that NZ is any better?
Sorry, are you on drugs? I don't believe the link even mentions NZ? I certainly never said it was better, or worse, they were your words not mine. I'll say it again slowly for the hard of thinking, a bit like yourself, "I'd p.e.r.s.o.n.a.l.l.y t.r.y s.o.m.e.w.h.e.r.e e.l.s.e b.e.f.o.r.e I r.e.t.u.r.n.e.d t.o t.h.e U.K" Clear? Or do you want it in format you can read, perhaps crayon? |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
And what of the industrial action taking place in NZ at the moment? teachers, radiologists, lab workers, junior doctors....? it's just the same as Britain. Go from either country to the other and it's a frying pan to fire situation.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Toon_Nut
(Post 8868648)
:confused::confused:
Sorry, are you on drugs? I don't believe the link even mentions NZ? I certainly never said it was better, or worse, they were your words not mine. I'll say it again slowly for the hard of thinking, a bit like yourself, "I'd p.e.r.s.o.n.a.l.l.y t.r.y s.o.m.e.w.h.e.r.e e.l.s.e b.e.f.o.r.e I r.e.t.u.r.n.e.d t.o t.h.e U.K" Clear? Or do you want it in format you can read, perhaps crayon? Of course the choice of an alternative country is obvious, well to some of us that is. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
(Post 8867544)
I just wondered because we presently have junior doctors threatening strikes and asking for 20% pay increase, teachers taking industrial action for more pay, a long running action by radiographers and laboratory workers meaning thousands of operations cancelled and I think it can only get worse before it gets better. :blink:
Radiographers, on the other hand.... Sorry just wanted to point that out. Now, please return to arguing about different topics :) |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
New Zealand is still struggling to recover from recession just like Britain, both countries have put up VAT / GST but at least Britain hasn't got VAT on food.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
From that link "While last year net household income in the UK was £10,000 above the European average, this year it is just £2,314 above average."
That would be a massive change if it were true, representing a huge, improbable increase or decrease depending on whose average you think has moved. Methinks it has more to do with the exchange rate shift over that period... |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
I think people are being slightly disingenuous when they give their reasons for wanting to leave N.Z.
Economic concerns are certainly valid but many people will tolerate a reduction in disposable income as a trade off for happiness. The problem is that a lot of people do not appear to be happy here. I personally find N.Z. to be a strangely joyless place and find it hard to put my finger on why. I suppose the uneasy marriage of miserable presbyterians and cannibalistic natives was never going to be a barrel of laughs. I don't think I'm the only one to have a sense of this joylessness. Look at the suicide stats. Happy people don't top themselves. I've visited some of the poorest countries on earth and suicide was virtually unknown. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by gocebe
(Post 8869214)
The problem is that a lot of people do not appear to be happy here.
I personally find N.Z. to be a strangely joyless place and find it hard to put my finger on why. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
the people with the best sense of humour that i've met in N.Z. ARE foreigners!
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by gocebe
(Post 8869279)
the people with the best sense of humour that i've met in N.Z. ARE foreigners!
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
I'm with you on this one i think it's disgusting that they are allowed to charge gst on food items, i have found that in NZ although your bills are SLIGHTY cheaper you get stung in other areas!
Originally Posted by tiri
(Post 8869035)
New Zealand is still struggling to recover from recession just like Britain, both countries have put up VAT / GST but at least Britain hasn't got VAT on food.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by gocebe
(Post 8869214)
I think people are being slightly disingenuous when they give their reasons for wanting to leave N.Z.
Economic concerns are certainly valid but many people will tolerate a reduction in disposable income as a trade off for happiness. The problem is that a lot of people do not appear to be happy here. I personally find N.Z. to be a strangely joyless place and find it hard to put my finger on why. I suppose the uneasy marriage of miserable presbyterians and cannibalistic natives was never going to be a barrel of laughs. I don't think I'm the only one to have a sense of this joylessness. Look at the suicide stats. Happy people don't top themselves. I've visited some of the poorest countries on earth and suicide was virtually unknown. It seems to me there were lots of people on this forum who were forced at gunpoint to move to NZ I am sorry for your traume, if they ever let you move somewhere else I hope you find happiness. I doubt it as there is always something to moan about. I wonder why people call me a whinging POM. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Genesis
(Post 8869309)
Mmm, I tend to agree with that. Strange sense of humour kiwis.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
I think once you've succesfully left the uk and got it out of your system
there is never a need to return there. I personally would look at lots of other places rather than go back. There are things i miss about the uk but they would be be enough to draw me back. I could do with a bit of civil unrest down here to stir up the masses but even the recent strike actions we've had dont cause much of a ripple. Maybe if National introduced a Poll tax that might do the trick :p |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
According to Business Week:
Worlds Top Most Livable Cities Auckland 5th Wellington 12th London 39th Birmingham and Glasgow joint 55th According to Mercer: Top 50 Cities: Quality of living ranking Auckland Joint 4th Wellington 12th London 39th Top 50 cities: Eco-City ranking Wellington 5th Auckland joint 13th No UK city listed Am I missing something? |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Laloo
(Post 8870039)
According to Business Week:
Worlds Top Most Livable Cities Auckland 5th Wellington 12th London 39th Birmingham and Glasgow joint 55th According to Mercer: Top 50 Cities: Quality of living ranking Auckland Joint 4th Wellington 12th London 39th Top 50 cities: Eco-City ranking Wellington 5th Auckland joint 13th No UK city listed Am I missing something? |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
The problem with those surveys is they all someone elses opinion.
i can easily think of 10 or 20 cities that i would rather live in than auck or welly. Their criterior to define "livable" and "quality of living" is probably not even close to mine and i am a city boy through and through. I now what makes a good city and i dont see any of it in auckland at all. Welly would streets ahead of auck in any list of mine. As for the "eco city" who gives a crap? If you want eco move to the country. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Assanah
(Post 8867440)
Well, I think that the early retirement, the many days of vacation will be a huge problem to France in the future. because somebody has to pay for it and there is no money left.
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
(Post 8867470)
You're quite right, you only have to look at the state of the finances of the PIIGS and the rioting in Athens earlier this year. I don't think it has quite got to that stage in the UK yet.
They also found over 1000 luxury sports cars costing over 100,000 euros each, registered to people that had filed tax returns stating their salaries were under 10,000 euros per annum.:unsure: The task force was set a gathering target of 1.2 billion euros per annum, but in the first 6 months had raised over 1.8 billion. No wonder the Govt had no money. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by colandros
(Post 8870097)
The problem with those surveys is they all someone elses opinion.
i can easily think of 10 or 20 cities that i would rather live in than auck or welly. Their criterior to define "livable" and "quality of living" is probably not even close to mine and i am a city boy through and through. I now what makes a good city and i dont see any of it in auckland at all. Welly would streets ahead of auck in any list of mine. As for the "eco city" who gives a crap? If you want eco move to the country. By the way, New Zealand has also been rated as the safest country in the world.:D When deciding on which country and/or city to live in, you would be foolish not to take into account the results of these surveys as part of your research especially if you have not lived in there yourself. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Personally, I can't think of a city I'd rather live in the outskirts of than Auckland. I'm not a city person and don't want to live in one, but being a rather specialist techie I need to live within commuting distance. Show me somewhere that has the climate and coastline of Auckland, and is a/the major city of a country, and I could reconsider. And it needs to be affordable to live in a nice house within 45-60 minutes commute of the CBD. The closest I've been to so far is Vancouver. I'd like to visit Seattle sometime but not sure I'd like to live in USA.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Laloo
(Post 8870202)
When deciding on which country and/or city to live in, you would be foolish not to take into account the results of these surveys as part of your research especially if you have not lived in there yourself.
I find it quite hilarious actually that when we're living in the UK pre- emigration thoughts, we mostly manage to rub along without knowing all this stuff about the place that we've been born and raised and couldn't care a fig where 'we' stand in all these charts, surveys or statistics. :rofl: If the survey validates and confirms your own ideas and impressions, then it's a jolly good survey and must be true. If it tells you something you don't want to hear then it surely should be dismissed as bunkum, rubbish or flawed data. The Mercers survey puts Auckland as 13th place for the eco-city, with Aberdeen at just 0.1 point below it. How many people in the UK would think to move to Aberdeen (unseen) on the strength of this? As for the OECD? Who knew? Whoever heard of them or took any notice before they decided to emigrate? :rofl: |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by cleverchap
(Post 8870200)
I was reading an accounting magazine the other day and it had an article about the Greek financial task force set up to gather revenue. They found that in Athens suburbs only 392 households had registered they had a swimming pool (incuring additional tax) when the actual number found, by using the police helicopter and google earth, was nearly 18,000!!!:blink:
They also found over 1000 luxury sports cars costing over 100,000 euros each, registered to people that had filed tax returns stating their salaries were under 10,000 euros per annum.:unsure: The task force was set a gathering target of 1.2 billion euros per annum, but in the first 6 months had raised over 1.8 billion. No wonder the Govt had no money. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
My two cents is - none of the stats mean anything much to individuals or families, it maybe justifies to some people why they emigrated - but enjoying being in NZ and making a go of it seem to hinge on two main things 1) how much you miss family and friends and 2) whether you can afford to live the lifestyle you want to on the wages in NZ - just an observation from reading the messages over the last year or so
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by MNandMN
(Post 8870683)
My two cents is - none of the stats mean anything much to individuals or families, it maybe justifies to some people why they emigrated - but enjoying being in NZ and making a go of it seem to hinge on two main things 1) how much you miss family and friends and 2) whether you can afford to live the lifestyle you want to on the wages in NZ - just an observation from reading the messages over the last year or so
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Toon_Nut
(Post 8867239)
...........I'd personally consider somewhere else if NZ isn't for me before returning to the UK, just my opinion.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-..._Study_Reveals |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles
(Post 8870329)
It's also pretty foolish to base your immigration plans ....
I would hope that most people who cared, would take a whole host of input about where they were going before they moved including forums like this - unless of course the reason they're going is just for the buzz or adventure of it, in which case they won't care anyway. The best way, in my opinion is to try it yourself, if you can deal with the risk. To be honest I'd hope it was obvious that other people's opinions in the form of surveys or internet forums are "worth taking into account" but never worth "basing your plans on". We're all too different to each other. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by MNandMN
(Post 8870683)
My two cents is - none of the stats mean anything much to individuals or families, it maybe justifies to some people why they emigrated - but enjoying being in NZ and making a go of it seem to hinge on two main things 1) how much you miss family and friends and 2) whether you can afford to live the lifestyle you want to on the wages in NZ - just an observation from reading the messages over the last year or so
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by WhingingPom
(Post 8871450)
Not what Laloo said though. There's a world of difference between 'take into account' and 'base your immigration plans on'.
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Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by MNandMN
(Post 8870683)
My two cents is - none of the stats mean anything much to individuals or families, it maybe justifies to some people why they emigrated - but enjoying being in NZ and making a go of it seem to hinge on two main things 1) how much you miss family and friends and 2) whether you can afford to live the lifestyle you want to on the wages in NZ - just an observation from reading the messages over the last year or so
As for the lifestyle we have the kind of life here in NZ that we could never have in the Uk unless we were well the minted ones. I do love day to day life in NZ but I have become more and more disillusioned with NZ as the over 5 years has worn on with respect to law and order and what successive administrations have done and what they have failed to do. The latter having impacted upon me personally to the tune of $80k. I am that utterly pissed off with politicians now that I am withdrawing my vote forever. In the main they are a shower and I have no wish to vote Jo Bloggs in on a bunch of promises that she will not keep. I will forever abstain. Why vote for something one has utterly zero confidence in? I do appreciate by not voting I will apparently not have a mandate to moan about politicians anymore...yeah right!! |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by Laloo
(Post 8870202)
On an indfividual basis, of course you will have different opinions and preferences. These organisations have got to look at a set of criteria which are worked out statistically and come from different sources. You can take a look at the organisations websites to see the criteria used in determining which is the best city in the world. You're obviously not going to agree with everything and neither should you.
By the way, New Zealand has also been rated as the safest country in the world.:D When deciding on which country and/or city to live in, you would be foolish not to take into account the results of these surveys as part of your research especially if you have not lived in there yourself. |
Re: To those people missing Blighty or thinking of a return......
Originally Posted by sue1234
(Post 8871418)
:rofl: Eh, 15,000,000 immigrants cant be wrong :rofl:
:lol::lol: In fact if he's owt like me he'll double that estimate! :(:( |
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