UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
#1
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UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Hi all. Found an awful lot of negative comments on this site regarding NZ. As a teacher i would be going out on around $55k. so ive been told. we will have around £50K cash. My wife will be working p/t. i have extended family over there that have a similar income to what me and my wife will have. They have an extremely good lifestyle, 2 cars, motorbikes, nice brick home in a good area of Hamilton
I welcome all comments upon emigrating and teaching in NZ. However i am not interested in hearing from anyone that complains that NZ is not like the UK. Of course its not. Thats why we want to leave.
We will be going to the Hamilton or tauranga kinda areas of NZ( waikato - bay of plenty)
I have heard nothing but good points. Yes the tax is higher but you dont pay N.I. If youre under 40 in the UK we wont get a state pension.
We want a less hectic life, with safety in mind. In a nicer climate.
People have been moaning that you need 60k plus to live in NZ then they go onto say that their normal lifestyle consists of regular eating out etc. Hey Dudes...thats a luxury
I would appreciate some constryuctive comments and discussion from educated people on the subjct of living / working / teaching in NZ
Ta
I welcome all comments upon emigrating and teaching in NZ. However i am not interested in hearing from anyone that complains that NZ is not like the UK. Of course its not. Thats why we want to leave.
We will be going to the Hamilton or tauranga kinda areas of NZ( waikato - bay of plenty)
I have heard nothing but good points. Yes the tax is higher but you dont pay N.I. If youre under 40 in the UK we wont get a state pension.
We want a less hectic life, with safety in mind. In a nicer climate.
People have been moaning that you need 60k plus to live in NZ then they go onto say that their normal lifestyle consists of regular eating out etc. Hey Dudes...thats a luxury
I would appreciate some constryuctive comments and discussion from educated people on the subjct of living / working / teaching in NZ
Ta
#2
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by clarkies
If youre under 40 in the UK we wont get a state pension.
On the contrary, state pension benefits seem to be increasing in value as the UK gets richer, as it has done over the past 25 years.
I think the likelihood of the state pension getting phased out is very low.
#3
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by Don
Not true, insofar as there have been no political decisions to this effect.
On the contrary, state pension benefits seem to be increasing in value as the UK gets richer, as it has done over the past 25 years.
I think the likelihood of the state pension getting phased out is very low.
On the contrary, state pension benefits seem to be increasing in value as the UK gets richer, as it has done over the past 25 years.
I think the likelihood of the state pension getting phased out is very low.
the govmt want to increase the retirement age. also the work force is getting smaller it cannot sustain the increasing ageing population. Anyway thats a small thing. we can always sell our house!!!!!!
thats the end of that..what about NZ
#4
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by clarkies
Hi all. Found an awful lot of negative comments on this site regarding NZ.
As a teacher i would be going out on around $55k. so ive been told. we will have around £50K cash. My wife will be working p/t. i have extended family over there that have a similar income to what me and my wife will have. They have an extremely good lifestyle, 2 cars, motorbikes, nice brick home in a good area of Hamilton
I welcome all comments upon emigrating and teaching in NZ. However i am not interested in hearing from anyone that complains that NZ is not like the UK. Of course its not. Thats why we want to leave.
We will be going to the Hamilton or tauranga kinda areas of NZ( waikato - bay of plenty)
I have heard nothing but good points. Yes the tax is higher but you dont pay N.I. If youre under 40 in the UK we wont get a state pension.
We want a less hectic life, with safety in mind. In a nicer climate.
People have been moaning that you need 60k plus to live in NZ then they go onto say that their normal lifestyle consists of regular eating out etc. Hey Dudes...thats a luxury
People have been moaning that you need 60k plus to live in NZ then they go onto say that their normal lifestyle consists of regular eating out etc. Hey Dudes...thats a luxury
I would appreciate some constryuctive comments and discussion from educated people on the subjct of living / working / teaching in NZ
#5
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by Don
Not in my opinion. Most people here love NZ but the problems for those coming back centre around income.
Hamilton's not the best bit of NZ but conveniently located. Money goes further with cars and square metres (houses) in NZ.
There are aspects to NZ that are quite ugly, eg long sprawly retail developments like the ugly bits of USA you see on TV.
Hamilton - not special. Tauranga - some good bits, nice climate. If you're prepared to commute, some really nice bits.
No tax free allowance. Ie taxed from the start on all income.
You'll get it, ie the easy pace of life. But on your projected salary you'll only have fish 'n chips to look forward to as a regular meal out.
Nothing wrong with giving it a go. But don't go thinking NZ is particularly cheaper than the UK in most respects on an affordability basis. You'll earn less, the few cheaper things you need to pay for are outnumbered by the similarly priced ones...all on less money coming in.
Hamilton's not the best bit of NZ but conveniently located. Money goes further with cars and square metres (houses) in NZ.
There are aspects to NZ that are quite ugly, eg long sprawly retail developments like the ugly bits of USA you see on TV.
Hamilton - not special. Tauranga - some good bits, nice climate. If you're prepared to commute, some really nice bits.
No tax free allowance. Ie taxed from the start on all income.
You'll get it, ie the easy pace of life. But on your projected salary you'll only have fish 'n chips to look forward to as a regular meal out.
Nothing wrong with giving it a go. But don't go thinking NZ is particularly cheaper than the UK in most respects on an affordability basis. You'll earn less, the few cheaper things you need to pay for are outnumbered by the similarly priced ones...all on less money coming in.
whats your status Don family age job etc?
well i have family that have just spent some considerable time out there. They said eating out is very cheap, this is confirmed by other family there. Also weve done an online shop from woolworths in Nz for our average weekly shop. came out at around 200$. thats around 70-80 quid. we spend double that here. Motor insurance is very cheap
#6
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by clarkies
whats your status Don family age job etc?
well i have family that have just spent some considerable time out there. They said eating out is very cheap, this is confirmed by other family there. Also weve done an online shop from woolworths in Nz for our average weekly shop. came out at around 200$. thats around 70-80 quid. we spend double that here. Motor insurance is very cheap
well i have family that have just spent some considerable time out there. They said eating out is very cheap, this is confirmed by other family there. Also weve done an online shop from woolworths in Nz for our average weekly shop. came out at around 200$. thats around 70-80 quid. we spend double that here. Motor insurance is very cheap
We (2+2 toddlers) found that surviving on less than NZD1000 a week was very 'cramping', ie we had to limit ourselves a lot. We couldn't eat out on that budget, except for the takeaways/ McD's.
OTOH we could easily have lived for, say, NZD500 a week by living more simply.
Just ask yourself: are you wanting to carry on a similar lifestyle to the one you have now or are you willing to change it down a level?
#7
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by Don
Car insurance is certainly cheap in NZ.
We (2+2 toddlers) found that surviving on less than NZD1000 a week was very 'cramping', ie we had to limit ourselves a lot. We couldn't eat out on that budget, except for the takeaways/ McD's.
OTOH we could easily have lived for, say, NZD500 a week by living more simply.
Just ask yourself: are you wanting to carry on a similar lifestyle to the one you have now or are you willing to change it down a level?
We (2+2 toddlers) found that surviving on less than NZD1000 a week was very 'cramping', ie we had to limit ourselves a lot. We couldn't eat out on that budget, except for the takeaways/ McD's.
OTOH we could easily have lived for, say, NZD500 a week by living more simply.
Just ask yourself: are you wanting to carry on a similar lifestyle to the one you have now or are you willing to change it down a level?
we live in north east uk. antisocial behaviour is a regular daily thing and we live in a nice area
people getting beaten up is regular.......i know .
the streets are covered in shit (litter) the sky is almost always grey. violent crime is increasing( im an ex self defence instructor)
taking a walk down a city street late at night is not safe. my kids cant ride their bikes in the streets to their mates homes etc.
gangs hang around shops, bus stops etc even in small villages. When i tell my family in hamilton this, they cant believe it.( they dont recognise this bus stop youth culture)
They have a pool in their garden for christs sake.and lemon trees in their garden too
they go out to the shops and leave their door open, leave their car unlocked at shops. leaving a purse unattended in a restauraunt is ok, shop assisstants are pleasant to them. theres little traffic to get stressed in
this is all re-iterated by my family that have returend from a long holdiay there. palm trees on the streets. No dust in the air. u can buy a brick built detached house with double garage, 3 bedroom with study(all walk in wardrobes) 3 living area's in a nice suburb for 100K GBP.............. ive talked to the builder out there. one of my relatives is a builder out there!
i could go on
safety and a cleaner friendlier environment is more important than money or tv chanels
comments please anyone
#8
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
There are much nicer places in the UK than you describe and as you are a teacher employment should be fairly easy. Have you considered a move within the UK. My brother in law moved from Essex to Carmarthenshire in Wales, and live in a beaut of an old farmhouse (cost about 150k GBP) in a really lovely little village, fantastic scenary, and near the beach. Your description of the UK does not represent the whole country - certainly does not reflect a lot of the places I am familiar with.
#9
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by hubbard
There are much nicer places in the UK than you describe and as you are a teacher employment should be fairly easy. Have you considered a move within the UK. My brother in law moved from Essex to Carmarthenshire in Wales, and live in a beaut of an old farmhouse (cost about 150k GBP) in a really lovely little village, fantastic scenary, and near the beach. Your description of the UK does not represent the whole country - certainly does not reflect a lot of the places I am familiar with.
too many people in this country, not enough space!!!!!
#10
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by clarkies
ive travelled all over the uk as a pro musician for over 15 years. yes there are lovely places in the uk and horrible places. anyone that can tell me there are cities and sourrounding suburbs that dont have some of the problems ive mentioned are full of shit. the thing is we want out of the uk end of story. we want a nicer climate north NZ is sub tropical. thats where we want.
too many people in this country, not enough space!!!!!
too many people in this country, not enough space!!!!!
as a teacher i will reach the top of the payscale in around 2-3 years at around $60k. plus my wifes p/t income of around $10-15K Surely that is enough to live on. we eat fresh fruit and veg n meat. no expensive processed food. however we do like a drink!!!!
#11
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
We lived in Hamilton for 8 years. Sorry but found eating out quite expensive, but if you want a really nice meal you have to pay anywhere. We lived in St Andrews,and Beerescourt. good housing, great location,but you had to pay for it. I would stay away from the likes of Flagstaff, too many houses which look old and dated already, and it is a new development. Hamiltons roads were very crowded at peak times, and a real pain to get anywhere,especially if you have to cross the river, the city is growing too fast for its roads infrastructure.
We found Big Fresh the better supermarket, cleaner, better sized, and better meat etc.
It's nice to sit at the pool with a G&T and get your lemon from the tree in the garden. Be very aware of just how strong the sun is, tv and radio will give burn times, can be 4 mins. It does rain, rained from last Feb, and hardly let up till Christmas. I worked as a kindergarten teacher, nightmare when the kids are stuck inside.
Anything specific about Hamilton you would like to know, I will do my best too help you.
Good luck
We found Big Fresh the better supermarket, cleaner, better sized, and better meat etc.
It's nice to sit at the pool with a G&T and get your lemon from the tree in the garden. Be very aware of just how strong the sun is, tv and radio will give burn times, can be 4 mins. It does rain, rained from last Feb, and hardly let up till Christmas. I worked as a kindergarten teacher, nightmare when the kids are stuck inside.
Anything specific about Hamilton you would like to know, I will do my best too help you.
Good luck
#12
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 167
Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by clarkies
ok well
we live in north east uk. antisocial behaviour is a regular daily thing and we live in a nice area
people getting beaten up is regular.......i know .
the streets are covered in shit (litter) the sky is almost always grey. violent crime is increasing( im an ex self defence instructor)
taking a walk down a city street late at night is not safe. my kids cant ride their bikes in the streets to their mates homes etc.
gangs hang around shops, bus stops etc even in small villages. When i tell my family in hamilton this, they cant believe it.( they dont recognise this bus stop youth culture)
They have a pool in their garden for christs sake.and lemon trees in their garden too
they go out to the shops and leave their door open, leave their car unlocked at shops. leaving a purse unattended in a restauraunt is ok, shop assisstants are pleasant to them. theres little traffic to get stressed in
this is all re-iterated by my family that have returend from a long holdiay there. palm trees on the streets. No dust in the air. u can buy a brick built detached house with double garage, 3 bedroom with study(all walk in wardrobes) 3 living area's in a nice suburb for 100K GBP.............. ive talked to the builder out there. one of my relatives is a builder out there!
i could go on
safety and a cleaner friendlier environment is more important than money or tv chanels
comments please anyone
we live in north east uk. antisocial behaviour is a regular daily thing and we live in a nice area
people getting beaten up is regular.......i know .
the streets are covered in shit (litter) the sky is almost always grey. violent crime is increasing( im an ex self defence instructor)
taking a walk down a city street late at night is not safe. my kids cant ride their bikes in the streets to their mates homes etc.
gangs hang around shops, bus stops etc even in small villages. When i tell my family in hamilton this, they cant believe it.( they dont recognise this bus stop youth culture)
They have a pool in their garden for christs sake.and lemon trees in their garden too
they go out to the shops and leave their door open, leave their car unlocked at shops. leaving a purse unattended in a restauraunt is ok, shop assisstants are pleasant to them. theres little traffic to get stressed in
this is all re-iterated by my family that have returend from a long holdiay there. palm trees on the streets. No dust in the air. u can buy a brick built detached house with double garage, 3 bedroom with study(all walk in wardrobes) 3 living area's in a nice suburb for 100K GBP.............. ive talked to the builder out there. one of my relatives is a builder out there!
i could go on
safety and a cleaner friendlier environment is more important than money or tv chanels
comments please anyone
Plenty of comments. Has your family told you about the huge problem New Zealand has with Boy racers and their drag racing? They are killing people. Only this weekend in Christchurch another drag racing death. There is a lack of support for anyone trying to stop the huge problem of these young girls and boys (some as young as 15). They drive with no insurance (its not required) and the law is not tough here so they do not suffer in any way for their destruction. They gather in groups of up to a hundred at a time and you have no idea the noise the cars make. 3 times the world health guide lines for noise. The mufflers they have are not illegal and the country is to bloody pC to ban them so we all live in fear for the weekends when they take to the roads and keep us awake for hours.
The roads are a death trap and I think it has a lot to do with the fact kids can have a driving licence at 15. Way too young.
Drugs,
I have lived all over the world and have never, ever seen so may drug problems. This is a small country (population)and the amount of drug related crime is HUGE in comparison to a larger populated country. I lived in Edinburgh, which is supposed to be one of the worsed places in the UK for drugs and was neve aware of it. Here I am. All the time.
We live in a really good area in Christchurch. Twice this month I have had to scrub graffiti of my fence. I never did that once in the centre of Edinburgh. I also know for a fact that some of the boy racer problems are so big that even the police are intimidated by them. They think nothing of throwing bottles at the police. There are not the resources to deal with it. The police are stretched as it is.
So, please don't come here expecting a land of no crime, a land of saftey for your children and a land of plenty. It has its problems just like everywhere. For a country of a small population, they have more than there fair share of problems.
The eduction system is now really bad and it used to be good. All my husbands family were privately educated here and I have to say my sister and I did far better out of the Scottish School system.
Yes, you can get a house for £100K but it all depends on what you are coming out to NZ for. We struggled to find anything we would want to live in for less than $500K. It has no pool, no drive on access, so its not all roses here.
The family who live next door to me are Kiwi, they are moving to Australia next month as they are sick of the liberal way this country is going. I know what they mean. I have never seen so many sex shops, whore houses, whores on the street, massage parlors, strip bars in my life. again, I am from Edinburgh, known for its liberal approach at sex but this is way worse.
The only thing I can say is that this is a funny place. It is wonderful, pretty, green, clean (other than the cars - never seen such a dirty country in terms of car polution) and the people are lovely BUT it is not heaven. Its New Zealand and it has its problems and they are not that different than in the UK. Suggest you see the film 'Once we were Warriers' (think that is what it is called) will give you an idea of the other side of NZ. Its not all the beauty Billy Connelly showed on his tour.
We came here with your kind of thoughts, we had made it something unreal in our heads. When we arrived we hit the ground with a huge bump. Made even worse by the fact my husband is Kiwi!!! He has been away for 6 years and thinks it has changed a lot.
I can put money on it now the PC ness of the country will drive you mad and don't expect news, real news. You will start after 6 months to feel cut of to the rest of the world. While your friends in the UK watch the latest on Iraq, you will be watching how a cat was stuck down a drain or how many sheep were lost in a flood. If this does not bother you then go for it. You will love it. Just don't expect too much.
Good luck, I hope it works out for you. It has not for us and we are licking our wounds and have lost a lot of money. I for one cannot wait to get back to Scotland. I will come back for vacations. I am having a baby in 6 months and it will be half Kiwi and I want him or her to know where it came from but I do not want to bring a child up here. I think I would be limiting its chances.
C
#13
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Originally Posted by Linda Maxwell
We lived in Hamilton for 8 years. Sorry but found eating out quite expensive, but if you want a really nice meal you have to pay anywhere. We lived in St Andrews,and Beerescourt. good housing, great location,but you had to pay for it. I would stay away from the likes of Flagstaff, too many houses which look old and dated already, and it is a new development. Hamiltons roads were very crowded at peak times, and a real pain to get anywhere,especially if you have to cross the river, the city is growing too fast for its roads infrastructure.
We found Big Fresh the better supermarket, cleaner, better sized, and better meat etc.
It's nice to sit at the pool with a G&T and get your lemon from the tree in the garden. Be very aware of just how strong the sun is, tv and radio will give burn times, can be 4 mins. It does rain, rained from last Feb, and hardly let up till Christmas. I worked as a kindergarten teacher, nightmare when the kids are stuck inside.
Anything specific about Hamilton you would like to know, I will do my best too help you.
Good luck
We found Big Fresh the better supermarket, cleaner, better sized, and better meat etc.
It's nice to sit at the pool with a G&T and get your lemon from the tree in the garden. Be very aware of just how strong the sun is, tv and radio will give burn times, can be 4 mins. It does rain, rained from last Feb, and hardly let up till Christmas. I worked as a kindergarten teacher, nightmare when the kids are stuck inside.
Anything specific about Hamilton you would like to know, I will do my best too help you.
Good luck
in terms of meals out etc..it all depend upon what you want/ expect in terms of quality. for a quick meal in the uk we would spend 40 quid for 4 of us and it will be nice. however a great romantic meal in a top chinatown restauraunt would cost around 90 quid for 2( u have to know where to go though)
rain from feb to xmas?????????.............stats didnt give that impression on geo website
its all confusing me now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#14
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Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
Hi Clarkies
I am a british teacher going for relocation in NZ. This thread seems to have winkled out some real ranters from the woodwork. I know where you are coming from with the tales of urban decay in the uk. Being a teacher gives you a unique perspective of the social climate because the school is a microcosm of the world outside. There are many reasons why we need to get away from the uk. We had a family meeting about the pros and cons tonight at our house. The global prognosis is not good and we feel that with the impending crises looming (warming and energy needs) we would rather be in the southern hemisphere than the northern. The population of NZ is a mere 4m. and, with the arable land available, can be comfortably self sustaining. I cannot think of any locations in the northern hemisphere that could sustain their own populations. NZ provides the large proportion of its energy needs through sustainable and renewable resources. Should the oil economy collapse I would far rather be in NZ than anywhere else on the face of the earth. NZ is in a unique position to capitalise on the Hydrogen economy which will be the new oil. (Hey I'm the ranter now!!!). Whatever social problems exist in NZ are very small in comparison to UK by virtue of it's tiny population. Theoretically NZ cities have not reached the optimum population densities to facilitate symptoms of urban decay.
I rather think I would like to have a go in NZ rather than sit over here and watch civilisation disintegrate before my eyes.
Regards
Ali
I am a british teacher going for relocation in NZ. This thread seems to have winkled out some real ranters from the woodwork. I know where you are coming from with the tales of urban decay in the uk. Being a teacher gives you a unique perspective of the social climate because the school is a microcosm of the world outside. There are many reasons why we need to get away from the uk. We had a family meeting about the pros and cons tonight at our house. The global prognosis is not good and we feel that with the impending crises looming (warming and energy needs) we would rather be in the southern hemisphere than the northern. The population of NZ is a mere 4m. and, with the arable land available, can be comfortably self sustaining. I cannot think of any locations in the northern hemisphere that could sustain their own populations. NZ provides the large proportion of its energy needs through sustainable and renewable resources. Should the oil economy collapse I would far rather be in NZ than anywhere else on the face of the earth. NZ is in a unique position to capitalise on the Hydrogen economy which will be the new oil. (Hey I'm the ranter now!!!). Whatever social problems exist in NZ are very small in comparison to UK by virtue of it's tiny population. Theoretically NZ cities have not reached the optimum population densities to facilitate symptoms of urban decay.
I rather think I would like to have a go in NZ rather than sit over here and watch civilisation disintegrate before my eyes.
Regards
Ali
#15
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 43
Re: UK teacher looking to relocate to NZ with wife and 2 kids
similar position to you wife is a teacher top of pay scale , financialy we do struggle. Check out pension provision very poor compared to the uk. Taxed on every penny you earn. Interest rates for mortgages are very high floating rate of 9%. No child benefit.You need to stop thinking in pounds it would be a huge amount for the average nzér to spend $200 a week on food. I think much of the problem is we from the uk are used to a higher standard of living than nzérs often what they think is good quality \ value is poor compared to what we are used to.
If you can get a brick house for 270K nz bight their hand off very very cheap I would check location. We live in hawkes bay and to get anice house in the right school zone of an ok quality 450 to 500 K and thats not brick. My wife works at a low decile school and there certainly is a lot of poverty in nz well hidden but there.
We enjoy it here and feel safe letting our children walk to school certainly not in uk. We want to stay but finances may drive us to other shores.
Check it out before you go trust no one family included .
If you can get a brick house for 270K nz bight their hand off very very cheap I would check location. We live in hawkes bay and to get anice house in the right school zone of an ok quality 450 to 500 K and thats not brick. My wife works at a low decile school and there certainly is a lot of poverty in nz well hidden but there.
We enjoy it here and feel safe letting our children walk to school certainly not in uk. We want to stay but finances may drive us to other shores.
Check it out before you go trust no one family included .