pippalonghorn

Hi there, Im new to this forum. I was desperatly looking for people who feel the same way as I do. We moved to NZ a couple of months ago. I researched NZ for months before we came here. Wish I had found this forum earlier. NZ is a gorgeous place to live and the scenery is breathtaking. But you cannot live on scenery alone. We are struggling to make ends meet. My hubby is a sparky and I am a counsellor. His wage pays for the rent and food only. I have found work on an evening as my daughter is only 4 years old and I have no-one to help with childcare etc. The local kindy would not take her as the waiting lists in our area are that long that she will be starting school before she reaches top of the list. My wage will cover electricity and internet costs. If my husband or myself are poorly then we cannot afford to visit the doctors. Now I did not come here for an easy life... but i did not uproot my family to come to the other side of the world to struggle in this way. I did not realise how expensive property was. The houses we had looked at on the internet must have been leasehold because they were lower priced than the freehold ones. I can buy a shed from B&Q for a lot less and make it more homely than our rented house! I want to go home... We can live a better life if we choose to use our savings but we want to keep our savings to get back home. We have given it 1 year but quite frankly I cant live like this for a year!!

cappuccino

Move out of Auckland to another city in NZ would be my advice!

pippalonghorn

Hi cappuccino. We cannot move as hubby is tied to his job for 2 years. He is just going through his electrical registration too and no-one will employ him over here until he is registered. If we stay for 2 years we will have no money left out of our savings. It took too long to save that amount.

Snap Shot

Sorry it's all gone to crap for you.

Kiwi husband and I have been here nearly two and a half years. We get by on his salary as I've had no luck getting a permanent job. Temporary ones are like hens teeth, too.

Please don't waste your savings on staying here. I think you will regret it. If you felt like you did now when your saving are gone, well, it doesn't bear thinking about.

We were faced with returning back to the UK on our credit cards as we had spent our three months savings keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table. This was while looking for work in Christchurch. Which went no where fast.

To be frank, you would rather be back in Britain. So, why aren't you planning and financing your return ?

I realise this is none of my damn business, but what if you had another baby on the way ? Where would you like that to be born ? NZ or Britain.

MrsFychan

will he not get a pay rise once registered?

maybe not worrying about buying property and focus on finding a decent place to live at a more affordable cost. If you really cannot move out of Auckland because of the job you may just have to bide your time until you can and then make the move, I know it means living a more restricted life for a while but 24mths really isn't all that long.
Do you have friends there or is this another problem?

Catchafire

Hiya. Sorry to hear how hard it has been, I am sure this was not your idea of NZ before you arrived.

How much are you paying in rent? Your hubby can change jobs, but it will mean applying for a new working visa (not really that hard).

I would agree that you should get out of Auckland. Our standard of living improved dramatically when we moved from Auckland to Marlborough. It was the picture of NZ we were looking for. We have had two kids since and we have no issues with pre schools, part time work or earning less than we did in Auckland.

Good luck, hope it works out for you.

M_and_M

Mine too. Plus, the first few months are hellish. Read my blog from the beginning if you don't believe me. You do need to give it longer IMHO

BEVS

Hi there and welcome to this tiny NZ forum.

Why is your husband tied to his employer for 2 years, especially as you've been here for a year already? Sparkies are in long term shortage here so I am surprised to read that he wouldn't be taken up for employment elsewhere, even with a restricted license. Are you not permanent residents? You should have had enough points for that I would have thought even if you initially came on a 2 yr temp work visa , as in WTR.

It should be possible for you to move your NZ location if it is in your hearts to do so. This has worked for several new migrants.

If your hearts are wishing a return to the UK then all we can wish you is all the best . It's brave to emigrate to anywhere and brave to be able to acknowledge a place is simply not for you.

Good luck.

davros1984

I am really sorry for you guys. I know how you feel, its a pity you hadn't found this forum previously as if you've read a number of posts you'll see how expensive it is. This is such a great place, but to have what us Brits call a standard/regular life.. i.e. have a good chance of buying a house, being able to send kids to a good school etc etc - Auckland really isn't that sort of place anymore (unless you are stinking rich).

IMO.. to just get "by" you need to be on a minimum of 65K NZD per annum and that doesn't include the ability to save. If you ever wanted to seriously buy or stay in NZ longer term, you'd need to leave Auckland.

As discussed in another post, my partner and I take in a salary that's supposedly in the top 10% of Auckland earners, but we feel nowhere near or able to buy a house (even the banks have told us this). AS much as we love life and things are good right now, we know it cannot last forever and we will have to move home sooner or later.

As for what you do... I think its pretty straight forward (although it never is when its you in the situation). Based on you saying that you have to stay in Auckland for 2 years, here's how I see it:

Option A) Stay here, put up with the struggle and get your PR. I'd suggest you move somewhere right out of Auckland, i.e. somewhere very south or south-east toward the Coromandel (so you'd have around an hour-hour+15 min commute to Auckland).
Option B) Go Home - many more job opportunities and the cost of living is a lot cheaper. Check out Scotland, if you want a new experience and to live somewhere affordable, Scotland is a great place.

Good luck - always happy to listen and/or advise (like most of us on here).

pippalonghorn

Thank you so much for all of you're replies and support. Pleased I found this forum. We have a residents visa with conditions attached. We couldn't get a permanent residents visa. I have no one to blame but myself for all of this. New Zealand is a fab place. To stay for longer than a year would financially break us. My job will pay for little ones school uniform (she starts in sept) and pay the contribution they have asked for! We are staying for the summer and then going home to England. If we can afford it we will apply for the permanent visa before we go and then we always have the option to return one day if we wish. I feel a lot better after making that decision. I think family and friends are also a small issue as we have no one over here. Thanks again. Xx

Snap Shot

Well done, good luck x

Choccie

Hi

I'm really pleased for you - it's great you have made the decision. Good luck.

Lujam

Hi there.

It's been very interesting listening to comments on here. We, a family of 4, have been umming and arring lots and lots about emigrating to christchurch. My other half would move tomorrow, it's myself that has reservations. We have been told that there is a lot of work for my partner, ongoing regular work for his trade.

In the uk he is always working away from home and we hardly have any quality time as a family. I am on my own raising 2 children, the youngest being only 1 years old. This is one major reason for thinking about emigrating. We are looking for a complete change in lifestyle, something to enable my children's father to spend the time he should be spending with his children.

After reading comments on here and on other posts, I'm beginning to wonder if NZ is really the answer. I think I would feel completely isolated in NZ.

My first choice was Oz, however, it would prove very difficult for us to emigrate there, this is why we then decided on NZ, as we would have no problems.

I think you are doing the right thing in trying to apply for a permanent visa before going home. You never know, you might get back to the UK, and then decide that NZ really wasn't that bad after all?? At least you have tried it, good on you for being brave enough to do that. If you hadn't, you would always be wondering wouldn't you?

I wish you the very best of luck in the future, I really do.

luvwelly

Sorry it has not worked out - it is very wise to keep your return fare fund to one side. At least that way you won't trap yourselves in 'paradise'.
How can not being able to afford a GP visit be a better life? If you haven't found it already, you might find more support over in 'Moving back to the UK'.

luvwelly

Lujam, as she said and it has been said many many times before: 'you can't eat the scenery'.