Originally Posted by readitallthanks

Hi, have lived in UK & New Zealand both ways last 12 years.
I feel like my association with New Zealand has come to an end. Its incredibly expensive for what you get - food, housing etc, nearly everything is in a crisis (housing, health etc).
Food is just insane prices because the supermarkets are a cartel.

Housing stock is abysmal for what you have to pay - its a ponzi - the houses are shacks.
The ponzi has been run by australian banks fleecing New Zealand - the whole of New Zealand is one big property magazine.
Living in Auckland, it hasn't stopped raining all summer - the weather here has definitely changed in only a decade.
Auckland is touted as a world class city - it isn't. They can't even run buses & trains. The roads are clogged every day making living slightly out a nightmare.
Work here is appalling - kiwis love living in a crisis with a "she'll be right" attitude - which makes work misery.
The shelves at supermarkets have been bare on some sections (salad, eggs) for 6+ weeks now. Unless you go at 7am you don't get much choice.
There has been a one way exit for Australia since I have been here - I get why.

Everything is just a little odd here, stuff you go to see is simply underwhelming.
There is little to no quality here. If it is you are paying megabux - stuff only millionaires can afford.
Its a shame. There is only 4.8 million people in New Zealand - it could be a great place but there are so many problems for a small place - any Kiwi will tell you its great - because they don't know any better and will always do whataboutery - they cannot hack any criticism of New Zealand - as long as they have their beer (piss) and their fishing boat - they think its paradise - it's not.

Its a very hard place to get on - I do not know how people on average salaries and essential workers live - it must be very very hard going.
New Zealand is always one step away from disaster - the main cities are all in line for some natural disaster one way or the other - they are woefully unprepared. Recent rain/cyclone events have shown how lacking in zoning/planning, preparation and response they are.

So where next? Back to UK or try Australia?
For all UK's faults at present its seems more appealing than New Zealand right now but given I am not overly keen on returning to UK I would like to try somewhere else.
Any thoughts appreciated.

Originally Posted by winston_1

To be quite honest you sound like a whinging pom!

Originally Posted by winston_1

To be quite honest you sound like a whinging pom!

Originally Posted by brits1

Bet you would not say that to my DH friend.. a man mountain, NZ born and bred family generations go back way back when and he says the same as the original poster, he’s lived in lots of counties but now live in England and guess what he loves it here and might I add to call someone a Winging Pom is not a correct term as that refers to someone who is/was a convict, when that term gets branded around, I think of maybe a lack of education and your actually calling current New Zealanders some of whom would of been descendants of convicts.

Originally Posted by readitallthanks

I know exactly what a ponzi is - have a look at the aussie banks books and how much housing makes up of NZ gdp - its hocus pocus.
The whole thing is total bs and its now finally unwinding.

Yes the whole of north shore has been bought up by chinese developers.

Originally Posted by LittleGreyCat

I have some sympathy with the OP having come to many similar conclusions about the current state of NZ, but perhaps not quite as extreme.

Oh,and Snopes

We would live in Christchurch if we could find somewhere with character (still mourning the city before the Big One).
We would live in Wellington if it wasn't so crowded on the roads, and all built on the side of a precipice. And windy!
Not worried about the risk of earthquakes. [Possibly foolishly.]

The housing stock is overpriced crap.
We spent the last trip researching and we were not impressed.
Note the very recent announcements about asbestos in pre-2000 housing stock.

Asbestos in housing stock

Building Control has been lax to criminal.
Chickens are coming home to roost with the number of red and yellow stickered houses in the Auckland area.
I wonder is someone has joined up the dots about all the bits of trashed houses being swept into the waterways which are full of asbestos?
Yeah/nah - she'll be right!

Recent, but there is going to be some kind of upheaval in housing around Auckland with so much housing stock wiped out and the West Coast area all carrying a big warning sign.
Don't buy anywhere if access is a narrow road half way up a cliff.
See Coromandel also Queen Charlotte Drive.
Also Hawkes Bay area.
Desirable areas are taking a bit of a hammering, which will presumably depress prices in the endangered areas (causing great financial hardship to those who borrowed money to buy there in the last 5 years at least) and cause price rises in safer areas as families move to less risky places.
Probably don't invest in insurance stocks.

South Island seems a safer option (apart from the Kaikura area).
I wonder if there will be a mass exodus from Auckland to Christchurch?

Anyway, only a couple more Tropical Cyclones building up at the moment so it may be good in a couple of months.
Just in time for the rainy season.

Originally Posted by LittleGreyCat

Our main reason for moving is not to be with our daughter.
She's all grown up now and very independent.
We also have a son in the UK.
Also very grown up and very independent.

Having a daughter in NZ gives us the opportunity to get a permanent resident visa which gives us options to live long term in two different countries, both English speaking.

We have no intention of moving to a tin shack - why would we?

At the moment, should we be granted a visa, there seems little attraction in buying anywhere.
Our plan would be to tour and explore for a couple of years to qualify for permanent residence then review at that point.

[Cunning plan #1 is to buy a motor home and tour for 6 months + 1 day over spring and summer then fly back to the UK for the summer here. Be very nice to daughter so we can park motor home on their land over winter. Cheaper than buying a house, probably cheaper than renting.]

Originally Posted by Justcol

Motorhome would cost as much a house.
They ain't cheap

Originally Posted by Justcol

Motorhome would cost as much a house.
They ain't cheap