AlbieLittle

Just curious as to your reasons.

Here are a few of mine 6 years ago :

1) government going down the pan
2) crime
3) no future in England
4) weather is rubbish
5) Yob culture
6) class system
7) Over populated
8) Better roads for motobiking (Yeah, really this was factor )
9) BBQ lifestyle

Avid

Just out of interest, how many of those would you say had a direct influence on your day-to-day life?

For example...I agree with you that the government is terrible...but do you think the government in NZ is better? Did you really feel the class system was holding you back? Did you personally suffer a lot from crime?

Just curious...as in my case I left the UK purely to make more money. And now that I've made it, I'm in NZ purely to spend it.


(and I'd like to thank everybody in NZ for making it so easy for me to spend my money so quickly....)

Beachcombers

If left the UK without any real idea where I would end up, just a one way ticket to Bangkok in 2001, it was 2004 before I got to NZ.

Reason for going........I believe there is more to life then running a rat race.

I was right!

Kippers

UK running out of oil and gas.
Goodbye high living standards.

Kip

Mandie

I want to go to nz to get away from...
too many people
too many cars
too many traffic jams
high crime rate
inflexible midwifery practice


i want to go to nz so that...
my children can experience freedom that i had while growing up (although will be tough letting go)
i can give my children a better life and lifestyle
my husband can semi retire
i don't regret not taking the plunge and thinking 'what if ' when i'm 60

i'll probably think of more but that should be enough for now

birdynumnum

I migrated 7 years ago for

a better climate (shorter winters)
as UK was heavily populated
too much traffic
better standard of living in OZ
seemed a friendly and laid back place
for a more outdoor based lifestyle
liked idea of a change, to live somehwere else

all reasons moved still mostly remain true but despite reasons left, theres stil, for me, a pull back to UK nice and all as living here is....

the variety of places/things to see and do in UK is a big one

Genesis

Mandie, we left the UK for your reasons exactly..and 2 years on we have achieved them and many more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are still really excited about being here yet our lives are fairly ordinary, it just happens to be a life (for all of us) in a wonderful, ordinary city.

This ordinary life just happens to be exceedingly child friendly, very beautiful, Kate's in an NHS system that works for her rather than agin her, we live in a beautiful (but ordinary) neighbourhood.

Are we any happier? I doubt it..but we didn't come here for happiness..we came here for a better quality of life. We can now live off a part time wage and all the crap I left behind back in my tiny part of the UK impacted upon us as a family hugely, by contrast all the good things we have in our tiny part of NZ impact upon us in a HUGE, positive way.

All the negatives of NZ (and believe me they exist..many fold!!) we have either negated by design (or by accident..more of the latter i am afraid!!) or do not affect us on a day to day basis. Life is as good as it gets here in Palmerston North for a family with young kids.

Sure we miss people and places back in the UK but life is ALWAYS a compromise for 'little people' like us.

Perfect world = 8months NZ, 4 months UK per annum!!!!!!

Hang11

I just fancied a change, and NZ was easy to get into. We made the decision over a bottle of vodka one night, and that was it, no real reason to bail on the UK, just itchy feet.

Didn't really do any research, had no idea about job opportunities, never even heard of forums like this, although we had both visited backpacking a couple of times, and just sold the house, shipped our stuff, hoped we'd get PR, and arrived. We just figured that we'd go somewhere else if we didn't like it.

I like it here, no real reason to leave, lots of reasons to stay, but the feet might get itchy again.

birdynumnum

Nice one - like your post

RobClubley

It surprises me how whenever this question is asked, all people seem to mention are negatives.

The reason we moved to NZ is that we came here on holiday for three weeks and just fell in love with the place.
We loved the scenery, the wildlife, we loved Wellington, we loved the relatively quiet roads, all sorts.

We hope it will be a safer place for us to start a family. We hope that the house we've bought will be our last move for a verly long time. We hope that Melanie will be happier in her new career as a teacher.

Yeah there are plenty of negatives about NZ but what's the point of getting hung up on them?

Oh yeah and I found out we could bring our cats

kwprwn

Reasons to come to NZ

Hubby a kiwi and been away 18 years and always as long as I have known him (15 years) and he has always wanted to come home

He lost his job as a cabinet maker and couldnt get one doing his trade so looked on internet and there were 24 jobs that he could potentially do in Auckland...so job availability was another factor

8 increases on our mortgage in the space of 12 months

Why not...got nothing to loose

and life here seems to be a better quality of life even living in Auckland

Avid

I'm also here to see the blue penguins, but as none of those Eudyptula bastards has had the decency to swim ashore in the last 2 months my masterplan is going very wrong.....

AlbieLittle

If your asking me if my reasons still stack up? Not really. I think the UK is a more interesting place to live, but I have different priorities than when I first moved over.

Like, when I first came I was expecting a huge BBQ culture....

I mean I have lived all over the UK so I know there are some great parts. Why do prospective migrants automatically think "different country" when maybe they should just think "different town,county etc".

Avid

Give that man a cigar.....

birdynumnum

I think the UK is definately a more interesting place to live that Oz - more crowded, more traffic, worse weather....more variety and stimualtion though.

And why do migrants think different country instead of a different place with the UK?

Theres a definate appeal of living abroad I think, especially in warmer climes.
Although moving within the country you're in can be brill, theres an adventure and excitment to be migrating to make a life somewhere different. Part of the rich tapestry of life. Its all new and different isnt it.