The elctorate have been bribed with their own money.

QUOTE=kiwijetpilot]Hi Suzanne

Do you work for the corrections service yourself and I wonder if you could answer a few questions at all.

No, I don't. I don't know much about it either, and unfortunately I don't know anybody that works for them.

1 What is NZ health service like and are there waiting lists if you need to use the service?

Personally I have found it good. I recently had a knee reconstruction as a result of an accident, and from diagnosis to surgery took about four weeks. My only costs were my GP appointment, and that was subsidised. The operation was carried out in a private hospital (very plush). There are differences to the UK- you pay for GP visits here, and this normally runs between $40-60 depending on your local surgery. However, you don't pay National Insurance here, so many will find it cheaper in NZ. Prescriptions are subsidised so you pay a similar amount to the UK.

As NZ healthcare has tended to follow the American system more in recent years, you will find a lot of private clinics around. Facilities tend to be good - my little town has a dedicated X-ray clinic, orthopaedics, and several other specialities.

Having said all that, if you make your home somewhere like the West Coast of the South Island, you will find facilities a little more sparse (to say the least). Stick to urban areas and you will be fine.

2 What is crime like in NZ and how do authorities deal with it?

We certainly have some. The police and court systems here are similar to the UK (as they were all originally direct copies of the mother land). Opinions will vary on this one, but I did quite a lot of research for another thread ("NZ- Scary story or what", a month or two back now), and my findings were that crime is less severe and less widespread than in the UK. There are stats to back this up (see that thread), but you would have to do some serious research to get the true picture. You can find a lot of info on the websites for the Dept of Justice, Police, and Internal Affairs (www.dia.govt.nz, www.justice.govt.nz, www.police.govt.nz).

Having lived in the UK for sixteen years before returning to NZ, my overall view is that crime is less of a problem here, and I certainly feel my kids are a lot safer.

3 Do you have an illegal immigrant problem? Do they get state benefits

Our main problem is overstayers from the islands - NZ is a hard country to sneak into geographically - not like the UK. Those who are registered as refugees can get some benefits. Illegal aliens are not entitled to benefits of any sort. It isn't a big problem.

4 Do you have to pay towards schooling - if so how much?

Schools ask for a "voluntary contribution", which isn't actually voluntary, but is called that to avoid it being taxed. Last year I paid a total of $170 for two boys in primary school (about 65 pounds). There are no other costs, other than the usual stuff for trips, special events etc.

5 What is average house prices for a three bed detached property in a good area?

Ha! The subject of enormous debate on this forum. All depends on what you call a good area. But let me quote you an average:
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Mixed messages with house prices: REINZ
The New Zealand residential property market began 2005 quietly with an increased national median selling price but with falls in some areas and a significant reduction in sales.

Monday, 21 February 2005

Notwithstanding, the national median selling price hit a new record of $265,000 in January, compared with the December median of $260,000.

Real Estate Institute president Howard Morley said that the key indicators for the market: sales volume, regional rises and falls, and days-to-sell, suggested a degree of caution on the part of both buyers and sellers.

Turnover was down to 7,078 sales in January compared with 8,377 in December and 8,404 in January 2004, with four of the eleven regions reporting reduced median prices while the remaining seven showed modest increases.

Days to sell lengthened noticeably from 29 in December to 38 in January, compared with 32 in the previous corresponding period of January 2004.

“What we have is evidence of a shortage of listings, coupled with vendors showing a degree of determination on price. January is always one of the quieter months and it will be another month or two before we see a trend for the rest of the year,” Mr Morley said.
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- from http://property.goodreturns.co.nz/

The best thing for you to do is check out www.open2view.com and just find houses you like the look of. Houses tend to be a lot bigger here than in the UK, with more land attached to them. Some are made of wood, but anything built recently will be made of low-maintenance materials such as aluminium and fibrolite (looks like wood, but isn't).

You will hear all sorts of scare stories about damp/cold/leaky houses. Most of it is complete nonsense. Houses here do not tend to be centrally heated or have double glazing, as the climate is generally a lot milder than the UK (unless you choose to live at the bottom of the South Island). However, central heating is readily available in forms far more efficient than traditional hot water radiators, and power is considerably cheaper here. Houses are insulated to the same standard as UK houses, if they have been built in the last thirty years or so.

Bottom line - if you want to be toasty warm, you need to consider installing central heating if the house you buy doesn't have it.

6 How much is the average car?

Best bet is to find the same car you currently have on Trademe (www.trademe.co.nz). Cars are very cheap, and Jap imports (ie most of the cars on the road) tend to be of good quality. In the UK I was driving a BMW 535 and a Triumph Stag. I miss the Stag, but my Nissan Skyline is a much better car than my Beemer was (and I know my cars).

7 Do you have good amenities on hand ie supermarkets where you can obtain all shopping i.e fruit and meat under one roof?

Again, opinions here will vary. I live in a small town, we have a local Pak'n'Save which has everything we need, is cheap, and is open late. It has stuff you won't find in a UK supermarket (for example, live shellfish). There is a Woolworths (supermarket, not like the UK Woolies) down the road that is huge (as big as a large Asda), and is open 24 hours. It sells fruit, veges, TV's, hardware, you name it. I find the shopping here to be as good as we had in the UK, but you will find some expats here who disagree.

8 Can you go out on streets in a city at night on your own without the fear of being mugged?

Where I live- sure, no problem. In South Auckland, no, I wouldn't advise it! Generally, you are a lot safer on the streets here than in the UK (and statistics back this up), but as with any country, there are scumbags about and you just have to be sensible. You are generally pretty safe in the central city, I have never had a problem - plenty of cops about.

9 Is NZ isolated with regards to distance from rest of world except Australia?

Yes - physically, the nearest place (Australia) is 1000 miles away, as are the Pacific Islands. Have a look at an atlas - we are a long way from places like the USA or Hong Kong. Of course it really just comes down to a few hours on an aircraft, but we are isolated.

I would be so grateful if you could drop me a line about these things and also let me know if you think $36000 plus me looking for an adult teaching post would be enough to live on in NZ?

You should be OK on your combined salary, but you have to do your homework carefully. Are you bringing any money from the UK (like the sale proceeds of a house for example)? It all comes down to where you want to live, and how lavish your lifestyle is. 36K is not a lot of money in NZ, I would say you need to be earning at least 70K to be comfortable (which it sounds like you will be with both of you working). NZ is an entrepreneurial place - my advice would be to come here for the prison service job, and then do something else once your contractual obligations ar met. A good friend of mine used to work as a parole officer - he went and got himself a degree, and is now a counsellor in the social work sector, earning piles of money. NZ rewards people who want to get ahead and have a little bit of "get up and go" about them (which is why some expats don't like it here).

Who are the National party and what do they stand for? Are they PC?

The National party are pretty much like the Conservatives (except they are better looking!). They are anti-PC. Labour are the PC ones here. Have a look at www.national.org.nz for more info.

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