petepete99

I think we scared the OP off...

Pulaski

It's not the first time.

It is surprising how often people come looking for confirmation that they are making a wonderful choice (US in general, Florida especially) and are surprised when people point out their misconceptions and share experiences that aren't as rosy as they expected.

petepete99

I think if you are an extremely open-minded person, you can move to the US and make good of it (if logistically/legally possible). Like I said in my previous post, I wouldn't change it for the world. I love America. I especially love the idea of America without the toxic ideology that has made the country a 'bad' place to live.

I'll never defend the USA but I am a big fan of Sarasota. As someone who has lived in Edinburgh, London and Montreal and traveled around the world, I am a real culture-addict. Florida really lacks that but Sarasota tries to make up for it a little bit. It's always going to be a retirement community but I think there are efforts being made to attract other demographic groups to the area.

I am also wondering if one of the reasons for the OP choosing the USA is due to the business they are looking to start up and whether that business model is more attractive here than other countries...

steph0scope

I was thinking along the same lines - that the business they are wanting to operate works best in a community with a higher than average percentage of retired people. Bingo hall? Mobility equipment?

petepete99

Well, that's if there's even going to be a higher than average percentage of retired people. People are not exactly socially distancing themselves here.

carcajou

Yep . . . and there are a lot of misperceptions about how awesome and easy living in NZ actually is (as opposed to visiting or spending a few months there). There's a reason why 15% of all New Zealand Citizens live in Australia . . .

Winston_the_Great_Dane

What are the negatives in your opinion? My friend in Wellington is happy with their lifestyle, but does feel NZ can be a bit backward at times. South island is a fantastic place, but I can see how it might feel a little small after a while.

Moses2013

Doubt the OP will be back but even the larger lakes around us would be closer to Queenstown scenery wise than Sarasota but also no snow. Azores would also remind me of Queenstown in parts.

carcajou

Generally speaking NZ salaries are low but NZ expenses are quite high, and the extent of the remoteness and isolation can be overwhelming for some. Some also report that local circles can be very cliquey and difficult to break into. It just seems the "miss rate" there is a lot higher for expats than Australia/Canada/the US etc and the degree of difficulty higher. Poor quality of housing is also a complaint - things like no window glazing and insulation - which can make winter indoors miserable for a lot of people.

I was Wellington-based but did enjoy my time there - but I was also on an American salary. If I had been on the NZ salary my local counterparts were on, it would have been a big struggle. That can be true even comparing Australian-NZ salaries. I also, even in Wellington, felt like I was isolated at the end of the world, in ways I never do in the Australian bush. From Auckland - Melbourne is 4 hours away, and Singapore 10 hours away. "Lifestyle" is great in theory but you need to have the $$$ to access it which can be a real challenge there.

Wander over to the NZ Forum, it's an interesting place.

I agree with you on the South Island (and, the Wellington area). One of my goals for this decade is to do all ten of NZ's "Great Walks" and I'm going to start with the Abel Tasman and the Heaphy, this December if the borders open (both there and here in Australia). I will also try to squeeze in the Queen Charlotte though technically that's not a "Great Walk."

I would bet however that the OP has probably done alright for themselves - Queenstown is very expensive, and they wouldn't have lasted 7 years there on meagre income (or be in position to buy their way into the US).

Will you be heading back anytime soon? (and, is your friend a Kiwi)?

Winston_the_Great_Dane

Thanks for the insight. My friend is now a kiwi, having gone through the citizenship process recently. Now you mention, he did whine a lot about the crap windows in his house.

I'd love to go to NZ again; kids are small at the moment, but once they're older it is on the to visit list.

TexanScot

Having visited family there a few times, that was the impression I got too.

I considered moving out there for a while before the US opportunity came up and one of the things that deterred me (in addition to the points above) was that there was a desperate shortage of decently paying, senior roles in a lot of professional fields. Due to the relatively free movement a lot of Kiwis go to Sydney and Melbourne to develop their professional careers, and as a result a lot of roles and career tracks simply don't exist in NZ and never will do.

As a manual laborer NZ was a fantastic place for my cousin to relocate to from the UK, but I just couldn't see a way that I could make it work for me personally.

It's definitely as beautiful country, but I suppose it's not much different from the US in that you really need the right career and the right job to make it work.

Mozi123

Thanks for your reply. Some really interesting points. We are happy to swap the mountains for the beach (hence Florida) but after further investigation am really put off with the US looking at crime statistics. We are also looking at Perth (WA) & Brisbane Australia. Queenstown is amazingly beautiful, but cold & isolated & yes the tourist town is also very expensive to live. Uk would make more sense but the lifestyle is poor compared to what we have got used to her win New Zealand.

TexanScot

What about them?

Pulaski

The crimes statistics in the US are not at all what they seem at first sight - crime is very heavily compartmentalized - both localized to certain areas, and also compartmentalized by race. While the reasons are complex and politically contentious, violent crime is heavily skewed to black-on-black and hispanic-on-hispanic crimes, and a lot of that is related to drug gang activity. Even the crime involving the white population is also heavily skewed to drug related violence. Much of this crime is therefore confined to parts of town where you wouldn't want to live. The result of these patterns is that in the US crime in suburbs and rural areas is no different from what you would find in the UK, with the possible exception that burglary is less common, apparently because of the very real risk that the home owner will shoot the burglar, and the police will likely thank the homeowner for removing another piece of garbage from society.

tht

If you have been in QT for 7 years I assume you have your NZ Citizenship now or are eligible if not, which makes Australia an option. I went to the Gold Coast (right by Brisbane) a few times when I was living in Auckland and I would pick that over Florida any day if it’s warm beach you want.