DH wants to Move us all to NZ…

Is it a fixed contract, 3, 5, 10, years?

Slow news day, what with the UK general election, French surprise election called, conflict in the ME, AfD gaining ground in Germany, war in Ukraine, death of poor Michael, US election.

Pages ain't gonna fill themselves, are they?! (WUT)

I guess there's nothing to say about Harry and Meghan currently so it's over to Mumsnet to pinch a thread.

As I said - if you didn’t see it, dont worry about it.

OH joy @Notnowbarnaby maybe take the thread down if it's identifying

I’m sorry I can’t totally follow this. I wasn’t where? No I wasn’t in nz ( if that’s what you mean); but there were many times I wished I was.

That’s one factor in why people see nz as enviably distant. I don’t think that makes them smug.

You may have already been informed further up the thread but this has hit the Daily Fail ...

mol.im/a/13510567

I’m going to charitably assume that you didn’t see the worst of what people said to NZers in the UK at that time. Getting told it’s ‘your own fault for leaving’ when I mentioned I was worried Id never see my mum again was my own personal low, but the chat about whether it might be best just to fully close the borders permanently was probably my favourite.

I can see why NZ still wants to focus on who was ’best’ at Covid, but I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about how people used that sense of superiority against ‘outsiders’ and tbh you’re not changing my mind about it.

After seeing how NZ went, I can actually only be glad the UK and US didn’t ‘keep covid out’ as I have a feeling that if they had, wed still have closed borders now. I can think that and still be raging about how the Tories handled it, but you’ve got to remember that you weren’t here, and NZ had skin in the game for thinking it was the apocalypse in the UK and everyone should count their lucky stars to be a NZer at that time. It’s not surprising that that message started to get uncomfortably close to nationalism at times but I do think it’s a bit sad that a lot of NZers don’t seem to want to reflect on that.

Well actually no. Rentals are supposed to meet a healthy homes standard within a variety of time frames to meet the legislation.

there are enough forums dealing with people who are renting and in cold, damp homes.

Usually those renting privately but I can point you should needs must to a property manager who has a very wealthy trust fund as a client where the principal refuses to improve/maintain properties under her guardianship, and because tenants are desperate, they put up with their property leaking.

warmer homes might be found in the South Island where there is a stronger European influence.

New Zealand is far more civilised. If you get a visa the spouse or de facto will be able to work or not. It isn't like the US.

The company sent us on a one week orientation visit beforehand where the boys got to look at schools and we looked at housing.
Unless your husband is very senior they are unlikely to do that these days. I think the government still issue spousal residency visas but we did have an immigration lawyer working with us.
It took over a year for my 6 year old to settle in.
I would assume you would be living in Auckland or Wellington where many people go private for secondary school and it isn't cheap.
Many companies had Australia Pacific HQs in New Zealand 20 years ago but they are more likely to be in Australia or Singapore these days so some of the promotion opportunities won't be there without another move.

I was very enthusiastic about going and loved it, beautiful country and lovely people. We were very well looked after but had to move to Australia when the head office relocated.

Careful you don’t set all your handmade furniture on fire. Otherwise you’ll have to fashion some more out of wood since there’s “no John Lewis.”😂

How are you getting on with all the imported things, which are not readily available? 😂

And yes, it's been a bit chilly today and I've had the heating on all day, in the cooler south.

We love New Zealand and moved back there to retire after going out 20 years ago.
The the exchange rate then was very favourable to us.
We also had a very generous expat deal, did not pay rent and were given a business class return flight home every year for the whole family.
We could have sent the children to private school (primary) but our local primary was very good.
Housing costs in Auckland are insanely high relative to salaries.
These expat deals generally don't exist anymore and I understand that getting residency is much more difficult these days.
There is a big difference between an immigration decision and a temporary assignment.

Of course the houses have heating. Even mine in the winterless north. I sometimes turn it on when it is cold!

I’d be tempted to tell him to crack on with sorting everything out for the move, but you’re not going.
If he’s as paranoid as he sounds I can’t imagine he’s going to last long if he moves to the other end of the earth.
I wouldn’t go, and I don’t think his mental health is good enough to cope with everything involved in migrating to another country. What on earth would you do OP if his mental state disintegrates when you’ve just arrived in NZ?

Because rather than allowing credit where credit is due, ( I would that the uk had fared so well in its covid response), you are focused on deriding that success as “smugness.”

I live in the countryside. Lots of trees and hills. Big garden -few neighbours - if I don’t listen to the news the world seems a very pleasant place - so much birdsong, wild life passing through. Could you move to a quieter area?

People tend to do better when there is an internal desire to do the thing eg move to New Zealand because you like things about NZ. Choices for external reasons like the UK might get nuked so why not move to NZ are less successful. It's not that your husband has any particular attachment to NZ - he's never even been here - but he's just running away from the UK. I think he would be even more unhappy here and the next thing is that he'll be wanting you to move to Stewart Island as one of the furthest places in NZ.

The other thing is that work culture is different in NZ. He might well struggle with that. I don't get the impression he is flexible, for example. He shouldn't assume somebody wearing jeans to work is not very smart and very productive for example.

Life is fine in NZ with money. I do have a large detached fully paid for house with central heating and a professional job. I guess you could say the same sort of things about many countries. But I would be looking very hard at that salary package to be sure it will go as far as you think it will.

What on earth in what I’ve said has come across like I’m ‘dodging’ anything about the UK?

But we did totally cock up the covid approach in the uk. I’m not sure why you are wanting to dodge that.

"Obviously I understand we could be a nuclear target but once that starts no where in the world would be safe or as it was surely due to fallout etc."
I must admit, when you said NZ my thoughts fkew to "On the Beach" by Nevil Shute. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=&ved=2ahUKEwii5Pugoc-GAxWNXEEAHSuJAvYQFnoECEYQAQ&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FOn_the_Beach_(novel)&usg=AOvVaw1mM8Ybrha-cWtIYKEW9jrP&opi=89978449

Excellent for you then. But it is happening and our area has certainly seen an increase in poaching, although I do agree with you that poaching has been around for a very long time and isn’t exclusive of rural districts elsewhere.

Yup there it is!