DH wants to Move us all to NZ…

[Notnowbarnaby]

… because he’s had a job offer and he’s increasingly concerned about the threat of war. (We are in the UK).
we have one DS who is just about to start school in September and is currently getting settled into the idea/going to taster sessions.
im not currently working. I was self employed previously. I’ve had a look online and it seems like DH would get the visa for the job offer and we could apply for a NZ Family Visa and try to get residency there once there, but I’m unclear about whether I’d need to work in order to hold that Visa - I’m not against working at all and we agreed I’d pick up my self employed business again when DS goes to school but I don’t think that would be an option under the working requirements there.
DH keeps saying the company would sort it all but I think it’s such a sudden huge decision and I’m worried that he’s just forging ahead with it because of his anxiety about the world situation.
weve never even been to NZ. We don’t know anyone out there, I don’t know anything about it or the schooling system etc.
it’s so far away as well we wouldn’t be able to see friends and family regularly. I’m worried about how DS would adapt.
im not enthusiastic as you can tell but DH thinks it’s a smart move
AIBU to want to dig my feet in about this and say no?!

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.

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.”😂

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

mol.im/a/13510567

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.

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

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

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.

I'm sorry this has turned into an argument, not my intention.
I was just looking for genuine advice, which I did get and I thank those posters who have shared advice and resources. We are still discussing it, researching it. Possibly booking a holiday there but there is a time limit for DH accepting the offer so that does shape our decision a bit as well.

Good old daily mail, lazy journalism at its finest.

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

At least the model they've chosen to represent you is lovely looking. 😁🤣

My advice if you do go would be to rent your house out here and then to rent out there. One mistake my sis made
was to sell her house here, she bought out there… house prices here have sky rocketed but the market there is pretty stable, so now she actually can’t afford to come back!

This is really interesting given so many posters have spoken about how expensive houses there are. I think there is quite a lot of inaccurate info tbh…

There's an entire board on mumsnet dedicated to Oz and NZ. Sorry for stating then obviously but I'd peek there.

Just further to my earlier comments, we have a family member working for an international company and they have placed a hiring embargo on an NZ position. Head management has been told there will be no travel there either from the Australasian base.

i really recommend if possible, you find out the company’s future direction in remaining in NZ.

Failing that, will the relocation package include relocation costs back to UK if the company terminates its NZ base…

Surely it is not beyond the capability of anyone to go out and buy an actual heater? The shops are full of them - I even have one myself!

Indeed, but for nz landlords the rule is there to provide a warm dry home.

tenants can seek a full reimbursement of rent if they take the matter to the tribunal. Which is an attractive sum of money after paying rent for 12 months.

The original post, which we were all responding to, said "The houses don't have heating". No-one mentioned rentals until you came along.

move Along then.

I beg your pardon!! We were all commenting, in a lighthearted way, about the post. YOU are the one who inserted yourself into it, so maybe YOU should move along. You're not as superior as you seem to believe yourself to be.