Considering moving to New Zealand

[DLI]

HI, My husband and I are thinking of moving to NZ with our five year old boy. Our son has slight learning difficulties including speech delay as well as a di-george syndrom (it seems to only affect his immune system health wise). Could someone tell us what the health system is like compared to the UK. Is specialist medical people easily accessible throughout NZ? What is the school system like? Do they have help for children in main stream school? and generally what it is like living in NZ. I would like to move somewhere not to big! I dont want to move to a city, my husband is a lorry driver, previously a bus driver and I am a legal secretary, it doesnt look like my husband will have any problems getting work and i would only want to work part time doing anything, eg cafe assistant,shop assistant, what are house prices like for a two bedroomed modest house, standard of living, food bills etc? If we were to live in a small/medium town where would be the best place to move to?

thanks for your help

bump

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We are also looking into the possibility. We've settled on Nelson at the top of the South Island as our ideal place as we prefer a quieter place to live.

For house prices/jobs see trade me I have spent hours pouring over this site.

With regard to your son, I am sure I have seen a similar question posted if you search under the archives, there is a whole topic list for moving abroad and there are quite a few mumsnetters that live there that are very helpful.

Another site that has a wealth of information specifically for people wanting to know every aspect of emigrating to New Zealand is emigratenz

We have been thinking and researching this for the last 9 months, still dithering as there is so much to think about and information to wade through. If you have the funds and the time I would say go and visit if you can. I have heard it is much easier to get jobs if you are there already, but I also know of a friend who had her interview over the phone and got her job that way.

Another thought is that your son is at the ideal age, we have 3 children, one of whom is now 8 and is very attached to his friends and school. Hence lots of dithering!

seek is another good website for jobs.

I've been following the blog of Peter Foster He moved to NZ last year with his wife and 3 children.

If I think of anything else I'll let you know

thank you