where's best to live in nz,and what do we need to know?

[AngryBeaver]

My dh has been on at me for a year to move from the uk.He wanted Quebec,which looked gorgeous and romantic,but i wasn't sold on the winters and coudn't leave my mum.
He recentley said he wanted to move to NZ and i thought ,yeah if it's warm and a better life than here,let's do it.
So we've got fuck all money and 3 kids under 4.5 ...but we want to do it.
I don't know what's changed in me for me to agree ,but I hear th schools and hospitals are fab,and just want the best life for my lovely children.
I'm worrying though because I've read the houses are crap and cold.
We want sun,space and not too expensive (don't we all!)
We thought Tauranga,but that seems quite busy and we've read about boy racers.
We don't want Wellington as we've heard it's windy and weather not great.
Does anyone know about Nelson?Heard it's nice weather,but what's the reality?
We are going to put the house on the market this week,I am shitting myself,but I feel it's now or never.
Any help or advice,gratefully recieved

ps: Auckland rains more than Wellington - look it up!

Its funny the negative comments about NZ don't bother me but the negative comments about Wellington do!

NZ culture: I would say that NZ could be described as a very "casual" culture. I love the casualness personally.

I would also say that NZers just do not value "manners" in the same way that most English people do. This could be taken as rudeness by an English person who does value manners and politeness but its not the same as being unkind.

A NZer is more inclined to tell you it like it is regardless of whether you might not want to hear it than an English person would. I actually value the English way nowadays but it took me a while - even I notice the "rudeness" when I go back now but actually its not really rudeness just a different way of being.

Macmama - you are so right about the lack of a class system - it makes things so much nicer and simpler. I hated the fact in the UK you are judged by what kind of car you drive and where you live and how much education you have. Over here it feels like no matter what your back ground you have the same opportunities as everybody else. I am not sure if this is reality bit it is certainly what it feels like so far.

Also what you say about the "inability to really connect beyond a certain level" because you are not a Kiwi is also true to a certain extent. I find that I am more relaxed and able to be myself with the british expats I know. However I also have loads of kiwi mates who I am just as close to but we don't have the shared experiences to look back on (tv programmes, school life, holidays etc..) They start talking about something that happened in NZ years ago in politics or in the news and I don't have a clue what they are talking about. I'm hoping this will change with time.

Its totally about shared experiences IMO and its why I don't consider myself as having lots of really good mates in the UK even tho I know lots of people. I don't think its specific to a country.

Also have to say there are scumbags everywhere - even here. A family (where we have our bach - not locals) quite happily let their do sh*t on the beach on a recent bank holiday, thought it funny when a child walked in it and refused to clean it up when asked to by somebody - he cleaned it up for them. This is despite there being a ban on dogs on the beach this time of the year. As I left the beach I stumbled across a nappy that had been left on the beach. These are very rare occurrences but as I say there are scum everywhere.

Also gangs operate in the area - teh house on the corner of our street was petrol bombed in a drive by bombing in some kind of retribution as well.

This is the same community (of about 500) that has a sailing club, community gardening group, surf lifesaving, free activity programme for children in the school holidays, discos, monthly roasts and heaps more all run by volunteers. Dh has just done a 3 day cooking course for $20.

NZers are hugely patriotic and I find it almost funny sometimes. This is probably where you the 'our school is so great' stuff from Not1not2. I'm constantly hearing about how great everything is here from the scenery to the coffee to the food to the schools to the art etc. It gets a bit wearying, and as you say, I'm sure most people are just being blindly praising rather than knowing why. I'm a NZer and I find it quite ridiculous sometimes.

In terms of schools for us, we have been in one school in London and 2 schools in NZ and have had better experiences here. But my children are not academic and probably never will be, so thats not my standpoint. DS2 has SN and SEN and school has bent over backwards for him. DS1 is not particularly school-orientated but still likes it as he's made to feel good at stuff and that its not just about grades. This is compared to a horrendous start in the UK, where he first didn't even have a school place despite our closest school being just down the road. And also having to start at 4 and a bit and crying every day as he really was too young. And never being able to go in the classroom with him or get regular feedback from teachers.

Now I can email the teachers, speak almost daily if I like. DS2 has fantastic support - which I know would not necessarily be the case in UK (judging from special needs board). And the school feels like the centre of the community. The head teachers are always around and chatting. Its just very accessible and open and the kids all seem very happy.

Obviously all a case study of 1, but its working for us.

On the issue of having to wait weeks to see a doctor. That did worry me when someone else told me that but I read that NZ is very short of doctors in rural areas and this may be the cause. It is the same in certain parts of Wales and also where my parents live up near Scarborough in Yorkshire they have to usually wait 3 days for emergencies. Their local hospital has a very poor rating. I live elsewhere in a small city in the UK and its a 3 hour wait and we have a brand new hospital with very short waitig lists.

Again as others said, it what you are used to in the UK and where you are going in NZ that will impact your views and experience.

The gang issue worried me too but the street where we used to live there was a kidnapping by an armed drug gang and a police stakeout ensued. Thankfully we were away but it happened right across from our living room window.

Yes Beta I agree dr shortages are more likely in rural areas. You are moving to central-ish Auckland aren't you? You would get appts same day or next day there. Lots of drs live and practise in central areas of Auckland (in the good school zones for their kids )

Yes central Auckland.

On the issue of Drs, would any kind soul be able to give me a brief summary of the issue of health insurance (or a web link)?

DW has tasked me with preparing us to move and I am struggling to understand what health insurance we need - not as tourists but as people with a work/business permit.

We will be entitled to use the NZ healthcare system as per a NZ citizen (I think) but I know its not like the NHS.

I would recommend you take a year to research it as best you can before you move. The more you know, the better prepared you are. Don't worry so much about needing to be there by the time your eldest would be due to start school. It wouldn't matter if that dc joined the school in year 3 IMO. It is a big and expensive move and I think personally you might struggle financially on one wage as a family of 5, depends on the lifestyle you want I suppose a bit too.

Your mum might be able to afford the travel to NZ but will she manage health-wise as she ages with such a grueling trip?

AngryBeaver how are you getting on?

DH has now been offered both the jobs he went for so we are just trying to decide which is best for us. Up to him really, they are in the same location. One offers more money, the other more relocation assistance. So we should know by the end of the week which it will be, then we can properly get on with things. And I will probably hand in my notice on Friday, eek!

Angrybeaver Wanted down Under is in NZ this morning if you are anywhere near a TV.

BeenBeta this link on the Ministry of Health website might be useful.
MOH info
The key seems to be whether your work visa is for 2 years or more. 2 years +, then you have complete access. Less than 2 years, it's not great.
Many NZers supplement with health insurance - not all, but most who can afford it. Southern Cross is one of the biggest. You can do an online quote to find out how much that will cost, choosing from options.

Thwop- beware that work permits will take a while to organise. There is a lot of paperwork and immigration will take sometime to process everything even if the medicals are all straightforward. We had to submit OH's, wait for that, then submit mine. Not sure how long your notice is....

We see Dr same day or next day here (Wellington). Rural definitely different. For example parts of the South Island in particular have a very high home birth rate not so much from choice but because there is little option. I read somewhere it's 60% on the West Coast.

I will probably come back to this later dh is hovering and it's putting me off

Can I ask some questions of you all though

Ath do you plan to stay?

Lavender I will PM you later (and explain why I will PM you) really it's because I've wanted to say that for ages
certainly Wiltshire to London is a big commute we looked into commuting but couldn't find anywhere on the 'right' train line to live in IYSWIM

Mac you say you went to a crap secondary then Vic and did allright without asking too much can I ask what you mean by 'allright'?
Vic is a pretty good university I think, do you think it's easier to get into Vic from a crap secondary in NZ than it is to get in to a comparably good uni in the UK? might be part of it Vic kind of neutralising the crap secondary IYSWIM

One of my concerns is the future for the dcs (lack of competativeness on the international market....)

Sibble can I ask 2 nosy questions
how do you manage to get time off work to spend the month at the beach? Do you not get much off the rest of the year?

have you had the bach for ages?
(relavance of that being price increases would maybe preclude someone coming here more recently from ever owning one taking out that experience from them (I know prices are much more expensive in UK...) your community sounds really nice we left free swimming in UK (I know it's gone now) and here we pay ++, are in an area with few pools so it's all crowded etc etc. Although we are especially underpooled for NZ I think.
I have seen very few holiday activities here compared to the UK (admittedly I'm not working so am not really looking for them but in London you were literally falling over them).

Now to answer some questions and help a few people maybe.....

Beta if you are here on a residents visa I don't think you'll need health insurance (do you have private healthcare in the UK?) did I hear you right that you are coming over for 1 month and putting the dcs into school? I would check your visa includes that we have had to produce passports everywhere here, school, Docs, hospital A&E everywhere!!

The last poster relocation is short term a larger salary will go on and on how much are they offering for relocation?

Beaver I wouldn't nec. discount Wellington you might be able to find somewhere less windy but it is a city (obviously)

Interesting on the cost side of things I saw the Oz posters posting similar things recently, I think the true cost of living hasn't really hit in the UK yet.
Now 2 things that are different here are that our kindy takes applications based on date of birth not date registered much more sensible, schools seem to take everyone in their catchement (consequently for good schools the area can get smaller and smaller) it does mean you get more composite classes.

oh what she said can I ask why your friends picked 3 yrs?

Seems like it's just long enough to settle in and make friends and just long enough for things to have really changed back home as well IYSWIM
I've read it takes at least 18 months

on the subject of flights I was looking some up recently and was to see that the tax was nearly half the cost!!!

(my bit about relocation was to Twop shows how much dh was bothering me )

pavlova - many thanks for the health insurance link.

In the initial stages I will be on a 1 year work permit but with permission to stay longer as it is linked to DW having a Long Term Business Visa. There are conditions and time limits attached to that though until our full 4 year permit/visa is attached to our passports.

Although I think we would be eligible for reciprocal health cover between UK/NZ for accidents and acute care. In reality, we would be better to have full insurance cover for the first year anyway.

AngryBeaver* - if you are looking at this the visa/permit process does take a while and they need a lot of info.

not1not2 - I will also check with the NZ Immigration Officer who is dealing wth our case to se what she says. Carrying passports and such to the Drs and hospital sounds like a good plan too.

what I wanted to say earlier was to thank angry beaver for posting this it has been a very interesting discussion for me in particular the bit about what people think is good and how differing our opinions are, it has made me resolve to spend some time thinking about what I want etc etc.

oh just to warn you they put beetroot on the burgers here [yuk]

Its easy to get into Victoria as its the only Wellington university.

There wasn?t that competiveness at least not in the 1990s ? it might have changed. I mean by ?alright? that I did ok academically and ended up with half decent job/career in the UK. I think I had an advantage in a way over UK peers as it is more difficult for UK people to place/label me which works to my advantage.
Not sure I would have found it so easy in NZ mainly because the legal job market is very tight there AFAIK.

Love Beetroot and Pineapple rings in burgers - DH (not a Kiwi) makes me "Kiwi" burgers as a treat sometimes!

Beetroot!

The only thing I will not eat on the entire planet. Vile!

Tell me they dont use pickled beetroot.

This could be an issue.

beetroot is alright

beetroot in a burger is a leetle strange....

mac so how does uni work can anyone go anywhere to do anything? what do they use to decide?
Agree with your not being labelled comment are you a lawyer? how different is the law? must have been hard learning all those extra cases!!

I have no idea if it's pickled it's yuk

beetroot and pineapple you've got him well trained

I think you're in London have you tried the Gourmet Burger Kitchen?

can get good 2 for 1 or 2 or 10£ vouchers if you google

I'm from Wellington and used to work as a journalist, so let me know if you have any specific questions about that... it doesn't pay very well but then it depends on the kind of lifestyle you want, years of experience etc. Kiwis are generally impressed by overseas experience :)

Not1not2 - don't know exactly how the unis work now but in the old days you could pretty much do whatever you wanted if you had passed the final year of school, except for oversubscribed subjects like medicine and psychology, not sure about law.

FWIW I went to Vic too (after going to a very liberal Wgtn secondary school where people told my parents there were lots of drugs and knives, not to mention Maoris ) and have done well in Europe.

And beetroot in burgers is yummy!