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

not1not2 I don't recall you ever mentioning Napier,I think you've imagined it!
Isn't Napier the town that was destroyed by an earthquake and rebuilt?I'd be worried about that!
sibble I wouldn't mind Papamoa being a retirement village,we like the quiet life and are old before our time!

thwop,how goes it?

sibble just been browsing images of papamoa and there is a pole dancing studio...so unless the retiree community are feeling frisky,there may be a younger scene on the up!

Monday 17th Jan 13:39

phew I'm not mad

Hey AngryBeaver and everyone else. Well have handed my notice in and DH has started on the form for his fasttrack visa. I thought I had to wait until he got his but apparently we all apply at the same time. We will send for our police certs on Monday and book medicals. It feels quite overwhelming! The plan is to fly out during the week after Easter and for DH to hopefully start work the first week in May. But this will only work if medicals etc are straightforward.

slippers I have been to Napier, it is fab. All the buildings are Art Deco style because it was rebuilt in the 30s and it looks amazing. It's not huge though (as I recall).

slippers Auckland you will get plenty of job offers!!! Problem with Auckland is the high cost of housing, but I know plenty of people that live there on two wages comfortably..depends on what you expect in terms of lifestyle really, but then we are never going to be rich being social workers are we?

You really shouldn't have any problems getting work at all in the North Island. Lots of little gang hotspots all over the place i.e Hawkes Bay, Wairoa, Wanganui, Rotorua but you would probably be not working exclusively with gangs but working with families who are associated to gangs. One thing to keep in mind is that NZ is bicultural, so you will need to show a willingness to learn NZ history and the impact for NZers now (both Maori and Pakeha), and where you would fit in as (I presume)a white? English social worker.

Wellington is another place to look at. Would have lots of interesting work and you are in the policy hotspot if you ever wanted to move in that direction.

Instead of LA's they have one central govt/stat agency Child, Youth and Family CYFS. So no matter where you work, if you do statutory work it will always likely be with CYF. Just remember if you are in a small city it can be difficult to escape your clients, not like London where you can have relative anonymity!

The main difference I think is the perspective, in NZ the emphasis is on keeping the family together. It is not nearly as punitive as the UK, however, not sure if this is for the best as to our shame in NZ we have some of the highest rates of child abuse. But it is a very different way of working, can be frustrating but also good for children to stay within their families or nearby but have regular contact/interaction with their family.

I would hope you would find social work a bit more "pure" in NZ, less paperwork, less bureaucracy but I am sure child protection in South Auckland is up there with child protection teams in London in terms of caseload and stress levels.

Sorry OP, we keep going off your topic....but I am reading with interest all the updates from everyone!

I am also sorry op to hijack thread!!

kiwifarfromhome Thanks so much for your most informative posting!! I currently work with families with gang association rather than gang specific. I commute two hours a day (one there, one back) now and would do that again. We are keen to lead a more rural lifestyle. Do you have any suggestions as to location that fits? Think Wellington may suit as I currently have stragic involvement in practice which I would like to continue. Can you suggest anywhere within an hourish?

Once again op sorry!!! I am also reading all updates with interest.

No problem re the hijacking..I am also reading with interest although it doesn't relate to me directly because im nosey

I'm feeling awful at the moment,sitting here in tears actually and having a stiff drink (even though it's 3.20pm!)I have just had my mum and her partner round and broken the news.
My mum was very supportive,but distressed.
She said she can't think about the emotional side yet.
She also said that whilst they've been away on hols they watched Wanted Down Under and that she couldn't watch the videos from the family bit,that she'd left the room in tears...and she didn't even know we were going then!

My step-dad said that they could do 6 months in nz with us or 3 months uk, 3months nz etc

But,I feel really despondant now,like I don't want to go

If they said they'd come,it would be perfect,I had a little fantasy that they had said they would...but they won't.They have other grandkids here and a busy social life.

Are we all watchin Wanted Down Under?? Has anyone applied to go on it??

Leaving our loved ones or even telling them is heartbreaking isn't it x

I hear a lot about the gang issue in NZ and never know whether it is really more serious than in the UK.

I know NZ is a bicultural society rather than multicultural like the UK but is that New Zealanders just feel it is a much bigger problem than it actually is because crime overall in NZ is very low?

Japan has its gang cultue but it is contained within the Yakuza and it is quite safe for a woman to walk around the streets and generally far safer in Tokyo than in London.

Is it a case that NZ gangs do not actually impinge upon your life unless you are involved in drugs, etc?

Not1not2 re Plunket, you could give them a call and see what they say. I would also resommmend registering with a GP as if you have to go suddenly and are not already registered they may charge you more as a "casual/visitor" - at the practice I go to it's $17 if you are registered but $60 if you're not. How long have you been here?

Beta I can't say I've ever noticed gangs impinging on my life in nearly 10 years here, I'm sure they are responsible for some crime etc which obv can impinge on everybody at some point. I think in a big city they are usually just in certain areas whereas if you are in a small town their presence may be more obvious to all. Just a guess, I know very little about gangs!

Oh and I've no idea if Playcentre is lentilweavery, I've never been to one.

Angrybeaver the thought of my friends parents pole dancing has just made me choke and sent a shiver down my spine - not a good mental image at this time in the morning.

I went to playcentre - they do have a very lentil weavery reputation. Not all will be to everybody's taste. The one I went to seemed to be quite different to the reputation. However you do have to attend regional meetings on a roster and I was the only one at the meeting(s) I went to wearing makeup and a bra. We also had to open the meeting with a song, presentation of a Lei to newcomers and it was all very touchy feely.

I've been out of the UK for 8 years so can't remember gangs being as big as they are here. Whether that because of press coverage or because the boys play sport in South Auckland - rugby league for Papakura which means we play in Otara, Mangere etc...so I encounter them regularly in one way or another? South Auckland is quite diverse which is why I like living here - you can't buy a house under 1.5 mill where we live but 10 mins down the road social deprivation is rife. I love the cultural diversity, that ds's friends are a mix of Maori, Islanders, white etc.. It does however mean that gangs are a reality for some of ds's friends older siblings. We have had P labs 'busted' in both our street and the street where we have our bach. Recently ds1 came home talking about the 'choking game' kids had been playing - being urged by text to hang themselves until they pass out - with disastrous outcome of several children dying. DS1s friends knew personally 3 of those children. I avoid local beaches on bank holidays having been caught up in the middle of a gang fight on the beach involving chain saws and machetes once - BUT these are few and far between and I don't think about them everyday. Mostly life is very quiet and I wouldn't live any else.

at being the only one in make up and a bra Sibble.

at the chainsaw fights on beach, which beach were you at (if you don't mind saying)?

slipper I have no idea about commute times in and around Wellington (I am from down South!!!). I think you could say live up on the Kapiti Coast and commute into Welly but not sure how long that would take. I think quite a few Brits go to Upper Hutt which has cheaper property and more land with properties (again I think). Lots of people also live out in Whitby, Porirua and the areas around there....google maps and trade me property are your friends!!!

I don't mean to scaremonger or make things out to be worse than they are but gangs are relevant in NZ. They may not be part of your life in a day to day way, but they are a concern for young people (young Maori men especially). Although I am not from a particularly mixed part of NZ (i.e gangs are less of an issue) I have experienced interaction with Black Power and Mongrel Mob gangs. They feed off intimidation, but to be honest most of the anger/intimidation is aimed at each other. There are some very small pockets of NZ where I am sure there are very real issues with gangs in the community i.e parts of South Auckland, Wanganui. I wouldn't worry about it too much but it is wise to know the neighbourhood you are moving into!!!

Regarding crime figures, don't be lulled into a false sense of security there...we have high crime stats, although lots of people say it's because NZ list all crimes separately, where as stats in UK are often bunched together. Not sure how true that is. I think on the whole you feel safer in NZ, I honestly had never seen drunk/homeless/beggars people on the street until I came to the UK, Never been the victim of a crime in NZ, victim of some cheque fraud, bank account fraud and an attempted house break in here.

sibble at the beach incident...scary!!

My husbands relatives live in Nelson with two young children and are very happy there. I have visited there twice and would say it was more than a village but certainly has a very laid back feel to it. It is very arty, has lovely beaches, lovely mountainous backdrop and great vinyards close by.

We are considering a move to NZ ourselves this year but although we love Nelson we just don't think it will offer my husband the choice of jobs and good salaries that Auckland would.

My mother-in-law lives in Mount Maunganui, near Tauranga and it's LOVELY! So sunny and gorgeous long beaches. She has mentioned the boy racers but doesn't seem to be directly effected by them, so i suppose you just need to choose your area carefully.

Good luck and hope the move goes well for you if you do it.

slippers I watched eps 9 and 13 which were the only nz ones as far as i'm aware.
Yes,the thought of leaving family is completely gut-wrenching.
sibble yup,I looked at the class schedule and they run one for golden oldies,I bet your parents friends are all signed up!
God,chainsaws and frigging machetes?????!!Were you there?
I would be so worried if my kids friends had links with gang members..

Can I ask if everyone -especially those I know are about to leave the uk,thwop and beenbeta- have been to nz for a holiday/scout around?

Hey Angry,

We have been to NZ about three years ago, but we haven't been to the place where we will be living. It was a holiday, not a look around with a view to moving. But I doubt we would be doing this if we hadn't been at all- we are really not very brave...

Not1, I'm in Wellington.
Slippers - you could easily live somewhere quite rural within an hour of Wellington. Indeed within 30 mins. Options are Makara and Ohariu Valley (both 30 mins), Kapiti Coast - more beaches, quite a lot of retired people (search towns like Waikanae and Otaki), the Wairarapa (much more of a rural farming area - best towns are Greytown or Masterton), or parts of the Hutt Valley (e.g. Te Marua, Mangaroa). Have a look on www.trademe.co.nz and search properties to get an idea.
NZ salaries are a good 20% lower than Australia on average. House prices are higher in Australia though.
Gang related issues are definitely a problem in NZ but in relatively isolated pockets. In Wellington only really in parts of Porirua - a smaller city towards the Kapiti Coast from Wellington (20 mins on motorway).

You could quite easily get a job in Napier as a social worker by the way! Gangs there are mostly confined to a suburb of Hastings called Flaxmere. The more powerful gangs tend to have strong Maori or Pacific Island connections so it would be important to quickly gain an understanding of cultural dynamics. You might also want to Google "Family Group Conferences" which as I understand it is a fairly unique concept to NZ.

Angry - if natural disasters like earthquakes scare you then really nowhere in NZ can be regarded as completely safe. Look at what happened in Christchurch in Sept, and that had previously been considered to be "safe-ish". NZ is on the rim of the so-called "ring of fire" that circles the Pacific so have similar risks in this respect to places like Japan and USA west coast. Australia is regarded as pretty safe from earthquakes but Brisbane's just had a huge flood, killed 20-30 people and they're saying it's Australia's biggest ever natural disaster. Plus they have snakes, spiders etc - much less danger from animals in NZ!!

whatshesaid it was Maraetai

Small population and very laid back apart from bank holidays when you can't see a grain of sand or a tuft of grass. I was on the beach with ds2 as a toddler and ds1 about 6 at the time we were pushed along the beach with the crowd - I started to get 'shitty' with the pushing as ds1 had dropping his ice block when a 'patched young man' hurtled by followed swiftly by a chain saw brandishing 'patched young man' who pinned him to the floor brandishing the chain saw. Helicopters were by then hovering overhead. I grabbed the ds's ran into the sea, along the beach and took refuge in the park with other mums to find along the chain saw were new it's not uncommon for gang fights or drink/drug fueled fights on a bank holiday. The ds's were more traumatised by being taken home early than the drama. Although we did fare better than one of the mums who I got talking to who had locked herself and toddlers in her car when they started fighting on her bonnet and rang the police from the car floor - now that would have been scary

Very exciting and you never got that at Southend or Brighton in my day

I live in Nelson. Lovely climate and great access to lovely countryside, national parks, beaches, arts scene, great seasonal fruit and veg. Wages do not match those in Wellington and Auckland and jobs are hard to come by. It is a very cliquey place and born and bred Nelsonians can be a royal pain. Nelson is certainly not a village, but a town and has a wide range of amenities. The hospital is fantastic and I have never had to wait more than a day to see a doctor. Schools are great and I have seen plenty of innovative teaching and learning (I work in education). Most schools, although not all, ask for donations and this gets expensive at secondary level - if you don't like this, make sure your feelings are expressed in the ballot box. However, Wellington is also fab - lived there for two years - very beautiful and vibrant, although October/ November winds will blow your pants (and sometimes your roof) off. Housing in both places can be very ropey - poor construction, very damp, no decent heating. But its a case of buyer beware - there are healthy warm houses out there - just make sure it's a priority and don't be sidetracked.

Ah never been to Maraetai, we did go to Beachlands once and thought how lovely it would be to live there and get the ferry to the city...I'm sure it is lovely 99.9% of the time, just the odd long weekend like you say.

I'm sure there's plenty of gang presence over here in west Auckland, I just probably never go to those areas. My suburb is full of over-65s so not exactly a gang hotspot

Sibble When was this Maraetai incident? I've lived local to there for 4 years, and am unfamiliar with that. I know that in the summer there's a high presence of patches around there.

I didn't know there were so many posters in NZ till this thread .

AngryBeaver - we had planned to go for 2 months last Nov/Dec but DW was recovering from surgery and we could not travel.

Instead we wil go for a year in July and then make a decison if we want to stay.

It was about 5 years ago.