Hi farawaytree. It's OK we're not a mutual appreciation society but I do agree with Ghosty.
We have a lifestyle, house etc here that we would never have been able to afford in the UK. We did however bring over a fair bit of money and for what we have only have a smallish mortgage. Alot of kiwis work abroad simply to bring money back into the country to advance. Otherwise the situation is very much like the UK hard to get on teh first rung of the property ladder then a slow crawl up. I would advise anybody to live in the NZ$ as soon as they arrive and not convert everything to sterling. If you convert things seem cheap, if you live by the $ you see the true value. For example my weekly shop is $350-$400, petrol $100, monthly elctricity bills $350 and yearly rates in excess of $1400 so you can see money soon goes.
We too were broken into shortly after we arrived. Having spent the best part of 40 years living in London and never been burgled it came as a bit of a shock. But it is very much the way of life in Auckland and an alarm is definately the first thing to buy if you have a house without one. We also keep our gates locked when we go out. There does seem to be alot of petty crime but I think this is because a) it is still a rarity so makes headline news and b) because it is a relatively new thing people are not safety conscious. I know somebody who had their Merc stolen off their drive and couldnt believe it but they always left it unlocked and the keys in it overnight!!!!! I also know a few people who have had their bags stolen but will leave them on table while they go to order, in the shopping trolley or in the car with the doors open while loading the boot. If you come from the UK the chances are you are safety aware and less likely to be a victim.
It's also a weird place to get used to. The govt has a positive immigration policy but there is little infrastructure to support it. Little public transport, poor roading and recently the power for the whole of Auckland went down for 8 hours. We live 30 minutes south, so not far but are on tank water, septic tank and bottled gas!! When you venture a further 30 mins south Statehighway 1 becomes 50kms, single lane with level crossings through towns, hardly the M1. Kiwis will also tell you it doesn't get cold. Don't listen, houses don't have central heating or double glazing, the old villas are quaint but unless renovated serious wind tunnels. When it drops to 0 degrees in winter with a frost on the ground. It's not cold it's ** freezing. We have two log fires we have to chop wood to heat the house and plug in radiators in the bedrooms.
Having said all that I have yet to find anywhere on earth that's perfect. Once you get used to te fact that it's very different it;s a great place. DH still spends less time travelling and more time at home. The quality of life is better. Hardly any keeping up with the Jones' unless you choose to. I know people who havn't decorated or bought new furniture in close to 20 years but own a beach house and boat. Different outlook on life.
Come with an open mind and see what you think yourself.