Our experience with the job market and maybe we are just in the right line of work or lucky is that there is a deficit of highly skilled workers here. Partly due to the tendency of kiwis after uni, college etc to travel (then not always come back) and partly because people can be better paid for their skills abroad especially Oz close to home.
Both my jobs 'found me' through chatting to people in a social context. Jobs do seem to change hands here through an old boy/social network that's not linked to social class or 'the right schools'. WIth both jobs I was able to easily negotiate freelance employment, own hours and not school holidays. I would have been laughed out of the interview room in London.
DH lived away from NZ for nearly 20 years and returned with heaps more experience and skills in his opinion than he could have gained if he'd stayed. This now means far more opportunities here. My one concern, but I don't dwell on it, is that those opportunities may be limited. Smaller country and less companies does in the long run limit you if and when you want to change job.
When we left London DH had a good job but had probably peaked in terms of promotion as there were so many other equally skilled people. In the 4 years we've been here, he's advanced a few times and is now a company director. Highly unlikely if we'd stayed in the UK. So even if we move on, he's now gained experience and skills here that weren't on the horizon in the UK.
Have read this back and it's very rambly but hopefully makes sense!
PS I wouldn't have got work in Tauranga, DH wouldn't have had such a good job so it was Auckland for us.