Tell me everything I need to know about emigrating to New Zealand.

[PrincessAnnaOfArundale]

Hi, sorry if this is long and rambling but I have a lot to ask.

Basically DH and I have been talking about emigrating from uk to New Zealand for about 10 years, it's never happened although we talk about it endlessly and go round in circles!

DH has been offered a job in Auckland for $110,000. Realistically is this a decent enough wage to survive out there?

Also we have two sons, the oldest has just turned 8, youngest is soon to be 4. Is Auckland suited to family lifestyle? Is it safe? I keep researching and literally keep seeing terrible things unfolding in my head!! Are we likely to get volcano eruptions and tsunamis? (Only partly kidding with this question!)

Also our youngest Ds has hypermobility syndrome, which essentially means he's fine but has double jointed ankles and wrists. He needs insoles for his shoes and had support boots provided by NHS and has physiotherapy here. Would this sort of thing be covered in New Zealand or would we have to go private?

Are the schools good? (Broad question open to interpretation I know) but after a brief overview of your experiences please.

It really is now or never. Don't want to disrupt the boys as they get older.

We need to sell out house and it has currently just been put on market... This could be the deal breaker anyway as houses are not shifting but we've put it at a low price to get a sale.

Are we making a huge mistake considering this? Should add our families here in uk would be OK as DH has very little family and all very self contained, my family is very splintered and not close here.

I will miss my dad but manage with Skype hopefully as we don't see him often anyway so the boys wouldn't really be taken away from a great support network (we don't rely on anyone for childcare or offers to take the boys weekends at grandmas etc so none of that to worry about).

Could anyone recommend good areas to live as a family in Auckland? Need good schools in walking distance.

Sorry I'm rambling! Thank you for reading. All in out greatly appreciated!

True Dowager, but that doesn't make NZ grim. There are people living in grim conditions in England, Canada, Italy, etc, etc. In conclusion, the whole world is grim

Well, exactly!

And you know, as awful as south central Auckland might be, we don't have a proliferation of towerblocks - people living in poverty in shoe boxes, piled up on top of each other, and not even an outside to call their own. Our worst isn't as bad as it comes, by quite a long shot.

Hiya everyone thank you all for keeping the thread going and adding your input.

Yes DH has a car in the relocation package.

I am still feeling anxious about it but a little more positive today.

If anyone has any info on areas to avoid and schools etc it would be much appreciated. I don't drive so the kindergarten and school all need to be in walking distance (very standard in uk but not so sure about nz).

Here we are about a 5 minute walk to the boys school which contains a nursery school where ds2 (age3) goes which is handy as it means I'm not dropping one off and having to walk for miles to get the other one to nursery. Are there any schools like this in the pukehoe area? I think in New Zealand it tends to be separate schools for under 5s which could be a problem. I need shops in walking distance and by shops I mean like a local convenience store or mini market not an entire mall (although can't lie that would be a bonus haha)

If anyone can think of any areas which could be what we are looking for then I would be grateful to hear from you. Sorry to be quite specific but it really does come down to the day to day things that make our lives run smoothly as to whether this is at all doable.

Have a look here to see what schools and early learning centres are in the area. :)

www.educationcounts.govt.nz/search/?query=Pukekohe%2C+Auckland

A car as part of the relocation package. Very nice, well done. There's very very few people that get that these days. The company in NZ must be fairly keen on him working for them.

Really? Thought that a company car was sort of standard. Suppose it means he can actually get to work since we obviously can't take our own car out there. That's reassuring though if it means they are keen. Suppose they must be to pay visa and container costs. It's not going to be cheap for them. I've had a look at the school links thanks everyone xxx

I have no idea what is standard. My husband and I relocated ourselves at our own expense to New Zealand. Ninety nine percent of people do. Neither of us had a job to go to either.

We purchased a car when we came here. Same reason, we needed to get around. Although my husband walks to work. Cars are expensive here.

Why can't you bring your own car ? At least you won't have the kerfuffle and expense of having to get it New Zealand roadworthy on arrival. Some people ship their car in the container along with the rest of their belongings and get told not to put any belongings in the car to utilise the space. There wasn't enough value in our car to justify bringing it to NZ.

They are paying visa and container costs too ? All that on top of a three figure starting salary. Nice.

Is he bonded to work for them for a minimum period of time ? When my husband and his family relocated from Britain to NZ in 1966 his Dad agreed to work for a minimum of 2 years for the employing company as they paid for some of their expenses.

Definitely look into bringing your car over here, if only to sell it when you get here (depending on its condition). Cars here cost about 2-3 times what they do in the UK. Take a look on the Trade Me motors page to see what they're going for. My biggest regret is not buying a Mini for £4k, bringing it over and selling it for $20k!

Even going back to 1966 my late father in law always regretted not bringing their family car.

Mostly because going back to 1960's NZ there wasn't a great deal of choice with regard to buying a car and it also would have saved money on the purchase of a new one.

We brought our (European) car with us in the container, and will be selling it soon. Haven't looked into it yet, but vaguely anticipate getting more for it here than we ever would have if we'd sold it in the UK before leaving.

It's mostly Japanese (and Ford) cars down here.

I hadn't even considered taking our car don't know that was an option tbh. Thank you for the info though.

We clearly still have a lot to look into. DH skyped with the company in nz last night and they said they're willing to stick with us and appreciate it'll take time to sell the house etc. Like I say, renting it out is not an option as our monthly mortgage payment would still be more than the rental income it would generate.

Still umming and ahhing here but I sense that we need to make a decision very soon and it's not easy. Lots to consider.

We will have approximately £17,000 cash when we arrive in order to find any trips home or possible return home if we hate it after a couple of years.

Anything else I need to know?

I'm not sure if he is committed to working for the company for a certain amount of time.... I am guessing he must be as they'll have paid a lot of money to get us out there. I really need to check that!

DH was recruited in the UK to come out here. The company paid for everything - shipping, flights, accommodation for 3 months etc. He also was given a company car however we also brought a car with us in our very large shipment. I would never have come over otherwise. That said it's going to cost us about $20k to get back home.

The car we brought was brand new - driven direct to the container. That didn't stop MPI charging us to clean what was already an immaculate car and ensuring it passed their 'tests'. If you come here you'll realise why this is such a joke when you see the cars that a lot of people drive. Insurance isn't compulsory here. As regards shipping, generally they open a number of boxes from a shipment and of course charge you for the privilege. Commonly known as 'fleece the immigrant'. However if you do decide to come bring as much stuff as you can - everything is expensive and the as I've mentioned before there isn't much choice.

As regards renting. Another poster mentioned units. I would take a bit of time and look at trademe for houses and units for sale to give you an idea of the standard of housing. Yes the UK has high rise blocks but the likelihood of someone from that area getting a visa to NZ is virtually nil. Most of us are coming from well established life styles with great properties. Anyway Trademe will give you an idea of what is available. It's also useful to know that when you rent it is the renter, ie you, who pays the agent fees plus normally 2 weeks in advance and a bond of about a months rent. There is a fair amount to outlay when you start off. If the house doesn't have sky or an aerial you'll also have to pay out for that, oh and also broadband which is also stupidly expensive. There isn't much fibre here yet either.

I am trying to say that don't under estimate the amount it costs just to get here and get setup. It's great that the company are providing a car - just bear in mind it will more than likely have the company name displayed down both sides. We have found the working culture very different here. I was wondering how coming here would be a boost for your DH's career? Most companies are looking to buy in skills and your DH will probably find that it is his experience that they are after. What does he have to gain from that?

As I said my DH was sponsored, if he had just left the company within the time of our visa we would have had to leave the country so we applied for PR which was all fine, we were then free to do what we wanted. However what will happen if you come here and it doesn't work? will they ask you pay back what they have paid out? will he have to work for them for a few years? Please don't think it will be the same company as the UK and therefore similar. It won't, it's different here.

One last thing. I have heard many times people who have emigrated and then decided to go back for whatever reason. They have then struggled to get school places as they are not in the country. If you have good schools and good local secondary I would thing a lot about giving that up. I don't care what anyone says the schools over here are not a patch on the UK.

Anyway a big long ramble. Good luck with your decision.

Thank you seemslikeonlyyesterday. Hmm well primary schools are outstanding here, however secondaries are very 'average'. Not sure how they compare to nz in that respect.

Yes we are thinking very hard about it. Not expecting to go over there and be better off financially to be honest. We are looking for a change and a better lifestyle/ climate/ safer childhood for our children. Having said that, it's impossible to know if that is achievable without trying.

I am over thinking and researching into everything. I know we are getting close to the point of having to make a decision.

It would be good for DH's career as it's a step up the ladder if that makes sense. His skills and qualifications are quite a sought after thing over in New Zealand, there is a big shortage over there so he would be essentially doing his UK's boss' job over there if that makes sense? So it's almost like having been promoted to his boss' level. So if he were to return to uk that would hopefully lead to a higher up job than he has here. Which may never happen if we chose to stay over there but we can't know that yet.

I don't know. It seems like they are keen to get him over there but equally I feel like we are giving up a lot. Nice house, perfect area, good primary schools, with no guarantees of anything working out over there. I know there are never any guarantees in life but it's a hell of a big step.

At the moment I feel DH is all set ready to go (although obviously won't commit to anything without us all being agreed). I don't want to hold him back, I really don't but I don't see that I can ever make this decision for us. There are too many unknowns.

DH is thinking that his skills being in demand and the fact that there is a big skills shortage over there as a good thing and a way for him to progress quickly but I am seeing it as a bad thing in a way.... I mean if there's a shortage of skilled workers then that worries me that the New Zealand education system is not up to scratch and not producing skilled, educated individuals. That is a huge concern for our boys' futures. am I being ignorant in thinking that?

Pukekohe is nice. As are many other places around there. The impression I have is more and more Aucklanders are commuting now so it's not unusual if your husband needs to. Lots more options if you look outside of Auckland.

Anna - NZ has a small population and is remote, so there are always going to be skills shortages, especially in certain sectors over others.

We also have a long history of heading off on our OE (overseas experience) in our 20s, so there's a lot of brain drain going on. Many (by no means all) of those people come back to have kids and settle down, though. This is not unique to NZ.

You can have a look at the latest PISA results for yourself to see how NZ does (in comparison to other countries). You can also Google other international research such as PIRLS and TIMSS.

It's not perfect here by any means. You will take a chance. Some people come here, hate it, and head off. Other people amble along, liking it well enough. Others love it. It won't be home, and that is a deal-breaker for some. There is a wide range of experience, but that is true for expats/immigrants going anywhere.

I don't know what industry your DH is in, but there really is a lot going on south of the Bombay Hills. We didn't get on with Auckland at all (not necessarily all Auckland's fault), relocated, and are much happier where we are now.

Good luck - it's not an easy decision, and there will always be a 'structural adjustment' period as you settle into a new place. It will cost you money, it will put a strain on your relationship, and you will experience an indefinite period of culture shock / feeling out of place. You will feel homesick, and you will feel resentment. It helps to know about the negatives, so that you can know you're within the realms of normal if/when it happens. :)

Sorry, to clarify, PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS are all education-based data/research.

seemslike far be it for me to defend MPI (they broke my favourite Christmas decoration ), but saying why bother cleaning a new car when all the cars here are in a state doesn't work - our ecosystem is SO delicate, and one thing brought in on a car could ruin our industries. Same reason everyone complains about getting charged $400 for their forgotten apple at the airport.

anna the skills shortage is almost because people are TOO educated, in that almost everyone is expected to go to university. Last night the news was talking about a desperate lack of carpenters - we need more trades people. University is cheaper than the UK (after they bumped the max fees up to £9k a year), and our student loans are interest free while you remain in the country.

Hmm, yes, the requirement for cars and imports to be cleaned, isn't so that they will be 'tidy' or 'immaculate'...

Anyone around who has shipped a container to a different country?

I'm sure Immigration NZ is more rigorous than average around the introduction of contaminates, but I'd be surprised if other countries are more lax around the various fees. Charging $£€ left, right and centre is the preserve of Customs/Border Control everywhere, I'd've thought!

Not sure where I said that I thought cleaning my car was not required! The point I was making was that the car was new however, as with a lot of things over in NZ, any opportunity to get cash is exploited to the full. As regards the eco system - the 'clean green' image the NZ likes to give the world is known to be a bit of joke over here.

A quick google on PISA will tell you all you need to know about the tests, how they administered and how the results are used, oh and the concerns that many academics have with them. OP, NZ is no different from any other country in that there are some very bright students here however to say that people are TOO educated just made me laugh my head off. The education system is different, as is the working environment. New Zealanders are very confident in their belief that things here are much better than everywhere else, the British are much more critical of themselves and do tend to put themselves down. NZ has to sell itself to attract immigrants, it doesn't have the calibre of people here, it's well known and understandable that the high achievers go abroad, they simply won't get the experience here. Anyway we all have different views on what constitutes a good education and what we want for our children, only some of us have experience of education in both countries.

All the best.

Nobody has suggested you didn't thinking cleaning your car was required? More that perhaps you just didn't understand the rationale behind it.

Feel free to offer up alternative international research that shows the UK outperforming NZ educationally.

I guess that flight home can't come soon enough!

Education to me is much more than where my country sits in a league table, especially one that is so narrow in what it tests, has shown to be flawed and not respected by academics. There has been many calls in countries, including NZ, to ditch PISA. Along with this different countries face different challenges, the UK has a massive student population compared to NZ with many more different cultures etc. Perhaps the problem is that I expected NZ to be so good/much better because it's smaller.

The education system here is very NZ centric, that's great if you are going to live here, work here, die here, but that isn't what we will be doing. I want my children to receive a curriculum that is rigorous and rich in content. They haven't received that in the public system here. I am not alone in this, many people return to the UK and one of the reasons is the education. Everyone has a different opinion on education, if the OP decides to come here she will be able to see for herself, I just want to make her aware that it isn't a given that it is better.

Yes, I am very much looking forward to going home!

That's ironic given that the Dept of Education in the UK actively supports a league table system which ranks schools, whereas NZ rejects same for all the reasons you outline.

PISA may be flawed, in terms of no measure being perfect, but it's certainly an insight into country performance. It's 'narrow' because different subject areas (i.e. reading, maths, science, etc) are tested in each cycle. Until a better international measure is offered up, it's all there is. I'm sure it would be touted if it showed the UK outperforming NZ.

The curriculum here is 'NZ-centric' inasmuch as it actively supports te reo (the UK obviously doesn't have an indigenous/settler culture to consider in its curriculum). But, like it or not, graduates from the NZ education system are all over the world, and to try to make a case for them only being able to live and work in NZ simply doesn't work, when it's so blatantly not the case.

Some brilliant information and points of view being shared so thank you to all that have commented.

DH and I are supposed to be making a decision tonight. God bless him, he's being so patient with me (a natural procrastinator and ditherer!) but we can't keep the employer hanging on a thread like this so we need to commit one way or another.

I like the look of waiuku as well, is this seen as a rural area or still a town? Some of the houses available there look lovely. Does anyone know if it's considered a bad area in terms of crime and education?

Lots still to consider, not least how we are going to find a furnished home for the 10-12 weeks until our container arrives?! Been looking online and it's all so much to take in. Really do feel like it's now or never though. Never putting DH or our ds's through this again so if we don't go for it now, we never will emigrate. Having said that, if we are miserable out there then our life savings will all go on getting is home and we'll probably never get back on property ladder here again. Gah! See I go round in circles and talk myself in and out of things!

Very late to this party, but an Aucklander here.

Waiuku is nice. Like a small town and will have most of the conveniences you need. I don't know Pukekohe at all so can't really comment on that, but you would be well placed between Auckland and Hamilton so easy to drive to the big smoke when you need to.

Re your comment on not driving yourself though, I would not recommend more getting your license when you get here. Public transport is rather limited here, although the train line that runs down past south Auckland is ok. You'd want to be living within walking distance to a station though. Nz has so many amazing spots to discover that are only accessible by car - it's a necessity in my book.

Schools - not sure if anyone has linked up thread but look on the ERO website, stands for education review office and they are the ones who go into schools and assess them - same as Ofsted? Decile is relevant only to work out funding, higher decile means higher wealth in the area, but by no means reflects the school itself.

Most rental places are unfurnished, although there are some apartments that have furniture. If you were going to be based in central Auckland there would be plenty of places, but if your DH is out glenbrook way then that's too far. You could always look for an airbnb or even a holiday let and negotiate a long term fee? On the trade me website there is another tab called holiday houses and there will be loads of baches to search through. Similar to owners direct.

We can't make your decision for you, obviously! But I'd say go for it. These opportunities in life don't come around too often, and even if it doesnt work out what an adventure anyway! This is a beautiful country, but you can't compare it to the UK in terms of cost of living. What things cost back home is largely irrelevant, although m&s and next both deliver here. And I don't want to eat out of season imported strawberries anyway!