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!

Good luck with your decision-making as you come down to the wire!

I have to agree with William - not being able to drive will definitely impact negatively on your experience here. You could potentially be quite isolated, and definitely limited, during the day if you're unable to drive.

On the plus side, with quieter roads, it will be less daunting to get your licence here, and at least we drive on the same side. :)

Re: Next delivering here, we found out the other day that not only is it free international delivery, but it's also cheaper! DH bought some slippers for $36 that were listed on the site for £20! Not sure if it's a glitch but we're making the most of it .

Thank you. I need to learn to drive full stop actually. It's so limiting even here for me, especially during school holidays. Being tied to the house or terrible unreliable bus times is a pain when id love to get the boys out and just take them swimming or to the museum etc. Everything becomes a hassle when you can't drive!

Still so much to consider. The more we research, the more I feel we need to research! For every answer we get, we seem to uncover another issue.

DH is up for it. I could go either way! It's the day to day things that worry me. Here I am familiar with everything, I know the school well, I know how long it takes to walk the boys there in the morning, I know the (albeit terrible) bus time tables. Stepping outside of that comfort zone is particularly scary for me. DH will be at work for 8.5 hours a day, he can drive, his life although different over there will still be in his control. I feel like I'll be rattling around in a cold rented house, no one I know and no clue as to how to fill my days.... Just waiting for DH to come home. I don't want that.

As someone who has moved around a fair bit I can tell you that moving out of your comfort zone can be scary but also exciting. I am someone who definitely finds the day to day stuff of life of being a sahm more fun outside my comfort zone. You won't feel you are stuck in a rut however mundane your day to day life is - everything is an adventure. Also you won't have the added difficulty of learning a new language so you will easily be able to talk and interact with everyone you meet right from the start. It will be tough sometimes and it's good that you are already anticipating this, but it will also be interesting - everything will be new. Somethings will be better than home, some things will be worse. The main difference between you and I is that I know sooner or later I will be moving on again (or back in France which is where we are based) which I think definitely helps me to focus on the positive and ignore the negative. Also I've never lived so far away - you can't just pop back for a restorative weekend and I don't imagine you'll have many visitors much as many people would probably love to visit. I think what is tricky about your decision is that you sound to have a pretty good life now in the UK - dream house for instance. I think you need to think about the fact that life will be different, but not necessarily better. One thing I can tell you is you don't know what you will miss until you move. It is never the things you expect - there will be lots of things you take for granted in the UK which you can't take for granted there. I'm still not clear if you've ever even visited before. It sounds like your DH has got a good deal with a good job to go to so you will have a little network to welcome you. I really think it is a pity that you have to burn your bridges and can't leave a door open to come back - but maybe that is a good thing. It means you will really have to make it work and so perhaps you will try harder if that makes sense. Just wanted to come back on the thread to wish you luck with your decision. It's a big old world and life is short so maybe you should just sieze your chance and go for it.

Which decision did you make op?