Considering moving to New Zealand

[madasabeach]

I wonder if anyone out there has emigrated to New Zealand or lived there for a long period and could help me weigh up the pros and cons of moving from the UK to NZ.
In terms of jobs, we have been told that it should be straightforward to find jobs for both of us (healthcare). We have two children, both of who are in school. We would like to live in a city of large town where this plenty going on and good schools for the children. We love the beach and none of us are keen on cold, wet weather.

Can anyone talk me through the pros and cons of life in NZ vs the UK and help me weigh up the different cities/ large towns?

Better to stay in UK as we enter our second Winter of 2024 with 50 days of rain to come in June/July/August. NZ has a thing called blue sky which is just dreadfully unbearable.

As a 50 year immigrant Auckland resident, it was not long ago ranked as the 3rd most liveable city in the world (behind Vienna and Zurich). Word got out and we were deluged with new arrivals and now there is a huge lack of new housing and the roads are jammed at rush hour. Please go to another city if you are thinking of coming to live in NZ. Auckland is still ranked 10th but enough is enough. 😀

I've lived in NZ for more than 20 years - both islands. I think that the whinging Pom thing is a lazy stereotype. Immigrants are unfailingly upbeat about NZ. I actually think that there is confusion between sarcasm and whinging. I know that my kiwi friends find my comments very dry, but actually it's mainstream Brit sarcasm. Older kiwis however, usually Pakeha and usually national voters, take whinging to a new level.
Food is super expensive - best to eat seasonally and I buy my fruit and veg from a cooperative. $15 for a massive bag of fruit and veg of all kinds.
Primary education is great. Secondary is a bit more variable. Quite a lot of single sex options still around and there are still lots of old school attitudes around this. Cultural competency has become hugely significant in the last few years. Cue racist whinging. Being able to engage with a Māori lens on the world is very enriching- honestly it's a privilege.
Having a British accent does sometimes invite comment and not in a positive way. I guess there are different ways of handling this. I try to just suck it up.

In terms of weather, it does get cold in winter but not as cold as the uk and certainly there is much more light. I currently live at the top of the south. It's a stunning winters day today and that is pretty usual. Lots of sunshine here around Nelson and I'd also suggest the kapiti Coast and Hawkes bay as good places to live. Christchurch is still emerging from the rubble, but it's such a different place to the old Christchurch. And in a good way.
Downsides to NZ. Parochial. Can be small minded. Housing is poorly constructed and often cold. Low wages. The current government. Toxic masculinity- some of the media hosts are something else. Gangs - unlikely to affect you directly but it can be unsettling. Terrible dental care. Distance. My teenage kids one day will want to live overseas I imagine and will never come back. Even Australia is a long way. Travel. Expensive and involves long flights outside of east coast Australia and some pacific islands.

Parochial, small minded you say. Well, maybe need to study some NZ history. NZ was the first country in the world to give women the vote in 1893. When did England give women full voting rights? Ummm 1928. Let's skip ahead a bit to 1995 when Georgina Beyer was the first openly transgender person in the world elected mayor of a city. This was well before most people even knew the word 'transgender'. Moving ahead was the Prostitution Reform Act in 2003 to promote the health and safety of sex workers. Is it legal in the UK?

Then there have been three women Prime Ministers, the latter Jacinda Ardern, was considered a global model for her handling of the Pandemic. Who was running the show in the UK?... I forget his name.

Terrible dental care. Huh? Just went to the dentist yesterday and got world class treatment. I suggest finding another dentist. Broke my shoulder some years ago and got world class surgery within hours. Cost: $0.

Yes, the whinging Pom thing was a lazy stereotype and probably some Brits should have simply stayed home.

I was also wondering what sort of a dentist that pp has been to. I've always had great dental care, as has everyone else I know.

As for whinging poms, it's not so much those who have moved here to live, more those who come for a holiday expecting everything to be the same as it is in the UK, although I have heard the same type of comment from those who have emigrated. One has to wonder why they bother to travel.

Given that this poster has lived in NZ for over 20 years I suspect they have little idea of what life in the UK has been like over the past few years.

I’m not sure if @libertyonhertravels is still around but she moved to NZ several years ago and might have something to add.

I'm pretty sure I don't need to study NZ social history to give my opinion on living in NZ and nor am I comparing NZ to the UK or anywhere else. So the petty digs about this are irrelevant.

There is a pervasive small mindedness running through NZ, outside of the main centres in particular. And a strong dose of Christian fundamentalism too, as evidenced by the religious affiliations of our own dear PM and the bizarre support for Destiny Church and the thuggish 'Bishop' Brian Tamaki. The existence of Kate Shepherd (and her activism is problematic in its own way) doesn't negate contemporary small mindedness. Just as the existence of Jacinda doesn't negate that small mindedness pettiness either.

As for dental care, I can only comment on what I know. And this article is pretty reflective of what I understand about NZ dental care. northandsouth.co.nz/2022/03/12/nz-dental-care/
I'm not comparing, just saying that the standard doesn't meet the mark and does a disservice to thousands.

In terms of health care overall, it is not equitable when you have to pay a fairly substantial sum to see a GP, as do children over the age of 13. I will rarely return to the GP, because I have to pay again. Healthcare can move quickly but treatments and medications can be very far from cutting edge. I have a chronic condition and use a drug that has to be especially approved and ordered. I've shown it to a medic in the UK, who tells me that it's pretty much old hat and whilst effective, is also limited. I have heard of a number of Aussies and Brits who have gone 'home' for treatment for complex medical issues because the know how and access to meds aren't available.