After lots of scientific research (Mumsnet) I have decided (with asking DH) that we are moving to New Zealand . Can you help?

[KatyMac]

I need to know about
Childcare
Housing
Healthcare
Asthma/hayfever
Ballroom Dancing
Sailing
& food

So can anyone help with any info?

Sorry I meant without asking DH

& cars

you know you are now destined to spend the whole of the rest of your life on MN repeating "no, we're not really moving to New Zealand"

or

"yes, we moved to New Zealand ten fecking years ago!"

Hmm Old Architecture? I may cope without that - tho' I understand what you mean

maybe

I would need a job though

Am in NZ. About 10-15 of us here on MN.

Will be bacxk later, dd just woken up. Someone else will prob be along in meantime

Thanks

Quickly, while dd eats grapes...

Childcare, lots of centres, most v good, I used to work in one in an expensive area, cost was 300 NZD a week (just over 100 GBP). Be aware, ratios of adult to child are not as good here as UK, for children under 2 (including babies) it's 1 adult to 5 children (way too high imo) and over 2 is 1 adult to 8 kids. Once aged 3 they get 20 hours free childcare a week. Nannies cost about 18 NZD (6 quid-ish) an hour and childminders about 5-8 NZD an hour I think.

Housing, like everywhere prices are levelling/droppping at the mo, though not falling as much as in UK I think. Prices quite high compared to average wage but not as high as UK. I'm in Auckland (biggest city) and our 3 bedroom detached house with garden near parks and sea was about 120 000 GBP - though houses can cost a lot more than that. Be warned, most have no central heating and are coooooold in winter. Average price NZ house is about 350 000 NZD I think

www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-property/index.htm

and

www.realestate.co.nz/ are good sites to give you an idea of prices both rental and buying.

Have to go again..dd yelling..sigh

Wow

I was talking about working in childcare rather than needing it - do people like the low adult:child ratios? Or would they pay more for a higher one?

Oh You have childminders - can I be one there too?

Is DD OK?

I am reading this thread it is fascinating

Actually although this started as a bit of a joke - potentially it is a realistic option

It sounds absolutely fascinating & I think both DD & DH would love it (dancing & sailing pending)

I would be a bit more worried on the food front as I am a fussy bugger

But it could actually work for us

there are LOADS of threads on moving to NZ< go and look through the living overseas section/search

i haven't got time to type much now buyt you should find some answers here already

sailing - are you kidding me - this is sailing heaven! loads of people sail and have boats. sailing is HUGE

there seems to be loads of dancing - what kind are you after? (cannot help specifially on ballroom dancing!)

I kinda hoped about the sailing

DH is a qualified Ballroom/Disco/Rock'n'Roll teacher & DD Dances Competitively

I am searching the archives & there seems to be a lot of stuff

I just asked DH how he feels bout emigrating

He said "OK" [gulp] "When would we go?" [gulp][gulp]

So now it's almost maybe semi-serious

He really like the idea

He likes the look of the houses - they are similar to houses in Jamaica

He wants to know whether it is multicultural & if Jamaicans & half Jamaicans (DD) would be welcomed

I'm a bit gobsmacked

I suppose for DH - he has crossed one ocean this is just over another one

Childcare - check our barnados, porse or kiddz for details of how home educators work (we don't call them childminders)
Check out Ministry of Education for setting up your own Early Childhood Centre, and OSCAR for afterschool clubs.
Unlike the UK it is not done to have pre school and school kids with the same childminder. I have no idea if it's a regulation thing or a cultural thing.

Housing - others have suggested good sites. I love having a one storey house, though ds is obsessed with stairs in other people's houses.

Parts of NZ are very multicultural, but coming from the UK I didn't notice. I would describe a work colleague by where their desk was and dh would say "Oh, the Maori girl" and I honestly hadn't noticed. So I am not a good person to ask if there are lots of Jamaicans really.

Healthcare
You pay for the doctors and you pay something for all children over 6. However you can usually see your own doctor the day you ring if you call first thing. Doctors visit is around $35 - $50. Dental care is free for children and done at school dental clinics. Adults pay the full cost of treatment (allow $100 for checkup and xrays). Medical insurance is however pretty good value and not just for the rich. A prescription is a max of $15 unless your drug isn't covered by Pharmac and then you pay the full cost yourself.

Asthma/hayfever
You have to pay extra for branded Salbutamol. Dh's asthma is better here in summer, but worse in Winter because Christchurch gets quite polluted (sits in a below sea level hole)

Ballroom Dancing
Not my thing sorry.

Sailing
Again not my thing but NZ love to sail.

& food
We have food, if you like eating seasonally and cooking from scratch you will like it here. If you love ready meals and 15p packets of biscuits you will struggle.

How exactly are you fussy about food?

That sound great about the food

I like food that isn't too mucked about with - I bake my own bread & cakes & cook from scratch most things (couldn't make a doughnut to save my life)

I wonder if DH's pre-existing condition would be excluded from his health insurance?

Depends - I joined a corporate scheme and as long as you listed everything they covered it from the start. I think if you join as a private individual then you have to wait 3 years before they will cover those things.

Would his condition be enough for him not to get a visa.

quite possibly

He has a chronic long problem

2 things to consider then

1. Is DH too poorly to emigrate?
2. Can he still get his UK pension while abroad?

You would certainly need to check that his drugs (if any) were funded. You can do that on the Pharmac website.

The NZ Immigration site should have details on the medical side. I know you need a medical, including chest xray and blood test and they want to know about how well not just yourself, but your siblings and parents are.

I don't know about pensions. I know that my dad would not get as much if he moved over.

katymac we lived there for a year and there is LOADS to recommend it - you just have to not mind being, in our case, 4 flights and a 32-hour journey costing (for a family)thousands of pounds every time you want to see close friends and family. we came back bcs i was a bit of a weed and couldn't hack that distance (though am very independent in most respects i hasten to add and have travelled a lot). we are so happy to be back in a gorgeous part of the UK (had to choose carefully after the pristine beauty of NZ) and nearer everyone. but but but we may go back when the kids are older - we really loved it. good luck with your decision!