Pondering a new life in NZ....

[BunnyLebowski]

.....and have a few (probably silly and naive) questions!

DP and I have dd who is 10 months. Iam 29 and he is 27. He is a degree educated IT professional working in the banking industry. I am currently not working but am planning going back to uni to complete my nursing degree next year.

We are becoming increasingly unhappy with life where we live and indeed the UK in general. We hate the all-encompassing consumerism here in the UK, the nanny state, the crime and general degradation of morals and standards, the celebrity obsessed culture how over-mature young kids are (particularly girls) etc etc I could go on and on!

We are determined to give dd (and any other future dc's) the best possible childhood we can and we both agree that there are better places in the world than Yorkshire to do this!

We are both unmaterialistic people who value family life over anything else. We love the outdoors and camping. Our dream life is a simple one. Our own home. A garden for the kids. Good schooling. Lots of activites and places to create fabulous family memories. Some good adult friends we can barbeque with and occasionally get pissed with!

Although we've never been we've always been inexcplicably drawn to New Zealand. We are now seriously considering a move there. We are planning to go next year for a good long trip so we can see as much as we can and find out if it's indeed the home we're looking for.

So far I'm really drawn to New Plymouth. Does anyone have any experience of living there? Or can anyone recommend any other good places to bring up you family?

Also do you think we would qualify to emigrate to NZ?

Do you think it would be a wise move?

We're not naive about the realities of such a move (family being so far away, integrating into the culture etc) but we both have such a strong pull to NZ and are convinced there has to be a better more fulfilling family life out there for us and our wee brood!

Any advice/experience/warnings/encouragement would be very much appreciated!

Sorry for the ramblings!

Just seen this thread. Can't comment on NP, never been, I'm in Auckland, or just outside and love it. As for other cities, Wellington feels very cosmopolitan and European by comparison. I love to visit but the winds and slightly cooler temperature would put me off living there. Again I love the Hawkes Bay region and if I loved anywhere else would move to Havelock North (or it's surrounds). Temperate climate, beach life, fantastic farmers markets, vineyards, fairly cultured etc etc...

I also wanted to ditto what other people have said about teenagers here. IMO I don't think they are as bad as in the UK (but I'm from London) but while I love being here at my age and with younger children I can see why so many kiwi's travel. Unless you are into sport seriously or into outdoors, it's too easy to get bored and 'up to mischief'. Driving age is 15, far too young IMO and under review (always is but still stays the same), tagging is rife, gangs and patch colours (especially amongst maori and Islanders but not exclusively, US rapster (?sp) culture. I don't think labels are as much part of the culture but mobiles and technology etc are.

At the end of the day wherever in the world you live I think alot boils down to the family unit. If you spend time with your teenagers, listen to them, build trust etc... your chances of them getting into the wrong crowd are less (not out of the question I know, but less).

Another vote for Wellington. I'm an Aussie and I lived there for 5 years. It is small, beautiful, culturally lively and as it is the capital city it has a wide range of interesting public sector jobs. Wellingtonians like most Kiwis are very friendly.

The weather might not be quite what you think of when you hear the words South Pacific. However, Wellingtonians never let the weather get in the way of what they are doing.

I agree that New Plymouth would not be on the top of my list of places to live.

Living somewhere near Auckland maybe a good choice for you as your husband may be more likely to get work there. The eastern suburbs are more trendy, but West Auckland which is greener has its fans including Karen Walker.

Again I agree that Tauranga, Napier or Nelson should be places for you to consider.

(I remember taking my one year old daughter to Staglands. We both loved the donkeys).

papadontpreach - well I live in Luxembourg of all places now!! We have just moved here after several years in the south of France.

You must be a similar age to me so maybe I knew your cousins!!!

How about you, where are you now?

hi, my parents moved to nz 7 years ago with my younger siblings. they love it out there however they have discovered that they will never be able to afford to move back to th euk due to the rise in house prices!
have to say though there home is gorgeous and they live in a lovely area (near hamilton and lake karapiro)

Weta Im in the Midlands and I miss the ocean every single day.My family are the Olivers and the Wilsons,two quite large families in TA.How do you remember your childhood from those days..good memories?

We are going back to NZ for Christmas this year. DD, little Londoner that she is, is adamant that she wants a photo of her on a beach, wearing her swimsuit on Christmas day. She is also looking forward to endless chocolate fish