Emigrating to NZ

[megg]

We're applying to emigrate to NZ but I don't know anything about NZ - I thought we would be applying to emigrate to Canada but dp has got it into his head he wants to go to NZ. On the websites I've visited Dunedin looks lovely but dp thinks its too far away and the weather would be too windy/rainy. Anybody know Auckland/Christchurh/Wellington? Any tips please?The cost of living seems really cheap down there which is reflected in the house prices but I can't find any idea on how much salaries are. My dp is a marine engineer. Like I said I was expecting to go to Canada (dp even has an uncle in Vancouver) so all my research went into Canada. What's it like in NZ? Thanks for your help.

I've got a feeling Ghosty is your girl, she has moved there too.

Hi megg, Hilary is right and while she was posting I was checking out some websites for you to see if I could find the website that was really helpful to us ... unfortunately I couldn't find it but these might help a bit ... sorry but don't know how to do links...

www.immigration.govt.nz
www.new-zealand-immigration.com
www.access-nz.co.nz
www. stats.govt.nz

We moved to Auckland in April of this year and so far have not regretted our decision. My DH is an NZ citizen and he has always wanted to move here so when he found a job here we went for it.

I like Auckland, it is the biggest city in NZ (tiny by British standards though) - pop. about 1 million. I am not the 'country type' as my farming MIL puts it so Auckland suits me but we are 10 minutes away from the country. Many Kiwis think Auckland is too big and busy but when you have come from London it is a baby town!!

Wellington is supposed to be a great place to be too (it is the capital city) and I have driven through it but never really checked it out.

Christchurch is popular (the South Island has really stunning scenery and country side in some people's opinion but I think it all looks pretty great!)

Dunedin is a very long way away from anywhere - it takes about 10 hours to drive to the top of the South Island and then you would have a 3 hour ferry trip and then an 8 hour drive to Auckland (you can of course fly but it can be a bit pricey - Air New Zealand have a bit of a monopoly on internal flights and charge a fortune!)

Christchurch does have an International airport but if you want to be travelling in and out a lot then it is probably better to live in the North Island!

The cost of living is lower here - my husbands salary is the same as it was in the UK but I am able to be a SAHM here whereas in England we struggled to make ends meet even with my 3 day a week job.

House prices are much lower - but beware of house prices in Auckland ... like in London they do not reflect the national average salary and we have found that the 4/5 bed mansion that we had imagined has been reduced to a 3 bed cottage (but we have a nicer and bigger garden!). However, if you live anywhere else in NZ you can get much more for your money BUT then again, Auckland is where the work is ...

The national average salary here is about NZ$45,000 per year (that is 15,000 pounds) but it goes much further than 15,000 pounds.

The natives are REALLY friendly - all very impressed that we have moved here and I have made some really good friends...

Immigration can be complicated (even for me and DH is a kiwi) so do try to get it all sorted before you move. They do have quite a complicated system of requirements for immigration so you have to find out if you and your DH fulfil them all ... but it can't be that hard as there are loads of people who move here from all over.

HTH a bit ... let me know if there is anything else you need to know and I will come back to you ...

Thanks Ghosty, I've checked out the websites. Dh is in the Navy so he's got to send his CV to the NZ Navy and see if they'll accept him. A bit of a cop out on his part I think as he's never had any other job. Didn't realise how far Dunedin was, in fact didn't realise the islands were so long. Ds is nearly 3 although by the time we get there he'll be 4 so what's the childcare/nurseries like over there? Do you have to have health insurance? Being a secretary there'll always be jobs for me although I'll have to take a course in NZ conveyancing to be able to do the same sort of work. Dh's trade is in short supply so there should be plenty of jobs on offer for him if he decides to take the plunge and get of the Navy. Thanks for the help it was useful.

Sorry one other question, do you think its ok to apply for immigration and explain that without a job we wouldn't be going/staying or do you look for jobs first it seems to be a catch 22 situation.

Megg

I'm a NZ'er, but unfortunately as a result know very little about migrating there! However, I think immigration to NZ is based on a points system. If your DP gets a job offer, then this counts as part of the points system. If you don't have a job, then your qualifications, age, funds, etc are taken into account - you can do a self-assessment on the immigration site here .

Can't comment on childcare/nurseries etc but I suspect similar to here, but possibly easier to find something than in London. Personally I wouldn't live in Dunedin - it's quite small and isolated, and a real "university" town - great when you are a student but not so interesting otherwise. Where are you here? What sort of lifestyle do you want - are you outdoor people? Do you like going to cafes and restaurants? Do you want to go to the beach in the summer, or go skiing in winter? Do you mind rain and wind and snow (get all of those in Dunedin!!!)? Why does DP want to go to NZ?

Auckland is the biggest city, and probably has the best weather. But more expensive, more spread out - driving can be a pain. Wellington is the capital - still a "city" lifestyle, but a bit smaller than Auckland. Lots of civil servants hence more facilities than you would expect given its size eg great coffee shops and restaurants!! If you are a legal secretary I don't think you'd have a problem finding work in either place. I think Wellington is lovely, but the weather can be dreadful. Christchurch is best if you are very keen outdoor people, and love skiing and mountaineering.

Hi megg - florenceuk is probably much better at telling you about the places in NZ as you can see, but in terms of weather ... we have just had a winter here in Auckland and I never once needed to wear a coat! It has been very wet and that has got me down a bit but our house has not got any heating and we managed ok with just an oil heater on in the evening!

It does get very cold down south (as florenceuk says) and quite a lot of the Aucklanders I know went off for long weekends to 'look' at the snow!

In terms of childcare ... All children are entitled to State Kindergarten at aged 3... But there are loads and loads of excellent private pre-schools everywhere (many NZ mums work) for children under 3. My DS (who is not yet 3) goes to a private 'kindy' for 2 afternoons a week - cost is $5.00 per hour (GBP 1.75).

The cost of childcare is obviously much less than in the UK but also it is less in real terms - it is much more affordable than it is in England. I used to pay GBP 32.00 per day for DS in Surrey and if DS went to full day care here it would be around $25 to $40 per day.

When children are turn 3 they get a place at state kindy when places come available (you have to enrol them when they are 2) - at the moment our local kindy is takin in children at 3 and a half - they get three afternoons a week and the kindies look good... When they are 4 and a bit they move to 5 mornings per week and then start school ON their 5th birthday.

In terms of immigration - I am really bad at getting my head around that ... I just get stressed thinking about it ... My only real advice would be to get it sorted from the UK (quicker and more simple) before you move. I know someone who organised their residency from the UK 12 months before they actually moved ... DON'T wait until you get here to sort out residency like I did - that is why it has been a headache for me!

Like florenceuk said the official immigration website is the best place to go as they do the self assessment thingy and also when you get round to filling in the forms you can pull them off the net and fill those in ...

In terms of your DH's navy ... they have been advertising jobs in the armed forces on the telly recently you know ...

HTH

Sorry FlorenceUK and Ghosty for not answering your last posts. I've had a lot on my mind (see Am I expecting too much thread). When I've been to the docs on Friday I'll be able to think about this again so I'll get back to you.

Just to add my two cents worth, as a kiwi stuck in London, I think NZ is a far better place to rear children. My memories of family holidays are absolutly magical, renting a bach at the beach or by one of the lakes and spending many happy hours hunting out the wildlife, making dams and running wild. I would love to move back but dh is an only child and the sluglet is his parents only grandchild and I couldn't do that to them. If you like the outdoors and are anything but a total city person you will love it. I've lived all over NZ, but I would vote for the Wellington region for it's easy accesability to the wine regions, the Nelson region of the South Island, skiing and general wilderness.

Do I sound homesick?