Reply With QuoteHow do your partner and children feel about it? Are they just as sold on this as you?
Well, pre COVID we were all set on taking the jump and moving to NZ, I was meant to start my job in June. Very luckily I got a job offer (I am not on any skill lists as I do general management) and the company have kept the job offer open during COVID and are happy to wait for me to come at the back end of this year, the company can also argue that I have experience that no local NZ has so even when NZ make it very hard for immigration I should still be ok.
We have never been to NZ, some of our friends think we are crazy and some think we should go for it. Work-wise I would be taking a good 40% pay cut but still feel the move is worthwhile especially for our kids (2 young girls). We could financially survive just cut back on some luxury spending.
The whole idea started as a bit of a pipe dream as I never thought I would actually get a job offer, I must have applied for 80+ jobs, contacted numerous recruitment agencies who all said that I had little to no chance of getting a job offer with my experience and job role, added to that in 2021 the route I am taking to get a temp then residence visa will close, so it just feels like a once in a lifetime opportunity.
As I said we were all set to go as it was all excitement and in the heat of the moment, having time to dwell on the decision over the lockdown my wife is a little 50:50, I am still convinced its the right thing to do.
Nothing like asking total strangers on the internet for their opinions but has anyone else taken a blind jump into the unknown?
How do your partner and children feel about it? Are they just as sold on this as you?
We went there on holiday for 3 weeks in 2007. It was a beautiful place to visit and one of the few places in the World I could see myself living. Are you looking at North or South Island?
A good mate of mine moved to NZ with his young family a few years back, you couldn’t drag him back now if you tried.
He had visited once beforehand though.
Hoping to visit him out there at some point, but from what he says it’s a great place to live and work if you accept a few earthquakes and a sometimes nannying government. The latter seems to have worked out well with Covid though.
It’s probably something I’d be tempted to try, if it didn’t work out you could always come back. Better to have tried it etc?
The things to think about will be the same as those on that awful daytime TV programme where they follow a family effectively on holiday and ask them to use that experience to decide whether they’re going to move their life there. Elderly relatives, siblings, best friends etc? That all needs to be balanced against your children’s future and the quality of life you could expect down there compared to here.
It is a very personal decision when all is said and done!
Last edited by Tooks; 9th June 2020 at 10:13.
My brother moved to Auckland around 22 years ago and didn't settle for one reason or another and left after 12 months.
On the way home he stopped off in Brisbane and fell in love with the place...don't know if it still works nowadays but the NZ visa allowed him to stay in Oz and he has been happy there ever since.
His main reason was so his kids could have a better life...not knocking this country but he lived in an old mill town in the North West and there is no way he would have ended up living the lifestyle he has if he had stayed here and the kids have great jobs and a great life.
GO for it you have one life and if you don't like it you can always return home.
Only you can decide! Don't try don't find out, and you can always come home if it doesn't work out (with a financial hit no doubt).
Most folks seem to be black or white, for example my uncle moved there (Napier) in the 1960s and none of their kids stayed, fled abroad as soon as they could. Another friend moved there (Christchurch) in the 2000s and has settled and absolutely loves it.
The girls and 3 and 5 so still very young, they have friends here and the oldest is settled in her school but we feel they will cope. We have discussed it with them and they said they are happy to move but will miss their friends. My wife is 50:50 she wants to go most of the time then has moments of doubt, she loves where we live and our house, etc.
We would be moving north of Wellington to the Kapiti coast initially.
I can't answer if taking a full-on leap is a good idea or not, but I did spend 6 weeks touring New Zealand 20 years ago. It is a fantastic country, I'd even go as far as to say God's country.
You have all the topography of Europe within reach - from the beaches of the North which could be in Spain, the wine regions of the middle of the North Island which could be in Bordeaux, the pastoral land which is very English, the Southern Alps for skiing, the Glaciers around Queenstown and the Fjords of the south.
Kiwis (the people) are some of the coolest folks I've met anywhere. Also, there is sporty stuff to do everywhere - sailing, hiking, gliding, skiing, abseiling, etc. If you are into ecology and green living, even 20 years ago New Zealand was already well advanced, so I imagine today it must be one of the world's greenest countries.
Anyway, you can give it a year and if it all goes pear-shaped you take a plane and 24 hours later you'll be back home.
Life ain't a rehearsal.
Oh hell yes if you can get a tidy job out there.
I would have left the UK in my 20`s if I was actually skilled lol
Personally, if I could, I would.
Life is not a dress rehearsal, and I do not think the omens for the UK are good going forward for many reasons.
The one thing to be very aware of is that in the in the past a lot of Kiwis (two of my closest friends are NZ'ers) have left the country due to limited work opportunities - granted, both of my friends are high-level professionals (one with a Doctorate).
So just be really clear around career path and your expectations.
That said, the whole country is on the up, and by and large it is by all accounts a beautiful place to live, if a little "sleepy" by what we might be used to.
I can see the appeal of that though!
So clever my foot fell off.
In your situation I would chance my arm and try it. As others have said you only get one chance at life; would you regret not trying in five or ten years time? Ive been a couple of times and country itself is wonderful, as are the people and pace of life.
Good luck, whatever you decide.
We went in November and had around two weeks seeing parts of the north and South Island - was on a cruise ship so literally got a small flavour. The South Island was beautiful but not sure I’d live there. Parts of the north island like Auckland and Tauranga had a lot going for it and I’d love to visit again. Think they would be great places to live but I’d definitely want to spend time there before committing- it’s a long way from the U.K. Life would be totally different. A lot quieter. Less people. Less developed I guess (not in a bad way).
Left the UK in 2007 for NZ.
Absolutely no regrets for me but the grass isn’t greener for some.
I came with the attitude that the move was PERMANENT because it is easy to miss what you leave behind. Better to regret doing something than to regret not doing it.
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The day-to-day cost of living in NZ is higher than the UK.Originally Posted by NikGixer750
There are various comparison sites available for you to have a squint.
______
Jim.
Went over for a month in 2007 with a view to scoping it out for a potential move. Hooked up with a mate in Sydney who was travelling and we went over together and travelled both islands in a little camper van.
Loved the place, it's beautiful, especially the S Island, but just didn't get the vibe it was somewhere i'd want to live and work, i'd retire there, but if I wanted to work, it would be in one of the 'big' cities and city life wasn't was i was after. Had a cracking month over there though.
In the end i came home and moved up to the NE of sunny England instead, no regrets.
But as i say, i'd love to retire there, or holiday there alot
My niece is out there and loves it. She leads a very active lifestyle which is very suited to NZ and her photos always look amazing.
As someone who has done the opposite of what you are considering, I would be interested to know where you live now, where in NZ you would move to and what industry you work in? What would you be hoping to gain from the move?
I spent a good 18mths of my life working in NZ and feel I know the country and culture quite well. We had opportunitties to move there but I could not live in NZ and would even struggle to settle back in Australia too simply because I find life in the UK and quick access into Europe makes for a richer, more interesting life. The major downer on this is, of course, the rapidly changing face of UK politics and our future relationship with Europe. I have been thinking about where I want to be in 5-10 years more than I would like to recently and this uncertainty may be behind your thought process too?
I agree life is short and if you are a risk-taker then it is an exhilarating idea, I know how intoxicating it can be to dream of creating a whole new life in another country and it can cloud your judgement and make it difficult to ever know if you are doing the right thing or not, until you have made the decision and lived with it.
Thanks for all the comments, I have done a lot of research out there and agree with what has been said. I will show my wife this tread as well!
The job offer is circa $80k per year with the room for negotiation if the new project goes well, which it will do. So not huge amounts of money but enough to get by, my wife would also get a part-time job. I whats app the company director most days and have talked to many of the senior team and they seem like really nice people. The company is very stable and a market leader and they have bounced back well after COVID.
The lifestyle is what attracts us the most, more outdoors for the kids, and like has been said you can do everything within NZ. I love to snowboard, surf etc.
I currently live between York and Leeds in an amazing little village and we have not complaints about our life in the UK.
I would be moving to the Kapiti coast north of wellington and be working in flooring. We do not need or want a big city lifestyle and like a more laid back culture, which we feel the Kapiti coast would offer. We are close to wellington if we needed anything or to go out etc.
Absolute no-brainer. One of the most beautiful countries on earth, and your lives will be richer for it. Your girls will grow up talking about "when we lived in NZ", "when we visited Australia", "when X, Y, etc". They'll have a different perspective, a different more diverse set of friends (from both sides of the planet), and they'll be in a better position to decide what they want from life. IMHO of course.
Plus it'll be a brilliant adventure.
I can't imagine you'd ever regret doing it. Your could of course always move back after a couple of years. However I can imagine you might regret NOT doing it!
Move to Yorkshire! Sorted!
What ddm27 said and the very best of good fortune for your future!
This sums it up nicely for me and explains why I took the opportunity to live in the Middle East for a year. Admittedly I didn't have a family but people I met out there did.
It would be worth considering trying to keep a property here if possible. My parents know a lot of retired expats who want to return but can't because of the disparity in property prices.
This is the case with my friend's brother-in-law. He married a Kiwi and moved to NZ about ten years ago and although they enjoy life out there they have looked at moving back to the UK a few times. They've found that they can't afford a house now in the UK that suits the needs of their family.
Never been to NZ. But a mate of mine who visited said it was like Scotland without the drunks.
if you can hold on to your UK house and rent it, then i say give it a go, lifes too short, better to try and regret than regretting not trying.
The cultural growth for the kids is worth it in its own right. what an adventure. key is that your wife is up for the challenge. Not gonna be easy but you only get out what you invest in it, be prepared to fully commit, be part of the community, make new friends and see where it all takes you.
Good luck
I can't see myself ever leaving my small town, never mind leave the country.
All our friends and family live here, I just couldn't take our kids away from them, and I guess I get a lot of comfort from having friends nearby.
No doubt it's a beautiful country and one I plan to take the kids to, but I think upping sticks and moving your life to another country is something that's either in the blood or not.
Not in mine, for certain.
I agree with this having lived in Spain for a couple of years.
Whilst it ended up costing us quite a lot financially, I certainly don’t regret going it and feel that my life is richer for the experience.
My sister is a helicopter paramedic on the North island... she's been out there for about 20 years now, has dual nationality and a wonderful quality of life.
I've not been out to visit because I know that I wouldn't want to come home. Other than Canada, I can't think of anywhere else in the world I'd like to live more than NZ.
I would, at the drop of a hat, if I had no ties that required negotiation or any requirement to convince my partner or my children. Having spent a lot of time talking to a good friend about potentially following him to move to Australia, it appears anything less than absolute conviction to make the move could make the move tricky. That's not to say we shouldn't all seize an opportunity when it comes up. More that we consider all the pros and cons, then consider them again, then get the tickets booked and the shipping container ordered.
Incidentally, the mantra that my friends have relied on is 'it isn't sunny England' when going about their day-to-day life in various parts of Australia. I heard tales of people making the move, spending six months effectively on holiday, then returning back to the UK because everything came to a crashing halt.
Best of luck OP. I agree with sentiments that your family unit could become splendidly enriched as a result of grabbing the opportunity.
The good lady and I spent 2 months there quite a few years back, lovely place and lovely people and we hope to go again some day. Beautiful landscape and if you're into the outdoors it's got everything. Give it a go I'd suggest.
Some of my relatives moved there and love it, they were couples. But I know one person a single girl went and got citizenship but came back because she hated it.
If your young enough treat it like an adventure. The world is quite a small place nowadays.
Good luck!!
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I've no personal experience of NZ and while the country look beautiful it doesn't appeal to me as a place to live. I would miss a lot of the think I love about the UK, history, culture, proximity to Europe. That said I think it would work well for you, based on a few forum posts.
Your children are a great age to try this, I spend 5 years in the US when mine were a little younger than yours. It was a greta adventure and we have fantastic memories. Our plan for to stay on, but ended up moving back to England for a number of reasons.
Given the fact you have a job, have an interest in the things that NZ offers (especially and outdoor lifestyle) and have your family's support to try it, you should go for it. As others have said, treat it like you are going for ever, but if things don't work out you have options.
I've a mate in his late thirties moved out there some time ago and would not think of living anywhere else. Has a young family (3 & newborn) and sees it as the perfect place to bring up a family; this has simply been reaffirmed in the recent months with all that's been going on.
I spent 3 months in NZ and loved it.
If you are outdoors person it’s great plus the culture in nicer than the uk.
But it is very remote, you can’t take a weekend city break to Rome and to visit home is a major cost in time and money ... how would you feel about missing family and friends?
I would love to move there but couldn’t abandon parents who depend on us.
It would all depend where in NZ you are planning in moving to. The beautiful bits are very beautiful but can be very remote. Even close to Auckland it isn’t necessarily as convenient as you’d think. My father-in-law lives near Warkworth, north of Auckland. It’s 40 minutes to the shops. And 40 minutes back. And 40 mins again for the stuff you’ve forgotten. And back.
I have lived abroad successfully twice, and would love to live in NZ.
But.........
40% pay cut; and
wife only 50:50, with a part time job so plenty of opportunity to miss home, family, friends
would make me think very carefully about making a life changing commitment.
Is there a way to test out the lifestyle, but leave a way back to UK if it doesn’t work out?
Could you rent out your house here and rent out there? That way you've got something to come home to if it doesn't work out. If you're there a year or two and all is well sell in England and buy out there.
Yes I would just to have Jacinda as my PM
I spent a month in NZ twenty years ago - I went for a friend's wedding on the south island in Christchurch and we then went on a tour of the island. I then flew to Auckland where I met up with another Kiwi friend who I had met in London a few years earlier. Both islands are different but beautiful in their own way. The south island is far less populated and much greener; the north island has hundreds of beaches.
It really is an outdoor country and if you love any outdoor activities from just relaxing on a beach to doing a bungee jump from a bridge (I think bungee jumping originated in NZ) then it's ideal.
It may have just been that occasion but I didn't find all the people that friendly - I noticed this in Auckland though, not anywhere else.
For me personally, I would certainly visit, but wouldn't live there. It's too isolated for me and I'm more of a city person. Every place has it's advantages and disadvantages - just depends what you value most.
Never been, so I can't say, but the fact I've never been is indicative I'm not that interested.
If you and your family like it there, why not?
Language is easy, quality of life seems to be pretty good and I don't really see Britain as holding out any great reason to stay here for the next 20 years, to be honest (quite the opposite in fact, in my opinion).
All that said, only you and your family can decide on the personal factors - Will they miss family and friends, something about the way of life here, etc.
When I (rarely) watch these 'bugger off downunder' programmes everyone bangs on about how they're going to be in the great outdoors all the time and spending every waking hour on the water, skiing or hiking, but many of those people look as if a trip to their Mini-Tescos requires the use of an SUV, so I wonder how realistically some people view a change of life on such a large scale - If you're not risk averse, that's probably not a factor, but many people are.
I agree with the "life isn't a rehearsal" comment, but that's a double edged sword - Coming back in a couple of years, if you don't like NZ, may not be as easy as you'd imagine.
The rent now, buy later option sounds a good one, if it's feasible - If you love it, you've lost nothing, if not, you've got the experience and somewhere to come back to.
My wife visited 30 years ago and reckoned it felt like 1950, which means you're just about to get Duran Duran and Nik Kershaw - Only you can decide if that's good or bad
M
Last edited by snowman; 9th June 2020 at 16:57.
Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
The last thing you want or need is to move half way around the world and find out that your wife doesn't like it. Let her be the final decider so she is as invested as you.
I’d move there in a heartbeat and came very close to going a few years back Had a job lined up the lot until my father passed suddenly I couldn’t leave my mum here on her own. If you’ve got the chance take it whilst you can if it doesn’t work out at least you've tried and not wondering what if .
We keep talking about moving to NZ or Aus, and then we talk about Canada as well, so far the wife had been the hesitant one but with only two family members keeping her in the UK it may progress in the next couple of years.
My cousin worked a year in Aus came home then moved to NZ he hated it, and after a short time moved to Japan before heading back to the UK after his contract finished, he then found another job in Aus and moved back out there to Perth, met a young lady from Yorkshire, so came back to the UK got married and decided to settle in the UK to start a family.
I'd recommend spending time in the country before committing to the move.
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I currently live in Northern Ireland but spent 10 years living in Nottingham, Leeds and Wetherby. My wife and I got married in NZ in 2005 and spent 3 weeks there, touring both North and South Island and we loved it. We talked about moving there but my wife didn’t feel she could leave her family behind in the UK.
We returned to NZ in 2017 with our kids to show them where we got married. We both agreed that we regretted not moving there, especially my wife. Our kids both well settled into secondary school, so we wouldn’t consider it now.
Having lived in different places over the years, I would say that if you do go, you need to give it a chance as there may be times when you miss the UK. Only after 12-18 months are you likely to get a real sense of life there. Your kids are at a good age to move and new friendships will be formed quickly. It is a wonderful country and the people have a real sense of community. Generally everyone seemed less materialistic than the UK and if you like life outdoors, there is no shortage of things to do. We listen to a lot of NZ local radio via TuneIn because we like their attitude to life. There are suburbs of the main cities that are rough and best avoided but that is the same of every city and country.
As mentioned previously, if you own your own house, consider keeping it until you are certain you won’t be returning to the UK. Have a good open and honest discussion with your wife about the move and her reservations. She needs to be committed to staying for a period of time if you are going to make it work.
Worst case scenario, you go, don’t like it and comeback after a year. Will you have lost much?
Be the one that did it, not the one that found reasons not to. As has been said before, life is an adventure. If it goes wrong you start again. Stick at it. You may find after initial scepticism about a place, you soon realise that you wouldn't leave the place. Scunthorpe will no longer be a short drive away, but that is the only downside that I can see.
Interesting to see a variety of opinions.
As I said in a previous post, better to regret doing it than regret not doing it.
NZ is a long way from the UK....my family and friends are there but the move was for us, not for them. Lifestyle is great, my children have flourished and it certainly has never felt anything but safe here. Good weather and a great outdoor life.
My job is identical to UK but hours better, less intense and stressful, and financially better. Yes, cost of living is higher but it’s manageable. Aus and the Pacific Islands are within easy reach and the cities are close no matter where you live here....great air services with Air NZ. We decided to move for a number of reasons and really have no regrets....I do miss my parents, particularly as they are getting older but tech keeps the contact regular and they are ONLY 24hrs away.
It is a major decision to make, but has certainly been a hugely positive one for my family and I. I won’t return to the UK to live....I’m still British and I will always be so, but I’m also a proud New Zealander with a black passport....however, I will NEVER support the All Blacks....England forever!!!!
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I moved to Auckland from Scotland in 1974 when I was 10.
It was a vastly different place then, some would say more backwards, than sleepy. Not crowded, and hand in hand with that, less than stellar infrastructure.
That said, a no brainer move for my parents (father was blue collar).
The place is unrecognizable now, and if you are in the wrong place, over-crowded with possibly worse infrastructure (though finally this year, there is a dual carriageway, all the way from Auckland to Hamilton (the next closest city, only 60 or so miles away)).
House prices (and renting) are frankly insane, if you don't live in an a backwater. Not sure of prices in Kapiti, but it's not exactly a big bit of land (thin strip). You could commute though from a tad further north.
NZ$80k a year, is NZ$1184 a week in the hand (taking out only the mandatory PAYE and ACC levy):
https://www.paye.net.nz/calculator/
Don't tick the Kiwisaver box, as you are not eligible on a work visa. Kiwisaver is a voluntary super scheme, which, as long as you are happy with paying 3% minimum into, your employer matches too. It's not common in NZ (unlike other countries) to offer salary as a "package", so if it's $80k, it will be $80k, and if you join Kiwisaver, it costs the company another 3%.
Once you get a residence visa though, with 2 kids, you will get you $97 a week back in "working for families" tax credits:
https://www.ird.govt.nz/topics/worki...g-for-families
And, it would appear (surprisingly enough), that resident or not, you get 20 hours early childcare too:
https://parents.education.govt.nz/ea...0-hours-ece-2/
If you have somehow managed to get a job offer, and it's still open even after SARS-CoV-2, and you are 100% confident that the visa is kosher, with an almost 100% pathway to residence (under current rules (they change almost daily)) - then go for it. If you are bringing a wad of real money with you (sterling), great. If you can keep your house in case you need to bolt back, better. There is no guarantee you will like it, could get homesick etc.
You already know the rules are changing in 2021. I am not a lawyer or immigration advisor. These guys are:
https://www.malcolmpacific.com/works-visas-new-zealand
and might have condensed some of the stuff that you find on the government website.
What needs to be remembered from all the people commenting after holidaying, is just that - they were on holiday. My first trip back to Scotland was in 2009. I couldn't believe that literally only 15 minutes drive from where I had lived all my life in a 15 storey council flat, was countryside. A trip to Tesco's had vast quantities of fruit and vege, almost all marked with town of origin.
I was there again in October last year, and ate copious amounts of raspberries and blackberries from Tesco's etc. And, roast maris piper spuds. I will admit though, that the brambles growing over the stone walls on the side of the road, were a bit on the small side.
Prior to arriving in Scotland we toured continental Europe. Scenery is as good there, as they claim for NZ.
Rob.
PM me if you need more info.
Thanks again for the comments. Lots to think about, one of my wife biggest concerns is the housing, we live in a nice house (for us) but the quality of housing in NZ looks so far behind and is way more expensive! The housing market over there is just nuts.
Everything Rob has said sums up what I've heard from my friends there.
I've been a handful of times, and think it would be a fantastic place to live.
The biggest issue we hear about is renting and property, especially in Auckland, its insane and has been for the last decade.
Having made the move away from the UK (not to NZ), I view it as the best decision I've ever made.
The point about your wife/family being happy certainly rings true. I think this is largely (though not entirely) shaped by attitude. We came in with an open outlook and we have been surprised, pleasantly, on all fronts.
My limited experience, is people are basically the same, regardless of skin colour, race, religion, all over the world. If you treat them with respect, honesty and a good manner you will get it back.
The benefits of moving country are not just geographic, but cultural and social.
It will open your eyes .
The only way to fully know if it's for you is to try it and see.
You have a fantastic offer to an excellent location.
If you go for it, nothing will prepare you for the feeling of fear on that trip to the airport on the day you leave. I remember feeling absolutely awful for a few days in the run up too, just nerves really.
The release as soon as you get through customs and the decisions are out of your control was brilliant, and you can start focusing on the next chapter.
Whatever you choose, best of luck.
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Just as a general comment, I think many people consider a grand move of hundreds (or thousands) of miles to make a change to lifestyle that they could make by moving 20 miles.
The two often get conflated in people's heads, and they don't need to.
There are many beautiful and wild places to live in the UK that do not mean that you are thousands of miles from your extended family and friends, or hundreds of miles from an internationally connected city.
It also seems a very odd consideration, translocating an entire 4-person family to a place you have never visited, even for a day.
I am not saying don't do it, just think long and hard, it is a big step, and you need 100% buy in from your other half to make it work
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