I have been considering a permanent move to New Zealand from the UK for about one year, and had been looking on the prospect in a positive way until I had read a great number of negative postings from expats from the UK and US. The thing which now worries me is what I may stand to lose in the UK if I move to NZ. I should say in particular we are drawn to Napier in Hawkes Bay.

We were lured particularly by the spacious seeming houses with large gardens as advertised on internet property shop sites. We are keen to have a large house and significant sized gardens which is hard to come by in the UK. At present we have a nice house in the nicest area in town with sea views etc., which boasts allegedly the best primary school in the county. We got this house before the property boom in the UK, so could probably sell and take £100K+ profit with us for a new house. I have been offered a job earning $10,000 per month before tax (possibly more) in NZ. What worries me still, is that this is a lot less than I get at present in the UK. Does anyone know firstly:

1. Are all houses as bad as suggested, eg damp, cold etc. or do you get away from this at $400,000+?

2. Would this income afford an ok lifestyle?

3. I like a simple enough life e.g. gardening, caravanning etc. I have no interest in fashion or latest trainers for children etc. Would I at least find that in NZ, or does finance still cause such a headache that it would still be an ever present issue? Also, what is the SINGLE MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTOR IN THOSE RETURNING FROM NZ? What I am concerned about is how some seem so desperate to leave NZ.

4. I note that expats have problems integrating with society. Would you think that as a GP, this would make it any easier? I know that this should NOT matter, but other GP's having gone abroad found people more accepting of doctors, nurses etc.? Is this likely?

When I spoke to an NZ recruiter and told them that offered salary was still a lot less than what was paid in the UK for the same job, she could not understand why I was concerned. As most people it seems, I can't get away from the so-called 'better life' scenario, but take seriously the multitude of postings of bad experiences. I really don't want to risk the security of my family's future by moving to NZ, but hope that I can finally tie up some loose ends and lay this whole NZ thing to rest if it really is not all you are led to believe!

Thanks!  

Hi,

I have lurked for a while - have been a little too scared to post here recently....

I have lived in New Zealand and Australia for a few years each, and have met a fair few people who have migrated from the UK. In my experience, the people with an 'attitude' (I know there must be a better word!) about NZ's shortcomings in terms of consumables seem to fare worst. You know, when you want a particular glass bathroom basin and you saw it three years ago and ''how it can it not be available here, I'm going to stomp off and find someone willing to actually help me'' type stuff. Yeah, NZ is a bit behind the times in that area, but so what.

I liked your third point - about gardening and caravanning - everyone I know who has fallen in love with NZ and decided to stay has had strong outdoor interests, ie being into tramping, organic gardening, cycling and camping type stuff. I think the fact that you can travel a few hours and be in a completely different physical environment is amazing. I am in Western Australia at the moment - and boy, that is one large bit of country! But I love it!

I'm biased though - I am a country kid - hate Melbourne and Auckland, like Sydney to visit but not to live in. Love Wellington - it's small and I can figure out! And Perth - a big town - love it! I would flit between these two countries forever if I could

Also - and please don't bite my head off people!! - I tend to think you get what you give when moving to new places. Of course, there will always be a town or city suburb that you just don't click with, just as there will always be some really good people ready to welcome and involve you. Just don't expect them to be like the people you know, and to be able to provide the goods and services you are used to. Get involved with the community and I guarantee some wonderful kiwi's will embrace you.

Good luck with your decision.  

louloulou,

Glad you've decided to post, and a very warm welcome to Expat Focus. I think you make some very valid points indeed.

Kind regards,

Jamie
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Hi AAA1A, this might sound daft, but i liked your post. As someone who is not into materialistic things and happy to make the effort to fully integrate into a new society - and fully expects it to be different - i will be interested to see the variation in replies.

Have you been to NZ?

There is also a good NZ expo held in Manchester and London, they have a lot of recruiters in the healthcare industry industry.

www.expo-newzealand.com/

Hi Louloulou, i know where you are coming from about being in a totally different environment within a few hours, it's great!! And, to anyone looking to move to NZ without visiting first i would strongly suggest you see as much of the country before you plan on where to settle down, as you don't get the feel of any town just by looking in a guide book or seeing it on the tv - these things are usually trying to sell it to you in the first place and can even make Dargaville look good!!  

Thanks for the replies, louloulou and sugarkane! I have not yet been to NZ but am thinking carefully about how to plan it to find the most out when I come. We have narrowed it down to Hawkes Bay, likely Napier, where we hope to rent a flat and live as authentically as possible. I can't pinpoint exactly why we like this area, but I'll go with it anyway as far as the trip is concerned. I know 3 weeks is not long, and a move to NZ will always be a leap of faith to some degree, but I will do what I can to make it an informed choice and less of a gamble if & when I do go for good. Hopefully we will get to look at houses, shops, and get a feel of the people.

Would you suggest a good time of year to go? I am not sure if it matters too much if ultimately we will live there all year round.

Thanks for the comments about the basin from 3 years ago, louloulou! It sounds like the supermarkets in the North of Scotland, where although you have enough of a choice, there aren't 199 different flavours of SuperNoodles etc! I really don't mind that when we visit the North as we frequently do. I am just wondering if NZ is more comparable to the North of Scotland where things are more scenic, the roads more minor and commercialism less present - at least as I have seen it and liked it.  

AAA1A,


Assuming you've read all the negativity about NZ coming from expats, you'll notice most visited at least once before making the decision to come permanently and most had a good attitude about the place when they arrived. How is it that we all feel short changed by the place?, and why should the NZ forum attract so much negativity. In my case a lack of standards and quality in many things, yet high prices, which just isn't apparant on three or four week excursions. The houses are as bad as has been painted, a high dollar house gets you a bigger section rather than a better house, if you can find one with DG, a heated floor slab, heat pump/air con and 'normal' standards of insulation you'll be comfortable, although you'll use a fair amount of your loot heating it in winter and keeping it cool in summer. There are building codes and standards here that are just not appropriate to the climate and the sad thing is that it would be so simple to improve the housing stock yet there is no interest in doing so. NZ has been riding a property wave over the last five years or so yet the same cold damp houses continue to be built.

I came to NZ because I considered it different from the UK, yet in many cases it is the same, weak government and police, high crime levels, which I could live with, but coupled with the low standards of housing, food, driving etc, you realise your time could be utilized better elsewhere.

I am a member of clubs and societies, and started a business here, so I have integrated into society and have both expat and Kiwi friends. We've tramped in the mountains and forests, visited the beaches and cities and there are things I can do in NZ that I couldn't do in the UK, yet this doesn't compensate for the basic existance you will find here. Not finding your favourite item in the shops is just a non issue for me, I didn't expect to, its the bigger picture that is the problem.

We didn't bother with expos and the like, we didn't use a migration expert or consultant, we came over and tried to discover for ourselves before we made the decision. I would strongly recommend that you do the same before giving up a well paid job and good house in the UK. Maybe you could get in touch with the equivalent of the GMC in the UK and ascertian the standards, working conditions, average salary levels associated with practices and hospitals in NZ before you make further plans.

To answer your questions more specifically,
1. No
2. Financially you would survive on this salary level if you had no mortgage or extravant spending.
3. I don't think its as simple as one single thing, its the overall picture that makes people return to the UK.
4. I wouldn't have thought so, people are people.

To answer your last post, I'd consider July or January, coldest or hottest respectively, see it at its extremes.  

Smudge, your post on here is one of the most logical, well thought out, sensible, true posts i've read on any forum i've ever been on.
Perfectly balanced, well put,

you're right, any benefits simply aren't worth it (too many people) when you get here, the day to day real life stuff is just too basic, too hard, too uncomfortable, too expensive.

NZ is an amazing place, for holiday stuff, real life stuff is harder than the UK, & I for one feel that you can have all the holiday stuff in Europe whilst based in the UK living a normal modern day existence. I do not think that NZ is suited to 21st century life.

People will say 'the lifestyle' & these pursuits do exist, whether you will have the money, energy, or holiday time to do these things even semi-regularly, i doubt it very much.

My advice to anyone is stay in the UK or Europe, change your life from there, live in good standard housing, with lower interest rates & see places & do things from there. I don't think its worth the cost, hassle etc coming here to get what you get from it.

We've had some truly amazing times here, some of the best of my life, but nothing we couldn't have done in a 4-6 week holiday, & the rest of it has been really really tough.