[Belmont Babes]

:confused: I know, I feel very disloyal as I type this.
Can anyone help? My OH and I have discussed the wage rates for tradespeople in NZ and I have to admit $45000 to live on (2 adult & 2 child) does worry us. We are now looking into Australia. Please could you all help with your views NZ versus AUS? Is there anyone out there who looked at both countries and ended up choosing NZ over AUS?
We hope to live mortgage free in which ever country but it does look like trades people earn more in Australia.

Also is there anyone out there who knows of an Australian version of this Forum?
Please don't hold back with the comments. Thanking you all in advance :roll

[speckythecky]

Can't help with any of your questions. Just like to say good luck with which ever decision you make. I understand your concerns re money and can't comment on quality of life in Aus but improvement in quality of life is the reason we want to go to NZ.
Hopefully you will make the decision that is best for you and it is better to make that decision now, rather than later, particularly with the expense.

[jess]

Hi B.B. This thread might help you:
NZ or Australia (http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6445) (Bit heavy on a tangent about NZ weather after a bit, but some posts re OZ in the beginning.)

Good luck in your decision. :)

[Belmont Babes]

Thank you both specky and jess. Anyone else out there with views?

[KerryS]

I lived in Australia for 18 months before coming to NZ, and I loved it there. My brother has also lived in Perth for 10 years now.
But, Australia is vast, and your experience will differ from where you are based. In rural Australia your money will go much further than in inner city Sydney or Melbourne. Pretty much the same as anywhere really...
I found the immigration experience was far, far simpler for NZ than Australia (and I actually prefer it here too now!).

If you have any questions ask away and I'll be happy to answer.

[stu70]

Not everyone qualifies for Ozzie immigration as I hear from fellow Canadians. One can have a serious (criminal) record and still be disqualified as an aspiring migrant due to the "high" standards down under. Good luck :)

[Moorf]

We considered Oz, but I'm afraid my fear of bugs kept me out.. I know, shallow but hey, that's my reason!

OH fancies spending retirement on a big bus with the Sundowner set :nice1

[marcia]

Not very helpful really - but we didn't want to go to OZ because of the heat and too many deadly animals!! However when we were stuggling at first to get into nz, we were told we would have been able to get into OZ, and from there into Nz a few years later, so we would have considered it again if we had to!

Good luck with whatever you decide, and why not give NZ a chance, if you find its not for you, its only a hop over the water to OZ anyway! :nice1

[Nathan]

There are wonderful people where ever you choose to go and fabulous opportunities where ever you decide to make them. I've never been to Australia, but I've met lots of great people from there. Isn't it great to have choices?!! :)

[jo-and-jeff]

I can't attest to whether any of these are good, but here ya go:


Immigrationboards - Australia (http://www.immigrationboards.com/viewforum.php?f=7)

British Expats - Australia (http://britishexpats.com/articles/australia/)

Emigrate2Oz (http://www.freepowerboards.com/emigrate2oz/)

Expat Focus - Australia (http://www.expatfocus.com/index.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=18)

Expat Forum - Living in Oceania (http://www.expat-blog.com/forum/viewforum.php?id=67)

Yanks Down Under - Old Forum Archive (http://p3.forumforfree.com/yanksdownunder.html)

Yanks Down Under (http://www.yanksdownunder.net/)


Best Wishes!

Jo

[incredible hulse]

Lived in Sydney for a year and absolutely loved it. Lived in Wellington (Pram) for over a year and it's OK. They're my initial thoughts - pros and cons for both and they were different times in my life so maybe not fair to compare the two. I think it really depends on what you are doing the move for and what you are hoping to achive by moving. They are very different places though

[Tia Maria]

Marcia wrote:

Good luck with whatever you decide, and why not give NZ a chance, if you find its not for you, its only a hop over the water to OZ anyway!

This is a good point! Obviously you want to get it right first time, but if things don't work out in your chosen destination you are in a much better position to explore the other option.

Maybe keep some money aside for airflights for reccies and for shipping, as money and energy will be the biggest barrier if your first choice doesn't work. But the east coast of Oz is only 3 hours from NZ so its easy to sort out interviews, house hunting, looking at areas etc. compared to doing it from further away.

I think for a more accurate comparison you need to compare specific areas. So I'd have a look at the Oz forums, choose an area - sydney, brisbane, perth etc. (If you can choose a suburb even better!). Then compare it to your fave NZ area/suburb.

This way you will be able to make a proper cost of living comparison.

Cheers

Tia

[Sam B]

It was the greenery and access to ski-ing that swung it for us. I haven't visited Oz yet, but I think I would miss green landscapes. I also felt (rightly or wrongly) that NZ had a less turbulent history in terms of its indigenous people, I was uncomfortable with things I had read about treatment of Aborigines in Australia - I know this is very complex, and things are no way perfect in NZ, but better? I was also put off by sharks and box jellyfish, I would be too scared to go in the sea. And those big crocs - shudder...

[Debbie P.]

Like Moorf, I was put off by the prospect of bugs, also by the fact that we're considered a bit old for Oz! In theory we can still get in, but we were told by various people at an Expo that we'd find it hard to find jobs - my OH was told that at 38 he was too old to work as a teacher in Queensland! What a cheek.

Hate to sound disloyal, but you could try Oz first, on the grounds that it might be easier to get to NZ later. Of course, I have no idea how old you are, so age may not be an issue anyway.

[Bean]

Hi I am not sure how helpful this will be but we went for a reccie to both NZ and Oz, although in the end we spent 6 months in NZ compared to only 6 weeks in Oz! This difference was mainly due to my OH really pushing to not live in Oz.

Having said that my best friends emigrated to Oz about 6 years ago and absolutely love it. We however found a couple of problems. These are obviously specific to us and based on short visits and not living there and everyone will have different priorities;

Oz was (and would be) too hot for us, 30-40 degrees in summer for three months compared to NZ where it was in the 20's.

Countryside too arid, we preferred NZs greenery (Queensland was really green obviously but then also very humid).

Oz is huge, which meant that it takes ages to get around, eg. the distances between places that we would want to visit, like ski-ing in the mountains or heading to the beach are quite far apart. Our best mate in Edinburgh, an Aussie had the same problem when he lived there. Compared to Oz NZ seems really compact.

We did prefer the cities in Oz though; they were bigger than NZ ones and seemed to have a better buzz, if that’s what you like. But then the suburbs are HUGE, so living out of say Melbourne can mean quite a way out.

Scary things.....I resented the fact that I couldn't swim anywhere apart from a pool when we were there, due to the jellyfish season, sharks or crocs.

Felt uncomfortable with the lack of integration/representation of aborigines compared to NZ Maori.

Thats about it, good luck with what you decide.

[Belmont Babes]

Thank you everyone. I have been looking at house prices and cost of living in Oz and although the salaries are a little higher so are the costs so it looks as though it will break even. I love warm weather but I don't think I would like it all year round. I do like the changing seasons. Maybe we will plod on with NZ afterall. Thank you all again for fab advice.

[khhill]

From the immigration process perspective, if you are still deciding between Oz and NZ you may want to look to see if you qualify for PR through Australia and apply through them. http://www.immi.gov.au/migrants/index.htm. Australian PR gives you rights to live/work/etc. in both NZ and Australia. On the other hand, NZ PR is not recognized by Australia.

If you get Australian PR, you are given 5 years to leave and re-enter Australia whilst maintaining PR status. With a valid Australian PR, you are granted NZ PR at the airport each time you enter New Zealand. Basically, the Australian PR leaves the option open for yo-yo-ing between the two countris open for at least 5 years.

As for my personal experience on the two countries: A few months ago, DH and I were a matter of weeks away from moving from NZ to Sydney for salary reasons when at the 11th hour, a dream job in Wellington fell into place for DH and we couldn't be happier now.

[Belmont Babes]

Thank u khhill. That has given me something to think about. With all the hassle I am having with this ITA and NZQA stuff I'm not sure I can face starting from scratch again. Does anyone know how lengthy the OZ pr system is? Is it easier or more difficult than NZ?

[Lisa&Andy]

Thank u khhill. That has given me something to think about. With all the hassle I am having with this ITA and NZQA stuff I'm not sure I can face starting from scratch again. Does anyone know how lengthy the OZ pr system is? Is it easier or more difficult than NZ?

Hi
I can't help with your specific question. However, the one thing that put us off Oz was the fact that it can be too hot and the big or small deadly spiders and snakes :no Just thought I'd add my tuppence worth (although it is not worth much :laugh)
Hopefully all of the hassle and the long roller coaster ride of never ending paperwork and research will be worth it. It can be very difficult to stick with it and stay positive ;) Especially when you read posts about people returning to the UK!! Nothing ventured, Nothing gained I suppose eh?

Lisa x

[Belmont Babes]

You are correct Lisa. I do find I have days when I feel really positive and days when I feel less so. Unfortunately it does depend on what I read on the forum. I wonder if ignorance was bliss before sites like these. There have been certain times though when I don't know how I would of managed without it.

[KerryS]

Having dealt with both Australian and NZ emigration - I would say that I found NZ far easier. I sailed through the process here, whereas in Oz they seemed to be throwing obstacles at me at every turn. And I was being sponsored there, whereas NZ I did by myself.
As someone pointed out above, if you do get PR in Australia you can move over to NZ at anytime, but this is not a reciprocal agreement. Certainly worth considering if your mind is not yet made up over which country to choose.

Australia is a fantastic country, and I'd consider living there again in the future maybe, but at the moment I'm more than happy with my life here in NZ.

[veronica]

we lived for 6 years in Australia, 3 of them in Perth and we loved it there, we have now spent 3 years in NZ and we love it here too.

Reason we are in NZ now is for the skiing side of things and it was easier for us at our advanced age 50 + to come into NZ. (its also a bit harder to run a skiing/snowboard business in OZ) The creepy crawlie things are not such an issue when you live there, you get used to the idea and become practical about it. In total I have lived in Oz for 9 years and in that time we have seen a few redbacks, 1 snake, havent a clue what sort. lot of flies and mozzies in different areas. In the Uk I have seen 3 adders over our local common area. so its a higher risk from that point of view in the UK than oz.

to be honest there are pros and cons to both places, if it was me I would take a long look at what you want from this immigration lark and see which country fits the bill best. if you are still undecided I would go for the OZ PR and give yourself a couple of years in each country then decide. The NZ PR you would have to be here for 5 years before getting citizenship and a NZ passport before you could move over to OZ and try there.

[Belmont Babes]

Thanks Veronica for your views. I am having a nightmare collating info for NZQA at the moment and I'm feeling a little negative about it all. Will keep researching and plodding on though.

[John Z]

Hi,

we were in the same situation, but after visiting both Australia and New Zealand last december and january we've solved our "problem".

While we were in Sydney we saw a documentary telling that in the passed 10 years 80% of the water in Australia had dissappeared. When we were travelling almost everywhere we saw extreme fire-danger risk.

When we were in New Zealand we only once saw a mild fire danger sign and the simple aspect that rain-water is clean enough for every-day use (we'd filter anyway...) helped us decide in favour of New Zealand.

Water will be THE issue in future (if it isn't so allready).

Concerning jobs it makes no difference for us, and the probable lower wages in NZ also have the general effect that the costs of products are lower, etc.

There are problems everywhere, but I(we) choose to live with them in the comfort (whatever that may be) of NZ.

Hope this helps,

John.

[Tentun]

I heard this - of course it might be completely untrue - I have no idea but -John Z's post reminded me of someone telling me that in 15 years time most of Oz will be under desert conditions! Something to think about.

[veronica]

Dunno how the forecasters can predict that, they have enough trouble predictiing what the next DAY will bring weatherwise. Don't forget that Australia is an island and is surrounded by water and with a hot sun for solar. Desalination is possible so wouldn't put too much weight on that.

[zardell]

Dunno how the forecasters can predict that, they have enough trouble predictiing what the next DAY will bring weatherwise.



:laugh :laugh :laugh

How true.............

Julie

xx

[John Z]

Already 20 years ago (!) I read marketing reports on climate change and what they said then holds now. When it's about (big) money "they" want to know how to make more "big money", whether by scaring people or by perfectly using the actual (changed) circumstances.

As for the 80% of water having dissappeared in Australia in the last 10 years, that's not a prediction. What was being predicted though, was that Perth was to be the first victim of modern society concerning the absolute lack of water. Watch Los Angeles or Las Vegas, they can (still) get to water by artificial means, but Perth doesn't have that "luxury".

Getting back to New Zealand: it already is an issue that houses being built near the coast maybe should pay for higher risk insurance rates. And with hills being deprived of trees, which used to hold the soil together, many houses on hills in NZ (I don't know specific areas) have a higher risk of being washed away.

John.

[veronica]

oh dear its the gloom and doom brigade again, think about all the bad stuff that could go down........tsunami, drought, comet strike, floods, earthquake....etc but watch out with all the worrying about probable natural disasters you are more likely to be run over by the no. 9 bus.

We have friends in Perth and while they are aware there is a water shortage they are also aware that, like some of the arab states, they have the option of desalination plants.

The choices between NZ and OZ should not be affected by these things, after all NZ is more likely to have earthquakes or tsunami than OZ but the chances of them happening and affecting you are remote. far more chance of death or injury in a car crash and that doesn't stop any of us using the car.

[John Z]

oh dear its the gloom and doom brigade again, think about all the bad stuff that could go down........tsunami, drought, comet strike, floods, earthquake....etc but watch out with all the worrying about probable natural disasters you are more likely to be run over by the no. 9 bus.

Oh dear, it's the "I like to put labels on people, while pulling their issues out of their context brigade" again...

Everything you said is (the context) in your head, not in mine. Bad things happen, they are a fact of life, just as the beautifull things in life, they are one. The essence of what I said is that the trend of water disappearing in Australia makes me not to choose to live in Australia. That's all.

John.

[Belmont Babes]

Thank you both John and Veronica....Oooh I love a good debate.

[veronica]

yep and so do I. I just find it difficult to deal with people who only see problems and can't see solutions.

It would seem to me that as the people who live in Oz aren't leaving the country in droves and the Govt there is still encouraging more people to go there and live then maybe, just maybe, there isn't an insurmountable problem. Perhaps these people have already been thinking of solutions and got plans to sort it.

I do find the fact that John found my post out of context to the thread puzzling, I have just re read it and it does to me seem to be talking about the issues he raised in the previous post. ie australias lack of water.

oh well, labels notwithstanding, :-) some of us are positive thinkers and some are negative, we are all different and its what makes life such a rich pageant.

[able]

It doesn't strike me that John is a negative thinker. He's done his research and made a positive choice for New Zealand and has shared his reasons. You may not agree with them but it doesn't make John a negative thinker. Provided his research is accurate, I'd say it makes him a rational thinker. John has not seen only problems without seeing solutions. He's seen the possiblity that Australia will become a desert and his solution is to move to New Zealand. Seems logical to me.

Many parts of Australia are suffering severe drought right now and the drought has lasted for years. The cities will survive with desalination plants. The fact that these are now needed but weren't before is a sign that there's much less fresh water available than city planners once thought there would be. Australian agriculture is suffering badly right now. If current trends continue very little agriculture will be possible in Australia. Desalination plants aren't cost effective for agriculture. There is a reasonable possiblity that in 10 years time New Zealand will become Australia's bread basket. That's another positive reason ;) to choose New Zealand.

[sarahw]

We were thinking of moving elsewhere because of the terrible start to the summer here when we went to Aus for Xmas to visit hubby's sister & family - Melbourne area 'hmmmm we thought would this be a good place to move to?' (considering I lived there for a short time a few years ago & knew what a wonderful liveable city it is) - more money for hubby, more availability of things, bigger infrastructure etc. - by the end of the trip we had decided no way - they're in quite a crisis with the water at the mo. Its only going to get worse in future & I don't want to live my life like that!

When we flew in I remember (it had been terrible weather here & we had been complaining about the lack of sun) how desolate it all looked - no greenery at all. My sis-in-law bought my daughter a paddling pool for Xmas & then told us we wouldn't be able to even put an inch of water in it for her because they're on a stage 3a water crisis heading into stage 4! They can't wash their cars, fill their spa pool or water their garden (apart from 2 days a week between certain strict hours by hand) - they have water patrollers going round checking on useage & are encouraging people to tell on neighbours who use water wrongly - it makes the hosepipe bans of UK look like nothing!

If you use more water than you are supposed to (i.e. watering your garden when you shouldn't be, or filling a pool/spa) then the council come along & fit something to your water supply that makes it into just a tiny trickle. Quite an effective method I'd say of controlling water useage & typical of the Aussie no nonsense approach to things :)

On the television news the whole time most of the news was all about water & utter crash of fruit grower's businesses that they'd built over a lifetime. It was all very sad.

I'm not being negative about Aus - great place & we love it - heck I lived there for a short time 12 years ago! However, seeing how Debs has to live her life has certainly made us realise we made the right decision. We always try & reuse our water here from other uses to water our plants etc. but I wouldn't want to live my life with those constant restrictions - this isn't just a couple of weeks of not being able to water your garden in the summer this has been going on for months & months (the other thing was the forest fires - 2 hours away - there was a constant smoggy smoke covering the sky & a constant smell of smoke outside).

The above restrictions are certainly something that would put people off moving to Aus - not being doom & gloom just realistic (by the way I'm an environmentalist & know experts in the water reticulation industry in Aus & its not all fictional there are quite a few facts behind stuff. OK - Aus has never been a bountiful place for water & yes the population has grown over time, but water is becoming scarcer & scarcer a resource & population is not going to reduce! & desalination plants don't come for free & you can bet your bottom dollar that the people that pay for it will be the general public in taxes/charges.

Everyone lives differently & different things bother different people. Water shortages may not be a worry to a lot of people - especially those who live in the city in apartments without gardens & cars. To me an earthquake is a one time incident that may or may not happen in my lifetime, the drought is very real & is something you need to live with every day right now!

If you're considering moving to Aus I'd recommend going on a trip over there to the region you're considering living in & just seeing for yourself (& not in a hotel but in someone's home) just what you'd be dealing with on a daily basis.

[Nomad]

The problem with trying to figure out whether one country is 'better' than an other is that you tend to look at the macro-stats that are recorded against that country, such as crime rates, hours of sunshine per year, corruption index of the presiding government, and so on. Then you start to look into things such as the friendliness of the locals, finesse of the suburban architecture and service standards in the supermarket, and usually end up comparing the price of national postage stamps or how quickly cars slow down at pedestrian crossings. Sometimes a single comment from an insensitive national can put you off their country for life.

But at the end of the day your choice of location is very personal and has very little to do with general opinion or the winning percentage in survey polls. Some people love where they live because of their child's walking proximity to a school, or because of the really good soup that is served on Saturday mornings at the end of their street corner. Others move elsewhere because the recent mugging outside their front gate outweighs the mind-blowing ocean view they had from their back window. The only thing I can suggest is try them both out. Both New Zealand and Australia have as much to offer as they do to put you off. But if you are undecided between the two then you must allow yourself the chance to give them both a go to save yourself from regret. Neither country is here to fulfil your dream. That bit you have to work out yourself.

We have been bouncing between Australia and the UK for the past ten years now and have often seen the misconceptions of UK folk who would give their left arm to live in Australia. Warm sunshine and less social problems seem to be the driving factors, but few really consider what they might be leaving behind. That usually comes later, once they are settled in their new country. We live in Sydney at the moment and, like everywhere else, you soon develop your likes and dislikes. Sydney has traffic and noise pollution that is unrivalled in the Antipodes, but how good is it to go out for a walk after work most days in your shorts a t-shirt? I rarely see a spider and have yet to see a snake at all, but I do yearn for the scenery of NZ's south island where my wife comes from. And I can't forget the excitement on my kid's faces as they watched a mock battle at Warwick castle in England a couple of years ago, or the brilliant fun we had manoeuvring a long-boat through the Oxfordshire canals, stuff you can't get over here.

Its all swings and roundabouts really. Just try it. If it doesn't work, try something else :)

[Tia Maria]

Nomad wrote:

Some people love where they live because of their child's walking proximity to a school

You've got me sussed! :D In my case its the WSB and lovely school that makes where we are living work so well for us at the moment. This is not unique to NZ but happens to be something we found in NZ.

Obviously different countries do have different things to offer, but it is often the smaller things that make a difference to our day to day lives. That's why you often hear people saying "all the great beaches and scenery don't make up for the fact that I can see my sister for a cup of tea", or "what good is history and culture if you're too scared to walk down the street".

Of the people that I meet that are happiest whether it be those that emigrated or those that didn't, it tends to be they've got the day to day things right. Friends, interests, not in debt, happy family, mentally & physically healthy and they don't hate their job (I know very few people who love their job :laugh ).

Great post Nomad! :nice1

Cheers

Tia

[zardell]

Excellent post Nomad.

Well said.

Julie

xx

[ellenmelon]

my two cents..

the heat can be really oppresive in aussie. my family moved there from ireland cause my mum got a job there(first to derby, which is the back of nowhere! its near broome..and theyre in perth at the moment) and you're constantly moving from air conditioned place to air conditioned place.my brothers find it absolutely roasting and i feel sorry for my oldest brother that has to come home late from rugby training cause its too hot to do it in theafternoon! i wasnt too fond of the heat when i was there for two weeks holiday.its been over 40 degrees some days over the last couple of weeks. my dad is really struggling to cope with it and its affecting his health. theyre moving back to ireland at the end of the year after two years there.
there are cooler places in aussie though im sure! :)

[Nomad]

the heat can be really oppresive in aussie.

Yes, Australia is hot. You have to know this going in. Don't compare your move to Australia and desire to live in a warmer climate with that 2-week holiday you had in Halkidiki last summer.

I think if you grow up in a sun-drenched country you are more likely to cope with extreme heat than if you came from a colder or more temperate climate. People in Brisbane pull out the winter gear as soon as the mercury drops below 20C. There is of course Canberra though, which goes below zero on a regular basis during the winter months.

The same applied to us when we first moved to the UK. Whitley Bay in Tyne & Wear of all places. Getting used to those bone-numbing Scandinavian breezes took some doing, but you daren't show your ineptitude to the local Geordie who has just donned his t-shirt for the day. We did get used to it though, and came to regard 15C as a 'nice summer day'.

People in general are forever fickle about weather conditions and temperature. I often wonder at the amount of energy that goes into forecasting the weather for just a single day. Almost as much energy as is put into explaining what the weather did during the day just gone by :uhoh

Very few places are ideal for day-to-day living. And when it affects your health then its simply time to move on.

[ellenmelon]

Yes, Australia is hot. You have to know this going in. Don't compare your move to Australia and desire to live in a warmer climate with that 2-week holiday you had in Halkidiki last summer.

I think if you grow up in a sun-drenched country you are more likely to cope with extreme heat than if you came from a colder or more temperate climate. People in Brisbane pull out the winter gear as soon as the mercury drops below 20C. There is of course Canberra though, which goes below zero on a regular basis during the winter months.

The same applied to us when we first moved to the UK. Whitley Bay in Tyne & Wear of all places. Getting used to those bone-numbing Scandinavian breezes took some doing, but you daren't show your ineptitude to the local Geordie who has just donned his t-shirt for the day. We did get used to it though, and came to regard 15C as a 'nice summer day'.

People in general are forever fickle about weather conditions and temperature. I often wonder at the amount of energy that goes into forecasting the weather for just a single day. Almost as much energy as is put into explaining what the weather did during the day just gone by :uhoh

Very few places are ideal for day-to-day living. And when it affects your health then its simply time to move on.

i totally agree. my parents have met english expats who used to spend two weeks in majorca or whatever every summer and therefore thought that aussie would be grand! :roll everybody copes with heat differently,its just finding a happy medium thats a warm enough climate but that doesnt make you feel the need to stand in a cold shower 24/7 lol.

my parents moved for jobs, and to be closer to family in nz and theyre lucky they have the option to move elsewhere...its the jobs pulling them away more than anything as my mum is going into business back in ireland...

sorry if this is making no sense whatsoever..im doing a trillion things at once!:)

[Nomad]

my parents moved for jobs, and to be closer to family in nz and theyre lucky they have the option to move elsewhere...its the jobs pulling them away more than anything as my mum is going into business back in ireland...

sorry if this is making no sense whatsoever..im doing a trillion things at once!:)

Hi Ellonmellon,

What you said makes all kinds of sense. In fact, you hit on two very prominant features of country-hopping. One is that it is invariably a job or job prospect that determines where we live anyway. We just hope the rest will fall more or less into place at the same time. The second is that people who do have the option to move about are very lucky indeed, and make up a rather small and privileged percentage of the world's population. There's nothing like spending a few years in a country ravaged by poverty or poor governance to realise just how petty the things we constantly complain about really are.

Ireland is a great place - I hope your Mum is successful in her endeavours there :)

[veronica]

just to keep it even more controversial

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=115454

now they are saying its NZ that is heading for long term water shortages, all over to the west coast then.

[Belmont Babes]

What great posts. I do feel that I wouldn't enjoy constant warm temperatures. Some of my most favourite Days in the UK are the Sunny colder days. Just to see the sun shine makes me feel better not the heat! I am sticking with NZ for now. Thank you all.

[John Z]

just to keep it even more controversial

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=115454

now they are saying its NZ that is heading for long term water shortages, all over to the west coast then.

It's not that dramatic really:

First, it's the east-coast and second, that's only a part of New Zealand becoming "less wet". The regions behind the mountains will get less rain, that's perfectly normal since rain develops during it's climb over the mountains.

The consequense though could be (increased) flooding on the west side of the mountains (in an other report I read it stated the rain/flooding "problem" only for the South-island). I wouldn't expect a real change in what can be expected now, maybe more often or a little stronger. This would mean people wouldn't really have to change the way they live, maybe being just a little more carefull of choosing where to live?

The world is changing, always was, and always will be. And that's OK :)

Cheers, John.

[swissmissdesigner]

Lot of kiwis leave NZ to OZ for a better life. After making "fast money" they usually retourn to NZ.

[mish&al]

I am an Aussie, and apart from a lot of travel, and my UK working holiday in 1993, I have only lived in Australia.:nice1

My hubby is from Christchurch, and I have only visited there, so I can't speak for NZ, but I can speak for Australia.

I say research, research, and if you can afford it, visit.

The capital cities like Sydney and Melbourne do have better wages, but you need them to be able to afford to live. The average house price in Sydney if you don't want to spend over an hour commuting is roughly $600-700,000 and that is not a mansion!

Queensland is now on level 5 water restricitions, and we are all being told not to fill up pools anymore, only with rainwater (which is not very forthcoming!).

Australia is a fantastic place, but unfortunately it is becoming like most places in the world, with the large divide between the have and have nots, and is extraordinarily expensive.:no

I think it depends on your lifestyle and what you would like, but I don't see a vast difference in economics, it seems to all even out in the end.

But the one great thing I will advertise, is we have FANTASTIC beaches!!

(if you like that sort of thing..)

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Michelle :cheers

[movefromus]

I have family over there who I've visited numerous times. My main complaint is the heat, can't stand it.

[Lupin]

I don't really get "the heat" complaints about Australia. It's so massive and varied, if you don't like the heat head for Melbourne or even Sydney, which doesn't get scorching all year round. Even Perth in summer isn't anything like a belting hot UK summer because it isn't humid and has sea breezes. I'd never live in Darwin or Broome or Cairns but I'd be quite happy in Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney and would adapt to Brisbane climate I'm sure.

[able]

Even Perth in summer isn't anything like a belting hot UK summer because it isn't humid and has sea breezes.

Lupin, I looked into Australia for a while and I've read of several families who returned to the UK because they couldn't bear the heat in Perth.

[Brad77]

hey

I spent 2 weeks in Sydney in Dec 05 and there were at least 4 days over 40C and many in the high 30s. Horrible!

[Lupin]

Lupin, I looked into Australia for a while and I've read of several families who returned to the UK because they couldn't bear the heat in Perth.


I know a family that did just that! He was a painter & decorator and found it very tough working in the heat midsummer.

Of course lots of Australia is very hot but there are many places you can live that are no hotter than hot areas of NZ (eg Hawkes Bay, BOP etc), so I wouldn't rule Oz out for that alone.

[veronica]

It is easy to talk about living in the heat but different to actually do it. And while I agree its not humid in Perth its a darn sight longer and far hotter than any I have ever experienced in the UK. theres no comparison really.

Hey John Z I realise that the article on NZ was talking about the east coast, thats why I said 'all over to the west coast'

[Lupin]

Melbourne's average summer max temperature is 26C. It can get as hot as 46C, but that is a record hot, not par the course.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003020

Sydney's average max is also 26C and also has a record max of 46C.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT003030

Darwin has an average summer max temperature of 32C and winter average high of 31C. The humidity there varies from medium to extreme. Definitely not my kind of place.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/city_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT002980

I'm not saying Australia isn't hot or doesn't have very hot places but bearing in mind you can ski in Australia and it also has places that go without rainfall for years (my sister was in Coober Pedy when they had the first rainfall in 6 years and she danced in it with the little kids who had never seen it!) and given it's incredible size, it's more varied in climate than just "too hot".

Last summer in the UK I got a temperature reading of 39.4 in the shade in my garden but because our houses aren't built to accommodate such heat it makes for very uncomfortable living, whereas in Australia you can choose a house that is sited to make best use of shade and breezes etc ( and if you're comfortable with the concept of air-con you can have that too). Humidity is a massive factor too. I'm quite comfortable in dry heat but once you add in humidity I'm quickly very uncomfortable. I found Brisbane in the late 20Cs tougher and less pleasant than Perth in the 30Cs.

[mish&al]

It can get as hot as 46C

That was a pleasant one! If I remember, it was in 2002, and it was february, and we can get some scorchers then.

The power system had a meltdown with all the airconditioners at full blast that day, and we had a major blackout, which was the most uncomfortable night I can probably remember in my life!

Unfortunately 40 degrees in summer is common for us, as we live in south western sydney, and usually cop 10 degrees more that the coast.

The humidity is more in qld that here.

My husband is a rabid skier, and last year's season was the worst we had on record. They had to cancel some ski jump championships in Mount Buller in victoria last year for lack of snow.

The man is skiing in nz this year.

Boy is our country one mixed bag of weather!

But we still have those beaches...:raebanana