[leachio]

Im not quite sure how Im gonna put this post together but it's aimed at all the guys in the UK desperate to get over.

We have only been here 2wks but already the nightmare of visa's, case workers, house sales etc seems a lifetime ago :) . Admittedly our move was fairly quick from start to finish but I recall clearly how frustrated, anxious & worried I used to get filling forms in, photocopying, resigning, telling family & dealing with the fallout, begging the soliciter to push the house sale thru in 6 short wks! I remember sweating booking the flights before we exchanged on the house and thinkin what if it all goes wrong Ive given up my job :wah , Dan used to be fantastic at doin nothin and also not worryin about it either! I found the forum a lifeline and still do but I used to post my worries and get replies from the guys in NZ & they always seemed so chilled out, I remember thinkin 'yeh but im freakin out here & its ok coz ur already there!' Well its amazin how quickly u adopt that chilled feeling :yes

Unintentionally we have ended up a short drive from some of the forum members and I have found that really helpfull but also Ive made the effort to get out and have already enrolled me & the kids at a toddler group, we were made most welcome on our 1st visit, Jack is on the list for a kindy nr our house and I have been lucky enough to get a job very quickly so that will boost finances slightly. We have applied for everything we can, family assistance (like UK family credit) a community services card which helps with prescription costs, and we have been told we can get a chunk of our childcare paid too. So its gonna take effort on ur part once u arrive too! We have been out for the day to see Kim39 & Stevied and it did boost our confidence and ease any naggin worries about wether we have done the right thing. I found all I wanted people to tell me initially was that we had done the exact right thing but everyone's ideas are different.

I think we will get out of NZ what we put in, but as long as we have enough money to get by on & the kids are happy we will sail along fine for now anyway :clap We will aim to fly back to the UK for a visit in a yr or two but we have Dan's parents comin over for xmas.

In conclusion to this mish mash post Im just trying to reassure anyone who's in the in-between stage that in most cases, certainly ours its worked out just fine so far!

Amanda x

[Kim39]

Glad we managed to meet up with you guys especially since you were going to frequent the NW meets back home. I hope you left feeling a little more easy, must apologise for our lateness though. Dan said he felt as if he had been stood up:laugh Hope you enjoyed your little trip through TA also.

Must apologise for coming across as the whinging(sp) pom, but you know my reasons;) putting my concerns aside Amanda its been the best thing we have done for a long time. Just wish we had done it earlier in our lives.

Don't forget, you fancy a run down SH3 for another meet up do so. Your more than welcome.

Kim

[holland]

What a lovely post...I have been following your journey and I am glad you are feeling happy...I am going through thr anxious stage right now!!!! aghhhhh Hope all continues to go well for you anf your family...happy easter!!

[pinkpiggy]

Amanda, great post, as always. :yes

We decided to have a leaving do for our friends in and around Dunfermline. Just at our house - a couple of days before the shippers come - we must be mad. :D

We had another big clearout today - this time the office and another run to the tip. It's finally starting to feel like we're moving. You know the feeling - you know you're off but because you are being packed up you don't feel like you're going anywhere. At least that's my experience. I know when the shippers around on 23 April and everything is packed up ready for shipping it'll really hit - it was like that when we moved from Leeds to Dunfermline.

Still waiting for our CO to give us PR but she's back on Wednesday and we finally got the letter we were waiting for from Sam's employees yesterday - so hopefully nothing to stop us.

Speak to you again soon but for the meantime, keep enjoying NZ. :clap

[the wilson's]

Hi All
Was just reading Amanda's thread a thought it was great and glad it worked out for them. We are getting near a very long immigration process and I am begining to feel "Are we doing the right thing". Reading all the different threads and especially from the folk going back to the UK you get to think that are we going to have a good life in NZ. Really worry about the money issues that you all keep talking about. We have never been to NZ before so it is a big plunge and if it is wrong then very costly. Anyway to get to the point, is this common to feel like this or is something telling me not to go? Any thoughts anyone

Karen

[pinkpiggy]

Hi Karen

It's entirely normal to feel this way, particularly if you have never been. My philosophy is, you'll regret it if you don't try it. You've only got one life so give it your best shot.

I realise it's easy to say that and that living with the day to day realities will be another matter entirely. However, there must be something pushing you towards NZ and only you know what that is.

What I would say is, moving to NZ is not a way out. What I mean by that, is if there is something about your life you are not happy with, will it be helped by moving 12,000 miles away or will that something follow you? I hope that makes sense. :roll

Anyway, good luck and let us know what you decide.

[leachio]

Hi Karen,

U are goin thru the motions as I called it, all perfectly nomal and to be expected Im afraid. Wether ur doin the right thing is only somethin u can truly answer, some people have benefited greatly from a reccy trip before deciding but we never had the money to do that. We only had the forum to go by and personal research, I used to read the posts about people comin back to the UK and think OMG what if it's the wrong decision. Our thoery was quite simple, we would rather try it than stay and one day regret it :yes Financially we had heard of the lower wages and people struggling to get by, well I cant truly comment yet as we havent moved into our house and settled into everyday life workin & payin bills etc but we never had any spare cash in the UK, we lived from month to month anyway. We havent been fortunate enough to come over with lots of equity from our house like some people have so we cant just buy a house, but for the 1st time ever we are totally debt free and thats feels great :raebanana So based on my short time here I would say bring EVERYTHING u can fit in ur container and that will save u forkin out once u get here and ur house will be full of ur own familiar things, especially if u have kids. And just come over with an open mind, remember that ur only a day away from UK if u miss it that much. Also Ive prob had more contact with my friends and family since I got here than I did before, I fully expect to have some bad days but I also know of an excellent place to visit and share my thoughts, this forum hasn't let me down yet !!!!

I hope that helps a bit, if u need anything or just wanna scream just pm me!

Amanda x

[spudulike]

Hi All
Was just reading Amanda's thread a thought it was great and glad it worked out for them. We are getting near a very long immigration process and I am begining to feel "Are we doing the right thing". Reading all the different threads and especially from the folk going back to the UK you get to think that are we going to have a good life in NZ. Really worry about the money issues that you all keep talking about. We have never been to NZ before so it is a big plunge and if it is wrong then very costly. Anyway to get to the point, is this common to feel like this or is something telling me not to go? Any thoughts anyone

Karen

Hi Karen, your feelings are perfectly normal. As somebody who is returning to the UK for financial reasons I agree it is a very costly 'experience' but also very worthwhile. You will learn alot about yourself through this move, and if you are willing to take a risk that it may or may not be for you then go for it. New Zealand is a beautiful country and I have made some wonderful friends and had some great times.

I will have no regrets about the move and even though I will need to start lower down the property ladder and are not as well off financially as my friends in the UK I am really pleased to have travelled - and I will never get to 50 or 60 and be saying "I wish I'd tried...."

Just try and enjoy it and not get too worked up about anything being forever - life would be very boring if we knew for certain what the future held.

Good luck,

L :)

[zardell]

Hi Karen.

Your feelings are perfectly natural - I remember them well !!

As for you asking 'is something telling me not to go ??' I'm afraid no-one can answer that, but it can turn out to be a costly decision if you are doing this on a whim.

Research, research, research and then research some more. Even then, that isn't the same as being here and living it.

There is a big difference between having a few niggling negative immigration thoughts and really being totally undecided and downright unhappy about committing to such a big step.

At the end of the day, only you can decide.........

Julie

xx

[the wilson's]

Thanks everyone. Our reasons for leaving the UK are better life for our 2 girls age 12 and 8. Too much crime here. And my husabands new ojb in NZ is Mon-FRi 9-5 at moment he works shifts and we only have 2 days a month as a family. Pretty crap. Just seems to be alot of people coming back and they all say great place but too expensive. Yes we will have some equilty from our house but really at first don't want to touch that incase we had to come back. Guess i'm just frightened that after spending all that money we are no better off then in the UK. We don't have much spare cash here just living month to month usually in overdraft but have a nice house in a reasonable area and if the NZ trip didn't work out then we couldn't afford to come back to this type of house. Wish we could afford to keep the house on as a safety net!!!!! I'm ok till I read the coming back stories on this site then i worry. Anyway thanks to you all will keep you posted.

Karen

[StevieD]

Great post Amanda! Lovely meeting you guys at last the other day :)

No snow this time to stop us eh LOL

[stu70]

Money might not be THE most important thing but its high up there and without a minimum of that (to meet one's basic needs)you can't really enjoy anything else that life offers. One thing for sure, the cost of living is higher in NZ as I gather from reading various posters and wages are not on par with other developed nations. It is best to prepare for the worst and hope for the best when planning a move as big as this one and especially if there are kids in the equation. Good luck with your plans.

[StevieD]

I think people have to get out of the "we need loads of money in the bank in order to enjoy ourselves" sort of mentality. Yes, when you look at prices in the shops, some things are ridiculously expensive, others cheap, so if you are careful, you can live well. The food is fantastic quality from what we have seen so far.
And to give you an idea about spending to enjoy yourselves - we have been out ONCE to the pub, the most expensive outing. Mount Manganui - free, Raglan - free, Hamilton Gardens - free, Lake Karapiro for a picnic this evening - cost of fish and chips and sausages/curry rolls for 12 - $32!!!

So there is lots to do for "quality" that costs nothing. There are free skateboard parks/BMX tracks, facilities everywhere. At the end of the day, it depends on what you want, but there is certainly an awful lot of stuff to do here that is free or costs next to nothing.

Oh, it is getting on to late autumn and the sun was blazing in the sky again. Went in someone's (freezing cold but oh so welcome) pool today, saw the street hot-rods and had a great day for virtually nothing. So don't get too hung up on the money angle.

Steve

[Belmont Babes]

Karen I feel exactly the same...I could of written your post! We will not ever get a house like the one we are going to sell. It really scares me but I don't want to join the "what if brigade". I agree with your response to reading the coming back stories, they scare the hell out of me. I wonder what percentage they are? Hopefully low.Anyway all the best with your decisions. You are not alone!!!

[jen]

I agree with your response to reading the coming back stories, they scare the hell out of me. I wonder what percentage they are?

This might make you feel better - The NZ Department of Labour traced the percentage of migrants who returned to their home countries within 6 years & the number from the UK was a very small percentage of the total :

http://www.emigratenz.org/leaving-New-Zealand.html

Jen

[ElizabethD]

I think people have to get out of the "we need loads of money in the bank in order to enjoy ourselves" sort of mentality. Yes, when you look at prices in the shops, some things are ridiculously expensive, others cheap, so if you are careful, you can live well. The food is fantastic quality from what we have seen so far.
And to give you an idea about spending to enjoy yourselves - we have been out ONCE to the pub, the most expensive outing. Mount Manganui - free, Raglan - free, Hamilton Gardens - free, Lake Karapiro for a picnic this evening - cost of fish and chips and sausages/curry rolls for 12 - $32!!!

So there is lots to do for "quality" that costs nothing. There are free skateboard parks/BMX tracks, facilities everywhere. At the end of the day, it depends on what you want, but there is certainly an awful lot of stuff to do here that is free or costs next to nothing.

Oh, it is getting on to late autumn and the sun was blazing in the sky again. Went in someone's (freezing cold but oh so welcome) pool today, saw the street hot-rods and had a great day for virtually nothing. So don't get too hung up on the money angle.


This is a beautiful post, and just the kind of post i read and clung on to when i was making my move. I wanted so badly to move here that I kept telling myself, we are simple people, we are only interested in being together and having more time to just "be" I was so sure we could do that here. Alas, we cannot. My husband now works more than ever (6 days a week with no overtime (that is legal here) for crap pay. We see less of each other than ever.

Yes the beach is free but no you can't eat fish and chips daily if you want to live a long and healthy life. Nothing is cheap here--EVERYTHING has a price from the internet at the library to the ketchup at the fish and chip shop. I have watched my enviable savings deteriorate before my very eyes . I have skimped and penny pinched like I never knew I could but we still cannot make it. There is not a penny left for extras, not a penny for retirement, and no hope in hell to be able to travel.
Yesterday we thought we'd rent some bikes with the kids and do the Pencarrow trail. When we got there, we realized that for each of the four of us to rent a bike for three hours would have cost $120. I needed that money for groceries.

I know when I go home, I will miss New Zealand...I will miss this chapter. I will miss the feeling of hope it gave me for the two years iI planned to come here. am terrified that I will regret once back home home thinking I should have tried harder. I'm out of ideas though, I don't know what else to try

Now I look toward the challenge of picking up the pieces back home where we left them

[spudulike]

This is a beautiful post, and just the kind of post i read and clung on to when i was making my move. I wanted so badly to move here that I kept telling myself, we are simple people, we are only interested in being together and having more time to just "be" I was so sure we could do that here. Alas, we cannot. My husband now works more than ever (6 days a week with no overtime (that is legal here) for crap pay. We see less of each other than ever.

Yes the beach is free but no you can't eat fish and chips daily if you want to live a long and healthy life. Nothing is cheap here--EVERYTHING has a price from the internet at the library to the ketchup at the fish and chip shop. I have watched my enviable savings deteriorate before my very eyes . I have skimped and penny pinched like I never knew I could but we still cannot make it. There is not a penny left for extras, not a penny for retirement, and no hope in hell to be able to travel.
Yesterday we thought we'd rent some bikes with the kids and do the Pencarrow trail. When we got there, we realized that for each of the four of us to rent a bike for three hours would have cost $120. I needed that money for groceries.

I know when I go home, I will miss New Zealand...I will miss this chapter. I will miss the feeling of hope it gave me for the two years iI planned to come here. am terrified that I will regret once back home home thinking I should have tried harder. I'm out of ideas though, I don't know what else to try

Now I look toward the challenge of picking up the pieces back home where we left them[/QUOTE]

Excellent post Elizabeth and I too would take heart from people's wonderful experiences when we were planning our move here.

I resent the implication made by some (and I'm not getting personal - just a generalisation!) that those who can't survive here must be consumed by money or too materialistic or unable to appreciate the aspects of life that are free! People that are discussing finances being tough are referring to the fact that to eat and pay the bills is so hard - not that they are unable to afford to go eating out constantly. Fish and chips aren't too pricey but we rarely have them as that $30 is more use spent on washing powder, nappies, groceries etc... I appreciate that the beach is free and the views are stunning but that does not pay the bills or put food on the table!

Like you Elizabeth, I am apprehensive about going home (in the same way as I was moving here!) We have to rebuild our lives with considerably less money, but we will not beat ourselves up wondering whether we could have done more here. We have done as much as we are willing to - my husband works more hours for less pay, we have less time as a family and are more stressed due to our life here so we are confident returning to the UK is the right decision for us. We leave Welly in 3 weeks and will be home in 7 - and I'm really looking forward to it now. When do you go?

All the best with your return and hope life improves in the UK!

L :)

[Trigirl]

We keep seeing this discussion played out again and again on these forums. I guess the main point is that those who have enough to live on have probably already made savings and can no doubt see places to make further savings if they need to. Those who don’t have enough to live on don’t have that luxury.

NZ is a country where you are very likely to earn a lot less than in the UK, and whether the cost of living is less or not is a very individual thing. It is possible to live a simpler life here – the pressure to spend on “stuff” is just not there. And as Steve described there is so much free to do.

But (and it’s a big but)

There is nothing worse than not having enough money to pay the bills and feed your family. If financially you drop below this line then having all the free stuff to do in the world is not going to take away from the stress this will cause.

What I’m trying to say is that this isn’t an argument where one side is right and the other side is wrong – we’re just all in different circumstances.

[Trigirl]

good luck with your move back louise - i didn't realise it was so soon

Mandy xx

[spudulike]

What I’m trying to say is that this isn’t an argument where one side is right and the other side is wrong – we’re just all in different circumstances.


That's probably are far more succinct (sp?) way of putting it! :laugh



good luck with your move back louise - i didn't realise it was so soon

Mandy xx

It has come around so fast - am now up to my eyes in boxes - which is fun with a 2 year old and 1 year old helping to pack, I'll probably find mouldy toast in the boxes when we get back to the UK :roll

Thanks for the good wishes. I hope I'm not doing a yo-yo post in a years time........

Louise

[willsken]

We keep seeing this discussion played out again and again on these forums. I guess the main point is that those who have enough to live on have probably already made savings and can no doubt see places to make further savings if they need to. Those who don’t have enough to live on don’t have that luxury.

NZ is a country where you are very likely to earn a lot less than in the UK, and whether the cost of living is less or not is a very individual thing. It is possible to live a simpler life here – the pressure to spend on “stuff” is just not there. And as Steve described there is so much free to do.

But (and it’s a big but)

There is nothing worse than not having enough money to pay the bills and feed your family. If financially you drop below this line then having all the free stuff to do in the world is not going to take away from the stress this will cause.

What I’m trying to say is that this isn’t an argument where one side is right and the other side is wrong – we’re just all in different circumstances.


I don't think it matters where in the world you live, if you haven't got the same or more money coming in each month than the cost of your bills, then life is very unpleasant. We lived like this in the UK when I studied to become teacher and had 2 children to support. I wouldn't wish that stress and worry on anyone.

[Moorf]

The Kiwis, imho, have a very different view on what is important, and the ones I've met are truly not as fussy about the house they live in as us poms. They are far happier to buy second hand, will do without a nice car so they can have kayaks or a boat, will trade holidays for kitted-out busses or camping kit to tour NZ, don't eat fussy, expensive or "exotic" foods and stick to basics, aren't label driven but driven by functionality and longevity and are far far more practical and able to "make do" than we ever were.

That's not saying that they are ALL like that, far from it, and the further you get in to the cities the more urbanised they are with flash cafes, designer labels, immaculate homes etc....

But you can't just come here, from what I believe is a very different financial mentality in the UK, and be able to cope on less just because the Kiwi's can - they've been brought up like it.

I don't mean this point to sound as if they are all poor and making do - that's not what I mean - it's just, well, different!

[sarahw]

I can't give you any more rep at the mo Moorf but I agree with what you're saying - the upbringing & mentality is a lot different (even in the city but maybe its my circle of friends being environmental charity workers rather than city bankers! Certainly no designer labels or immaculate homes in our circle! OK flash cafes there are a plenty!)

[Kim39]

I didn't want to get involved with this debate as i am one who has struggled for various reasons here, but i am doing my best to make the most of the situation. I am one who was doing more hours, between 60-70 behind the wheel of a 44 tonner and being paid $14 an hour straight through. Try that for size!!!! Yet back home it was 25k for a 40 hr week. Now that is a drastic change of financial circumstances. But hey we get by here by budgetting to a degree. Yes we would all like to earn what we were earning in the UK, but it is very difficult to find that position. So you have to knuckle down and try to make it work. I was fortunate to get close to my UK wage with Fonterra, but as that contract was only seasonal i had no choice when they said goodbye, and i said goodbye to $26 an hour. Now i am earning $16 an hour for 40 hrs. Good hours, but crap pay. Its a no win situation.:mad:

I realise folks circumstances are different to others. But what i will say is take this forum with a pinch of salt. You can only make decisions on your own experiences and not of others. Research is the key, but even then thats not enough. Its all about being on the ground i'm afraid. I feel the major problems stem from the major cities as the cost of living is dearer in these places in relation to wages being paid. I know if i wasn't here in TA but in Auckland(original job offer was there) then maybe the situation would be a little different, but we made the choice not to go there and i suppose we are trying to live the dream to the best of what we have.

Kim