[kimifan]

Hello - I'm having a real dilemma... I've been offered a job - a perfectly reasonable job by the sound of it - the only problem is its in Wanganui and I don't really fancy it. I had my heart set on moving to a city.

I think I'm going to have to turn this job down as I'm coming over on my own and really need to feel comfortable with the place I'm going to move to.

I feel so selfish not to be jumping for joy at this job offer but it has to feel right, doesn't it?

Are there any major points in Wanganui's favour that I should consider before I decide what to do? - I'm trying to keep an open mind!

I'm 25 years old and looking to live somewhere with easy access to beach and hills, and a bit of life about it - I've applied for jobs in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.

Thanks for any advice on this - positive or negative...

Jo :confused:

[marcia]

Can't really give you any great advice, except have you been to Wanganui? You never know till you been to a place if it feels right for you, you can't just dismiss it till you've seen it (IMHO) We drove through it on our way to Stratford and it was a lot bigger than I expected it to be.

I remember before we went on our reccie trip we had certain perceptions of what places in NZ would be like. One of the forum menbers was moving to Dannevirke, and it had (wrongly) been labelled 'hicksville' So when we were driving there to meet our friend, as soon as we got to a shop (a four square) we stopped to get bread and milk and sat there to have our lunch thinking it would be the only shop in 'hicksville'. When we got through to our friend on the phone she told us to drive along till we got to the mitre ten and wait there for her to meet us, we couldn't believe how big the centre actually was, compared to what we had been led to believe!

Anyway after all that waffle, all I'm trying to say is, you never really know if a place is right for you till you've been there and tried it.

Good luck!

Just re read your post, may be jumping up the wrong tree, but have you looked at palmerston at all? It has a big student population, young and vibrant, only 20 minutes to the beach, lots of lovely hills and ranges around, population of around 70,000, which the council are trying to increase over the next few years to 100,000 (not sure what their plans are to achieve this- ban the selling of condoms???!!!:D ) Wellington is 2 hours drive by car. Anyway it may be another place to look at!

[kimifan]

Thank you for replying - I'm still musing at the moment, trying to decide what to do - this is a huge decision for me to make and I want to get it right.

I've never been to new zealand (never left europe) but I've always wanted to live there - I just get a feeling that it'll be right for me.

I have no possibility of being able to visit NZ before I come over to work either, so trying to get as much info about a place as possible before I commit myself one way or another.

Thank you for your suggestion re Palmerston north. I'm slightly limited on choice of location as I've just sent a blanket application off to several regions all over NZ and waiting to see what turns up.

I know it'll be a risk in the end wherever I go and at some point I'll just have to go for it and make a decision!

[CjChris]

MY OH and I are considering settling in Wanganui!! :D That is our first choice city (I am a young 41 and he is a super young 50!) We want to have access to bigger cities but not live IN one.

Granted, Wanganui is a small place for a 20-something year old (population 46,000), but it is pretty handy to Palmerston North (1 hr) and Wellington (2.5 hr) for weekenders. I've heard that from Wanganui, you can go to the beach and go to the ski fields all in one day.

I think you should give it a try if your goal is to get to NZ faster without having to go the traditional (slow) route many of us are taking without a job offer.

Here's a description I found online that I just love (and plan to find out in Sept if this is right!):

"Planted along the estuary of this river, and on the hills, which enclose the river, you will find the beautiful City of Wanganui. Home to some 46,000 souls, few of whom would wish to live,in any other place on earth.

Exploring the Whanganui river is easy; you may do so by jet boat, kayak, or canoe. From the river, you will see a countryside of native bush and forest, magnificent gorges, many Maori settlements, signs of unfulfilled farmer dreams where the cleared land has again been claimed by the forest.

There is even a concrete bridge, spanning a deep gorge, which does not have a road at either end, The Bridge to Nowhere. Or maybe drive along the road, which follows the river to Pipiriki. A more leisurely trip may be the desire of some and if so, a journey on the restored paddle steamer, the Waimarie, will bring magic to your life.

There are challenging and amazingly beautiful walkways, well maintained, with strategically placed huts. Abundant places are available to stay in the city or in the countryside, a famous museum situated alongside the art gallery and world- class sports facilities, including a velodrome and racecourse, all within walking distance of the city centre.

The main street, Victoria Avenue is a pleasure to experience in any season, tree lined and with ample pedestrian accommodation, and vehicle parking. You may wish to use the only elevator inside a hill, in the Southern Hemisphere.

Take a ride up to the memorial tower and enjoy a panoramic view of the city and river. When you get hungry, there is an abundance of choice, with high class eating establishments and the usual fast food outlets.

The weather is moderate, with only an occasional light morning frost in the winter and a high of around 28 Celsius in the summer. You won't want to leave."

Well, there you have it. Lots of reasons to go to Wanganui and set up your new life. There are many things that make the place feel welcoming, like muscial performances, dances, running and biking challenges, crafts and organic food markets every Saturday by the river, Buddhist meditation classes held every week, art exhibits rotating regularly...for a small community, they have a lot going on!

You would only have to keep the job three months if you accept the offer. It will get you to NZ, and you'll surely meet some new and wonderful people in Wanganui. From there, you can choose to go anywhere you want.

That'll be two cents, please. :p

[swissmissdesigner]

I am not prepared for any location info like CjChris.
However I would take the job and learn the "kiwi experience" and feel financially secure. You may change your mind and like the location.
If not you can relocated later with more experience.
That is my suggestion.

Good luck !

anna

[marcia]

Some excellent points. When you apply with a job offer (we did so speaking from experience) you have a section 18a condition put on your visa, which basically means you have to work for the employer for 3 months, then get a letter from them, and send bank statemnts to prove the money went into your account, and immigration will take off the section 18a condition and you will just have normal PR, which means you can kind of do as you please.

It will be easier for you with no kids in tow to move around and have a better look at places once you are here and find the perfect place for you.

This way its gets you here quickly, they fast track applications with job offers, and once through the door with PR in your passport, New Zealands your oyster!!

You never know get that application in now and you could be here for Spring!

All the best!

So which Kimi are you a fan of then?

We have three boys all named after Mclaren world champs, Ayrton, Mika and Emerson - call us mad we don't care - just racing nutters - hubby does the stockcar racing.

[kimifan]

:laugh Haha! You got me - it is of course the wonderful flying finn - kimi raikkonen.

I am having a slight crisis of allegiance since he went to ferrari though - never thought I'd be supporting anyone in a red car!

I love motorsport and although I don't race myself I have done a bit of medical cover at rallies and hoping to do a bit more in that field when I get over to NZ.

The names of your children are great; I'll probably end up doing something similar when I get round to it!

I've had some really good advice from people on this forum - thank you everyone

Jo

[Cardy]

Hi i flew to nz on my own a few years ago to do a job search, i went to wanganui and have to say it wasnt for me. Plenty of sporting facilities etc but just didnt feel right and my wife wanted to live near a golden beach ,the one there was black sand i think with lots and lots of drift wood on it. If i remember correctly there were factories ,industrial units quite close to the beach to.
River was nice ,but also worried about gangs in the area etc too.:nice1

[CjChris]

Hi i flew to nz on my own a few years ago to do a job search, i went to wanganui and have to say it wasnt for me. Plenty of sporting facilities etc but just didnt feel right and my wife wanted to live near a golden beach ,the one there was black sand i think with lots and lots of drift wood on it. If i remember correctly there were factories ,industrial units quite close to the beach to.
River was nice ,but also worried about gangs in the area etc too.:nice1

That's a good point--if one wants golden beaches, these are not in Wanganui. The cause of black sand is basalt, and the Manawatu-Wanganui region includes three major active volcanoes. So, the lava has caused the beaches there to be black.

I'm not sure about industrial sites along the beach. Perhaps some time with google earth will help with that question. If your memory is correct, it seems like an unfortunate thing to be sure.

I've been following the Wanganui news online, and yes, there has been some gang activity, but this is true of many locations in NZ (unfortunately). I have also read that the people there are passionate about where they live, and they stand up against gang activity whenever it happens.

Kimifan, if you are coming over on your own, would you feel safer in a big city like Auckland or a smaller locale? Ultimately the choice will be based on many things--what there is for someone your age to do, the food and housing choices, and if the job is going to make you happy.

This job offer--do you think it is a good job or "just" a job? How's the pay? Benefits? Why do they want YOU? How did they get your application when it sounds like you applied everywhere but there (maybe I missed that in your post). And funds--will you have funds to rent/buy in the larger cities? One thing about a place like Wanganui (and other small communities) is that the housing market has not exploded there as it has in other areas, like Christchurch and Auckland.

Having said all that, you state that you don't feel drawn to this place--sometimes, I make decisions based purely on gut feelings, so I totally get this. If your gut is saying, "This isn't for me," then maybe that's all you need for your decision. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

[sweetpea]

I'd wait for a job offer in a place that you're excited about. Wanganui is bigger than I expected, but it wouldn't be my first choice. It seems more provincial than a lot of other places in NZ. Or maybe that's just the town government there, which seems overpopulated with yahoos with big mouths. I haven't spent loads of time in Wanganui, though, so take my words with a grain of salt.

[Kim39]

Hi Kimifan

We went to Wanganui in Feb for the weekend (OH was playing in the NZ Masters football tournament), and must admit I didn't feel safe going into the town of an evening, during the day was fine. One of our friends is a prison officer and he happened to mention to one of the cons (who is a gang member, and from Wanganui) about us going, and he was told by this con to advise us to stay out of the town at night.......which was possibly one of the reasons why I didn't feel safe. It does have a lovely shopping centre, but otherwise I couldn't see anything "attractive" about it, and yes, around the town area of the river there are industrial units. But hey, if we all liked the same place a lot of New Zealand towns' and Citys' would be empty.

Elaine (Kim 39 OH)

[Nathan]

from http://www.labourmarket.co.nz/regionalprofile_mw.htm

"Manawatu-Wanganui has the second lowest total crime rate (offences per ten thousand head of population) and the second equal lowest rate for violent offences."

The site above has basic information on each of fifteen regions of NZ and is a handy place to compare such things as employment statistics, crime statistics, weather, main industries, etc. It has links to district council pages.

[britchik]

HI Jo

I too live in Wanganui, and around the same age as you.
If you want any info no matter how big or small, please feel free to PM me.
Regarding the gangs here and all the bad press we have had in the news lately ......can I say, that's all it is, bad press. It has been reported that Gang members over here drive about in cars with rifles hanging out there windows.....that's a load of ball. My cousins husband is a copper over here and he has stated categorically that has never happened.
I feel totally safe walking around Wanganui at night. I think no matter where you are you have bad areas and good areas.
All in all regarding some towns in New Zealand I think it is an ok place, at least you don't have to worry about being blown up by Suicide Bombers !!
So, every cloud eh ?!! :0)

Jo x

[wanderingoregonian]

One thing to keep in mind that its often easier to find work once you are on the ground... so one option is to take the job offer, stay for 3-12 months while checking out other options. If you love it in Wanganiu, great you can stay, if you are so-so about it, it might be a better jumping off place for finding a new job than your current location. Its a tough one...

[kimifan]

Thanks for the advice everyone - some really good food for thought. Have thought a lot about this over the past few days and I've decided to decline the offer and hope to get an offer from somewhere a bit larger.

Combination of reasons; partly because of location, partly because the job is not exactly what I' m looking for, and to be honest partly a bit of a panic about the reality of actually moving to the other side of the world!

I'm the eternal optimist so hopefully something will turn up in the next couple of months and still aiming to be over there in November.

Take care all,
Jo xx

[bumpffslam]

We lived approx 1.5 hrs north of Wanganui in the middle of nowhere and so Wanganui was our local shopping town. We found it to be a pleasant town to visit with reasonable number of shops including all the normal NZ 'big stores". Mitre 10 Mega is particularly good.

Ithas a small airfield but Palmerston North has a much bigger airport with excellent links within NZ and also cheapish flights Australia.

It's got a nice theatre and cinema. It has a feeling of past its best but of pending good times. Would I live there if I was 25 years young again ? - no, unless it was a stepping stone into the country.

If the position on offer is at the Hospital, then be aware that there has been negative press due to problems caused by a lack of qualified staff. Perhaps this is an opportunity.

It's a challenging drive north on the 4 out of Wanaganui to Raetihi (the direct route to Auckland).