[roddixon]

Not sure if this is the place to post this but really do need some help here.
I have NZ citizenship and my wife has been granted PR thru' the partnership route.
We were planning to move to NZ towards the end of the year so I started actively looking for jobs, and things are looking positive on a few fronts.
During one of the phone calls with a prospective employer they said that they were expanding into Australia early next year and would I be interested in taking a position in the new plant which they are building:confused:
I've lived in and love NZ and was looking forward to going back; but this job offer is very good.
I know I'm fortunate to have choices; but this really has thrown me and the family.
There are many things to consider not least my wife triggering and keeping her granted PR.
The question I'd like to ask has anyone been too/know of the Hunter Valley/Newcastle region of NSW?????
I'm scouring the website trying to find info about the area but
any first hand opinions/experiences of this region would be most welcome:nice1

Thanks
Steve

[pinkpiggy]

Hi Steve

What a predicament. I can't offer any help on Oz - it's not somewhere I wanted to settle.

Perhaps you should look at this from a different angle. If this job hadn't come along, would you have been looking at Oz as a place to live?

Newcastle, NSW has been on the news here recently as they've had some big storms and a tanker called the Pasha Bulker ran aground on Nobby's beach. See some photos here: http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/coal_ship_on_newcastle_beach.

[jonSE]

Hunter Valley/Newcastle is not a bad place to live - just over an hour in to Sydney off peak by car and 1.5 hours by train. Yet it benefits from much cheaper accomodation compared to Sydney, (similar prices to Auckland)

As you have NZ citizenship your wife should be able to get a sub class 461 visa (spouse of NZ citizen) without many dramas which should get her a 5 year visa to live and work which is renewable indefinitely (at the moment - could change if OZ and NZ go to war !).