[Myrkk]

... why are you moving to New Zealand?

I often see people stating they are moving for a better quality of life for their children. What about those who move and don't have kids? It is the same reason?

[catt]

we want to get out of the rat race of the UK the traffic, the noise the built up areas.......we want to smell the roses we have worked most of our lives and its now time for us. Our kids are grown and we will probably see more of them as they are all talking about coming over for a month each. Each of them have moved away to live their own lives with their families and yes in england, but they are all at least 200 miles away from us so now its our turn. Simple really and we are so looking forward to it particullary my oh has he is a born and bred kiwi and wants to go home now that he has retired from being a Head Teacher in a school here in the UK.

[Perksy]

We have no children and are not planning to but it is for us very much the same reason. We are happy to work hard for a living and will continue to do so but the quality of life for us outside of work just isn't there. To do anything in England now seems to take so much planning. If you wake up and the sun is out it is hard to just pack up a picnic and head out as everyone else is having the same idea and you will spend most of your days in queues and traffic jams, so most of the time we just don't bother at all. We love the outdoor life and want to have more quality time to live it. There is a lot I love about England but it has become too much of a rat race and a nation that lives to work and seems to have lost the essence of what life is all about. Kim

[PeteS]

We came out here to get away from family - but they followed, and are following, us!! Clare, Ben, soon to be Sam, Mum...... aaarrgghh! :p

But on a serious note, it was -

Lifestyle.

Escape the "race you to the next traffic jam" mentality of southern England.

Space.

Less stress.

To be able arrive here with some cash from house sales in the UK and build a nice house with no mortgage.

[Moorf]

Same here - no children and no plans. Both worked hard at our careers and NZ was our way of moving out of the rat race to get the space and lifestyle we wanted. Here we concentrate on life more than work and feel much more balanced.

[Myrkk]

It's interesting to see why non-kiddied couples go out. We were looking for stability in work life and a less congested lifestyle..... if we go up the brecons there is hardly any parking space and forget trying to get down to the beach.

However, the mortgage bit is our problem at the moment.

Hubbie has landed a job which if it lasts could potentially allow us to be mortgage free in 2yrs if all goes well and 3ish years if we are less stringent with our cash.

It's giving us a serious headache.

[benandclare]

if we go up the brecons there is hardly any parking space .

Ah the Beacons.......Cribin, Pen-y Fan and my fav Fan-Y-Big :D :D

And agree with you , you had to get there early to park:nice1

None of that out here, loads of room.

We wanted to take early retirement in NZ but realised we'd be too old at 55 so have come out now, late 40's, Sam is joining us just in time for his 17th and our other daughters will visit soon and maybe one day follow us but thats their decision..

[Smiler]

My reasons are a bit more emotional.

My son is now an adult and even so, I originally said no to NZ when OH suggested it. I mean a big NO! I couldn't think of anything worse than moving away from my family.

He never once pushed me against my decision but stuff happened in my life, realisation dawned and changed my mind.

I've seen my parents care for both sets of their parents (step parents too) for most of the years when they should be winding down and in a financial situation to enjoy life more. Family is first and foremost and I appreciate why they did this and I would do the same, but to me it seemed like they'd brought us up and as we were leaving home, my grandparents had reverted to children, They did this selflessly for 20 years, with lots of help from me. They didn't have the chance to 'do something different' inbetween.

So we came here because we could, while we could! While we are still young enough to enjoy the different lifestyle that we have. We have an internet based business, so can go and live/work almost anywhere, but we chose NZ.

I threw in my rat race job that was burning me out, took a different career leap and here I am.

If the time comes when I/we need to go back to the UK to care for our parents, I'd do this like a shot, but my home will be here in NZ and waiting for me.

Oh and as Pete says these two reasons as well :D

"Escape the "race you to the next traffic jam" mentality of southern England.

Space."

What's a traffic jam? ;)

[PeteS]

What's a traffic jam?

Apparently something they get in cities. And long may they remain there. :raebanana

The traffic was bad here the other day, I couldn't park right outside the shop I wanted to visit.

[Moorf]

The traffic was bad here the other day, I couldn't park right outside the shop I wanted to visit.

Same! :laugh :laugh

[gpbenton]

I couldn't stand the crowds in England. I'd lived in central Florida for 15 years, and grown used to lots of open space, and everywhere I went in England there was a queue. So its was back to the US, or try something new.

Of course, the cold, dark winters were also an incentive.

I find the question rather interesting though. Do people with kids forget that adults can do things purely to please themselves?

[Lara Croft]

I was driving into Wellington on Friday afternoon, listening to the traffic news. Apparently SH1 into town was "very congested", drivers were getting frustrated sitting in queues, and there were warnings of people getting dehydrated - and reminders to take plenty of drinks in the cars.

I had to wait at a set of lights in Porirua, for oh... maybe 30 seconds... but thankfully I didn't become dehydrated in this time, and was able to continue my journey safely. :)

I jest. There was a tiny queue at Kapiti Lights. At least 6 cars...

Jane

[dharder]

I find the question rather interesting though. Do people with kids forget that adults can do things purely to please themselves?

I thought the question was asked by someone without kids.

Daniela, who of course shouldn't be in this thread at all :)

[smitjo]

Well....I think we are both looking for something different. I can't say that I hate my life here in the UK and we are not leaving the UK for any particular reason.. we just wanted a new adventure and didn't want to look back at our lives in 10 years and regret the decision not to go. Sometimes you need to take risks and this is ours.....hopefully it will be a risk worth taking!! NZ attracts us with its outdoor lifestlyle, rural aspects and the lack of people.

[mossum]

well why not - a better quality of life for us .

we still work hard here - but here we live in the sort of home that would be unobtainable to us in the UK . Oh & that I get to have more cats here - LOL

on the traffic front .... rangiora's a veritable nightmare , do not move here , if the traffic gets much worse we may have to consider a set of traffic lights :p

vic x

[Potato]

Probably I am a minority here, there is no kids, there is no "we", there is just me, 23 years old. I am moving here because I did a lot of travelling in NZ, loved it, got a good job offer, went for it. Bingo. I love living in NZ, though many problems are the same as back home, it's alleviated by all the positives.

[KelvinAng]

I'm in the same shoes as Potato above I suppose. Soon to be 30, single, male. Toured NZ in 2006, loved it and wanted to return as a resident. Singapore is probably in a similar situation as England with regards to rat races, overcrowding and pollution, and NZ's supposedly laid back culture, space and climate are the things that attracted me the most.

I hope that I'll be in NZ before the end of the year, and start life anew.

[Howie]

I think I came here for an adventure. I missed Canada and NZ is similar in so many ways, but different in so many other ways. I enjoy change and moving around. I think my quality of life would be better in Canada, mainly due to housing costs in Auckland. But the adventure feels like it's just beginning. I do think that housing costs will likely drive me back to Canada eventually, but you never know.

[vanmarwijk]

Good question...

Well, I have loads of reasons, my GF only a few, but important ones.
My main reason for heading to NZ is wanting to know if I can feel more relaxed with a bit more space and without all those people around... Having travelled (and lived) elsewhere earlier in life, I'm still pretty much attracted to other lifestyles, cuiltures and countries. And while I still sort of like the Netherlands (where we're from) I always wondered what living in NZ would be like.
Main attractions:
- good (wind-)surfing while I'm still young(ish)
- cheap (and loads of) golfcourses
- space
- not too many, but nice, people
- 'developing' country in my line of business (could be wrong on that one)
- thinking about something other than work
- the weather (less cold, but not too warm)

The Netherlands are way too overcrowded and controlled. Wherever you go, there's always someone or something. You can't drive out of the city, because you'll be in the next already... And I really don't like being watched all the time. Speed camera's everywhere, regulations for everything and always someone telling you what to do (or not to do).

Speaking for my GF: she hasn't travelled much and wants to know if she's not missing out on anything. She likes the beach and the outdoors but feels things get too crowded over here. Her sister's been to NZ is raving about it, so that helps.

And the fresh start thingey applies for both of us, of course...

[Hippywench]

I find the question rather interesting though. Do people with kids forget that adults can do things purely to please themselves?
:nice1

Personally, we have been considering emigration for years. We're now at the point where we know where we want to go and have many factors pushing us in that direction.
We want to experience a different lifestyle, different cultures. We're sick of the rat race, crowds and lack of light here. As others have said, its difficult to enjoy this country now due to crowds and long working hours. On a day to day level, its impossible to go anywhere without tripping over people.

We love being outdoors, love wildlife (I spend a significant portion of my income on feeding the critters!).

Besides, its possible to have responsibilities besides your own offspring. I've spent a lot of my life running after others. I have a disabled sibling, severely enough to need 24 hour care. When my parents pass on, or need care themselves, chances are I will have to return. I want to live my life while I still can!
My MIL has been royally dumped on for years regarding caring 'duties', this is why she's decided to pack her stuff and join us!

[KerryS]

I came for fun and to escape the drudgery of a life of acedeme in the UK. A couple of years in Australia wasn't enough, so I came here.
I've loved it since I arrived, and although I sometimes think "What if...", I don't currently have any plans to leave.

[Kate D]

Well, I guess my reasons are somewhere in between others. I'm single, no kids, mid life, have a good job, nice house etc in the UK on the edge of the Chiltern "hills", which are pretty I grant you. I can even go running into a huge protected woodland area just by crossing one minor road. But, if traffic is good I spend 2hrs 20mins per day commuting. That takes its toll. I've previously lived in other countries and came back to the UK with a bloke, but that didn't work out. My parents are elderly with deteriorating health and yet it's not enough to keep me here, in spite of the pangs of guilt. I think I'm a risk taker, with a sense of adventure. I visited NZ 7 years ago and a place has never grabbed me like that before. Timing is everything - testing the waters at an NZ Expo in London led to a level of interest that greatly surprised me, and subsequent job offers. Life is too short - I don't intend to regret it by not giving it a go. And I love the outdoors life - the appeal of hiking in the mountains in NZ rather than being too knackered to spend several hours in traffic jams come Friday night just to get to bigger hills like I have to do here in the UK.

Will I be any better off? Financially, on balance it looks like much the same. But then, it's not just about money, is it...? I may end up driven nuts with condensing everything into 2.5 months, but barring any unforeseen medical issues, I'm planning to start work by beginning of April latest, and looking to leave here mid March!

Kate

[miep]

I often see people stating they are moving for a better quality of life for their children. What about those who move and don't have kids? It is the same reason?

We used to get asked all the time when we were having kids because that must be the reason to move here. I used to get quite annoyed with it, almost like you don't have a life if you don't have kids!
We must look too old to have kids now because we haven't been asked that for quite a while:D There I've found an advantage to getting older!:)

We moved here to get away from traffic and overcrowding which we felt resulted in aggression and intolerance in too many people including ourselves. I do feel more relaxed here and drive a lot slower than I used to (although I still have a bit of a reputation for having a lead foot) and we don't live by our calendar anymore, ie we don't plan weeks ahead to have dinner somewhere, we take it as it happens. Thet's really been quite liberating:nice1

[Moorf]

We used to get asked all the time when we were having kids because that must be the reason to move here. I used to get quite annoyed with it, almost like you don't have a life if you don't have kids!
We must look too old to have kids now because we haven't been asked that for quite a while There I've found an advantage to getting older!

:yes Oh yes, we get the same!! I think they assume I have older kids who have left home (sheesh, I must have had them at 16!!) or they assume we couldn't have them - always met with "should we ask?" eyes - when we simply say we didn't want any they look a bit gobsmacked!

At least most of my friend's chldren are older now and have finished with the "ohh, you don't know what you're missing" stage and are on to the "don't do it" stage. :D

[PeteS]

:yes Oh yes, we get the same!! I think they assume I have older kids who have left home (sheesh, I must have had them at 16!!) or they assume we couldn't have them - always met with "should we ask?" eyes - when we simply say we didn't want any they look a bit gobsmacked!

At least most of my friend's chldren are older now and have finished with the "ohh, you don't know what you're missing" stage and are on to the "don't do it" stage. :D

We've had the same.

People say "oohh, you'd make a really nice father". If only they knew they were talking to people who refuse to go to holiday destinations where there are "kids clubs" "Reductions for children" and deliberately go on long haul flights out of season because there's less chance of kids.

Kids are fine, some friends of ours have 3 very nice ones, aged 4, 8, and 13. But I can give them back when I've wound them up. Ask Clare, I'm a "grate" uncle.....

[Moorf]

People say "oohh, you'd make a really nice father". If only they knew they were talking to people who refuse to go to holiday destinations where there are "kids clubs" "Reductions for children" and deliberately go on long haul flights out of season because there's less chance of kids.

Kids are fine, some friends of ours have 3 very nice ones, aged 4, 8, and 13. But I can give them back when I've wound them up. Ask Clare, I'm a "grate" uncle.....

Spot on! Oh, I feel so much better knowing others that get the same comments. We don't know many people who have chosen not to have kids and sometimes find it hard to find the words to explain why!

I do love kids (couldn't eat a whole one!), and everyone says I'd make a great mum, but I love handing them back at the end of the day :D

Ditto re holidays - we go on our hols once they're all back at school - and kids clubs :exit

Woz has a particular dislike of children with recorders :laugh :laugh

[Sam B]

Well, I've got 2 kids and I work with kids, but I avoid holidays with kids' clubs like the plague, and so-called 'fun' pubs and ANYTHING that is aimed at kids. Eurodisney was one of the worst days of my life. So nothing changes when you have kids I reckon. I'll do anything to avoid them (except mine!)

[mossum]

If only they knew they were talking to people who refuse to go to holiday destinations where there are "kids clubs" "Reductions for children" and deliberately go on long haul flights out of season because there's less chance of kids.



LOL us too ! It used to REALLY annoy us when we could only take set holidays in the UK - I love camping , sorry I don't like irritating small children everywhere .Oh dear I've turned into a grumpy old woman :exit :

vic x

[mossum]

Just an observation ...

But we got more "when are you having Kids ? " here than we did in the UK - I wondered about that - do NZ'ers have children later in life or Do I just have a fantastic complexion & look like a 20 something ? ....... come on humour me :laugh :laugh

Vic

[Moorf]

Hehe - we've met now so I can honestly say it's your complexion and your bubbly personality!! :nice1

(that'll be one large glass of Pinot Gris please..... :D )

[mossum]

Ha !!

Flattery will get you everywhere - here have the bottle :cheers :cheers .

Paul was amazed to recently discover our neighbour was 4 years younger than me - she is verrry crinkly - I suspect it's the high UV index ( & a distinct lack of padding !!!!!!!!!!! )

vic

[Jo Jo]

Just an observation ...

But we got more "when are you having Kids ? " here than we did in the UK - I wondered about that - do NZ'ers have children later in life or Do I just have a fantastic complexion & look like a 20 something ? ....... come on humour me :laugh :laugh

Vic

Ooooh, me too! The being asked when we're having kids, not the looking like a 20 something.... though having said that most kiwis are quite surprised when I tell them how old I am - I can't work out if they think it's because I look young, or whether they just assume that as I'm a newlywed I'm younger than I am.

[Moorf]

I remember when we first arrived and I worked in the surf shop how people would comment on my complexion - it seems it's noticeable as they are more lined/weathered in NZ (not my words!)... having been here 3.5 yrs I can't say I hear that compliment anymore! :( Thanks for reminding me! :wah

[Justine+Ben]

Like many others have already mentioned on this thread, we are (hopefully!) moving to New Zealand for a more chilled and relaxed way of life. We have no kids (and family still in England) so this is a purely selfish decision!

For the last four years we've been living away from the UK (first in the USA and then in Canada) and have really enjoyed the outdoorsy lifestyle there. We've heard great things about the national parks and hiking/tramping in NZ too so for us its a big pull. Every time we visit family/friends in London (or in any town in the UK for that matter) it just seems crammed to its limits. In addition, we both found working in England to be a bit depressing (I'm a teacher and the work load was just endless). We're hoping that in New Zealand, although we probably won't be financially better off, we'll have a better quality of life than in the UK :)

Also.... we're always up for a new adventure and let's face it...you only live once and we've got nothing to lose by going! :raebanana

[DMcG]

I moved because of love :o

My kiwi partner and I had been living together in Edinburgh for a few years when a family crisis developed back in NZ and she had to fly home. It was either loose her for an unknown number of years or follow her. It did help that I'd been here a few times and had a good idea what I was coming to though.

We're also in the "childfree" (as opposed to "childless") category and currently planning a six week round the world trip to visit my parents back in Scotland (via the Caribbean, Turkey, Jordan, India and Hongkong :D ) - try doing that with kids in term time!

Dougie

[Justine+Ben]

I just checked out your photo site Dougie, amazing photos of New Zealand and they really make me want to live there!

I'm a canon user myself (amateur), have you found photography equipment to be more pricey in NZ? (compared with UK/US)