[NanMan]

Alright I know this whole conversation of likes v. dislikes has been hashed out in some great detail in previous threads. However, I wanted to see how people felt about New Zealand based on the amount of time they have had to settle in. Cause I see alot of new migrants loving it, and than some others who have been in New Zealand a while start to not like it so much. I am trying to make a decision on whether or not I should make the move, and it is a heavy decision. So if you could start of by saying how long you've been in New Zealand, and how do you like it? (You don't have to go into tremendous detail unless you feel like it) ;) Secondly, any advice to two young Americans 24 yrs old and married, deciding on whether or not to make the move? Just to give you some history i have a degree in business management and my wife has some college in the field of nursing, but isn't able to get into nursing school seeing how there are no teachers. We don't make very much and don't have a house or any children.

[BkyMonster]

Liked it when we came and still like it 6 months later. No real huge surprises.
I think it really helped that we didn't have a 'lifestyle' that we had to change or maintain when we got here. We were ready to adapt to a NZ lifestyle, what ever it turned out to be. Unless you count living like married college students for the past several years a lifestyle that anyone would want to maintain.;)

[broadsword08]

been here two years... came here for 6 months five years before making the permanent move... love it... miss choice... miss family... miss friends... still wouldnt go back to england even if I was paid to

have you been here?
if you havent - why think about moving here?

have you travelled much?
you are young... if I was your age I would be travelling the world to see what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it

NZ is no panacea... like most places its down to you and who you are with to make it what you want it to be

is that any use!?

[incredible hulse]

Been here just over 3 years so honeymoon period is over.

Do I regret coming here ? No

Would I come now if I knew what I do now ? Probably a no also.

I like a lot about NZ but also dislike a fair bit and not convinced it was worth giving up what I had to come here to live. This for me is mainly around work - I find in my field of IT they are miles behind and I personally do not enjoy the low output/long hours that seem to be the norm here. I also find the atmosphere less enjoyable than the UK where I enjoyed the banter and the nights out with colleagues. I also find after being here a while that this isn't a great deal going on - you tend to find that events are repeating yearly (and they are exactly the same each year !), and I'm at the stage where it's all getting a bit mundane. I don't have the disposable income I had in the UK to allow me to travel at will which adds to the boredom factor I guess.

All in all I've enjoyed my time in NZ and can see us being here for a few more years yet as I want to see it all, but also know that I won't see out the rest of my years here.

[webbs71]

We have been here a very short space of time, all of three months so we are still very much in our honeymoon period. We never visited New Zealand before we moved over here and even bought our house on the internet!!
It is what you make it. We love it and I dont think we will ever go back to the UK. Maybe for the odd visit but this is home and it feels like home.
sarah

[dilanium]

I've been here nine months and I'm 26, my husband is 31. The pay here is low compared to what you will get elsewhere. The lifestyle is lovely though. I love living here, but getting out to see other countries can be difficult because most of the earned money goes to living expenses. A lot of kiwis in our age group seem to have gone or are going overseas to make money (many that I've talked to are planning on settling back in NZ to have a family after earning some money and seeing the world).

It's a much quieter life here than where I was before (Cleveland, OH compared to Palmerston North), but I like that. I've been to Auckland once and it was a bit overwhelming (I hadn't been to a city besides Wellington and Palmy for eight months at that point), but it seemed like a nice city.

I can't tell you if you will like it or if it is right for you. All I can tell you is that if you don't try you will never know, and trying now before you have a family and other attachments is an easier way to do it.

[Carey]

Been here 7 months, still love it as do our 3 kids. Came here 20 yrs ago for a year with OH, loved it then too.

A reccie will give you a good idea of the place.

[benandclare]

Been here a tadge over a year and a half and still loving it ans putting down some serious roots :nice1:nice1

[clairelouise]

Been here just a tad over 4 months and so far it's all good. We didn't do the recce thing, but as funds were not permitting at the time and the job offer came through at the speed of light, it was never really an option for us. We love it here, and DD is thriving. We've just bought a house, so (hopefully!!!) we're here for good!

I say, with no ties, if I were you I'd at least give it a go. You're able to come over on a WHV for a fair whack of time, and it'd give you a better idea of whether to move than any advice on here.

Good luck with making a decision!! :D

[Sam B]

Been here over 2 years and like it more as time goes on, always did like it, but it gets better not worse.

[NanMan]

Liked it when we came and still like it 6 months later. No real huge surprises.
I think it really helped that we didn't have a 'lifestyle' that we had to change or maintain when we got here. We were ready to adapt to a NZ lifestyle, what ever it turned out to be. Unless you count living like married college students for the past several years a lifestyle that anyone would want to maintain.;)

lol no i don't think that is one that i am going to miss a bit... :laugh

[Moorf]

Been here over 4.5 years, loved it when we arrived and still love it, if I'm honest I thought my love of the place would fade after a 'honeymoon' period, but coming up for our 4th anniversary and no divorce on the cards.

No-one can tell you if you'll love it here or not, you gotta take the bull by the horns and find out for yourself. :nice1

[bob_the_engineer]

I wonder how many people (like me) have been here years and love living in NZ, but seldom find themselves posting on the subject simply because it kind of difficult to explain.

So I’m going for a YAY, if you feel the same way, just post YAY ay :laugh

Bob

[Familyofmonkeys]

Been here nearly 2 years and still very much enjoying NZ life. We've nearly done our agreed two year in Auckland....what a life experience that has been :) and will be swapping islands later this year for a quieter life in Canterbury which has always been our intended destination.

[Moorf]

I wonder how many people (like me) have been here years and love living in NZ, but seldom find themselves posting on the subject simply because it kind of difficult to explain.

That'll be me :D, plus I bore myself (and no doubt others after 8000 posts :laugh) harping on about how much I love this place...

[Silverwing86]

I wonder how many people (like me) have been here years and love living in NZ, but seldom find themselves posting on the subject simply because it kind of difficult to explain.

So I’m going for a YAY, if you feel the same way, just post YAY ay :laugh

Bob

YAY :D !

We've been here just over two years, loved it from day one and loving it more and more as time goes by and our emotional connection with this wonderful country continues to grow :clap !

Whether you will like it here enough to settle long term very much depends on who you are and what you want out of life. If, for examply, you're only satisfied by a 'ratrace'; status; fancy (brandname) clothes; flashy cars; fancy clubs; out of country weekends away x times a year and such, you'd perhaps get a bit bored after a while.

Not that there isn't any of all that here, don't get me wrong, plenty to be had, but NZ is a relatively small country in population numbers and far away from anywhere else, so choices may be more limited than where you came from and perhaps it wouldn't offer as much variation as you might want in the long term.

If on the other hand, you're looking to settle down; care more about who people really are inside rather than what 'status' they portray on the outside (ie; do they wear the 'right' clothes, is their car 'fancy' enough, high flying jobs etc.); love nature and appreciate activities that don't cost much but bring a lot of joy (beach life, walking/tramping in nature, {free} community/neighbourhood activities, getting to know your neighbours and so much more); don't feel the 'necessity' to go abroad a couple of times a year for a weekend away/holiday (there are so many wonderful places still to discover in NZ, we have no desire to travel abroad at all !); are flexible enough to roll with the punches and see obstacles in your life as challenges rather than problems or negative points, you'll probably love it here !

As others have said, you are still young and 'unattached' enough (without kids I mean) to make a go of it without needing to commit 100% right away. Do the WHV thing, get to know the country and if you find you love it, then go for the longer term options like PR. If not, at least you'll know for sure and won't have to spend your life wondering 'what if ?', right ;) ? Plenty of time and opportunity to move on to a new destination if need be.

We human beings tend to learn far more about ourselves by moving away from our 'comfort zones' (and creating new ones perhaps), than remaining in the same place/situation for life...

Good luck !

Cheers,
Silver

[andrewp]

Been here a whopping 9 1/2 weeks. I'm actually amazed how much we love it. We'd visited a couple of times before, but just on holiday so not seriously looking at what it's like to live here permanently.

We've had (and are still having) our ups and downs given the difficulty in finding the right job. For now we are lucky to have family and "almost free" accommodation, so that takes some of the pressure off. Last night my OH and I for the first time discussed what we'll do if I'm still battling to find a job in a few months and very quickly came to the same answer - STAY HERE (well maybe not in Auckland, but definitely in NZ). For us this is fast becoming home.

I agree with what others have said - If you're young then give it a bash. Come and try it - you never know, you may love it.

[NanMan]

YAY :D !

As others have said, you are still young and 'unattached' enough (without kids I mean) to make a go of it without needing to commit 100% right away. Do the WHV thing, get to know the country and if you find you love it, then go for the longer term options like PR. If not, at least you'll know for sure and won't have to spend your life wondering 'what if ?', right ;) ? Plenty of time and opportunity to move on to a new destination if need be.

We human beings tend to learn far more about ourselves by moving away from our 'comfort zones' (and creating new ones perhaps), than remaining in the same place/situation for life...



Thats what me and my oh keep coming back to, we have so little "attachments" it seems it would be stupid not to try it. My oh grew up in Brazil til she was 12 so she is used to the whole different culture thing, and is always up for something new. We are planning a visit either late this year or early next year, so I think that will be the big deciding factor. I just like to hear what others have to say, I don't know it all and could always use some advice.

[NanMan]

been here two years... came here for 6 months five years before making the permanent move... love it... miss choice... miss family... miss friends... still wouldnt go back to england even if I was paid to

have you been here?
if you havent - why think about moving here?

have you travelled much?
you are young... if I was your age I would be travelling the world to see what I wanted to do and where I wanted to do it

NZ is no panacea... like most places its down to you and who you are with to make it what you want it to be

is that any use!?

yes this is very useful, i know alot of people have made the move without visiting but we just feel it is not worth risking it. As far as traveling the world, I defiantly wouldn't mind, but the costs are so high we wouldn't get very far unfortunately. We both think New Zealand might just be the fit we are looking for, and we r ready to settle down if it is that fit.

[peg]

i've been here 5 months
my oh and i have 1 year work visas
we're in our early thirties but very free as no houses or kids so we decided to come, give it a go and see

we've made May our deadline for a decision to stay or go as i'm on a year's career break and have to give notice of 3 months before returning or not
with the economy at home i don't feel guaranteed of my job back but fingers crossed if i want it it'll be mine
i spent months sorting out registration for my job and only started work at the start of march, this meant i spent a lot of time on my own at home during the day so its only now i'm tasting "real-life"
i have to say i like new zealand a lot- if i could drag and drop it below ireland i'd prob stay!
everyone i've met has been polite, helpful and friendly- i haven't made friends as such but do have a few people i would chat to when i meet them

i miss some things from my "old life" such as travelling but i'm hoping that now i'm working i'll get a chance to get about more, tis hard when you're living off savings to splash out

i waited til i was older to do my "oe" but no matter what we decide in may i'm very glad i took the leap
my advice for what its worth is to suck it and see- i would give the slight warning that those on whv are reportedly finding work difficult to get according the the agency i got mine through, but a bit of flexibilty with where you are and what you do might get over that
best of luck with your decision
peg

[veronica]

get yourselves a years working holiday visa and come over and do the 'suck it and see' thing 'cos each persons experience is different.

Came over here 5 years ago with an open mind and now its home. missing people is the biggest drawback, but having been back in the UK for 2 and a half months I was really pleased to come back to NZ, at this moment in time its def home.

[Debbie]

I hardly ever get on the forum these days which i take as a good thing, (no disrespect intended) as it indicates how much more of a life I now have in NZ than before when the forum was a sanity line.
I'm in the difficult position of having a split household.
OH, 2 kids and I have been here 2yr 7mths, we didn't do a recce visit and have no family here.
OH and the kids took to it like ducks to water and love NZ. My eldest says he will go and live in the UK one day and I dare say like all good Kiwis he will. OH has taken to life here and loves everything that it has to offer and to his credit has grabbed every opportunity with both hands. He is living the dream and the dream is good. Although my children are to young to remember UK life, (they were 3 and 5 when we moved) they love the life here and I can see that it is a better place for them. Because of the above I will be staying in NZ and I don't regret coming and after 2 yrs I really have a sence of being settled here. But I miss my family terribly and If I had been a young single traveller I would have done my yr OE and gone home. Coming to NZ has taught me so much and given me so many experience. I have made the bests friend here, even in this short time. I have found skills and had experiences that will stay with me when I'm geriatric but the lack of family is a killer. I wasn't the type of person who thought I would suffer from this but I did. I think how much you love and settle in NZ depends on having a realistic view of what to expect, a willingness to adapt, a willingness to take or make those opportunities and how bad the home sickness is.
Debbie