[iguana2008]

Yes - have posted on other forum earlier. Am torn about returning to NZ. Home in Wet Ireland now 7 months...my NZ returning residents visa is up Aug 15....have work here(office), renting nice house...but all my mates have moved on...great being around family again.

Anyone return to Auckland after a wee break? How did you find settling back again? Big mistake? Should I stay in IReland and build up a profile here??

Ireland is terrible...everyone is at me to buy a house!!!...not to mind the weather...no work really....very expensive still...feel am on a big dull ferris wheel...

HELP!!!!!! :)

[winka]

Move back, never too many Irish people at a party!

[iguana2008]

Move back, never too many Irish people at a party!

Ha Ha - spend my first few years partying too hard in NZ!! And I thought the Irish drank a lot!! Good LORD!!! Would murder a Steinlarger now...

[busylizzie]

Iguana, know exactly how you feel:confused:

We've been 'home' (Scotland) since end Aug and our residency is up in September 09 and just don't know what to do. We too, are renting a nice house, OH got a job (quite well paid), I'm not working, applied for around 30 jobs and had two interviews omg, money running out fast :exit

What we thinking of doing, is going back to NZ in beginning Sept for 6 months before our residency runs out to see if NZ is really what we want!!!!!!!!!!!!!

However, if we decide that NZ is not for us, then will we get jobs when we come back? Should we uproot our daughters again??????????????

OMG so many questions, so many pros, so many cons for each place.

All the best Iguana and hope you find your answers.

[PEI Bill]

Go a head and return to NZ because you will end up staying or going back but at least it will be out of your system and will not nag you for the rest of you life.
I returned home in 79 with a Canadian wife and while she liked it I didn’t and I had spent the 1st 22 years of my life in NZ. Basically I was a stranger in my own land. I’m a tool & die maker with an engineering degree or is it the other way round. The truth is I had been away too long to adjust to NZ life not that it had changed all that much since I left.
I talked to one of my cousins, we talk on a regular basis, and he tells me come to home for a holiday but there is nothing here for me as a lot of manufacturing is leaving NZ and jobs are as scarce as hens teeth. The problem is that I have good paying job and things are booming here as a lot of companies are upgrading their machine tools to the latest technology. So I don’t want to pull out and go back. I thought things would be bad and that there would be nothing to do so the wife and I could go back for 6 months and wonder around NZ and do odd jobs in the country. She can’t work but that’s not a problem. We would like to do it but it won’t be this year.
For you, go back and give it a go and if its not for you that’s fine.

[Tui2too]

Go a head and return to NZ because you will end up staying or going back but at least it will be out of your system and will not nag you for the rest of you life.

...or it might still! :D
I've been back and forth between nz and canada several times and still haven't gotten it out of my system! :exit

;)

[WANZLittles]

interesting question..... don't have any answers though

[M-Squared]

Come back, get indefinite PR.

Otherwise you will *ALWAYS* be thinking "What if?........"

Hubby is a true believer in that. He sold all his worldly possessions and moved to France to try and make it as a musician. He never regrets doing that. :)

[Kanga]

Iguana, if you don't have kids I'd say go for it, if you do then it's a much tougher call (as I am finding) and only you can balance it up. I guess those of us considering ping-ponging have to 'keep it real' and remember all the reasons we left NZ. that's not to say I won't return or that you shouldn't, just that it's tough indeed.

[Kanga]

Come back, get indefinite PR.

Otherwise you will *ALWAYS* be thinking "What if?........"

Hubby is a true believer in that. He sold all his worldly possessions and moved to France to try and make it as a musician. He never regrets doing that. :)


Depends whether "what if ....?" is worse than "if only ...." :)

[bobo]

Depends whether "what if ....?" is worse than "if only ...." :)

You cannot have both.

[mussomutts]

Have just found this thread and wondering what you decided!!
I am a Scot married to a Canadian born Kiwi.. we moved from NZ to Canada 4 years ago..and are planning on going back sometime in 2010.. everyone is right, once you've lived there, I don't think it's possible to get it out of your system!!

[Kanga]

They put something in the pineapple lumps ....

[PEI Bill]

I spent the first 23 years of my life in NZ and have no ambition to go back to live. I would probably go back for a quick vacation to see relatives who I haven't seen in 25 years. Taxes are high wages are low and jobs in my line of work are scarce. Housing prices are totally rediculous for what you are paying for. I think thats reason enough to get it out of your system. I am very happy where I am.

[benhila]

I spent the first 23 years of my life in NZ and have no ambition to go back to live. I would probably go back for a quick vacation to see relatives who I haven't seen in 25 years. Taxes are high wages are low and jobs in my line of work are scarce. Housing prices are totally rediculous for what you are paying for. I think thats reason enough to get it out of your system. I am very happy where I am.

Just out of curiosity (and no intention of being rude) - why are you participating in this forum?

Hila

[Kanga]

Why shouldn't s/he? The forum's about emigrating to NZ and s/he was a NZer who left, then returned, then left (as far as I can make out).

[victoria24]

I think the question wasn't assessing their rights to participate, rather their desire to?

[Kanga]

But why do any of us participate? Because we have views and experiences about living in and coming to live in NZ and want to share them ... which is exactly what s/he has done? Not many of us get asked why we're participating in the forum (apart from on the original joining form, iirc) - it seems an odd question to me (no intention of being rude!).

[NikT]

I spent the first 23 years of my life in NZ and have no ambition to go back to live. I would probably go back for a quick vacation to see relatives who I haven't seen in 25 years. Taxes are high wages are low and jobs in my line of work are scarce. Housing prices are totally rediculous for what you are paying for. I think thats reason enough to get it out of your system. I am very happy where I am.

So, where are you living now?

Nick.:cheers

[victoria24]

it's a fair point kanga me old mucka but I font think I'll be logging on to emigrateuk anytime soon!

[NikT]

it's a fair point kanga me old mucka but I font think I'll be logging on to emigrateuk anytime soon!

:laugh

Nor me!

Nick.:cheers

[Kanga]

it's a fair point kanga me old mucka but I font think I'll be logging on to emigrateuk anytime soon!

:laugh Me neither!

[benhila]

The reason I asked the question is that I was under the (perhaps false) impression that PEI BILL is a Kiwi who lived his/her first 23 years in NZ, then left to live elsewhere. If so, I don't understand his/her interest in a forum of emigrants to NZ??? As already noted above, it is not about the 'right' to participate, just being curious.

Hope that clarifies matters.

Hila

[Kiwi Mac]

If you are living on PEI, I agree it is a very nice spot when the weather is good, but I think I'd keep it as a holiday destination myself.

(PEI is Prince Edward Island, north of Nova Scotia, Canada in case anyone was wondering!)

[PEI Bill]

I am sorry for opening up a can of worms here. I live out on the East Coast of Canada where I manage the methods engineering department for a company that repairs & overhauls jet engines.

I am not anti-NZ. I do not hold a grudge against NZ. I have been lurking on this forum for a while and I read how immigrants dreams have been shattered in one way or another. I read where life saving have been blown. I read where people have lost their homes and are trying to get enough money to return home. I read where people have come out to NZ with the promise of a job and then finding out that it no longer exists or it is not the type of job that was promised. I read of jobs lost and then being jerked around by employers and on and on it goes. Personally I feel for you guys and your families which is why I am writing this.

After 9 years in Canada and taking a Canadian wife we decided that we would return to my home, NZ. I was the only one in the family living away and after 9 years I was coming home to stay. We arrived home and the joy of being home and seeing everyone sort of clouded the reality. One day I met a good friend that I grew up with and we had a few beers at the tavern. He was the captain on a tanker and was home on leave. He said Well Bill, here’s to your life in Canada. I asked him what he meant and he said that I had been away to long and that I would not fit into life in NZ and return to Canada. He reckoned 4 or 5 years was the limit.

I went to work as a tool & die maker and it was all down hill from there. Tall Poppy was alive and well. I was given a job of repairing old molds and when I got them working the rest of guys would say you think you bloody good don’t ya.
I would adjust a machine and be told you can’t do that. Its not your job or you have to asked me first. I was out of the tool & die shops in Toronto and it was go go go. You were told do this, do that and don’t make a career out of it. In NZ I found that you did as little as possible. My boss called me in and asked me to take plenty of time as I was working too fast and it was causing him problems. I once made the mistake of trying to help an apprentice who then told me that I couldn’t tell him what to do and that he did it this way in NZ. This sort of thing was not confined to one shop and it was a shock as I thought I was one of them, a Nzer working with other Nzer’s but I may as well have been a foreigner.

People seem to be nice enough to us but having an intelligent conversation was sometimes hard. It seemed that some people who had been on OE to London knew more about the pubs that anything about the noteworthy places. My comments were that I could get drunk at the tavern without traveling half way around to do it.

One day my grey headed mother called the wife and I in for a serious chat. My mother was an accountant. She told us that NZ was headed for serious trouble because of heavy borrowing by the government and it could not continue.
Taxes were already high and my wife was not allowed to work because she did not have her paperwork so had no tax number.
When the budget came down we realized that there was not a future for us so we returned to Canada.
In 83 we returned to NZ for a visit as my father was in bad health and he wanted to see us so we came. Shortly after that NZ was in trouble.

Looking at NZ at the present time I see that NZ was already in recession before the big one, brought on by real estate development and overheated housing markets. I watched as financially illiterate Nzers took their life savings and mortgaged their homes to participate in real estate scams that lost billions. I watched the banks lend money which was borrowed off shore which created massive overseas debts. It was incredible the number of finance companies going under which is something unheard of in this part of the world. All of this producing nothing. My understanding is that NZ could be running deficits for the next 20 years and someone has to pay the interest on this. That is going to be the tax payer of NZ.

I’m not saying don’t come to NZ all I am say to immigrants is look at the big picture, the NZ economy, before you come and be well aware as to what is going on and NZ’s financial outlook and how it will affect you before you make a decision. Also bear in mind that thousands of young NZers have moved to Oz because they realize they do not have a future in their own county and more could follow. It is your decision to make and if you decide to come be prepared for what could happen to you down the road.

[newarrival]

Just a curious question- you say something about finance companies going under "which is unheard of in this part of the world". Which part do you mean exactly? Your part (eg the US) or Europe- because there they don't go under because huge sums of money -taxpayer's money, to be exact- is pumped into them, so that the bosses can go on earning huge salaries and taking no responsibilities for anything they do.

I am not saying that everything is perfect in NZ, but for me it feels like you are not actually making fair comparisons.

[petri]

Looking at NZ at the present time I see that NZ was already in recession before the big one, brought on by real estate development and overheated housing markets. I watched as financially illiterate Nzers took their life savings and mortgaged their homes to participate in real estate scams that lost billions. I watched the banks lend money which was borrowed off shore which created massive overseas debts. It was incredible the number of finance companies going under which is something unheard of in this part of the world. All of this producing nothing. My understanding is that NZ could be running deficits for the next 20 years and someone has to pay the interest on this. That is going to be the tax payer of NZ.

A lot of countries have built a real estate bubble over the last 5-10 years. You can pretty much replace NZ above with a number of countries and everything is still true.

Canada is borrowing $56 billion this year -- largest deficit in the history. That's 5% of the economy. Sorry to say but they are in the same boat as everyone else. Luckily Canada hasn't been hit like the US or the UK but compared to many other bigger or smaller countries, it's not doing that much better either.


I’m not saying don’t come to NZ all I am say to immigrants is look at the big picture

That really applies to any immigrant and any country. There are times when people immigrate because their home market is screwed up and there's promise of better life elsewhere. Individual countries get screwed up occasionally, bad leaders, overvalued currency, and other reasons.

Right now the situation is rather unique because so many countries are exactly in the same position. Stalled after a long stretch of prosperity.

[Silverwing86]

I have been lurking on this forum for a while and I read how immigrants dreams have been shattered in one way or another. I read where life saving have been blown. I read where people have lost their homes and are trying to get enough money to return home. I read where people have come out to NZ with the promise of a job and then finding out that it no longer exists or it is not the type of job that was promised. I read of jobs lost and then being jerked around by employers and on and on it goes. Personally I feel for you guys and your families which is why I am writing this.

Although it's undeniably true that a fair amount of people have had major problems and perhaps deeply regret their decision to move to NZ (their stories are heartbreaking for sure :( !), I would surely hope that along the way you've also read about those who are extremely happy with their decision to move to NZ (best decision we every made, that's for sure !) and that, albeit perhaps exceptions to the rule when it comes down to the financial side of things, some of us are actually better off than before we came here ?

Balance is essential in all matters IMHO...

Cheers,
Silver

[Ana&Steve]

Thanks Bill for sharing your story. It's good to remember that life won't necessarily turn out just like we pictured and it's our job to be aware of it and compensate.

[Skipjack]

Moved from NZ to Melbourne a couple of years ago but now looking to move back to NZ. There's a lot going for Mebourne if you like city living but if you want a more laid-back beach lifstyle it's difficult to live in an area that suits. We've moved out to Torquay with Bells Beach on our doorstep (best surf south of Hawaii) - but the commute to Melbourne is terrible.

We'e found the salaries at least 50% more in Australia, more jobs, good family $ benefits and the tax breaks a lot better - but there has been a price to pay giving up the kiwi lifestyle.

I'm currently looking for a job and while there's plenty of work in Melbourne, I'm looking at NZ again.

[Kanga]

We'e found the salaries at least 50% more in Australia, more jobs, good family $ benefits and the tax breaks a lot better - but there has been a price to pay giving up the kiwi lifestyle.

I 100% relate to that. We missed the Kiwi lifestyle (in particular for our kids) and realised that what we wanted was only really in NZ. Having said that I'm now unhappily reaquainted with adding up the grocery bill as we go round and holding my breath until the next pay day! Thankfully for us this will improve in the medium term quite significantly so it's doable.

[veronica]

PEI Bill just have to say that you must keep in mind there are two sides to the coin, you mention those that have gone home losing their savings etc.... how about the vast multitude that are here settled and have no need to go on the forum as they are happy. On the forum you are inclined to meet those who want to get here, those who are still prepared once they get here to try and help others and those that want to go back home... there are many more settled happy immigrants than depicted in the statistics than this forum would indicate. In short the views are skewed and not a true representation of the larger population of immigrants. After all happy and settled doesn't really make the news does it.

[auskiwi]

We moved to NZ in Oct of 2006, then back to USA in Oct of 2007, now seriously considering coming back to NZ mid 2011. I've heard that a lot of people need to move a couple of times before they decide where they really want to be. Guess we are proving that theory right!

[VileTraveller]

... how about the vast multitude that are here settled and have no need to go on the forum as they are happy.
Hehehe - I'm sure I will be in that category. Once I'm settled, you'll see not hide nor hair o' me! :raebanana

[Daniel]

We moved to NZ in Oct of 2006, then back to USA in Oct of 2007, now seriously considering coming back to NZ mid 2011. I've heard that a lot of people need to move a couple of times before they decide where they really want to be. Guess we are proving that theory right!

Hello Auskiwi

May I ask you why an US citizen move to NZ?

Cheers

[catt]

We all do things for different reasons........for us we love NZ and its been the best move we have ever made. The old saying is you make your bed you lie on it.......there is nothing to say you cant keep changing beds and remaking them. Do what you feel is right for you as other peoples experiences are not necessarily gonna be the same as yours:nice1

[auskiwi]

Hi Daniel,
We are considering leaving the U.S as we have spent 14 years trying to feel as if we belong. I grew up in NZ, and guess I am just a kiwi at heart! I want to raise our kids in a less materialistic world - and I'm pretty sure NZ is the place.
Amy.

[elkatra]

We all do things for different reasons........for us we love NZ and its been the best move we have ever made. The old saying is you make your bed you lie on it.......there is nothing to say you cant keep changing beds and remaking them. Do what you feel is right for you as other peoples experiences are not necessarily gonna be the same as yours:nice1


Catt,
I agree with you about people doing things for different reasons. We all do and should do what is best for ourselves at various points in our lives. Circumstances may change and impact of a decision made previously may also not be the same as impact now, even in our own lives, not to mention someone else's.

[Daniel]

Hi Daniel,
We are considering leaving the U.S as we have spent 14 years trying to feel as if we belong. I grew up in NZ, and guess I am just a kiwi at heart! I want to raise our kids in a less materialistic world - and I'm pretty sure NZ is the place.
Amy.

Hi Amy,

You are doing the right thing: there is not place like home!!! :nice1

[globetrecker]

Hello Auskiwi

May I ask you why an US citizen move to NZ?

Cheers

I'll add that we left the U.S. because NZ has a lifestyle that nowhere in the U.S. has. It just can't be beat. Our quality of life has dramatically improved (economically, politically, mentally and not to mention the major one: health care). We like that things in NZ aren't so polarized politically and how our taxes (reasonable in NZ) go towards health care rather than wars and bailing out big businesses:clap

[Kiwi Mac]

I'll add that we left the U.S. because NZ has a lifestyle that nowhere in the U.S. has. It just can't be beat. Our quality of life has dramatically improved (economically, politically, mentally and not to mention the major one: health care). We like that things in NZ aren't so polarized politically and how our taxes (reasonable in NZ) go towards health care rather than wars and bailing out big businesses:clap

Do you miss the access to cheap goods?

My brother lives in California and I am always stunned at how cheaply he can buy things compared to us.

Even simple things - he brought me a 1.5TB hdd over - it cost 33% of the NZ price of the exact same model!

[globetrecker]

Do you miss the access to cheap goods?

My brother lives in California and I am always stunned at how cheaply he can buy things compared to us.

Even simple things - he brought me a 1.5TB hdd over - it cost 33% of the NZ price of the exact same model!

You know, we've talked about that and when it all comes down to it, it depends on what you want. We could have a more inexpensive big screen tv and live in the U.S. or live here without a big screen tv and have an assortment of beaches nearby. We're also happy to pay more for goods if it means we have peace of mind with health care. The costs really balance out for our personal circumstances (can't speak for all Americans living in NZ though). For instance, car insurance is 1/12 of the price of what we paid in the U.S., and we don't have to pay outrageous costs for health care, health insurance or deductibles. Another example is the food: in the U.S. is so cheap because of corn subsidies from the government (to make a huge variety of food out of corn, HFCS, etc). So much of the food is subsidized corn based "food", so hence part of the reason for the cheap "food". We can grow fruits and veggies year round here, so we save heaps and get excellent quality. Our grocery bill is more than in the U.S. but we eat SO much healthier here. It's not nearly as outrageously expensive as we thought or had been told. These are just a few of the things that we've personally found.

So while not all roses with the costs and wishing things were cheaper, we also realize that we live on a a beautiful island and it's going to be more expensive. We make a decent living here, and the lifestyle & climate are much better. Particularly the quality of life when compared to our self employed friends and family members paying an average of $1000 per month for health insurance (plus whatever isn't included after deductibles, pre-existing conditions = denying payment and going bankrupt). Kind of like paying another mortgage with nothing to gain when you're done with it :wah

Guess it just boils down to personal preference and circumstances and there is no right or wrong answer because of that:)

[petri]

My brother lives in California and I am always stunned at how cheaply he can buy things compared to us.

If it makes it any better, it would be about the same had you moved to Australia or any country in Europe.

Even if you buy a german car in the US, it's cheaper there than in Germany where it's built. US is very much a "buy-buy-buy" culture, the sales are really to get rid of things and US dollar isn't particularly strong, making things cheaper from the outside. Also the custom to add taxes at the counter and all the tipping make things look cheaper than they really are.

[Kiwi Mac]

If it makes it any better, it would be about the same had you moved to Australia or any country in Europe.

Even if you buy a german car in the US, it's cheaper there than in Germany where it's built. US is very much a "buy-buy-buy" culture, the sales are really to get rid of things and US dollar isn't particularly strong, making things cheaper from the outside. Also the custom to add taxes at the counter and all the tipping make things look cheaper than they really are.

The adding taxes thing is odd - I have no idea why they don't just include it.

My brother commented that a lot of stores use e-selling environments like Ebay and base themselves in states that have no sales taxes! This can save 7% for him I think.

I reckon that one day we will see much more parity on pricing. To use my HDD example, if you are Seagate, you care only how many units per year you sell. It makes little difference to you in which country they get sold.

Thus we can hope that one day they will accept that if USD$50 net of tax is a profitable price, it is a profitable price worldwide not just in the US (the drives are not made there so the shipping is much the same to the US as to anywhere in the world from China or wherever it is)

Like Vodafone - they are a truly global country: I'd like to see them set one price per minute worldwide wherever you are on their network.

[petri]

Like Vodafone - they are a truly global country: I'd like to see them set one price per minute worldwide wherever you are on their network.

The problem isn't Vodafone but the countries and people, they are different. For most telco's it doesn't really matter if you call Australia or France or Chile but the competition, demographics and everything make them to price it differently. People are mentally prepared to pay for "long-distance".

Just like most aussies and kiwies are living happily with their capped internet while such a service would never fly in most European countries. Mobile broadband here was pretty much dead until they moved to flat rate.

There are too many things in the world that make little sense ;-)

[NJ2NZ]

Thank you Daniel for asking that question, and you auskiwi and globetrecker for the responses which put to word my feelings as well. I chose to be a US citizen many years ago and was content enough to consider living here for the rest of my life. But things have changed, as have our way of looking at things. We'll be making sacrifices in moving to NZ (for example, the chances of my working in my profession are close to nil because of the registration requirement), but we are hoping that we'll be able to give more time to ourselves in the family, and let the children be exposed to a less materialistic lifestyle as auskiwi mentioned. Also, the idea that one must cling to a job, however unrewarding and unfulfilling for the sake of the health insurance it carries with it is an idea I haven't been able to come to terms with. I'm 100%with globetrecker on the issue of socialized medical care.

[constablechuck]

My wife and I have been here 3+ years and started a family here, our first is nearly 2, and we have an 8 year old foster Child, not to mention the dog, chicken and a couple birds.

We waited over 2 years before buying a house because we hadn't made up our minds if we were going to stay. There were a number of rainy days when we felt homesick and gloomy, and all the not so good things seemed like a big deal. Then, we weighed up the pro's and con's of living in the U.S. and NZ, for us the pro's of living in NZ outwighed the con's so we decided to stay.

Both the US and NZ have a lot going for them, it really depends on what you want and what your priorities are. I think for us having our son is what made us decide to stay NZ, it's a much more child focused place in my opinion, I think it's a safer, more healthy and more fullfilling place for children to grow up.

[britzy]

Interesting.

[Fern01]

Globetrecker. Like your positive post.:nice1

[Manks]

The adding taxes thing is odd - I have no idea why they don't just include it.

I think it's something to do with the fact that each state has a different level of sales tax, so it's easier for companies not to include it and let the till do the hard work of working out the tax there. So if you go to a Wal Mart (for instance) in Connecticut, and then hop over the state border into New York, the price on the shelf will be the same but the till will charge you more in NY.

It's all related to state income taxes as well. If the state has a higher income tax, it will have a lower sales tax, and vice versa. I know that Washington state (where Seattle is, not DC!) has low income tax but one of the highest sales taxes in the country (around 9%). Not great if you're a visitor though (like I was!). Yet if you drive over the border into Oregon, there's no sales tax at all. Guess where most of the residents of southern Washington state do their shopping?!