[Paul]

Out of curiosity has anyone here emigrated to NZ without actually visiting first?
Obviously there is a lot of info on the internet (such as this site!) but surely no substitute for actually going and visiting? How would you decide where to base yourselves?

Any opinions or stories from anyone? :cheers

[Lizelle]

Paul,

I am from South Africa, and in the process of immigrating without visiting.

Hubby went over 2 weeks ago, got a jobinterview, and got a job offer :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana .
I am leaving at the end of October.:raebanana :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana

Where to base yourself? For us, we wanted to go to Christchuch, based on the weather, and the great surroundings, after that Dunedin, with a great university, but not lots of jobs for hubby.
However, the most jobs were in Auckland, and the university in Christchurch does not offer the degree that I am taking. Thus, we are staying in Auckland, and perhaps moving at the end of my studies

So, it boils down to where the most jobs are available, and whatever other criteria you have

Hope that helps
Cheers
Zelly :cheers

[AliJax]

Linda & I have never been, dont know anyone & looking forward evermore.

[Rimbo]

Paul,
can't help you exactly. But we too want to go without visiting. Aside from the usual moans and gripes regarding this forsaken place we currently live, we're just taking the view that it has gotta be better. in any case a visit only gloryfies the good things and blinkers out the bad things. The amount of times i have come back from Spain or Portugal and thought how wonderful it would be to live there. The reality being that they don't have half the stuff to offer that good old blighty does. NZ i think is different.
Where to live?
We will go wherever i manage to get a job. I need a job offer before we can submit EOI so i will go out first to look for work. Auckland is probably the last place we'll look. We're looking for a lifestyle choice, stuck in traffic in Auckland twice a day does not really appeal to me. I think we're mainly looking at the south island, usual places such as Chch, Dunedin, West Coast, even Southland. North island destinations would be Hamilton, Gisbourne, New Plymouth, Wellington, all the usual really.

Schools will play a part in the partiqular area we choose as will house prices as we hope to be mortgage free, another good reason not to go to AKL. I would love a speed boat moored on our private jetty and a helicoptor parked on our very own big H within our 10 acre estate. But reality will dictate whether or not we can afford two cars let alone the rest.
I think ultimatley chioce will be down to where you find work.

John

[Paul]

Thanks guys - interesting to read peoples views and reasons for doing it - certainly seems to be lifestyle choices mainly with people who have plenty of material things now but realise this isn't necessarily the path to happiness!

Be interested if anyone who has done it already could add to this and how they found their new life when they arrived and settled in "blind" as such!

[captainxmas]

Paul

You obviously haven't met the Moorf and Woz yet!

A quick search will show you their reactons to arriving in NZ for the first time - for good.

Cheers :nice1

[shagen]

Hi Paul,

I've been to NZ just only once. But that experience cannot be used to judge if you really wanted to emigrate or if it is a nice place to live. Like Rimbo says, visiting and living are very different.

Our reason was merely wanting a change for the better, we hope! We have two very young children and the way we look at it is this. We may or may not like it there coz we have something to compare with. Our lives up until now. If at all this is all worth it will be to see our two children making it because they will grow up very Kiwi although they aren't one yet.

Where I will settle down now largely depends on where I find work. Once we have settled in NZ for a while and are familiar with the country, we may decide to move to somewhere appealing to us. At the moment, the whole country is appealing.

Cheers,

[Iain & Liz]

we to have never been to NZ before but cant wait!
reading moorfs adventures it sounds fantastic,
And if its not or it does not work out we can always fly back to the uk.

Like others have said its an adventure and while your young enough why not enjoy it. :P

[Paul]

Captainxmas certainly have followed Moorf and Woz' adventures in the threads! Didn't actually realise they hadn't visited beforehand though! Way to go you guys :nice1

Interesting that others don't think it always necessary to visit beforehand as can't compare holiday trip to actually living somewhere. although not sure we will be that brave if we ever go ahead!

Does everyone who is out there believe that their kids are actually getting a better quality of life i.e happy childhood and opportunities for growing up? This would definitely be the biggest driving force for me!

Sorry for all the questions but I am genuinely interested in what people think/have experienced :yes

[clg]

I certainly agree with all of the holliday vs living there posts. We have not been before. We are planning a move mid 2005 but we are going to be visiting early next year to look at locations and if possible do some interviews. We are targeting Wellington or Auckland.

We will visit before we put our house on the market so we will have some exposure to what is coming. If we did not have the house here to worry about I would be less concerned and might not visit at all.

[Diny]

I admire you lot. I have to check - double check - then check again - before I do anything.

I've been to NZ many times but fell in love with it on my first visit. We've planned the move for 15 years - we're now down to weeks.

All the best - you'll love it.

Diny

[lynden]

Hi
I went last year with my wife and 2 kids and didn`t want to come home,we toured the north island only for 2 weeks,,let me tell you guys will not be disapointed,,,good luck

[AliJax]

we to have never been to NZ before but cant wait!
reading moorfs adventures it sounds fantastic,
And if its not or it does not work out we can always fly back to the uk.

Like others have said its an adventure and while your young enough why not enjoy it. :P

Linda & I would'nt personally move back to the UK - I'd give New Zealand a minimum of 2 years before making another discision like emigrating again, I think it would be more fun to roam about the country, looking at all the different cities, and regions.

knock on our door in AKL, then Moorfs in CHCH and Dave & Sandra in PN.......the list goes on and on.

[Carol]

We came without visiting 8 years ago.........


Looking back - I think we might have been a bit....crazy!
But the risk worked out.


Thank goodnes!
:nice1

[Lil]

We're going without ever having visited. All I can say to those that constantly ask me how do I know whether I will like it is "what's not to like". Have been to loads of places where I honestly would not like to live, but NZ seems to have all the things I like and I don't have to learn a foreign language. I like the idea of being able to buy my dream house for not much more than dreary place I live in now. Whatever happens I will most probably not come back to UK, (never say never) but I quite fancy the idea of being a continental drifter.

My basic phylosophy is that life will be same as: we will still have to work to pay the bills, commuting and working in a 9-5 office job, there'll still be boring washing and ironing to be done, but I just hope to be able to do that in a better environment. I'm not expecting great changes, therefore I will not be disappointed.

[Tara Sage]

I'm here and loving it and I didn't visit before we arrived in July hubby came over for a week to get a job, but other than that neither of us had ever been here.

:P