[dale]

I have just reciently started to look at New Zealand as a place for my wife and myself to retire.I will be 55 at retirement and we enjoy fishing, huntting, gardening , sight seeing. We are looking for a small rural area with a nice quite watering hole where we can share a drink with newly aquainted friends.
Can anyone lead me to a good web sight or have any recomendations ?
thank you, dale

[Avalon]

Dale

Welcome to the forum. This is exactly the right place to be - and I dont think theres a better webite you could choose :nice1 (Although you will need to check out the NZIS website itself of course - but that is far from helpful sometimes.

Now - as to you wanting to retire here - thats a bit of a problem. New Zealand does not do retirement visas, and the only way to retire here is to get residence via other means, spend 2 years living here, and then apply for what is called an IRRV (Indefinate returning residents visa). This visa means you can now leave NZ for as long as you like and then come pack later in life to retire here.

Another alternative (if you have enough money) is to take the "Investors" route and bribe (sorry- invest with ;) ) the New Zealand government. You need $2 million (NZ$) and you give it to the government for 2 years for them to spend, and at the end they give you your $2m back plus a bit extra (and a mean a little bit!).

You also have the option of starting a business here. but you do need experience in the area of running that particular kind of business.

So - main question is - are you young enough and do you have the right skills to get in as skilled residents? This is by far the easiest route it seems.

Sorry its not great news up front - but there are often ways!

Have a think!

[pieeater]

I was going to say exactly the same thing as Avalon.

[Ana&Steve]

$2mil NZ is only like $1.3 mil US! :o
Ana

[Avalon]

Its only £714000 !

Havent got it though :laugh

Thing is - before the govt decided they would keep the cash - you only needed $1m (NZ) and you could invest it anywhere in NZ (at hugely better rates than the paltry couple of % the stingy govt will give you.

Ho hum - bribery and corruption - works every time :laugh

[willsken]

Hi Dale, can't add anything just wanted to say welcome to the forum. :nice1

[StevieD]

Ditto - welcome!