Permanent Resident in New Zealand - some impressionss

nisse · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 03 Feb 2004 Posts: 31

Hi Lukas,

I didn't feel offended by your post and please do continue to post, we need different opinions and experiences on this forum.

What you write about the NZ Min of Education writing to you about only taking teachers from the countries you mention sounds strange. It's not that I don't believe what you are saying, but if one looks at their website they write amongst other things:

The majority of Overseas Trained Teachers appointed to schools here have come from countries with strong language, cultural or educational similarities to New Zealand such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, Canada and South Africa. Teachers need to be very competent in written and spoken English.

Meaning, yes a majority come from those countries but obviously not all.

Furthermore they have stories of people's experiences and how they got to NZ, one from China the other from Vietnam. So somebody must have told you something not quite right.

All the best

Nisse

eddy · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 06 Apr 2004 Posts: 11

Hi ,

After following this post for awhile , we were wondering if a seperate forum or thread could be set up to allow people to discuss the difficult aspects of life in NZ. This is not meant to be a negative post.

It takes a great deal of optimism to emigrate anywhere , especially when you have to spend time defending your decision to family and friends , and go through the anxiety of applying for residency.

We were slightly blinkered (our research consisted of buying a lonely planet book) when we went to NZ , and the reality was somewhat different to our expectations in some areas. For example: it was great to be able to drive to a skifield , but bloody hell I wish someone had warned me that they are generally at the top of the mountains , nearly froze in terror on the first drive up an unsealed narrow road.

We think it would be great to have a forum , where people can discuss , laugh, moan , offer advice , or just vent their anger / frustration about living in NZ , surely we were not the only people to find it difficult at times, sometimes it just helps to talk about these things to people who are going through the same process , come on be honest , it can be lonely , not every kiwi you meet is a smiling happy person , and have we moaned about the wind yet!!!

We are still undecided about whether to go back, and are actively following the forums here to help us in our decision , I mean the scenery is unreal , you dont have to queue in traffic jams to get anywhere (we have just spent four hours in a traffic jam , to get to the beach which is one hour away)

Eddy & Anna

kiwidebs · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 4:02 am Post subject:

Hi All

As a NZ'er (have lived in the UK for nearly 8 years), I have followed this thread with interest. We are def going to move to NZ in the next two years - for lifestyle and family reasons. I too am apprehensive about the financial aspect of the move. Hubby has a good, well paid job in IT here in London, but will not get anything like it in NZ. We were hoping the housing market and exchange rate would allow us to buy a house mortgage free (it would have two years ago very sad

) so allow for a better quality of life from a financial view point but have resigned ourselves to the probable need for a mortgage (if we can even sell our house here in the UK!!) and two incomes.
NZ is not paradise - it has always amused me a little that I get that attitude from people here. It is a country with people - therefore there are good and bad points like everywhere. I think it is good that we are all aware of the shortfalls as well as the good points so we can make a balanced decision and go with eyes open. All endevours are more likely to succeed if you are prepared for the bad as well as the good.
Having said its not paradise - it is pretty nice!! People are generally friendlier Wink

(well, considering we live in London that's not surprising!)
and wherever you live you won't be far from the beach, forest, mountains..... So, I guess it comes down to what you want from life. I want my children to grow up appreciating the great outdoors, being able to swim at the beach without worrying whether it is up to the European Standard, spending time with family and at bbq's (NZ style) - I guess I want my kids to grow up like I did. We had little in the way of material stuff (I was one of four kids and my mum didn't work till alot later in my life) but we had alot of family time together and spent weekends at the beach, walks in the forest.....
Anyway, off my soapbox. Hope this thread has opened eyes but not scared anyone off going. Happy NZ

Debs

Timbo · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:27 am Post subject:

Apologies in advance Eddy, I am not a skier. Sorry, but up a mountain is about the only place to find ski fields is it not.

Macs Gold · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:10 am Post subject:

Timbo · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:18 am Post subject:

I just reread my last post and it did sound a bit sarcy. SORRY EDDY .Not intended. Macsgold, thanks for putting me straight on that one. I know the roads are very steep and windy in places, but honestly didnt think you would have to drive a car up to the ski slopes as such. Think I might get that Landrover after all.

Sorry to hear about Aussie casualtys. Thats one hell of a drop.

michelle · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 9:35 am Post subject:

Eddy

I agree, lets moan as well it aint perfect. Some things that seem funny now were not funny 9 years ago when we last lived there.

So hear goes,

a decent rental place took us ages to find and when we did it was damp and freezing, no heating, sat wrapped in quilts watching crap TV. It rained constantly, we spent 2 winters and a summer so it seemed like it rained a hell of a lot !

Its a hell of a long way from England if you need to get back quickly for family reasons

Not every Kiwi is happy, cheerful etc. The woman I spoke to last week at National Bank was so off with me that I wouldn't bank with them again. But they are definitely a happier bunch than your average Brit.

Ants everywhere yuk yuk yuk.

Shoes are so expensive ! yes I'm obsessed.

Talking about the bad as well as the good helps, no point going thinking its perfect. We want a forum where people can say whats bad as well as good don't we ???

Michelle

ruthyroo · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Posts: 39

to Michelle - you described our current situation so well! We arrived in NZ three weeks ago, had to buy a car straight off as the public transport in Rotorua is non-existent which put a big hole in our budget... stayed in a motel then eventually found a rental which is freezing cold, damp and has absolutely zero furniture (so yep more big budget holes to buy beds / fridge / sofas and we still have 8 weeks before our boxes arrive etc), it has rained at least 70 % of the time since we arrived, including three days solid. We've both started work - mine is fine (planning @ district council) but DH (teaching) is finding out fast that the wonderful NZ education system suffers greatly from the laid back attitudes - no resources, no induction, no hurry to get him a laptop, etc etc. So big stress!!

But on the rare occasion that the sun shines, and the lakes are blue and the forest is green, and DH can jump on his bike and be hurtling down a hill in 10 minutes with lots of like minded maniacs, and I can wander out into the garden and pick a lemon off the tree (for stiff G&T purposes!), and we're invited out to dinner three nights in a row by friendly locals... well it does seem worthwhile after all!!

I think we all need the optimism to get us through the stress of moving / leaving family and friends etc. But my advice would be to stay realistic - really work out your budget, and investigate the job offers thoroughly. E.g. I've now found out that it's standard in NZ to get only 15 days annual leave per year!! And new / fixed term staff don't actually get any for the first year - all leave has to be unpaid!! So much for opportunities to explore the country!!

michelle · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:02 am Post subject:

Oh yes forgot the annual leave although I have been offered 3 weeks and 2 days yipee, I guess I should be grateful. I get 6 weeks at the moment.

But every spare moment we had we made the most of it and I remember a perfect winters weekend shortly after we arrived spent on Great Barrier island under the bluest sky and stariest night sky and all the crap seemed worthwhile.

Timbo · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:15 am Post subject:

6 weeks holiday.....paid....I wish.
Spare a thought for the poor old selfemployed like me very sad

Macs Gold · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 10:48 am Post subject:

But great skiing at the top of course:

karltsmith · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 2:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Lukas,

I hope that you continue to contribute to the forum and realise that you have also recieved a lot of support from like minded people with similar experiences/concerns on this forum. You can't please all of the people....all of the time ......... and certainly none of us are going to agree 100% with each other on every subject.

It would be a real shame to loose your contributions as I know that they are intended to be a factual account of your own personal experiences and as such are just as valid as anyone elses point of view!!!!

I hope that you can put the criticism your posting have recieved into perspective and understand that on balance your presence on the forum has recieved more positive than negative feedback!!!!!

Keep your contibutions coming!!!

Karl Nice One

veronica · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 3:01 pm Post subject:

Please don't start a separate thread for the bad bits keep it all in context because there is no perfect place and its important that a lot of would be immigrants read the rough side of the life here as well. There are a lot of plus points, many more than the negative ones but if you come out here with your eyes wide open and being aware of any pitfalls then you have a much better chance of the move succeeding. fingers crossed

Lukas · Posted: Tue Jul 27, 2004 6:40 pm Post subject:

Me too I don’t consider necessary to start a separate thread for the “bad thinks”…these are not bad thinks…just real life.
I put this posts in order to start a constructive debate. I welcomed any comments particularly critics as far as they are supported by real arguments…not impulsive reactions.
I was unable to understand why some people felt offended by my posts, and I don’t like thinks I cannot understand.
Apart from that I am not writing for those moving to NZ with good amount of cash and enough funds to buy a decent house but for those deciding to move with virtually nothing in general, non native English Speakers in particular.
I will welcome the NZIS decision to raise the IELTS score from 5 to 6,5. With 5 on IELTS the chances to find a professional job are scarce for years. Even 6,5 is not enough for most positions involving abilities to communicate.

H · I'll Hang Around A Little Joined: 22 Jun 2004 Posts: 11

Ah well, this post has finally rung the death knell to all my hopes and dreams of a beter future in NZ.
My man has always wanted to go to Canada Hmmm

, but after twelve months of convincing him otherwise (five onto one didn't stand much chance really did he? Laughing

) He gave in

Now we have the job offer, a house lined up, lots of pennies in pocket, even somewhere to kennel 6 huskies! Razz

(he's a mad musher man). He has delt with the crime problem, Drugs problem, schools problem, the lower salary, the lower holidays (better than I can!) no central heating (hates it anyway), tin roofed houses, the 24 hour flight from the Uk, etc etc, with a calmness which has defied all the odds...............................................
but RAIN??! - Despite my efforts, his suspicions have finaly been aroused as to just how much it rains out there, Eek

and for a man who likes his weather to be around 15 below, minimum, and all things frozen, (we are talking Yukon Harry here) it's just too much for him to cope with!
So pleeeeese anyone out there from Canada, tell him why he should go to NZ instead - I'm all argued out! Nice One

H