Sunday, February 23, 2014

Aussies who live in New Zealand?




Melle


Ok, i've been considering moving to Auckland New Zealand for the past few months, i live in Adelaide South Australia and i'm sick of the extreme weather changes and the fact housing is so expensive here. I just want to know is there any other Aussies who have moved to New Zealand, can you tell me was it easy to migrate? and what's the country like compared to Australia


Answer
It easy to migrate as long as you have Australian citizenship. Just hop on a plane and come on over!
Ok the bad news. NZ has been hit by the recession like the rest of the world. However our economy was in a bad way before that so expect to earn a lot less than your Aussie mates. The cost of living in our major centres, Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch is pretty much the same as Australia. However if you decide to live in a smaller city like New Plymouth or Hamilton be prepared to get bored as there's not usually very much happening.
The good news, the population of NZ is small so you won't have to push and shove to get a train! (well not as much!) Our weather is pretty good. We don't get the high temperautres that you guys get but its a diferent kind of heat and you will burn quickly so you need to cover up with sunblock! Wellington is very windy though and the weather can get pretty rough down there. But a beautiful day in Wellington takes your breath away.
NZ has gorgeous scenery and is very green. No water restrictions here. Enjoy your long shower and wash your car whenever you like!
NZ is very multi cultural however you will encounter some racism in the major cities as you do with most cities around the world.
You can't live more than 1.5 hours away from the beach in NZ which is always a bonus!

Hope it helps...

Would you rather live in the U.S. or New Zealand?




Oswald the


And why


Answer
Well as an American who immigrated to New Zealand have experienced both countries. There are certainly upsides to each. Neither is a terrible place to live, but individual circumstances make the biggest difference. Living in Auckland is like being in a whole other country to Invercargill.

The US has the advantage of being much wealthier. Americans drive bigger, newer cars, enjoy much faster internet, pay less for food and electronic goods, housing etc. and earn much higher wages. If you are unhappy with your life in one area of the US you can move somewhere new with a different culture, accent, history without ever leaving the country.

The downside is living in a very materealistic culture with a vast gulf between the wealthy and the poor. The culture of fear is what really annoyed me. Thanks to 24-hour news networks Americans are constantly afraid of things harming their families. Everything is blown out of proportion. There's also the culture war between liberals and conservatives that takes on a more venemous nature than in NZ.

New Zealand is a peaceful and beautiful nation that combines the best aspects of the landscape of California, Hawaii and Vermont. Violent crime rates are lower and people feel much safer. The low population means overcrowding, traffic and pollution are smaller problems than in the US. Life moves at more laid-back, slower pace. Even visitors from Hawaii have told me NZ is way more laid-back culturally. People are less confrontational, less blunt. Mostly free medical care, university education and stong social services are also big plusses.

The downside is that NZ's infrastructure hasn't been well developed. Rationed internet (bought per gig/per month), motorways that end at the city limits and total lack of a national rail network are symptoms of this. All goods are more expensive and wages are 40% lower than just across the Tasman in Australia. Housing generally lacks insulation and central heating, meaning the cool, damp winters are shockingly cold for Americans used to modern housing. Cars are significantly older (averaging 14-15 years old) and petrol is at least twice as expensive as in the US.

Personally I chose New Zealand and I've never regretted that choice. I'd never move back to the US because my life is in NZ and as a teacher I'd never want to work in the US education system. New Zealand has one of the best public systems in the world, ranked far above the US. New Zealand may be less wealthy but it does more with less money. However I've spent my whole adult life in NZ and I imagine it would be tougher to adjust for someone moving as an adult because it would likely mean having to take a serious pay-cut.




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