Moving and living in new zealand as a brit

Been here almost 2 yrs.  Can't say I am enjoying it yet but that is probably because I am 'mature' as they say and it is harder to adapt at my age to a whole new culture.  My 37yr old son is reluctantly heading back to scotland soon after 3 years, but my 22yr old foster lad loves it here, simply because he can find work and the weather is fab.

Housing - most people rent.
Jobs - if you are unskilled more chance of finding work here but do not expect to earn much.
Dental treatment - make sure you have it all done before you get here or bring a zillion dollars with you.
Cars - dont rust the same and no insurance needed (but recommended). Road system is fab. Check out prices for cars and stuff on Trade Me (ebay equivalent).
Longer working hours, less holidays and very little or no sick pay.
And a lot less people LOL

Mark this blog has a lot of stuff about British migrants in New Zealand. Read some of their migrant tales pages.

http://emigratetonewzealand.wordpress.com

Just read the expats exposed Pandoral.

Wish I had seen it before I came here.

Mark

I think it is important to hear both sides of everything before making a lifechanging decision.

Having said that the following site seems very harsh - but they seem genuine in their beliefs -  expatexposed.com

If sites like those were around a few years ago I certainly wouldn't have made the move to New Zealand. I would still have emigrated, but not to NZ.

I think that some of us are so desperate to leave our own countries that we seldom stop to think if the place we're going to is really any better, we just kid ourselves that it is.

I am planning to move from Pakistan, as a Food Technologist should it is easy to settle with family in Newzeland or not?

We made the move to NZ from the UK almost a year ago. Its been a year of ups and downs  but on the whole i'm glad we made the move.

We probably didn't come at a good time in terms of the recession but have managed to find some contract work and the pay isn't too bad.

But I came for the lifestyle - better environment, better place for kids, more outdoor living - and i haven't been disappointed on that front.

Everywhere in the world has it good points and bad points i guess.

Glad you are settling in Maxine

We too came for the lifestyle, but we have to work full time with longer hours here just to exist.  We are too knackered to have any lifestyle.  And too skint to afford one.

I agree with you about being outdoors more - the weather is great.

But as for it being a better place for kids, NZ does have one of the highest child abuse rates in the world, and you have to be very careful where you choose to live and what colour clothes your kids go out to play in. And bullying in schools is just as bad here as anywhere else.  The recent news reports prove this.

Like you say, everywhere in the world has its good and bad points and I guess people make a comparison with the life they led before they came here. 

For some it is better, others not.

all blogs shows that its wrong decision to come to Newzeland , or i will not come

thekeltycat wrote:

Glad you are settling in Maxine

We too came for the lifestyle, but we have to work full time with longer hours here just to exist.  We are too knackered to have any lifestyle.  And too skint to afford one.

This is a commonly shared experience and not just within the immigrant communities, many Kiwis work more than one job or have alternative ways of generating income.

I agree with you about being outdoors more - the weather is great

It's pretty good outdoors during the summer. The indoors environment leaves a lot to be desired though, especially in winter. The damp and mould is awful and is one of the reasons why NZ has one of the world's worst asthma rates. Those leaky homes are a nightmare.

But as for it being a better place for kids, NZ does have one of the highest child abuse rates in the world, and you have to be very careful where you choose to live and what colour clothes your kids go out to play in. And bullying in schools is just as bad here as anywhere else.  The recent news reports prove this.

This is true sadly. Child abuse is rife in NZ, on average a child is abused to death every 23 days. It's a symptom of the country's culture of brutallity.

A "top public servant" (name suppressed) is presently on trial for beating his child in a public place. Because of his position in society it is likely that his word will be taken over that of three independent witnesses who saw the assault.

Like you say, everywhere in the world has its good and bad points and I guess people make a comparison with the life they led before they came here. 

For some it is better, others not.

For a lot it is not better in NZ, that's why half a million Kiwis live in Australia. Even those who "like it" find themselves leaving after a few years for better jobs and lifestyle, higher pay etc. It's not a place one can live in long term unless one is independently wealthy.

Well said Pandolal - I guess I was just trying to be subtle with my reply.

I agree about the houses.  Ours is only 5yrs old, but these last two winters I have been colder inside than I have been for about 30yrs in the UK.  But at least they have introduced regulation double glazing for all new builds now.  And I would have one of those heat pumps installed in my home - if I could afford it
Gas central heating does not truly exist here yet.  And I have yet to see a real radiator, only those tiny little oil fired things you have to sit on to get warm. Even my office at work (wooden building) has no heating.  We work with our coats on some days - and that is in a hospital. No union rules about working conditions here either