The 'old' Introduce yourself!

Hi Welshgirl,

For us Christchurch would be a good starting point, because of the job opportunities and still it is not too big a city. We think it is a good place for us to get integrated in the NZ society. Moreover, we liked it when we were there years ago and maybe when we arrive we'll be disappointed and chose another place. We had rather live somewhere in the outback but have to make our minds up during looking around in NZ.
Regards,
Anita

Hi All

thought I'd better introduce myself, as I've already posted a couple of questions, doh! :icon_confused:

I'm a 37 (soon to be 38) year old computer programmer from the UK.
My wifes a 38 (just) yr old psychiatric nurse, and we have an 18 yr old daughter (yes, we started early :) ) about to start Uni in Sept.
Oh, we also have a dog, a cat & 2 rabbits :) .

We're just looking into the whole emmigration 'thing' at the moment.
Mainly a lot of soul searching as to if it's the right move for us.

I'd go tomorrow, but my wife's very close to her family (sunday dinner round the in-laws every week, on the phone to mum & sister every day, etc).
So I'm sure it'll be tough for her to move.
But will this be out-weighed by the better lifestyle, standard of living, etc!?!? Will our lifestyle, standard of living be improved by the move!?!? etc, etc.

Much the same type of soul serching many on the list have already gone through, I'm sure!

Anyway, I've rambled on enough now, so I'll sign off.

Cheers

Siggy

Hi Siggy (and wife!)

Sure is a tough one, when you've got close family to leave behind. I was in the same situation where I was very close to my mum - talked almost every day on the phone and went round regularly for some decent food lol! :icon_lol: In addition, I have 3 children who decided not to make the move to NZ with us (we only brought our 5 year old with us) and that makes it all the more difficult - I still get very homesick sometimes :icon_cry: .
That said, I have no regrets about moving out here. The key thing is to make as many friends as possible - not difficult when almost everyone is so friendly out here! I would be hard-pushed to ever make the move back to the UK. It used to be the case that when you emigrated to the other side of the world, whether it be Australia or NZ, that was the last people saw of you, with maybe a once in a lifetime trip back to your home country. These days however, it is so easy (and relatively cheap) to keep in touch with anyone, however far away they are. The internet has been a lifeline for me, and you can get some cracking deals on cheap phone calls to the UK.
To sum it all up, I would say yes, it was all worth it, for the quality of life we have now, compared with what we had in the UK. Some people will disagree with me, enough to pack up and go back home, but it really depends on what you expect from NZ as to whether it's right for you.
If all else fails, just remember, you are only 1 day away from the UK - not really such a big world after all, is it?.....

Good luck in your decision ::):

Hi Welshgirl

can't help but agree with the point about only 1 day away from the UK.
That's my ace in the hole when we discuss the move, plus the fact that everyone we know of who've been to NZ (or OZ) want to stay. So there must be something to it! ::):

Siggy

PS. We've never been to NZ (or OZ, where my Dad has lived for the last 30yrs) - but I figure the cash in going is better spent on getting there for good. Am I foolish or just cheap? :icon_mrgreen:

Lol, you're not foolish or cheap! Of course it costs a lot to set up a new life from scratch anywhere, so from that point of view it's probably better to save any money you do have for that. On the other hand, most people do recommend a holiday to NZ to check it out if you are thinking about moving here. The only thing I think about that is, if you do come here for a holiday/fact-finding mission beforehand, you won't really get a true idea of what it's like to live in NZ anyway, because you will always be looking at it through rose-coloured glasses.....And of course, if you don't come for a holiday first and still decide to make the move, you don't have to settle in the first town you decide on. We literally picked Tauranga off the map and went for it when we decided to come here, neither of us had been to NZ before, then ended up moving to Hamilton!
It's not perfect over here, there is still crime, unfriendly people, wages are poor/property is expensive in some areas, etc - but we reckon the pros far outweigh the cons!

Do you have a house to sell to give you a bit of capital before you come over here?

Hi Welshgirl

yes we have a house to sell & the equity means we'd be in the fortunate position of being mortgage free in nz, having looked at realenz.co.nz.
Which is one more reason for the move.

Siggy

Just registered, 38 yr old lorry driver, better half Helen,an 8yr old,3 year old and one due in July(a wee surprise.....its the dark nights ye see :icon_wink: ).
Toying with the idea of making the move,a work mate has just left for Auckland ,got a lgv driving job easily so he's offski, guess its him thats spurring me on :icon_eek: icon_exclaim.gif
Will post more in appropriate(sp) sections
cheers Colin

Welcome to the forum Colin :icon_biggrin:

You'll find the answers to most questions on here somewhere (and if you can't, then just ask!) and lots of useful information that will help you along with your decision. Obviously in your case, as you (very soon!) will have 3 kids, your primary concerns will be things like schools, healthcare and finances.
Nice as well that you've got a contact who's already over here and can let you know the pros and cons of actually living here.
Anyway, best of luck and keep us posted! ::):

Hello everyone,
My name is Sara and my husband is Ian we have three girls Antonia 14, Rebekah 12 and Kate 8. We live in South Yorkshire and would love to start a new life in New Zealand. It has always been there at the back of our minds but never seemed like the right time. Ian is 37 and I'm 35 and we our lucky that the house prices in our area have increased. So we thought now or never! unfortunatly, Ian has no formal qualifications with his job and I have not completed my degree yet ( I'm a late starter) Ian has a well paid job in management in the telecommunications industry and has worked hard through the ranks. I think the only way for us, is for Ian to get a job offer and go the work to residency route. Hopefully he can find an accredited employer to take him on. I hope to complete my degree on a student visa while out there.

We are fed up with our family time suffering because of Ian's ever growing work comitments and are sick of the materialism in the UK. We just want our kids to live in a safer enviroment and live a more simplistic life. maybe a bit of land, a pony and a couple of chucks would be nice

Money and the decrease in salary will not be a concern, as long as I can feed and clothe the kids and spend quality time together we will be happy. After all they will be grown and gone before we know it, and life is a gift not to be wasted, an adventure! I feel we have realistic views on what life could hold in NZ. I know there will still be crime and the weather will sometimes be as it is in England (rain) I don't expect paradise, just a bit more quality. I'm sure we will never be rich with the dollar just with the time I have with the people I love.

This is a great forum and we are looking forward to chatting with all you people Sara & Ian

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Hi there everyone,

We joined the group a couple of days ago but only rally saw this thread yesterday so I guess I ought to introduce us. We are Helen and Michael (Mike) both 25 ish, and Sasha and Jake (our troublesome pooches).

We are still agonising over where to go next in our lives; we are both miserable in our jobs and desperae to move away from here but don't know whether to choose Cornwwall or take the plunge and go for NZ. I know I will mss my parents dreadfully but if we don't do it I know we'll kick ourselves! We, like many of you are fed up with the peroccupation with materialistic objectives and want a better qualiy of life. We want to be somewhere safe for kids to grow up when the time comes.

This is a great forum and so much information and friendly advice. We hope to get to know you, I'm sure we'll have plenty of questions to ask...

Well I guess thats enough for now, Helen