All about New Zealand

[Sharky]

Picking up the conversation about New Zealand from another thread:

http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthread.php?p=101362

I'm a native Californian who immigrated to NZ in Dec 2006. I live in Nelson, on the north coast of the south island.

If you have any questions about NZ or the immigration process, or if you have any requests for photos of particular areas, please post them here.

I know there are a number of others in NZ on iTulip too (both expats and natives) -- your feedback/input/stories/photos would also be most welcome!

[BadJuju]

Re: All about New Zealand

I have been apprehensive of the future of the US for some time now, which has compelled me to accrue assets that would be a boon in a time of crisis. Although these preparations have provided me with some relief, I still feel concerned about the trajectory of this nation. I also feel trapped here, set in a pattern that I cannot escape. For these reasons, I wish to leave the country and settle abroad. While I am a young man of limited means (less than $10,000 in assets), I feel that moving to a country like New Zealand would be the best option for me.

I realize that this may seem foolhardy to some of you, but I think this is something that I need. People have certainly done much more with much less resources available to them. So my question is what can I do to ensure that the transition between living in the US and living in New Zealand goes as smoothly as possible?

Thanks!

[bdryer]

Re: All about New Zealand

Sharky,

I am convinced that the U.S. has hit the self-destruct button and am increasingly eyeing the escape pod. I have read a bit about New Zealand and have a few questions for you:

My wife and I and in our late thirties with three children (3,6,9). Do you think Nelson is a good place to raise an expat family? Are the schools generally better than here? What other towns might we consider?

The immigration information seems to indicate that I need to line up a job in order to get approval. Is a local job required to achieve permanent residence, or is it possible to retire there (we no longer need to work)?

Thanks for starting the thread....

Brad

[jtabeb]

Re: All about New Zealand

Picking up the conversation about New Zealand from another thread:

http://www.itulip.com/forums/showthread.php?p=101362

I'm a native Californian who immigrated to NZ in Dec 2006. I live in Nelson, on the north coast of the south island.

If you have any questions about NZ or the immigration process, or if you have any requests for photos of particular areas, please post them here.

I know there are a number of others in NZ on iTulip too (both expats and natives) -- your feedback/input/stories/photos would also be most welcome!

ARe the real estate prices on that site /www.realestate.co.nz/ in NZD or USD?

If it's USD, Heck, that's cheap compared to where I was looking!

[lakedaemonian]

Re: All about New Zealand

ARe the real estate prices on that site /www.realestate.co.nz/ in NZD or USD?

If it's USD, Heck, that's cheap compared to where I was looking!

Realestate.co.nz and Trademe.co.nz would be the two most popular sites for real estate listings in NZ.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices are in NZD.

[BadJuju]

Re: All about New Zealand

Realestate.co.nz and Trademe.co.nz would be the two most popular sites for real estate listings in NZ.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices are in NZD.

I was about to post! :mad: Hehe

[lakedaemonian]

Re: All about New Zealand

I have been apprehensive of the future of the US for some time now, which has compelled me to accrue assets that would be a boon in a time of crisis. Although these preparations have provided me with some relief, I still feel concerned about the trajectory of this nation. I also feel trapped here, set in a pattern that I cannot escape. For these reasons, I wish to leave the country and settle abroad. While I am a young man of limited means (less than $10,000 in assets), I feel that moving to a country like New Zealand would be the best option for me.

I realize that this may seem foolhardy to some of you, but I think this is something that I need. People have certainly done much more with much less resources available to them. So my question is what can I do to ensure that the transition between living in the US and living in New Zealand goes as smoothly as possible?

Thanks!

We were fortunate to have generated a reasonable amount of wealth for our age before moving to NZ, and we have performed quite well financially over the last decade here.

While I don't think it's mandatory to have significant financial resources to emigrate to another country...it certainly makes life easier.

I would suggest a "recce" trip though.

If you are seriously interested in moving to NZ and if your research indicates you would be a strong candidate for acquiring residency, I would strongly encourage a trip her to ascertain whether a fit between you and NZ is more than superficial.

I can't imagine a place I would rather live and raise my family.......it has to be said that it is not for everyone.

I have met many expats in NZ who decide to return to their home countries.

Also, while I think NZ will weather the economic storm a bit better than the US over the next decade, that does not mean it will be all sunshine, rainbows, and happy endings here.

I do not wish to take the wind out of your sails.......just trying to put a bit of pragmatism into the discussion.

[jandkmeyer]

Re: All about New Zealand

Hi,

My daughter just graduated from college and is heading back to NZ where she did her "semester abroad" that turned into a year. She has friends, a work visa and her previous employer wants her back so she has a job. She even has "means" thanks to a Trust. But she's just a freshly graduated International Political Economy major who's only experience is in the service industry. There is no critical shortage of her skills in NZ.

Isn't it pretty tough to emigrate to NZ? If she decides she wants to stay beyond the one year visa, what should she do? I have read stories about people who just seem to outlast the NZ authorities and finally get in.

BTW, I won't mind going to visit her in Wellington, but I'd rather visit Nelson - my favorite stop on my trip two years ago.

John M

[jtabeb]

Re: All about New Zealand

We were fortunate to have generated a reasonable amount of wealth for our age before moving to NZ, and we have performed quite well financially over the last decade here.

While I don't think it's mandatory to have significant financial resources to emigrate to another country...it certainly makes life easier.

I would suggest a "recce" trip though.

If you are seriously interested in moving to NZ and if your research indicates you would be a strong candidate for acquiring residency, I would strongly encourage a trip her to ascertain whether a fit between you and NZ is more than superficial.

I can't imagine a place I would rather live and raise my family.......it has to be said that it is not for everyone.

I have met many expats in NZ who decide to return to their home countries.

Also, while I think NZ will weather the economic storm a bit better than the US over the next decade, that does not mean it will be all sunshine, rainbows, and happy endings here.

I do not wish to take the wind out of your sails.......just trying to put a bit of pragmatism into the discussion.

If not for everyone means "less bullshit", "self-reliance", " not being a plastic person" "less hustle and bustle" and "good family life" well, call me ecstatic.

[Sharky]

Re: All about New Zealand

So my question is what can I do to ensure that the transition between living in the US and living in New Zealand goes as smoothly as possible?

That's a big subject. A few quick ideas for you: minimize how much stuff you bring with you. Shipping is expensive. Get a job before you apply. Rent here is pretty affordable, and would give you some flexibility. The South Island is less expensive than the North.

My wife and I and in our late thirties with three children (3,6,9). Do you think Nelson is a good place to raise an expat family?

Well, I'm sure I'm biased, but I think Nelson is probably ideal for kids that age. Very safe area (most people don't even lock their doors at night), good beach, plenty of activities, good health care, etc, etc.

Are the schools generally better than here? What other towns might we consider?

My kids aren't in school, so I can't say for sure. Based on second-hand info, though, I think the NZ schools are much better. One difference vs. the US is that they require school uniforms, which can be a pro or a con, depending on your perspective. Lots of good schools in Nelson, including the Nelson School of Music, a Junior College-like school (NMIT), and more. BTW, what we call "high school" in the US, they call "college" here.

Other towns: Richmond and Stoke (near Nelson). Although I've never been there, the east coast of the North Island is supposed to be nice (Gisborne and around there), or Christchurch (the biggest city on the South Island). The outskirts of Wellington might be OK, although it really is a big city (and very windy). There are other places on the South Island that would be good, too, if you're into a more rural lifestyle. There's a very definite line here between having plenty of public activities to do and see, and having absolutely nothing in the area.

The immigration information seems to indicate that I need to line up a job in order to get approval. Is a local job required to achieve permanent residence, or is it possible to retire there (we no longer need to work)?

Yes, you have to work for a local NZ company in order to get Permanent Residency through the Skilled Migrant program. There are other immigration programs, but they tend to be much more difficult to get into. The thing about Skilled Migrant, though, is that you only have to work for 3 months. Then you can quit and retire (that's what I did). I've heard they're thinking of increasing the work requirement -- be sure to double-check.

ARe the real estate prices on that site /www.realestate.co.nz/ in NZD or USD?

If you liked them in USD, NZD is even better! Multiply NZD by 0.64 to get USD.

Another good site for real estate: http://www.bayleys.co.nz/

I would suggest a "recce" trip though.

Excellent suggestion. What we did was to get a vacation rental home and a rental car, and then pretend that we lived here for a couple of weeks. We shopped for groceries, did laundry, and all of the other little things that you can avoid if you stay in a hotel. It definitely shines a much different light on the area than when you're playing tourist.

Isn't it pretty tough to emigrate to NZ? If she decides she wants to stay beyond the one year visa, what should she do? I have read stories about people who just seem to outlast the NZ authorities and finally get in.

"Tough" is relative. They try to keep out the bums and the rif-raf. They don't want people who are going to go on welfare or be a drain on their medical system. They want people who can contribute to NZ as a whole.

The best approach if you don't have a background with a skill that's in demand is simply to get a job offer first from a company in NZ, before you apply. With a job in-hand, my understanding is that very few people get refused -- provided you meet their other requirements, of course (things like under 55 yrs old, no TB, etc).

If not for everyone means "less bullshit", "self-reliance", " not being a plastic person" "less hustle and bustle" and "good family life" well, call me ecstatic.

Yes, that's definitely a good part of it. People who love big cities probably won't do well here. "Too boring" is something I've heard from Kiwis who left NZ and moved to the US or Australia.

The self-reliance aspect shows up in a million different ways. If you've lived in urban parts of the US your whole life, you're in for a surprise. The absence of the dominance of religion also surprised me. I never really thought of the US as being dominated by religion, but once you don't live there, it's obvious. Religion is here, too (they have a huge and very pretty cathedral in town), but it doesn't play the same kind of role.

[Sharky]

Re: All about New Zealand

Here are a few random photos.

Sunset in Nelson. The closer finger of land in the distance is Tahunanui Beach. Notice how the bright orange sun reflects off of the water a little further out.

sunset-orange sm.jpg

Typical fresh food section at the local grocery (prices are several years old):

Mon 238.jpg

Typical street scene in Nelson. Notice the lovely blue sky.

new zealand sep 2005 484 sml.jpg

Hualashore island, off the coast of Nelson (no one lives there; it's a public park), taken during the "yacht races," which are informal boat races that happen every Wednesday night.

bay sml.jpg

Takaka Valley -- about an hour from Nelson, toward the west:

feb-valley.jpg

[mfyahya]

Re: All about New Zealand

I just saw this in the news today:
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...efer=australia

rime Minister Kevin Rudd today condemned attacks on Indians studying in Australia as “senseless acts of violence” after the government in New Delhi raised concerns.
“We deplore and condemn these attacks,” said Rudd, who discussed the issue by telephone last week with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
The Federation of Indian Students of Australia says attacks are increasing and held a rally in the city of Melbourne yesterday to protest. A student was left in a coma after he was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver last month.
Simon Overland, chief commissioner of police in the southern state of Victoria, said today that some of the attacks and robberies may be racially motivated while others are “opportunistic.” There have been as many as 70 attacks on Indian students in 12 months, the Age newspaper reported at the weekend.

My question is are New Zealanders more or less xenophobic than their Aussie neighbors?

[Sharky]

Re: All about New Zealand

My question is are New Zealanders more or less xenophobic than their Aussie neighbors?

On the whole, I would say they are less xenophobic. Australia is really very different from NZ in many ways, in spite of the geographic proximity. In fact, it reminds me of Canada vs. the US.

However, one of the minority political parties, NZ First, is known for it's anti-immigration, anti-foreigner stance. The fact that they have so few representatives in Parliament (maybe only one?) should tell you something about how most Kiwis feel. This is another area where I would say it's worse on the North Island than the South.

Having said that, I should add that the South Island, in particular, is fairly homogenous when it comes to race. Most people are whites of European descent, with just a few Asians, Maori and Indians. Very rare to see blacks, Mexicans or South Americans. A fair number of immigrants from the UK, though.

In general, the Kiwis I know have been extremely polite, both to locals and to foreigners. My family and I have been treated extremely well here -- not one negative comment, ever. The only thing that was even close was when a young girl made a crack about one of my kids, who is visibly disabled. But her mother was there, and really lit into the poor girl and made it very clear comments like that were totally unacceptable.

[The Outback Oracle]

Re: All about New Zealand

If not for everyone means "less bullshit", "self-reliance", " not being a plastic person" "less hustle and bustle" and "good family life" well, call me ecstatic.

It means you have to play Rugby

[Sharky]

Re: All about New Zealand

In my list of pros and cons, I forgot this one (could be a pro or a con, depending on your perspective):

http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/...696214489.html

NZ women most promiscuous: survey
October 13, 2007

New Zealand women have the most sexual partners in the world, according to a global sex survey reported on Saturday.

They have an average of 20.4 sexual partners, according to a survey by condom-maker Durex - well above the global average of 7.3.

The Durex Sexual Wellbeing Global survey, which questioned 26,000 people in 26 countries, found that Austrians topped the male list with 29.3 sexual partners, more than twice the global average of 13.2.

New Zealand was the only country where women were more promiscuous than their men, who averaged 16.8 sexual partners, The Press newspaper said, reporting the survey.

The survey showed that Austrians were the youngest to lose their virginity at an average of 17.3 years, followed by Brazilians (17.4), Germans (17.6) and New Zealanders (17.8).