What Is Living In New Zealand Like? 🇳🇿
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- Опубликовано: 1 авг 2024
- This week is a little different!! I heard in the news that the New Zealand immigration website is having a lot of views. I thought I'd talk about what it's like living in New Zealand.
If you have another question, leave a comment, and I'll attempt to answer.
Here is the immigration website for New Zealand: www.immigration.govt.nz/
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As we head into another Covid experience, was just searching RUclips to see what others thought about NZ and stumbled across your very recent video. A great over-view, to the point. I am born and bred Kiwi but have been lucky to spend 17 years out of the country exploring the world, however once I returned realised there is nothing quite as good as home! Cheers K.
what does "kiwi" mean? Is that a slang for a NewZealander native? Is Kiwi the main export there?
@@tellurye Kiwi are what New Zealander's call themselves. Also it is the name for a native, flightless bird in New Zealand.
This way way more informative than I was anticipating - thank you! Cool curtains, btw.
Haha thank you! And glad you like the curtains 😜
A very nice/fair and concise view, in my opinion. I enjoyed watching your presentation.
Thanks for this informative video. It sums it up pretty much. We moved to New Zealand with two young children 14 years ago and still luv it. We live in Taranaki, the second best region in the World to visit according to Lonely Planet.
Excellent - have been wondering about NZ due to your videos. Very organized and full of great details. Cheers from New York!
Ah, glad I filled in some of the gaps for you!
Lots of information there Karen, thank you. It’s useful to know for both visiting and relocating to NZ.
Glad you found this video informative 😀
Dear, thank you for interesting and useful information. You very positive person with mild character, it's a pleasure to watch you talking about different topics👍
Glad you enjoyed the video Mikas 😀
that was very nice and informative keep on the positive you are doing well thanks for thinking out of the box
Many thanks for that great overview Karen. I’m fortunate enough to have travelled to NZ twice and have always been tempted to move there (from the UK), however what with COVID and Brexit the temptation is even greater! Wishing you happy travels.
I love the land of the long white cloud and spent an autumn in Auckland which I adored. I look forward to returning when it is safe to do so.
thanks Karen this was a really great guide from new zealand, many new things came up
Omg they made the name karen so derogatory that I thought you were insulting her when i read the comment
That was really interesting Karen. You've stirred my interest in NZ since first seeing you on Andrew Ditton's channel in the UK. I was surprised that NZ is actually slightly larger than the UK, and with a tiny population of 4.8M! It sounds like a super place to live. As an expat Brit living in northern France I'm not about to move out but would love to visit NZ sometime. Your videos are just great.
What a nice overview! Well done. Thanks muchly. Gloria 🐂
Glad you liked it Gloria!
Very informative. I've learned quite a bit about life in NZ from watching your video.
Thank you I found this video very interesting and informative!
Glad you found it informative Helly!
I love information like this. Thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it William!
thank you karen for a very good explination video about your lovely country
Thanks for the information. Good work.
Thank you very much. Your information regarding the lifestyle in NZ was very useful....
My wife and I live in Australia(I don't think of myself as Australian because I'm not patriotic or nationalistic in anyway, I consider myself simply an Earthling or child of the Earth). I've been wanting to cycle tour NZ for decades and in March, my wife and I flew to Christchurch where we then set out on 2 weeks of bikepacking. From Christchurch, we hit the Inland Scenic Route up to Lake Tekapo and Mt Cook Nat. Park. From there, we caught the chopper across the Tasman Gorge and picked up the Alps2Ocean Trail down to Oamaru. We then spent 2 days in Christchurch before flying back to Sydney the day before Australian Govt closed the borders. So, my impressions of NZ and Kiwis. I absolutely loved every second of our trip. The Sth Island of what we saw, was stunning! Even on the flat days like Mt Somers to Geraldine was beautiful. Everywhere was clean(especially by comparison to Australian roadsides)and all the people we met were who friendly to us, even the motorists. Our last 2days in Christchurch was icing on the cake with a chopper tour over the city and then lunch by the canal in the city and stroll thru' the magnificent botanical gardens. To be honest, I wouldn't have minded if we were locked out from Oz and had to stay. Our dream is to return ASAP. NZ just seems so geared up for outdoor-adventure living and I would love to move there permanently. Finally, we adore Jacinda, we watched every live TV address of hers to the country while we were there. We think since becoming PM, she has done an awesome job(especially she's had to deal with enormous challenges!) and such a breath of fresh air especially in comparison to Morrison, Johnson, Bolsonaro, Trump. Please keep voting her back in.
Jacinda is just a commie that we are gonna get rid off soon!!!
@@alexovnz Jacinda rules!!
@@soloist777 She rules the sheep!
@Rob What do you mean, could you elaborate on your presumption please?
@@alexovnz The enlightened, my friend.
Lots of useful information and great background on life in NZ
Thanks Steve!
Lovely video, thank you!
Awesome ! I am considering moving there and that gave me a lot of info !
This is so comprehensive. Thank you so much!
Hello I been start watching few videos off yours and I enjoy them. I am picking up my 1st caravan this weekend to live in full time? Watching urs giving me a good inside. Thank you for ur vids
Very informative!!!Thank you!!!
Hi, I’ve been watching your videos recently with great interest, I have family living in Australia, I’m from the U.K. and also have a passion for Caravanning, in one of your videos you mentioned about importing into NZ, well I’d thought I’d mention that Stowford caravans in the UK which also has a caravan and camping site which you stayed at on your UK trip now has started Exporting worldwide. Maybe this information would be helpful to you. Looking forward until your next video, keep up the good work.
Really interesting - thank you ! 😊
Thanks!
This was EXTREMELY informative and interesting..... "Thank you" Karen !!! It's always interesting to learn about others countries .... :) Rick (Massachusetts (USA)
Why the marks between thank you though lol
@@donniefreidman5240 That’s called quotation marks!
You have done a very good job of describing your country thank you
I’m from the Scottish Borders and lived in NZ for a couple of years. For people in the UK, the Scottish Borders is probably the closest to what life is like over there. I loved living there and would probably have stayed there if I was younger. NZ is like nowhere else in this world and was always amazed how the sounds were different (different wild animals), different smells (lived in Rotorua) and even the sunlight is different. Standard of living (especially outside Auckland) is different. Technology or gadgets you’d get in the UK aren’t really a big deal over there and whilst comparing salaries, you earn less in NZ but the standard of living is definitely much higher there. It’s just such a cool, fresh country and a brilliant place to raise a family.
Thankyou I am from New Zealand and lived in Scotland for a few years and loved it
I am a Kiwi. My husband and I did tours of the UK in 2019. I agree that the Scottish border country does resemble New Zealand a little, and also Nth Wales (Snowdonia) - albeit the mountains there are much smaller.
@Travelling K. Well narrated and explained without any fringe benefits. Told how it is, thankyou Karen.
Thank you! Was hoping other kiwi’s agreed with what I said 🤣
Thanks for that. I have no intentions to move to NZ but it is a country that I am curious about. That gave some good background information on what it is like to live in your country.
Glad you found it interesting Ian 😀
Very informative thank you.
Sincerely am really certified with this video... I have actually been looking for a material like this to keep someone challenges certain
Thanks great info
Thank you for an informative video. I am a kiwi from Wellington who has now lived in Sydney for the past thirty odd years.
Glad you like the video Scott!
Thank you Karen, I found that really good😀
Yes, Steven, I agree that the cost of living in NZ is expensive. For a country that is mostly a primary producer, food (by that I mean good quality meat, milk, fresh fruit and vege and good quality breads etc) are quite expensive compared to, say, the UK.
But that is literally the price we pay for a relatively low population. And I, for one, am happy to pay it even though my husband and I have to be a lot more careful in spending after I lost my job due to Covid. I feel a high price for the cost of living far outweighs a country with a heaving population.
Watching from Auckland NZ. Good descriptions. Love Nz. Only downfall is low hourly rate compared to high living cost. It is so expensive here especially Auckland regarding rent.
Hello from England (that’s if your not here again lol) loving your content and it’s crazy how you actually make the huge travel back and fourth from NZ to England, I first watched this video the other day, I am so into NZ and the culture, I really would like to visit one day over there it’s so worth. the travel, if you are in NZ again I know it will be Thursday the 2nd and we are coming up to midnight on Wednesday the 1st. 🏴🇬🇸 👍
I spent some time in NZ on a trip, fell in love with both North and South Islands, but my favorite place was the Queenstown area. Would love to live there but unfortunately your cost of living is a lot higher than in the U.S., and I'm on a fixed income. When I want to go back, I watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and it takes me right back. I really enjoy your videos.
It used to be cheap Judy but they kept bumping up Goods & Services tax from 10 to 12 to 15% on pretty much everything. Australia is cheaper for most people but also a lot hotter!
U wont be back lol. Youll be forced to wrk ur ass off for the rest of ur life. No days off haha
@@mrtnite9780 okay ?
I'm from Australia. Never been to New Zealand. Thanks for your video. I learnt a lot
Very informative blogg. Thanks
Having been to New Zealand for three weeks to see family it reminded me of England in the 1970’s, not the power cuts but the best bits. I hope New Zealand keeps its values and if I’d have gone there 25 years ago I would be there now. I’m Mount Maunganui there are gas barbecues on the beach with gas supplied, in the uk now there would be the impression of the bricks on the footing. You guys have no idea how lucky you are cherish it!
Ah that’s interesting to hear!
Love NZ been there twice North and South. Laidback place. The South Island reminded me of country Australia back in the fifties when I was a kid just loved it 👍
Great Vlog Karen if I was 21 I would have definitely loved to have at least come over and see your beautiful country,then maybe if what we see on your great vlogs,might have looked for a job,but me and me misses are in our 50s with 2 daughters who work in design called Fig sisters,and we got a 1 year old granddaughter called Cybel,thanks for explaining all stuff about Newzealand 👍
Ah gets tricky when you’re leaving family behind! I do know of people who are retired and just come every summer... avoid winter at home 🤔
I was searching for how to sell services to Australia from New Zealand and this video came up haha, and I love it
Ha, really! Glad you liked it 😀
Wow nice thanks for informative videos keep safe
This is probably the most amazing video when you talk about info on New Zealand. Thank you for sharing it. I am a subscriber now and accept love respect and prayers from pakistan 🇵🇰❤️❤️🙏🫡
I do enjoying watching your videos darling imagining happiness in my life doing what you're doing. I love it.
This is going to be incredibly useful for when I move over to NZ
Very interesting.
You are very lucky to live there! Living in the US used to be Ok at least but is going down hill very quickly.
Great to the point invaluable info on Nz🤘🇬🇧
I live here - but thanks for the StopPress tip all my graphics work pretty much disappeared with the Chchch earthquakes a decade ago and Covid just took out the few clients I had left (Performing arts area) - c'est la vie - then again I still have a waxer and a scalpel - old school!
:- )
Great information, sounds like you have a great country.
Lots of us love living here, even more so with current challenges. We have a reputation as travellers and many people have settled in the countries. However as of now, lots of Kiwis are trying to get home - for good!
I feel lucky to live here
You're a natural Karen, well done, you live in a great country. Visited Auckland and Christchurch in the 80s with the Royal Navy (Royal Yacht) and was taken with the Maori music, loved it.
Glad you’ve visited!
I just love your personality along with your Video's , keep safe . xx Trevallion.
Thank you Trevallion!
Hi Chas , are you pretending to be Hayden or do you have feelings of love for him ? his name means fire , he only likes asbestos gloves so don't burn you fingers ? ... but if you are Hayden , hello man of fire ? Lucky man ? ..
@charlie cheeseface I sincerely hope your not Hayden , if you can explain what love is , I will tell you if I'm an Academic ,
@charlie cheeseface LOL are you saying your not Hayden or what ? .. what sort of medication are you on ? ...
@charlie cheeseface So what is love , there is love for your sister love for a brother love for an aunt love for your mother , but there is no better love , the undying love , that one drunken bum has for another . sum up , love a meaningless word on its own .
Great info TK. I've just added a little post about our mammals. Hope that's ok.
Thank u for the vid
Well Girl. You certainly are a great advert for living in New Zealand. 😃.
That was all very interesting. I am too old to change now. But I have a great time in Dawlish Devon. England 😁
Kay, don't forget our emergency number which use to be 111.
Very informative, thank you👍 I can't wait for this Pandemic to end. I applied for a Student Visa last January 17 but unluckily this covid gets in our way. Hello From The Philippines🙂
You can bike in Auckland - well all over really - with urban and 'tourist' cycle paths in many places.
Very nice video I like so much 😍
KAREN, Excellent info, we grew up on NZ butter ANCHOR & FERNLEAF, but the ONLY place in US is HAWAII, we do get the great IRISH BUTTER ‘KERRYGOLD here in USA, do you recall the AU ROOT BEER ? We had it for a short time, maybeeI was their only customer, It was US$ 8 for that 4 pack ! so it was expensive , never made it to NJ, just by chance, when I was working I WAS able to travel. The ONLY continent NOT travelled to is ANTIRTICA, , now at 78, no money & do not see it ever in my life you should see the STACK of OLS PASSPORTS, FIJI was GREAT DIVING for a week, in 1990, stay deer safe travels God Bless , Cheers 🇦🇺🇺🇸
This is so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge! We are working on immigrating to NZ from the states. So excited to be able to learn and have our little ones grow up in a place genuinely careful about the environment and how they treat one another- with compassion and respect! Bit nervous about driving, super glad there are few and far between guns. We cannot stay states side any longer. Our son needed an ambulance and it cost USD $5500! WITH insurance not to mention the cost for doctor, X-ray, laboratory and diagnostic testing and medicine! I’m nearly on the floor-It costs USD$75 to see a gp for 15 mins in states WITH insurance!!!! Thank you for the tips on finding work! Will be checking those after viewing your entire post!
Yes. In NZ you can just go to the ED for free. Im glad you're making the move. Your children will love it.
Wow that's crazy expensive! The health care subsidies are definitely a bonus here and not having to have insurance. The down side is the wait time for some treatments, surgeries or specialist appointments with quite a back log since covid interruptions. There is always the option to go private but that is very expensive.
Nice!
Thank you so much! kinds regards ^_^
Thank u for the video
Good one 👍
Overseas visitors need travel insurance that covers healthcare. You'll never be refused hospital care, but eventually a bill will come unless the reason for your hospitalization is accident-related.Then you'd be covered by ACC. GPs charge up front.
Would love to hear what you think of the UK and Australia in comparison. I have lived in Australia, I was there 30 years and am actually considering a stint in the UK.
Hmmm pros and cons with both. UK and Australians cities do seem more lively than NZ. Love the history of the UK! And the ease of overseas travel. There are more shopping options in Australia and the UK. I've found in NZ, it's easier to contact companies and government organisations, compared to the UK. I really could write an essay about this topic 🤣Any specific area?
Within Auckland, there's no difference in price between train and bus - the fare zone system doesn't care how you travel.
Loved in South Africa 17 years 2 years in i got bit by a white tail
Very informative, i think you can add on about kiwi people and their habits... But you did amazing thank you
Hello, can we get to know you. My name is Mohamed from Morocco. Can we get to know you?
@@chadyatouta7937 why?
my cousin lives around kerikeri on the north island
Ah, we didn't get to hear your delightful laugh this time. Nice service clip though. I do like your caravan renovating. It makes me think things aren't beyond me and my 74 home-built. How have you dealt with condensation. That's my present pain. Cheers. Craig.
Luckily no condensation in the UK caravan... I think because of the double glazed windows? Suspect it will be an issue in the Vintage Caravan!
“Our politics seem pretty tame compared with overseas, which I’m happy about.”
Of course you should be happy. You have Mittens, who is in contention to be New Zealander of the Year. Any country who would do that, shows a really happy country 😍
FYI: The kiore was native but not endemic. The original land mammals were 3 bats species of which only the Short tail and Long tail have survived. Just the 3. Every other mammal was introduced. Like the kiore which was introduced at the same time as a wild dog by Maori. Because we had no land based mammalian predators out bird life was amazing, many of them flightless like the kiwi, takehae, kakapo and weka etc. Now introduced pests cause havoc and extinction. Rats, mustelids and possums are the worst, however feral cats are up there too. Fortunately we lead much of the world in pest control.
The Co Operative Bank is a bank that is NZ owned. There are also others as well. Pretty much any bank that has NZ Defence Force branches banking are NZ owned.
Good to know! I did miss some banks🤦♀️
At the moment I study a lot about affiliate marketing that I get the money to visit your lovely country. But just for travelling. I am not sure if I want to live in that lonesome part of the world forever.
When you got used to Europe where you can travel and literally drive in to other countries so easily. As you experienced by yourself ;)...
This is Frank, Nancy's husband. I love to compare life styles, jobs, and "outlooks" of various places... and wonder how I would have fit into such a place. In my life I have been a Radio announcer (disc-jocky, political commentator), newspaper employee, Policeman, 9-1-1 emergency operator, and EMT ambulance attendant/driver, ambulance dispatcher. Three of those jobs are almost non existent here in the USA now (compared to in the 60's, 70's and 80's when I did most of them, I'm now retired). As an example there used to be at least one sometimes 2 radio stations in every little town and employed 12 or so people. A person could always get a job in one of them, but now mostly those stations are computer driven with one office in a larger city. Now those 8 to 12 people that used to be at one station are at a CENTRAL location to take care of maybe 10 to 15 radio stations. Thus Radio jobs are scarce. Same thing for News Papers. Maybe it is the same in NZ, any comment? So I ponder about where I would have fit into NZ society if I was there. I spent 26 of my years as a policeman and loved it. By the way I would never have considered being a police officer here in the US with out being armed. Guns are all over this place, I attended an art class recently and I was surprised to see a person with a gun on his belt, would have never happened in the 70's (I became an officer in the 80's) but it seems to be normal now days. I take it that is not a problem in NZ?
NZ police carry pepper spray, a taser and tactical night stick/ baton. As mentioned above frontline NZ police carry a loaded glock handgun in a lockbox in the front passenger compartment and a Bushmaster AR15 & ballistic vests in the patrol vehicle trunk. If there are known to be firearm carrying criminal/s on the loose after a violent incident then the NZ police will carry the glocks on the hip when leaving their station, until the criminal/s are apprehended or no longer a threat. Handguns have always been expensive in NZ so they are a niche fire arm, and required higher level fire arm permits/ licenses/ storages to own them. Hunting firearms - long rifles for deer, goats and other game animals are numerous, shotguns for ducks, geese. Both crossover for use on long distance and clay target shooting ranges. A frontline NZ officer has been more likely to encounter someone with a bat, screw driver, burglary tools, link chain, knife, machete or similar sharp edged weapon than a firearm. There is a changing gang landscape in NZ with the introduction of deported gang members from Australia to NZ where firearms and handguns are numerous, that has resulted in a ongoing small scale turf conflict that involves marketshare control of the nz illegal substances trade.
and don't forget that it must be great in the summer!! :)
Haha it can become very hot! I should have mentioned being wary of getting sunburnt...
I thought you covered most things well. The only thing that perhaps people don’t understand is that NZ state schools are very good. In other countries, a lot of parents send their children to private schools. But the NZ education system was ranked 3rd in the world in 2018. And so children in NZ get a good education without having to go to private schools. I think this is relevant because I don’t think a lot of people (mainly Kiwis) realise how good the education system is in Nz.
The other thing I’d like to mention is the pronunciation of Maori words is important. And a lot of Kiwis are learning the language no matter what their cultural background is. So that might be something that travellers might want to try.
Thank you for the information shame I’m to old to move over there ☹
A bit edgier analysis of house buying/ property sector in NZ might also include property inspections can overlook potential problems because pre-purchase the building inspector often cannot internally inspect behind 'drywall'. There are many 'ghost houses' in NZ cities, houses that have been bought by offshore buyers and left empty. Meth/ drug residue testing is recommended in NZ, 1 in 5 houses that have been rented have tested positive for meth residues. (controversial subject) There are motels in NZ that are re-purposed for housing elements of the general population. (new arrivals to NZ are recommended to have their own private health insurance (this has been for the first two years), nz health insurance is age related, the older you are the higher the premiums will be, get price quotes first.)
Thank you, but you never mentioned a social life. Are people primarily family oriented & therefore, do not go out often? What is the average salary to live comfortably? Are people friendly or relatively reserved?
Correction, New Zealand has more than one native species of mammal.
New Zealand is home to seven species of seals and sea lions.
The New Zealand sea lion and six species of seals: New Zealand fur seal, Subantarctic fur seal, Wendell seal, Crabeater seal, Leopard seal, and Elephant seal.
The name Maori isn't pronounced like Mary or May-or-ee. It's pronounced like the English word "moldy".
Also, Abel Tasman mapped New Zealand 100 years before Capt. Cook.
NZ seems generally wonderful. I think I would like the Dunedin-Oamaru area.
I hadn't thought of sea life... now I'm curious... do we have our own unique sea lion!?
Um °°?
There are different tribes in NZ🇳🇿 Aotearoa.
)Where the fcuk r we
)far No up a newy
) tie newy
) nigh tar who
Nah t
) poor neckie
Spelled as you might say the word.
The rest is for you to search out a engine. Find the write spelling.
Or just find a tribe.
Looking up⬆️
)Where the hell was i.
Also our closest neighbour is New Caledonia, metropolitan France.
Not Australia.
@@nuntius1933 Big oops Nuntius... The kiore was native but not endemic. The original land mammals were 3 bats species of which only the Short tail and Long tail have survived. Just the 3. Every other mammal was introduced. Like the kiore which was introduced at the same time as a wild dog by Maori. Because we had no land based mammalian predators out bird life was amazing, many of them flightless like the kiwi, takehae, kakapo and weka etc. Now introduced pests cause havoc and extinction. Rats, mustelids and possums are the worst, however feral cats are up there too. Fortunately we lead much of the world in pest control.
Thanks for the information about New Zealand. Visiting your country is high on my list of things to do. I told my wife we can visit the hobbits! I also want to see the mountains. Will you be visiting the mountains someday? I love your vlogs.
Hope you can make it one day! Ah, I’ll remember your interest in mountains for future videos
Quite agree with Dave!
NZ seems to be absolutely fudging amazing!
Tourists, in a limited capacity, would probably be wonderful for the financial prosperity of the islands, but at what cost?
As long as they really understand the ecological problems that they could cause, as in everywhere, where rubbish is left behind, etc, because they have 'payed for a holiday', without considering the consequences?!🤔
A good solution for the economy, but, hopefully, the tourists will truly respect the environment!
All love and best wishes to you both, Claire and Sally, the older Goldie, Berlin ❤❤
I think we’re still trying to find a balance with tourism!
Head of state: Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (represented by Dame Patsy Reddy, Governor General). Head of government: Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister; Winston Peters, Deputy Prime Minister. Leader of Her Majesty’s Loyal Opposition: Judith “The Crusher” Collins. Chief Caravan Vlogger: Travelling K
Judith >"The Crusher"< ?! That bears some reading.
Actually there is three islands because Stewart Island.
HSBC Bank is HSBC Bank in Australia.
Found your video very interesting. I hope this hasn’t been asked already. Was wondering how your postal service works. Is it cheap to send mail and do you have an Amazon on your island or does your shipments come from abroad?
Good question! It can be expensive posting packages to the UK or America. We don't have an Amazon head quarters and are lumped in with Australia. We don't expect next day delivery here.
@@TravellingK I have bought from Amazon USA a few times and have had the deliveries within 8 days.
Great, honest, straight up information Karen, especially emphasising personal safety. As you said, people dreaming of emigrating need to check requirements first because it can be complicated. Research into social conditions is a good idea too because NZ isn't a utopia. We have problems like most other countries but on a less obtrusive scale. Lol moment: Gumboots and dirty jeans in the supermarket? Really? 🤣 I live in a small town (pop 8000) and dress code is variable but tidy even if you've come straight from the cowshed. Dirty footwear stays outside shops. Our smaller cities and towns are very pleasant to live in as well as being cheaper. Where I live is 30 minutes from a city and a lot of people commute by car. As you emphasised, public transport isn't yet the most convenient way to get around. We have a local bus service to the city but it's usually full of high school kids at commuter time. Well done, Karen, for a realistic, brief summary.
🤣 I must hang out at the super relaxed towns. Glad you overall agree with the video! Had been nervous about kiwis thoughts on it.
Yes, Robin, I agree that NZ isn't a utopia - we have our social problems just like any other country. Anywhere there a humans there will always be the scum element. But, yes, we are lucky that in NZ the scum are well and truly in the minority.
I'd add the best way to think of NZ is a "big country town" for the most part. Be careful and ensure there is employment for you before considering coming. A know more than a few people who have made the move and then left because there simply wasn't the level of opportunity you find, for example, in Australia (I lived there too for many years so I'm not talking from a position of ignorance).
Cost of living here is high too by international standards. Housing is expensive but thankfully there is no stamp duty on homes and because of regressive taxation such as GST on most goods you buy at 15% combined with NZ's modest buying power compared to bigger economies.
Some good points William!
I'd luv the New Zealand laid back attitude
I think sometimes we're too laid back 😆
'thank you for this interesting overview ,It was very helpful. I have a question might help me decide ! . Wellington or Auckland ? what is pros and cons for choosing one or the other ? How windy windy Welly really is ?!
I could write an essay about both pros and cons! But briefly - Wellington is thought of as more arty. Auckland more corporate. Wellington can get windy, but not all the time. Currently hard to find a flat in Wellington. Auckland prices are expensive. I’d suggest picking through where you get work?
As a Kiwi who has travelled, my impressions are; Wellington is like Seattle, more cultured and hipsterish, while Auckland is more like Los Angeles. Auckland has a population of 1million, small by international standards, but the city is sprawling and covers a greater land area than London.
Both cities have amazing natural landscapes, but Wellington can be very cold, wet, and windy in the winter. On a bright sunny day, I'd rate Wellington as one of the most beautiful cities in the world.