# A few questions



## krystak (Mar 16, 2014)

Hi All :smile:

I am here to get some info, we are in the very early stages of looking for an adventure....and NZ seems like quite a great place to do so! 

I was wondering if anyone could tell me which area of NZ has the most work for tradespeople? My husband is a pipefitter and I have experience in industrial safety...so we are looking to move somewhere that has a good working environment, for at least him. 

Also, has anyone brought their dog with them?...lol random, but he's part of the family and goes where we go 

Thanks! 
Krystal:canada:


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## escapedtonz (Apr 6, 2012)

krystak said:


> Hi All :smile: I am here to get some info, we are in the very early stages of looking for an adventure....and NZ seems like quite a great place to do so! I was wondering if anyone could tell me which area of NZ has the most work for tradespeople? My husband is a pipefitter and I have experience in industrial safety...so we are looking to move somewhere that has a good working environment, for at least him. Also, has anyone brought their dog with them?...lol random, but he's part of the family and goes where we go  Thanks! Krystal:canada:


It sure is an adventure. One of the reasons we chose to come here 

I'd say the most work for tradespeople can be found in Christchurch and this will be the case for at least 10 years maybe 15 years as the city and Eastern surrounds are rebuilt after the earthquakes.

Yes lots of folk on here have taken pets - dogs, cats, horses etc.
It's expensive and there's lots of hoops to jump through but if you have the right advice it'll be fine - just a time consuming process.

Have a look at www.biosecurity.govt.nz for more details.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

krystak said:


> Hi All :smile:
> 
> I am here to get some info, we are in the very early stages of looking for an adventure....and NZ seems like quite a great place to do so!
> 
> ...


Yes, Christchurch is probably your best bet in terms of long term work, and having job that would get you a visa quickly. The city is slowly on the upswing in terms of rebuild, most of the activity remains in the demolition stage, but that part is nearly completed. There are things to consider if you move here from Canada. It was hit by a very destructive earthquake which damaged a large percentage of the housing supply, as well as most of the inner city/business area where most of the entertainment and art district was. So, if you are prepared to do some research to find a decent house (and understand that because of the short supply the prices have risen dramatically), and come knowing that right now there is not much in terms of "indoor" entertainment, but there is plenty to do outside, and lots of little pop-up art and entertainment venues--and, if the prospect of being a part of the rebuild excites you, it's a great place. The weather is fickle for my taste (coming from California with 10 months of sunshine), but, it is not ugly or unbearable, just much more unpredictable than I'm used to. The plus side is that it is perpetually green here, and the Garden City title is well deserved. 

I brought my cats a few years ago, from California. They use the same paperwork as dogs, just different spots to fill out. It's more comprehensive for dogs, but not undoable. Costly, yes, and your dog will require 10 days in quarantine, which adds to the price, but, it was worth it to me. And, my animals have fully adjusted. 

Hope the info helps!

Cheers


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## krystak (Mar 16, 2014)

Thank you both so much for your replies. 

I've looked up the area you've suggested, but I am not quite sure it's what we are looking for. It seems to be more commercial trades (for the re-build) whereas my husband is an industrial tradesman. Here in Canada he works building and maintaining piping systems in the oilsands. I've been beating up the net a little to try and find similar positions in NZ, but am still searching. :fingerscrossed:

Thanks also for the info on importing pets. It seems like a long and expensive process, but it's 100% necessary lol, where we go, the dog goes, couldn't imagine leaving him behind. 


One last question (for now lol) what is the school system like? We have a young daughter (she is 4 now, but will likely be 5 or 6 when we arrive) We have thought about either putting her in public education, or me homeschooling her.


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## jawnbc (Apr 28, 2012)

For energy the centres are Huntly (just south of Auckland) and around Taranaki (oil). But the centre for industrial most things is Auckland--but nothing like the tar sands. 

Schools are general well regarded internationally, but there is a ranking system based on performance. Living in the catchment area of a really good public primary school means housing is more expensive.


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## Kimbella (Jul 4, 2013)

krystak said:


> Thank you both so much for your replies.
> 
> I've looked up the area you've suggested, but I am not quite sure it's what we are looking for. It seems to be more commercial trades (for the re-build) whereas my husband is an industrial tradesman. Here in Canada he works building and maintaining piping systems in the oilsands. I've been beating up the net a little to try and find similar positions in NZ, but am still searching. :fingerscrossed:
> 
> ...



Yes, it is commercial, they are completely redoing the entire infrastructure system here of sewage and underground systems.. no oil piping here, but there are many different layers involved in the engineering, coordinating, and actual labor related to the work. The entire city is essentially being rebuilt. Not sure about equivalent jobs, or what they might be called, but you can always take a look at the opportunitycanterbury.org.nz site to see what's there--even if Chch isn't what you want, you might be able to better see what an equivalent job here is called so you'll know what to keep looking for in other areas.

School here is a pretty big deal--it's basically where kids form literal life long friendships. Generally they will go through the same schools with the same people, throughout their entire school life (although it will get some mix once they hit middle and high school). 

Homeschooling could be risky simply because your child/children would miss out on the social aspect significantly, and because the other kids would all be socializing together at school, it could be a real problem for her to integrate into a "part time" social group. Because the country is so small, it (to me) can be very "clicky." Just something to consider. Schools generally seem fine, the higher the decile, apparently the more prestigious the school.


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## sharbuck (Dec 10, 2013)

Homeschooling here would be a pity because your kids would missout. I homeschooled in the States but would have no problem with public education here.

You can tell the difference in the kids, they play on scooters, ride bikes and don't have their noses in their iPhones or electronics. They are just plain kids the way we were 15 yrs ago.


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## Guest (Apr 1, 2014)

There are two very prominent job websites you can look at to see where jobs are being advertised. Auckland building is also picking up finally (we just had an interest rate hike as a result). I can't say the websites as they are edited out for some reason. 
Home schooling isn't rare in NZ but given so many moms work it isn't as common as overseas I think. If your decision to homeschool is financial then I doubt you'll have an issue as education is relatively cheap. If it's for world view reasons then your kids will socialise by doing sports or other activities which abound in NZ.


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