# Move to Auckland - weighing up the gamble



## jennynwilko

Hi,
I would be interested to hear some thoughts on a planned move to NZ. We're currently weighing up lots of pros and cons..... but im worried we are looking at things through rose tinted glasses.

We are a young couple (25 and 30) living in Manchester UK, it is miserable, bleak and rainy and we have no real friends or family close by. We want to leave Manchester - its just not the place for us. Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of thinking the grass is always greener so i'd be interested to hear any other pro's and cons for young professionals in Auckland.

We have discussed moving to NZ for a long time. We love hiking, mountain biking, countryside and my partner has some family there so it seems like the obvious place.

At the moment, between us we earn around £75,000 between us in IT and Marketing - Would this translate to similar salaries in NZ? We are both ambitious and keen not to lose out career wise from this move.

I have read a lot about expensive rental housing and food in Auckland - we live well in the UK - can we expect to do so in NZ on this?

I thought it would be best, as we are still eligible, to go on a working holiday visa, and once there apply for more long term visa - has anyone done that? DO many employers take people on a working hol visa and then help with the process of getting a full visa?


Any thoughts would be welcomed


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## topcat83

jennynwilko said:


> Hi,
> I would be interested to hear some thoughts on a planned move to NZ. We're currently weighing up lots of pros and cons..... but im worried we are looking at things through rose tinted glasses.
> 
> We are a young couple (25 and 30) living in Manchester UK, it is miserable, bleak and rainy and we have no real friends or family close by. We want to leave Manchester - its just not the place for us. Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of thinking the grass is always greener so i'd be interested to hear any other pro's and cons for young professionals in Auckland.
> 
> We have discussed moving to NZ for a long time. We love hiking, mountain biking, countryside and my partner has some family there so it seems like the obvious place.
> 
> At the moment, between us we earn around £75,000 between us in IT and Marketing - Would this translate to similar salaries in NZ? We are both ambitious and keen not to lose out career wise from this move.
> 
> I have read a lot about expensive rental housing and food in Auckland - we live well in the UK - can we expect to do so in NZ on this?
> 
> I thought it would be best, as we are still eligible, to go on a working holiday visa, and once there apply for more long term visa - has anyone done that? DO many employers take people on a working hol visa and then help with the process of getting a full visa?
> 
> 
> Any thoughts would be welcomed


Hi there - and welcome to the Forum.
I think your idea of coming on a working holiday visa is an excellent idea - you'll be able to see the place for an extended period of time before making your minds up. 

With IT & Marketing, you're probably stuck with Auckland, Wellington & Christchurch - there's not so much outside of these places. And if you're currently on £75k GBP between you, that will translate to about $75k NZD each here, which is certainly very achievable. Of course it depends what your jobs are in IT & Marketing  I don't think you'll lose your careers (there are some big-name companies over here for IT, and I've certainly seen a lot of good marketing companies) but don't expect to be able to fly quite so close to the sun - more senior execs don't earn such high dollars as their counterparts elsewhere. 

Having some family here will help - and if you have no real friends or family close by in the UK then you won't hit one of the major issues that sends people back to the UK - namely missing family.


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## mikesurf

Hi there, i'm not going to bother posting the comments I have made earlier regarding a move to New Zealand as most people who live there and post on this site don't like negativity. Just be very carefull before giving up a well paid job to move to NZ, the country on the whole is not a place to make money or further a career. I can understand you wanting to get out of Manchester but maybe look at either other parts of the UK or other countries before deciding. As far as making new friends in NZ it is hard work and takes a long time so don't expect too much.

Don't bother looking at the tourism NZ sites to get an idea of NZ, most is just hype and des not give a real picture.


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## mikesurf

Sorry maybe I was being a little harsh saying it was all hype. The country does have nice scenery, although a lot of the country is over represented such as staements like the weather is so much better than the UK and that you will be living in a much safer country. In my experience both are exaggerated.


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## jennynwilko

Thanks for your replies!!

its good to get positive and negative views, as I said, im worried im always going to think the grass is always greener- what is it that makes too think crime is so bad?

last year in the UK riots bricks were put through my windows and my car set on fire, so I feel NZ must be an improvements on how I now feel about British youth!

As for the weather, as long as it isn't everything isn't tinted with the colour grey as it is in Mamchester I would be happy. I don't mind rain.... Its just a constant grey im looking to get away from, although that isn't the main reason to move. Its more for the outdoor lifestyle and a yearning for an adventure.


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## mikesurf

I think you will probably be fine and if you are looking for an outdoor lifestyle I think you will enjoy it.

Crime wise I was the victim of it in New Zealand but compared to Manchester I think New Zealand is safer but there are some places especially around Auckland that you would need to avoid.

Good luck


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## inhamilton

To maintain a similar standard of living based on your 75,000 pounds, you would need at least $NZ150,000 between you.
In regards weather, you will find Auckland wetter .. not necessarily raining more often but raining heavier ... but also sunnier (more sunshine hours during the year). ie the sun shines and it rains, hence the fertile farmlands. You will also find it much warmer than Manchester. It very rarely gets to zero degrees in Auckland and the daily highs in winter hover around the 14-15 degree mark.
Housing in Auckland is the most expensive in the country. Not sure how the cost compares to Manchester.
A working holiday visa sounds like a great idea. That way you can see how you like it without being totally committed if you don't. Perhaps also talk to your husband's family who are already here and get their opinions.


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## escapedtonz

jennynwilko said:


> Hi,
> I would be interested to hear some thoughts on a planned move to NZ. We're currently weighing up lots of pros and cons..... but im worried we are looking at things through rose tinted glasses.
> 
> We are a young couple (25 and 30) living in Manchester UK, it is miserable, bleak and rainy and we have no real friends or family close by. We want to leave Manchester - its just not the place for us. Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of thinking the grass is always greener so i'd be interested to hear any other pro's and cons for young professionals in Auckland.
> 
> We have discussed moving to NZ for a long time. We love hiking, mountain biking, countryside and my partner has some family there so it seems like the obvious place.
> 
> At the moment, between us we earn around £75,000 between us in IT and Marketing - Would this translate to similar salaries in NZ? We are both ambitious and keen not to lose out career wise from this move.
> 
> I have read a lot about expensive rental housing and food in Auckland - we live well in the UK - can we expect to do so in NZ on this?
> 
> I thought it would be best, as we are still eligible, to go on a working holiday visa, and once there apply for more long term visa - has anyone done that? DO many employers take people on a working hol visa and then help with the process of getting a full visa?
> 
> Any thoughts would be welcomed


Hi jennynwilko,
We too were a youngish couple  
40 & 41 now tho with a 22 month old and from Wigan & Leigh originally. Both dreamed of emigration for years and finally got the opportunity in 2011.
I worked the last 14years in centre Manc.

Been in Wellington since March and all we had to make the decision was the online research and "NZ Hype".
We would have emigrated to any part of the country really - all depended where I got a job offer. This happened to be here in Wellington but the job and company I landed also gives us the option of moving to Auckland, Hamilton or Christchurch if needs arise in the future as my employer has offices all over the country.

We too probably looked through rose tinted glasses but I think I was the most realistic out of the two of us and settled here really quickly without being surprised too much.
My wife probably expected way too much and was very disappointed initially that it wasn't much nicer than she saw in books, the internet and on the drive from the airport.
Luckily she made friends quickly and has learned to love living here more so than UK.

In our experience, there is a lot less graffiti, a lot less litter, everywhere seems a lot better looked after and clean, a lot less traffic, better weather, warmer climate, the sun is never far away, it is a lot brighter not just grey and dismal like NW England, don't see any trouble, no fighting in the pubs, no gangs of intimidating kids.
Yes some of the housing looks a bit old and run down or unloved and some areas will always look this way as they have the low voltage electricity lines running through the streets making areas look scruffy but in general we both love living here way more than the UK.
Yes the wages are approx 30% less and the cost of living about 10-15% more than UK but we think its worth it for the better lifestyle afforded with better weather and living never too far away from the coast.

Sorry no idea what Auckland is like. We have friends up there who love it and have lived there 7 years but couldn't give you any specific reasons why. I'd say its because of the outdoorsy lifestyle they now have. Always going to the beach for surfing, fishing and a BBQ.

What do we miss :-
We miss family and friends but these diminish as we go along so learning to live with it.
When you think about it you normally take many years to make lifelong friends so it can feel lonely not having the same when you arrive here. It is like starting your life completely from scratch.
We miss the oldness of the UK.
There's not a lot of history here maybe 250 years so you don't get the old sandstone villages like you get in the UK driving through the country. No gorgeous country pubs and the like.
Most villages or small towns are very 60's/70's era with a lick of paint - prefab concrete must have been bogof back then ha ha!
There is a lot of hype. Wellington claims to be the best little city in the world but we beg to differ.
Newspapers and the TV always promotes events are going to have many thousands of visitors etc etc but they never live up to these expectations.
We went down the the waterfront in Wellington last night for New Year and we were very disappointed. No proper countdown to New Year, fireworks cancelled again because of the wind although it wasn't actually that windy. Hardly any festive decorations. Pretty rubbish really. When one looks at the likes of Sydney's party you can't help but feel let down but hey ho.

I'm into golfing, cycling (MTB & road), hiking and motorbiking.
All much better here.
More golf courses, cheaper golf, loads of hiking routes all over as there's so many hills. Loads of mtb tracks, better roads for cycling and motorbiking especially when you leave the state highway, country roads in the Wairarapa are just ace, beaches and coastal walks on the doorstep.

I'd say the working holiday visa is a great idea to give you the chance of trying it out here before you make the decision to make it more permanent.

Personally I think you'd love it and even more so if you have children in the future as the country is much safer than what your used to. Kids can be kids here which is one of the big reasons why we came.

To summarise, if you take off the rose tinted glasses and take all the hype with a pinch of salt you'll not go far wrong.

If there's anything specific you want to know just ask on the forum and we'll all try to answer what we have experienced.

Good luck


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## anski

escapedtonz said:


> Hi jennynwilko,
> We too were a youngish couple
> 40 & 41 now tho with a 22 month old and from Wigan & Leigh originally. Both dreamed of emigration for years and finally got the opportunity in 2011.
> I worked the last 14years in centre Manc.
> 
> Been in Wellington since March and all we had to make the decision was the online research and "NZ Hype".
> We would have emigrated to any part of the country really - all depended where I got a job offer. This happened to be here in Wellington but the job and company I landed also gives us the option of moving to Auckland, Hamilton or Christchurch if needs arise in the future as my employer has offices all over the country.
> 
> We too probably looked through rose tinted glasses but I think I was the most realistic out of the two of us and settled here really quickly without being surprised too much.
> My wife probably expected way too much and was very disappointed initially that it wasn't much nicer than she saw in books, the internet and on the drive from the airport.
> Luckily she made friends quickly and has learned to love living here more so than UK.
> 
> In our experience, there is a lot less graffiti, a lot less litter, everywhere seems a lot better looked after and clean, a lot less traffic, better weather, warmer climate, the sun is never far away, it is a lot brighter not just grey and dismal like NW England, don't see any trouble, no fighting in the pubs, no gangs of intimidating kids.
> Yes some of the housing looks a bit old and run down or unloved and some areas will always look this way as they have the low voltage electricity lines running through the streets making areas look scruffy but in general we both love living here way more than the UK.
> Yes the wages are approx 30% less and the cost of living about 10-15% more than UK but we think its worth it for the better lifestyle afforded with better weather and living never too far away from the coast.
> 
> Sorry no idea what Auckland is like. We have friends up there who love it and have lived there 7 years but couldn't give you any specific reasons why. I'd say its because of the outdoorsy lifestyle they now have. Always going to the beach for surfing, fishing and a BBQ.
> 
> What do we miss :-
> We miss family and friends but these diminish as we go along so learning to live with it.
> When you think about it you normally take many years to make lifelong friends so it can feel lonely not having the same when you arrive here. It is like starting your life completely from scratch.
> We miss the oldness of the UK.
> There's not a lot of history here maybe 250 years so you don't get the old sandstone villages like you get in the UK driving through the country. No gorgeous country pubs and the like.
> Most villages or small towns are very 60's/70's era with a lick of paint - prefab concrete must have been bogof back then ha ha!
> There is a lot of hype. Wellington claims to be the best little city in the world but we beg to differ.
> Newspapers and the TV always promotes events are going to have many thousands of visitors etc etc but they never live up to these expectations.
> We went down the the waterfront in Wellington last night for New Year and we were very disappointed. No proper countdown to New Year, fireworks cancelled again because of the wind although it wasn't actually that windy. Hardly any festive decorations. Pretty rubbish really. When one looks at the likes of Sydney's party you can't help but feel let down but hey ho.
> 
> I'm into golfing, cycling (MTB & road), hiking and motorbiking.
> All much better here.
> More golf courses, cheaper golf, loads of hiking routes all over as there's so many hills. Loads of mtb tracks, better roads for cycling and motorbiking especially when you leave the state highway, country roads in the Wairarapa are just ace, beaches and coastal walks on the doorstep.
> 
> I'd say the working holiday visa is a great idea to give you the chance of trying it out here before you make the decision to make it more permanent.
> 
> Personally I think you'd love it and even more so if you have children in the future as the country is much safer than what your used to. Kids can be kids here which is one of the big reasons why we came.
> 
> To summarise, if you take off the rose tinted glasses and take all the hype with a pinch of salt you'll not go far wrong.
> 
> If there's anything specific you want to know just ask on the forum and we'll all try to answer what we have experienced.
> 
> Good luck


What a fantastic & well balanced answer. Thank you for taking the time to post about your experiences.


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## anski

Hi JennynWilko,

Firstly Welcome to the forum.

Secondly I would encourage you to give NZ a go. At your age you can afford to throw caution to the wind & try something different for a couple of years to give it an honest try.

Speaking from experience & having lived in more than 10 countries since the age of 19 I feel you can only gain from the experience. If you treat it as a 2 year holiday & during that time explore NZ & Australia when you have holiday at least if you return back after 2 years you will have seen other parts of the globe whilst earning income. Bit like many Kiwi's & Aussie's do when the go to the UK for a 2 year working holiday, they explore the UK & Europe & some decide to stay others return home. BUT if you don't take these opportunities when you are young & without dependants you will find it much harder later. 

I always give every country 12 months to see it in all weathers.

Planning my next move now & I am 68.


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## anski

mikesurf said:


> Hi there, i'm not going to bother posting the comments I have made earlier regarding a move to New Zealand as most people who live there and post on this site don't like negativity. Just be very carefull before giving up a well paid job to move to NZ, the country on the whole is not a place to make money or further a career. I can understand you wanting to get out of Manchester but maybe look at either other parts of the UK or other countries before deciding. As far as making new friends in NZ it is hard work and takes a long time so don't expect too much.
> 
> Don't bother looking at the tourism NZ sites to get an idea of NZ, most is just hype and des not give a real picture.


Mikesurf, sometimes you have to have a little adventure in life & it does involve risk, but hey you are a long time dead & if you don't step out of your comfort zone you are going to end up living a very isolated life.
I never mind negative comments about NZ - Goodness I am the first to moan & groan about some of the things here
But stop trying to advise others not to try giving another country a go. After all it does not have to be forever.


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## mikesurf

anski said:


> Mikesurf, sometimes you have to have a little adventure in life & it does involve risk, but hey you are a long time dead & if you don't step out of your comfort zone you are going to end up living a very isolated life.
> I never mind negative comments about NZ - Goodness I am the first to moan & groan about some of the things here
> But stop trying to advise others not to try giving another country a go. After all it does not have to be forever.


I totally agree with you, people should give things a go and see if it is right for them. I have lived in 7 different countries in my life and at last feel I have found a country that ticks most of the boxes for me and I hope others do too. 

I guess after spending 6 years in New Zealand and returning to Europe I felt like it went by so quickly and felt for a while that I had wasted quite a few years trying to make it work. On reflection though I think it was all a good experience and if I had not gone I would have always wondered. 

Now my head is clear and I am so glad to have moved back to Europe, but thats just me. People should be encouraged to do what they feel is right but with saying that I wish I had heard some negative comments about New Zealand before I went but my research was lacking and hindsight is a great thing.


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## kaztayli

We've been here now for 2 and a half years and let me put it to you like this....

Don't come over on a holiday visa and expect to get offered a job - that's NOT going to happen unless you're incredibly lucky/experienced.....in which case look on seek.com and trademe for positions that you can apply for now already. Employers are hesitant to commit if you do not have the correct visa. 

Jobs are not easy to come by in NZ - I've been looking for 2.5 years. That said - when my husband was retrenched - he walked into another position (he's a tradie)

Right that's about as negative as I can get. On the upside....

Compared to Manchester - you will not go wrong with the weather here in Auckland. We were amazed at how heavy it does rain but then it's over in 5 minutes. The wind blows at the beginning of summer and you might go through all the seasons in one day but it's beautiful and we aare surrounded by amazing walks, beaches and loads of outdoor activities (my children thrive here being outdoors again)

Housing is the most expensive here in Auckland and most owners don't look after their investment properties like they should but you can find decent houses and not always pay exessive amounts. We pay $615 for a 4 bed house with 2 bathrooms and 3 toilets, we are 2 minutes away from the shops and a decile 10 primary, intermediate and high school (all good for us) and the best of all - a minute away from the motorway into the city.

Food is as expensive as you want it to be. We are a family of 4 and I spend on average of $100-120 per week. Some weeks I get away with spending $80
Things are not as readily available as in the UK - we also got used to incredible range of items available in Glasgow. My family eats well and we have luxuries and my husband and I always have wine and beer in the house. I have friends who are spending $300-400 per week on food for a 4 person family. 
Be prepared to cook food from scratch - it will save you a fortune.

Eating out is not always the cheapest but the food is good and there are places that don't overcharge. 


Ok so in a nutshell - we don't regret leaving the UK for one second. We are seasoned travellers who moved our family to live in 3 different countries before the kids were teenagers. Even they dont regret coming to NZ and my 12 year old now considers himself to be an Scot African Kiwi.

Take the chance and the rose tinted glasses off - do loads of research and I promise you won't regret it but you will miss your family and friends back home. You will make friends easily here - if you don't - let us know and we'll be happy to be your first friends here.

Good luck.


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## pookienuffnuff

jennynwilko said:


> Thanks for your replies!!
> 
> its good to get positive and negative views, as I said, im worried im always going to think the grass is always greener- what is it that makes too think crime is so bad?
> 
> last year in the UK riots bricks were put through my windows and my car set on fire, so I feel NZ must be an improvements on how I now feel about British youth!
> 
> As for the weather, as long as it isn't everything isn't tinted with the colour grey as it is in Mamchester I would be happy. I don't mind rain.... Its just a constant grey im looking to get away from, although that isn't the main reason to move. Its more for the outdoor lifestyle and a yearning for an adventure.


Mikesurf is quite right about there are negative aspects...see other posts for plenty about what these are...we wont start it again here. But if you hate your life in UK then move. If you think a life in NZ willbe better than a life you dont hate then be wary. Yes its much sunnier and drier than manchester (where isnt) but I thought that was all I cared for but after a few months its not. Try it out first.


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## sa2nz

Hey JennynWilko,

We are originally from South Africa and have been living in NZ now for 8 years. We actually spent 4 years in London before coming over here, so has some experience of living in the UK as well. Everyone has different experiences obviously, but we are VERY happy in NZ. In fact, this would definitely be my favourite place to live so far. 
I think there is a good work/life balance over here and the outdoor lifestyle is a plus if that's your sort of thing. 
Since we came over we had some other family come over permanently as well, and they are all very happy over here. My brother-in-law is an expat Brit and he too is very happy here and says there's no way he'll go back to the UK again permanetly.

Your working holiday visa idea sounds like a good plan, nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Good luck!


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## anski

sa2nz said:


> Hey JennynWilko,
> 
> We are originally from South Africa and have been living in NZ now for 8 years. We actually spent 4 years in London before coming over here, so has some experience of living in the UK as well. Everyone has different experiences obviously, but we are VERY happy in NZ. In fact, this would definitely be my favourite place to live so far.
> I think there is a good work/life balance over here and the outdoor lifestyle is a plus if that's your sort of thing.
> Since we came over we had some other family come over permanently as well, and they are all very happy over here. My brother-in-law is an expat Brit and he too is very happy here and says there's no way he'll go back to the UK again permanetly.
> 
> Your working holiday visa idea sounds like a good plan, nothing ventured, nothing gained.
> 
> Good luck!


I agree, I have lived in Sa & UK plus others. as far as I am concerned there is no perfect country, if I had found one maybe I would not have moved so many times.

But it is great to experience the ups & downs of each country & even some of my worst experiences have mellowed over the years when I reflect on the positive aspects each country had to offer.


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## manckiwi

Hi Jennynwilko

I am also in Manchester and thinking about going back to NZ (I already have residency) and was just wondering if you had made any progress or decisions regarding the move to NZ? LIke you, I am fed up of the constant grey weather here! I miss the NZ lifestyle.


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## Toni in Auckland

jennynwilko said:


> Hi,
> I would be interested to hear some thoughts on a planned move to NZ. We're currently weighing up lots of pros and cons..... but im worried we are looking at things through rose tinted glasses.
> 
> We are a young couple (25 and 30) living in Manchester UK, it is miserable, bleak and rainy and we have no real friends or family close by. We want to leave Manchester - its just not the place for us. Unfortunately, I have a horrible habit of thinking the grass is always greener so i'd be interested to hear any other pro's and cons for young professionals in Auckland.
> 
> We have discussed moving to NZ for a long time. We love hiking, mountain biking, countryside and my partner has some family there so it seems like the obvious place.
> 
> At the moment, between us we earn around £75,000 between us in IT and Marketing - Would this translate to similar salaries in NZ? We are both ambitious and keen not to lose out career wise from this move.
> 
> I have read a lot about expensive rental housing and food in Auckland - we live well in the UK - can we expect to do so in NZ on this?
> 
> I thought it would be best, as we are still eligible, to go on a working holiday visa, and once there apply for more long term visa - has anyone done that? DO many employers take people on a working hol visa and then help with the process of getting a full visa?
> 
> 
> Any thoughts would be welcomed


You should read some of my earlier posts about Auckland, sorry to say it but Auckland is an awful place when it rains and it rains a lot except for a couple of months around March when it dries up a bit. I found it over priced and expensive, houses were of a poor quality and well out of my price bracket if I wanted anything decent. Not the greatest city in the Southern Hemisphere for young people, ok if you just want to experience something different for a while but not a place you could put down roots in. It is the pits if you're in a creative industry like me, never felt so stifled in my life!


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