moving from UK to NZ?

[shambaby]

Thank you all for your responses, some really useful information, but what's helped most is the more personal insights, as you can't get that through research.

I think we are at about 90% set on going, hopefully some time next year. We may try to visit, but to be honest I'm not so sure. I think it's a good idea to plan to at least give it a year before thinkinp about returning if we didn't like it, as I don't think you can really get to know a place in less than that. So what good would a couple of weeks be? I'm thinking it would be better to keep a safety net here - ie a house which we would let out - and save the money we would have spent on the holiday to keep for emergency flights back home should we need them.

The biggest issue is family and guilt. I would feel terrible about taking the kids away from their grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, but I think - hope - that the better lifestyle would be worth it. Hubby's parents are hardest in some ways because they are older and his mum isn't well. I do feel a bit like we would be abandoning them, but honestly they are selfish people who wouldn't consider us in anything they do, it's always on their terms and apparently always has been. Hubby has a half sister who they have intermittent contact with and would probably be very quickly on the scene again if she knew we'd gone, as she would see the opportunity to grab the inheritance. And I guess - if she actually did anything to look after them she would deserve some at least. The money really doesn't concern us, but at least maybe it would mean they had some help, however selfishly motivated. And maybe we're the selfish ones anyway to think of leaving them.

My family is the opposite - there are so many people our absence could go unnoticed! Hayden and Zoe will probably be the last of my parents' grandchildren, but they are already producing great grandchildren. So there will be more new babies to keep them busy. We see my family a lot, but I couldn't say we're close. My mum is not my best friend and I wouldn't go to my sisters with my problems. They are just people I see regularly. Of course I would miss them, and perhaps I'm under estimating how much, but I think it'd be manageable.

We need to do some more research, but we are getting pretty excited about it now :-D

 

[DazedConfused]

Hi there I emigrated 9 years ago and would never go back. Had a close knit family but they learned to get on without us and skype is there

We never visited before moving, I am absolutely behind following your dream and doing what is best for your family! (not extended family) I hope you manage it and find happiness here. It really is a wonderful place to live.
I personally wouldn't live in Auckland simply because I don't like that big city vibe!

And oh I'm from Christchurch and was here during the quakes (had a 2 day old baby during the big one) yes they were bad and horrible but the community was brought together in a truly beautiful way.

 

[shambaby]

Thanks, DazedConfused, I like the way you say you're FROM Christchurch, shows you really feel you belong there. Ideally we don't really want to be in Auckland as we're really not city people, but it looks like work might take us there. We have friends there, who are excited at the prospect of us going and are really positive about it, although they have found it hard being away from their family. So at least we wouldn't feel quite so isolated with them nearby. And our children are similar ages, too.

We like the sound of New Plymouth, but hubby is a little freaked out about the volcano. Dunedin is tempting, with the Cadbury's factory!!!

I think in the end we will just go wherever one of us finds work, if we don't like it once we're there we can always move then.