n.z to australia, maybe

daveandgeorge · 04-11-2007, 08:02 PM

hello to all,

we are living in auckland at the moment and have done so for the past 18 months. we love it here in new zealand but it is so expensive. we are considering a move to australia, i have been told the wages are a little bit better even though the general cost of living is the same. we have found that the kiwis are so friendly and have made some good friends. the standard of living for our kids is really good too, lots of open spaces for them to play and the beach is only a 20 minute drive. the house prices are the main problem for us. as we have a 6 month old my partner does not work as it would end up costing a fortune in child care so we are stuck with my income alone. for a modest house in an average area it will cost us $380,000 nz. so as it stands we are renting at the moment. has anyone else made the same move? we would like to hear from people that live in melbourne or adelaide as these are the areas we are considering a move to.

many thanks

dave, george, hollie and maia

dwa33 · 10-11-2007, 11:44 AM

Hi, We've just moved over to Melbourne after 10 years in Christchurch. We've got two kids and a baby and we moved because NZ was getting too expesive. The salary just wasn't keeping up with inflation, tax was increasing and there just weren't any breaks for us with a single income and kids. I applied for a new job and I am now working in Melbourne for more money. The tax breaks in Australia and the family benefits make life far easier. New Zealand is a beautiful place and I prefer it to what little I have seen of big city Melbourne but for the time being it's a good break here and our standard of living is good. I do miss not having to commute as well as the healthy, clean lifestyle. Melbourne has a few big-city issues but I guess that's the trade off. In one of my other posts I said, "live in NZ if you have money, live in Australia if you want to make money". I think this sums it up. And I also said, even in big-city Melbourne, life is ten times better than England.

Doug

daveandgeorge · 10-11-2007, 08:53 PM

Thanks For The Reply, A Lot Of Our Kiwi Friends Are Telling Us To Go For The Move. I'm Not To Sure If They Want To Get Rid Of Us Or Are Happy For Us. A Couple Of Co Workers Have Said That They Will Be Going Over For Some Aussie Money Once They Have Their Qualifications. We Have Printed The Application Forms And Are Looking Into The Skills Assessment Side Of Things. We Are Hoping To Move To Adelaide But We Still Have Time To Decide Where To Go. By The Time We Move We Will Have Some Friends In Brisbane But It Is Just Too Hot There. Is There Much Price Difference Between Melbourne And Adelaide? Could You Tell Us What The Beaches Are Like Too? Is It Windy Too?

Thanks Again

Dave, George, Hollie And Maia

dwa33 · 13-11-2007, 11:11 AM

Hi, I can't give much advice as I've only been here a few months. Also it's a big country so there'll be lots of variation in culture and geography. I considered Brisbane but it probably is too hot. I like the sun but not tropical heat. Tassie appeals but having lived in Christchurch for a few years we want to try a big city for a while. Adelaide was on our list as well.

It's really the money, saving for the superannuation and having a bit of cash makes a lot of difference. There is a big trade off compared to Christchurch with a reduced quality of life. Compared to Auckland I'm not so sure as you'd be coming from a big city so it may not be such a culture shock.

Doug