Moving from the U.S. to New Zealand advice?

Hello. I'm looking to move from the United States to New Zealand after I graduate from college. I'm a recreation and tourism major. I've spent time in New Zealand and I absolutely loved it. I'm meeting up with some travel buddies from England next summer I met while we were working on a conservation volunteer project through New Zealand. Even though we did get to travel last time, we want to go back and just travel and be tourists, since last time we were doing conservation work much of the time.





I figure this would be the best time for me to move: I don't really have any possessions in my name such as a house, and I don't have any outstanding loans since I got scholarships for college and my car is paid off. Most of my personal value is in savings accounts and not in material items that I'd want to take with me. It also helps that I'm not married and don't have any children too. And I have a sincere interest in New Zealand; I'm not one of these people leaving the U.S. because of being mad at the president or economic situation.





I'm looking for some suggestions and advice. Not so much about residency visas and other forms of legal requirements since I'll be reading in on them, but more personal observations. If you moved to New Zealand or have even lived in both countries, what did you notice about the two countries? Such as noticing taxes or the cost of living was much higher in one country than the other, cultural differences, things to be aware of, or the job market. Any insite you can give me would be much appreciated.Moving from the U.S. to New Zealand advice?
I too am an Honest and concerned kiwi - concerned for Pagrus's sake in that hes obviously never left the country!! if your going to make an argument that a country isn't safe then only talk about one city being the problem then you haven't got a good argument to start with have you!





I worked in a summer camp in the US for 3 months (north carolina) and traveled extensively round the states for 5 weeks afterwards. as people have already metnioned one of the main differences is that all our products (food, furniture, appliances, etc - everything) already has tax added to it so the price you see is all inclusive whereas in the states i know that tax is seperate so you view 2 prices for a product. regarding cost of living is hard to compare due to our dollar being weaker than the US dollar, consequently our minimum wage being $12 an hour seems higher than the US minimum wage (which is highest in the state of washington at $8.08) the differences in our dollar also probably make our rent seem quite expensive


check out http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-me-proper… to get an idea of the sort of weekly rents you might expect to pay.


Auckland is the most expensive city in NZ, followed by Wellington. I'd recommend Christchurch in the south island, its NZ's second largest city with a growing population of 400,000+ so plenty of job oppurtunities etc. Also the South island is a bit more laidback and has more stunning scenery than the North island. Winters are a bit colder, But Christchurch has a very low rainfall so its quite a dry city too.


as for cultural differences and thigs to be aware of I can't think of too much more. NZ is a beautiful country and despite what Pagrus may think its one of the safest nations in the world!!





Good luck :-)Moving from the U.S. to New Zealand advice?
I have lived in Europe, Australia and NZ, USA no sorry.





Kiwis are laid back and make great comedy, wonderful meat and produce.





If you love peace and want to be Nuke free come on over theres plenty of room.
i not very knowledgeable in this case but i have heard that new zealand has some of the best chocolate shops in the world-also try zorbing



See ? You can even get cheap loan there ! LOL
we pay too much tax


we dont give tips
There are a LOT of sheep there. Plus, everyone is really laid back and 'chill.'


There are tow type of people that live there, natives (who have a name of their own) and New Zealanders.


Oh, and be careful of the white spider. I dunno if that's the actual name, but be careful of them.


And don't forget about the climate. Obviously, it is opposite the US, so right now we are heading into summer, whereas the US is going in to winter/fall. Christmas' are always warm, and July is pretty cool. And during our summers it rains a ton. I am not joking, it could rain for like three months on end with out stopping, so make sure you bring a jacket!





Everyone is pretty nice and welcoming, and you'll love the beaches, but be careful with some of the jellies. Other than that, you're good. I hope you love it here, and enjoy your time.





Oh, and we're not too different culturally, but we do have some different slang words, but you'll probably catch on quick.
It is not expected to tip in New Zealand - it would be considered quite unusual if you did. All our prices have tax included on them (so you don't need to add anything). Tax on Goods and Services (GST) is 12.5%.





When you arrive, throw a barbeque and invite your neighbours - even if you just want to have everyone bring something. Kiwis luv a bbq.





Especially from foreigners, Maori customs are important.





New Zealand is much less commercialised than the US, and is a very safe country. Kiwis are always very friendly people





But if you don't like cold, the South Island can get v cold in winter. NZ summers are awesome.





O and when you arrive, be really careful in bringing any types of food in, especially fresh fruit and veges, meats and stuff like that coz NZ is really strict about biosecurity. and don't eat any shellfish straight off the rocks at the beaches cos its illegal.
Before i answer, let me start by saying that what Pagrus has said is partially true. Although Auckland may be the ';largest'; and fastest growing city, it is not the safest. There has been an increase in gang violence in south aukland so just be aware that New Zealand is not perfect and entirely safe. However, i suppose compared to gangs in the USA, they're nothing.





The biggest difference is, NZ is much smaller but it's good as there's plenty of room for everyone, it's never busy or overcrowded. There's lots of land left, lots of sheep and cows lol. Cost of living shouldn't be a problem as it's cheaper to live here than in the USA and you would be able to find a job very easily here.





It's definitely a beautiful country and if you want to experience the true beauty of NZ, you should visit the south island. Some places of interest are:


Queenstown


Arrowtown


Wanaka


Lake Tekapo


Dunedin (Cadbury Factory! and Student city, world's steepest road)


Christchurch (very English city)


Wellington (windy, very windy and lots of hills)


Auckland (sky tower)


Nelson


Malbrough Sounds


Kaiteiri





Plenty of other places. You should check out some NZ websites to have a look for yourself.





Good luck, hope you like it here!
Pagrus is an idiot, I moved here from the UK 13 years ago and would never consider going back, the quality of life is excellent, though wages are low, the cities and towns are generally safe, certainly safer than most international cities I have visited, the people are a delight, the air is clean and it is one of the last really good places left on the planet to make your home
I lived in LA for 3 months - not long but long enought to get a feel for the differences between LA %26amp; NZ. I've been to NY and DC as well, I enjoyed both places but then I think I enjoyed them because they were difference. Pretty much everyone enjoys a change once in a while.





I think you will find New Zealand quite laid back, but depending what you want to get out of life, there are different places to live that offer different lifestyles. Seeing as you are a recreation and tourism major, you would probably want to head to the South Island. Yes, Auckland is the biggest city and is the gateway city to NZ so has a lot of tourist activity, it is a big city that can be very expensive to live in. I'm only being honest as I am from Auckland myself!





The south island is also a big pull for tourists with it's beautiful scenery and adventure sport activities. Some places are cheaper than others, depends on wether you want to head for one of the bigger cities or not. Christchurch or Wellington might be a good base for you. Google some of the cities I've mentioned and see if you see anything you like :)
I would advise anyone that intends to visit New Zealand to first log onto the local yahoo news website, www.yahoo.co.nz to witness the horror of rapes, murders and violent bashings and assaults that are occurring in this country on a daily basis. Just monitor the site for a few days to witness the frequency of crime.





New Zealand has turned into a very dark and dangerous country with many areas of Auckland too dangerous to visit. If coming to New Zealand do not visit areas of Auckland like Mangere, Papatoetoe, Otara, Manurewa, Wiri, Middlemore, Otahuhu, East Tamaki, Takanini, Westfield, Onehunga, Kelston, Penrose, Manukau, Homai and Drury to name a few.





Areas of Auckland central city are also very dangerous, especially at night. This has horrific crime and violence. If visiting be very very careful, get into a “Corporate Cab” that is driven by a New Zealander, if you don’t want to be driven 10 times further than you need to go and get ripped off. Preferably get picked up by friends and/or a reputable international tourist company shuttle/bus.





Unless you are staying and travelling with friends familiar with the “dark spots” of this country be very careful.





An honest and concerned Kiwi