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Thread: New Zealand Life -

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2014
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    Default New Zealand Life -

    Hi Friends ,
    I am a resident visa holder and I request you to please clarify on my below concerns, which will enable me to achieve my dream of moving to NZ.

    Actually I have visited the beautiful NZ to activate my visas and during that time I have observed the below points.

    1. Social life - I am born and worked in countries where there is day and night life and I used to be busy whenever I wish, like going to shopping in nights, just roaming around in city streets which will keep me always busy mentally but in NZ the streets are empty in night, shops closed and its so silent everywhere which made me to feel bored and depressed. So, is this is the way the NZ will be or my perception is wrong.

    2. Kids life - I have observed in NZ , kids are busy with gadgets after school as the houses are independent and no much interaction with neighbors but in our country all the kids living in surrounding locations will play with each other outside in streets.

    3. Work - Is it possible to lead a reasonable life with household income of around 50,000 NZD ( No need to save as I have enough savings from my previous jobs).

    I need genuine answers because, I love very much to settle in NZ which is the dream of my life but I have to leave my great job with great pay for that.

    Also, I am not so strong hearted to face too many troubles at this point of life.

    Please share your experiences if any in this regard
    Last edited by varma; 30th August 2018 at 03:21 PM.

  2. #2
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    Feb 2008
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    When you went to NZ to activate your visa, where did you stay?

  3. #3
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    Hi Jand...I went to NZ in June 2017...I stayed in Hillborough in Auckland & Rotorua during my Visit

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    Germany
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    Here's my opinion:

    1. I think you've already come to a reasonable conclusion about life in New Zealand. If you're looking for street markets that run into the night or the kind of vibrant restaurant and nightclub scene that you might find in New York or Tokyo, you're not going to find it. Which is not to say there aren't restaurants and bars, but it's not going to be "bustling" with activity. It's a sparsely populated place, bigger by land area than the UK but with about 5% of the population. You'll find more going on in Auckland on Queen Street than you will in Whakatane.

    2. Can't speak so much to this one. Of course my partner has memories from her childhood of spending most of the day playing outside, but (unfortunately) we live in a world filled with iPad's now which probably keeps a lot of them indoors, and, as above, there are only so many of them to play with compared to what it sounds like you are used to.

    3. I think you could live reasonably well on NZ $50,000 if you were without children and are realistic about your expectations and spending. If you're living in Auckland, expect to live in a really small flat when your total weekly budget is ~$750.


    It sounds like you might be interested in a different lifestyle than what NZ generally offers. For us, it's a trade off, there will be no more 20€ return weekend flights to Greece on RyanAir, but we are both want for the quieter lifestyle, being closer to nature, and moderate climate. I've inhaled enough diesel pollution in Europe and am looking forward to waking up to birds singing in the morning, listening to rain on a metal roof at night, the smell of crisp evening air, and being away from jams and crowds...but, that might not be for everyone.

  5. #5
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    On the matter of children's lives, I would say the way things are organized depends partly on where the family lives. My grandchildren don't live on a street where there is public open space close by where they would meet informally with neighbourhood children, but they often see friends from school or their other interests by arrangement - "play dates" when they were younger, or having friends round or going to their home as fixed by agreement with the parents. Also available are a huge number of teams or clubs or activities they can join, depending on what they like doing, some independent and some connected with their school, e.g. for our kids, sports, youth theatre, art, trekking (with tents, in the mountains, that one, organized by school), sailing, surfing, surf life-saving, volunteering at an animal park. So you wouldn't ever see them messing around on the (narrow, twisty, carved out of the hillside) street, but they have plenty of life involved with other people and not all depending on gadgets, and that is the norm for their age-group. It's not the spontaneous, visible, gang-of-whoever-is-around children's life you see around you where you live now, and needs more setting up on the part of the parents, but it's certainly NOT a matter of each child behind closed doors.

  6. #6
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    Oct 2014
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    Thank you dailita & JandM for your clear explanation for my queries.

  7. #7
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    May 2012
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    Hello!

    1. NZ is quiet compared to many parts of the world. I've lived in New York City, Vancouver, Sydney and (now) Auckland. Definitely the quietest of the four. And whilst Queen Street and Karangahape Road are buzzing at all hours I avoid them after 22h before of drunken nonsense. Sandringham Road and Dominion Road both have a lot of South Asian and Chinese diaspora restaurants are are lively late into Friday and Saturday night. But there's no 24/7 buzz.

    2. In Auckland kids don't seem to play in the streets at all--I've noticed that too. But sport is massive here so maybe a lot are in after school matches?

    3. 50k in Auckland would be a struggle. Especially in terms of housing.

  8. #8
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    Jun 2008
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    UK to USA to Waikato, NZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by varma View Post
    Hi Friends ,
    I am a resident visa holder and I request you to please clarify on my below concerns, which will enable me to achieve my dream of moving to NZ.

    Actually I have visited the beautiful NZ to activate my visas and during that time I have observed the below points.

    1. Social life - I am born and worked in countries where there is day and night life and I used to be busy whenever I wish, like going to shopping in nights, just roaming around in city streets which will keep me always busy mentally but in NZ the streets are empty in night, shops closed and its so silent everywhere which made me to feel bored and depressed. So, is this is the way the NZ will be or my perception is wrong.

    2. Kids life - I have observed in NZ , kids are busy with gadgets after school as the houses are independent and no much interaction with neighbors but in our country all the kids living in surrounding locations will play with each other outside in streets.

    3. Work - Is it possible to lead a reasonable life with household income of around 50,000 NZD ( No need to save as I have enough savings from my previous jobs).

    I need genuine answers because, I love very much to settle in NZ which is the dream of my life but I have to leave my great job with great pay for that.

    Also, I am not so strong hearted to face too many troubles at this point of life.

    Please share your experiences if any in this regard


    Most towns are quieter at night, I fnd kiwis tend to go to bed earlir but get up earlier(my friends do) There are bars etc open later in Hamilton or larger towns. Even Cambridge is getting more restaurants etc. NZ is what you make of it, we prefer a quieter way of life. Go to larger city if you want more of a nightlife. Comment about kids always on devices far from true. My kids do far more here than back in the US. Tons of sports and after school activities. We do more as a family on the weekends. Our kids have local friends that will bike scooter etc to see. Much safer so kids will bike a lot to each others houses.

    So please don't make a broad generalising statement, depends on where you live and how you live.

  9. #9
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    Jun 2008
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    Addding to the above reply I posted......My kids have tried soccer, hockey, judo, camping with school, clubs, scouts, youth group through church, track biking, mountain biking, drums, kapa haka, drama, bmx , swimming, horse riding..now regularly do judo, drums, kapa haka, youth group, drama.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
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    Auckland
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    Quote Originally Posted by varma View Post

    1. Social life - I am born and worked in countries where there is day and night life and I used to be busy whenever I wish, like going to shopping in nights, just roaming around in city streets which will keep me always busy mentally but in NZ the streets are empty in night, shops closed and its so silent everywhere which made me to feel bored and depressed. So, is this is the way the NZ will be or my perception is wrong.
    Social Life is more like Outdoor Life!

    Winter or Summer time, kiwis like to have time for their families and their hobbies....

    You recognize the value of your "Free Time" when you move here!

    Can be depressing at the beginning > but once you recognize how much time do you have for you and your family/friends, the only question you have is: how I used to live before?

    And we have night life, but you need to know where to go!

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