07-01-2006, 07:05 PM
My personal views on moving to NZ and Oz!!!
New Zealand would be my first choice if I was not looking at things very practically. In general I liked the Kiwis very much, and NZ to me is the most beautiful country in the World I have visited (not including Africa). I have visited or lived and worked in over 50 countries around the World (every continent except South America, when I make this statement).
Down side one is the similar weather, day/night conditions we have here in Europe. Which if I have a choice on my next move, I would like to consider better weather.
Down side two with both NZ and Australia, is that they are so far away from everywhere except Asia.
When I was in NZ in 1999, the economy was not the best and employment was not that easy. Hence many Kiwis work in Oz or somewhere on the Pacific Islands. When doing some enquiries about the economy this year, it seems to have improved, growing and stable.
In the first two years of living in NZ, you could experience a sceptical attitude from the Kiwis. This being that many Saffers who cannot get directly into Oz, use NZ citizenship only as their stepping stone for getting to Oz. They despise those that that are just there for their passports. So needless to say they are waiting to see what you do after you get your citizenship, before they accept you 100%.
If I was NOT going to let the weather influence my decision, I would live in Christchurch on the South Island yesterday.
Australia: I have recently returned from a month visit there. Have two brothers who live there in North Sydney, and have visited a few times previously. A brother living in London and hoping to move to Brisbane. Although he has a franchise offer in Darwin, and SIL has a great job offer in Carnes (she specializes in teaching children with dyslexia.
Which makes me believe, that is your city/area of choice actually, not more influenced by where you can get a good job within your field/qualification?
Question about finding work? I believe one can always find a job anywhere in the World, if you really want to work. I worked for Spur Steak Ranches for many years in SA. When I decided I wanted to live in Edinburgh, my first job was cleaning toilets and showers/bathrooms. That filled the gap until I got a proper job (job I was qualified for and paid rather differently) working for Scottish and New Castle Breweries.
So work in my books, is always there if one is prepared to bend one's back and dirty one's hands.
Australia is massive as we all know, and therefore offers every type of weather condition environment to suit all. My advice is to take a map and run the same latitude line from where you live/ed in Southern Africa across to Australia. Now look at the cities it crosses, if you would like to compare a place that should suit your weather preference. E.g. the line from Cape Town runs through Perth, Adelaide and Sydney basically. So if you take a city like Melbourne that is a bit more south, realize colder and shorter days than in CT.
Adelaide, to me is like the Bloemfontein of South Africa. Lovely, but behind the rest of the country and also a bit out of touch with other cities (although nothing compared to Perth when you talk about out of touch). Yes it does have quiet a bit of German influence in certain towns (which I love). I also know two families that went there first, as the State helps you in a big way. So for those with not enough points etc and need help, it is a great stepping stone to your citizenship. Tasmania also offers similar help, but I would rather go to South Australia.
They calculate on a % staying there, once their two year (I think it is 2 years) agreement period is up. Of the two families I know, one still lives there and the other moved to Melbourne. A teacher I knew who went to Hobart on that help program, strangely enough now lives in Adelaide (as her Oz husband is from there).
Any new countries, like NZ, Australia, SA or USA that are mostly made up of ex-European immigrants. All have very little exclusive culture, but a mixture of things they adopted. The biggest culture (unfortunately) is the Americanization of the world, which comes through TV, movies, teen clothing culture, fast food and and..... So culture is a very debateable word to be used when referring to a New World country (500/300 years old), in my opinion.
I prefer to use the wording "Our Southern Hemisphere Lifestyle", that we all love and miss sooooo much. Yes, our lifestyle from Southern Africa is very similar to the lifestyle in NZ and Australia. That is why so many do or would like to settle there. As it is the easiest adaption, and a better/similar lifestyle for our children to grow up in.
Sydney and Melbourne are both lovely cities, but again both too big for my liking. I would choose to live 100km south or north of Sydney on the coast if I had the choice one day.
I hope some of my personal views here, will help you with some decisions and feel more secure in your decision to move to Australia. Australia is always my first country of choice, (and for most South Africans) when I am asked for an opinion on where they/one should move to if they could choose.
But for me right now, I have NO intention of leaving Germany and love living in Western Europe.
:luck:
New Zealand would be my first choice if I was not looking at things very practically. In general I liked the Kiwis very much, and NZ to me is the most beautiful country in the World I have visited (not including Africa). I have visited or lived and worked in over 50 countries around the World (every continent except South America, when I make this statement).
Down side one is the similar weather, day/night conditions we have here in Europe. Which if I have a choice on my next move, I would like to consider better weather.
Down side two with both NZ and Australia, is that they are so far away from everywhere except Asia.
When I was in NZ in 1999, the economy was not the best and employment was not that easy. Hence many Kiwis work in Oz or somewhere on the Pacific Islands. When doing some enquiries about the economy this year, it seems to have improved, growing and stable.
In the first two years of living in NZ, you could experience a sceptical attitude from the Kiwis. This being that many Saffers who cannot get directly into Oz, use NZ citizenship only as their stepping stone for getting to Oz. They despise those that that are just there for their passports. So needless to say they are waiting to see what you do after you get your citizenship, before they accept you 100%.
If I was NOT going to let the weather influence my decision, I would live in Christchurch on the South Island yesterday.
Australia: I have recently returned from a month visit there. Have two brothers who live there in North Sydney, and have visited a few times previously. A brother living in London and hoping to move to Brisbane. Although he has a franchise offer in Darwin, and SIL has a great job offer in Carnes (she specializes in teaching children with dyslexia.
Which makes me believe, that is your city/area of choice actually, not more influenced by where you can get a good job within your field/qualification?
Question about finding work? I believe one can always find a job anywhere in the World, if you really want to work. I worked for Spur Steak Ranches for many years in SA. When I decided I wanted to live in Edinburgh, my first job was cleaning toilets and showers/bathrooms. That filled the gap until I got a proper job (job I was qualified for and paid rather differently) working for Scottish and New Castle Breweries.
So work in my books, is always there if one is prepared to bend one's back and dirty one's hands.
Australia is massive as we all know, and therefore offers every type of weather condition environment to suit all. My advice is to take a map and run the same latitude line from where you live/ed in Southern Africa across to Australia. Now look at the cities it crosses, if you would like to compare a place that should suit your weather preference. E.g. the line from Cape Town runs through Perth, Adelaide and Sydney basically. So if you take a city like Melbourne that is a bit more south, realize colder and shorter days than in CT.
Adelaide, to me is like the Bloemfontein of South Africa. Lovely, but behind the rest of the country and also a bit out of touch with other cities (although nothing compared to Perth when you talk about out of touch). Yes it does have quiet a bit of German influence in certain towns (which I love). I also know two families that went there first, as the State helps you in a big way. So for those with not enough points etc and need help, it is a great stepping stone to your citizenship. Tasmania also offers similar help, but I would rather go to South Australia.
They calculate on a % staying there, once their two year (I think it is 2 years) agreement period is up. Of the two families I know, one still lives there and the other moved to Melbourne. A teacher I knew who went to Hobart on that help program, strangely enough now lives in Adelaide (as her Oz husband is from there).
Any new countries, like NZ, Australia, SA or USA that are mostly made up of ex-European immigrants. All have very little exclusive culture, but a mixture of things they adopted. The biggest culture (unfortunately) is the Americanization of the world, which comes through TV, movies, teen clothing culture, fast food and and..... So culture is a very debateable word to be used when referring to a New World country (500/300 years old), in my opinion.
I prefer to use the wording "Our Southern Hemisphere Lifestyle", that we all love and miss sooooo much. Yes, our lifestyle from Southern Africa is very similar to the lifestyle in NZ and Australia. That is why so many do or would like to settle there. As it is the easiest adaption, and a better/similar lifestyle for our children to grow up in.
Sydney and Melbourne are both lovely cities, but again both too big for my liking. I would choose to live 100km south or north of Sydney on the coast if I had the choice one day.
I hope some of my personal views here, will help you with some decisions and feel more secure in your decision to move to Australia. Australia is always my first country of choice, (and for most South Africans) when I am asked for an opinion on where they/one should move to if they could choose.
But for me right now, I have NO intention of leaving Germany and love living in Western Europe.
:luck:
)