Australia vs New Zealand

[Hardy]

Hi guys,

Looking for advice here please. I am in two minds - For the past 10+ years wanted to go to OZ, but due to the price increase in Visa applications, I am now considering New Zealand too.

I admit that New Zealand would be second choice, but the visa process just looks so much easier and cheaper too!

Could someone that has been to both, please give me an idea of what the differences are between the two countries, ie weather, cost of living, outdoor lifestyle, etc, etc as I have never been to either, but I have this idea in my head that Oz would be all sunshine and lollipops and creepy crawlies and New Zealand would be more cold , wet and harder to find jobs and make your $$ stretch .

I am so confused, I want to cry!

All advise and comments greatly appreciated

[Bams]

Hi Hardy

Contact PrissyMissy via a PM, she will be able to give you tons of actual facts and information. They have been in NZ for the past number of years and recently moved to Oz so she has first hand experience.

Good luck.

[Pertheption]

I haven't been to either but I do know that unless you have a job offer for New Zealand, it's actually easier to get into Australia. That was my experience anyway.

[Sa2Nz2Oz]

I lived and worked in NZ and then came here.

Weather - NZ - generally cold especially down south, Wellington where I lived cold and windy, do have some good days but the you really appreciate it, in Auckland generally warmer and sometimes humidity gets up but also can have 4 seasons in one day. Australia - depends where you are, up here in Queensland it is pretty good sunshine, down south can get wetter in winter.

Work - depends again what you do, Aus has bigger economy but also depends what you do. There has been and still lots of Kiwis coming to Aus for better work.

Cost of living - some things in NZ were cheaper, found electricity more expensive but that was in pre 2008, cars cheaper in NZ as you can buy japanese used imports, some housing more expensive in NZ.

Outdoor lifestyle - again weather permitting, great tramping areas and I would say better scenery, Ski in winters and had some great camping holidays aswell.

Rugby - NZ plays rugby, Australia play AFL or NRL the Rugby

Otherwise I would say very similar cultures to Aussies and if you cannot get into Aus then NZ I would suggest.

PM me if you want to know more

[sianvz]

I am sure NZ is lovely and it is certainly on my travel bucket list, but I have heard of more people moving from NZ to Aus than the other way around. Apparently the salaries and benefits etc are much better in Aus and because it's a much bigger country, the opportunities are better I feel.

I agree that it is easier to get into Australia, the points system is balanced and a recognised qualification, good English and relevant work experience is enough. Whereas NZ points system gives an enormous amount of points for secured employment, which is not always easy to get before you go, and most people don't meet the points required without the points for employment. Then you end up having to go over on a tourist visa and try and find a job, then swap to working visa when you get a job then apply for permanent residency after that. Very few people meet the points requirement for NZ.

I know the costs after 1st July are a real dent in the pocket, but I reckon it's worth every cent and it shouldn't be reason for doubt as to whether you should go to Aus or NZ.

[21yearsoutofrsa]

http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/39953-nz-any-advice-or-information/

http://www.saaustralia.org/index.php/topic/39881-why-easier-from-nz-to-oz/

For some comments made in the past

Edited June 21, 2013 by 16yearsoutofrsa

[Dieter7]

Hi

We moved to Sydney from NZ last year. We were in NZ for about 7 years before the move. Salaries are much better here, we can afford doing more things here than what we did in NZ. If you are afrikaans and would like to hear more afrikaans on the streets, NZ Auckland (North shore) is the place to be. This might be because, the number of South Africans are higher in a smaller area. I feel NZ is overall friendlier than OZ, I am sure a lot of people will disagree.

Service in NZ are way better in NZ than in Sydney, things get done a lot faster there. eg. Setting up a telephone and broadband service took about just over 48 hours in NZ. Here it took almost two weeks. Then the fees here are also a lot higher.

We have a lot more dinners outside on the deck than what we had in NZ. Oz do have more sunshine but NZ can get very hot in the summer.

My suggestion is if you are planning to move to OZ in the future then do it now, you will not be better of going to NZ first. But if you want to take the scenic route, I think it is worth it.

I do not regret going to NZ first but I do regret not coming to OZ sooner. NZ is a beautiful country.

Hope this help

Good luck

[Hardy]

Thanks guys!

[TQO]

We have also looked at NZ as an option, and if I may hijack your thread Hardy, I'd like to ask a few question relevant to our situation:

1. my hubby is 43 so tick tock in terms of losing the last few points available for age;

2. finances are min and most of our money is tied up in assets, and a house that we can't sell till the market picks up as we still have a high bond;

3. hubby struggled with the IELTS and achieved an overall score of 5, so ....

(FYI, he is a qualified artisan - trade is Boilermaker - Coded Welder known as Metal Fabricator and First Class Welder in Aus)

Yes, we can keep at the IELTS and flog it to death until we reach the 7 for a 489 temp visa or an 8-score for the 190 visa, or keep job hunting in the hope that we land a sponsor for the only visa we qualify for at present - the 457, or ... opt to start in NZ and work our way back to OZ.

Your thoughts good and bad please ...

[Mara]

We spent 3,5 years in Auckland NZ, before hubby was head hunted and we moved to Melbourne. We loved NZ, and we plan to retire there one day. With regard to cost, I guess it depends where you go in NZ, in Auckland housing can be pretty expensive, but cars are cheap. Life can be great, especially if you come from a smallish place and are used to a country lifestyle. I think if you came from a place like Jhb, the pace would be way to slow for you.

The rain in winter can sometimes get you down, but overall I had no problem with their winters. What I really love about the place, no snakes or poisonous creepy crawlies.

[Jcleroux]

Hi. My experience is it took 18 months of rollercoaster ride with A New Zealand application only to be declined. Took 5 months to get approved in Australia . Both times I used an agent .

Good luck with your decision . I was very sad not to get into New Zealand , but very happy that Australia accepted us.

[21yearsoutofrsa]

We have also looked at NZ as an option, and if I may hijack your thread Hardy, I'd like to ask a few question relevant to our situation:

1. my hubby is 43 so tick tock in terms of losing the last few points available for age;

NZ also has age as part of its application process, so the clock is ticking for both countries. NZ has a cut off of 55 years though.

2. finances are min and most of our money is tied up in assets, and a house that we can't sell till the market picks up as we still have a high bond;

This would be as much of a problem for NZ as Australia. NZ is not a cheap country.

3. hubby struggled with the IELTS and achieved an overall score of 5, so ....

NZ also require competence in English, but have a different process for valuating competence. In my opinion not as strict as Australia.

(FYI, he is a qualified artisan - trade is Boilermaker - Coded Welder known as Metal Fabricator and First Class Welder in Aus)

NZ uses a similar evaluation system as Australia for trade competency. If your husband is in demand in Australia he will probably be in demand in NZ, unless his trade is very mining biased. I presume you've considered your own trade as a basis for immigration, your English is very good?

The NZ points system gives a lot of points for having a job in NZ. It's not a requirement but if you have a job yo have 33% of the points required for a successful EOI. My personal opinion is that it is easier to qualify for NZ immigration than Australia.

Yes, we can keep at the IELTS and flog it to death until we reach the 7 for a 489 temp visa or an 8-score for the 190 visa, or keep job hunting in the hope that we land a sponsor for the only visa we qualify for at present - the 457, or ... opt to start in NZ and work our way back to OZ.

Your thoughts good and bad please ...

NZ is a great country to live in. If my wife could get the same type of salary as she gets in Australia in NZ we would be living there without question. But 3 times is hard to beat. My salary would be the same no mater were we live.

You have to have lived with PR for 5 years in NZ to qualify to become a NZ citizen.

If I were you I would join http://www.sagoingtonz.co.nz a forum similar to this and visit http://www.immigration.govt.nz/ for more info. The NZ gov is very strict about giving advice when it comes to immigration and a number of forums similar to saaustralia have been closed because they go to far, so expect less openness.

Be aware that a NZ'er in Australia is not like been an Australian citizen. To my mind a NZ'er in Australia has more rights than a 457'er but less than someone with PR, other than the easier entry requirements. When you apply for NZ citizenship you actually make a commitment to stay in NZ, something that is impossible to police. I don't know if it is an issue for you but family reunification is simpler and much much cheaper in NZ.

I have made quite a few comments on NZ before, they are included in an earlier post of mine in this thread.

Edited August 2, 2013 by 17yearsoutofrsa

[PinkPanther]

. The NZ gov is very strict about giving advice when it comes to immigration and a number of forums similar to saaustralia have been closed because they go to far, so expect less openness.

Interesting, I wonder why.

I'm surprised nobody said anything about the earthquakes in NZ that Oz doesn't have?

[21yearsoutofrsa]

Interesting, I wonder why.

I'm surprised nobody said anything about the earthquakes in NZ that Oz doesn't have?

Too many people given poor advice and subsequently rejected. Only licensed advisers (and some other people, but very restricted) can give immigration advise in NZ. There is no problem in pointing people in the right direction by referencing the gov site. There are a lot of parts to the immigration process, so giving advice as to how to get a birth certificate is fine, as this is not unique to NZ immigration, but stating that someone would be better off going on a WTR vs PR would be advice and could result in a prosecution if someone where to complain.

NZ certainly has earthquakes, but not droughts like Australia (if you're looking for a comeback) NZ and Australia are two very different countries. NZ is much younger in physical terms and human occupation terms than Australia. It has a completely different weather pattern, plays better rugby, but worse cricket. The relationship between NZ and Australia I describe as "competing cousins", lots of rivalry but the first to help.

I always say if you're looking for sun and beaches go to Australia. Rivers, lakes and mountains then NZ. If history and culture are your thing head for the UK.

[TQO]

Many thanks for all your feedback ....

We are just looking at alternative's and weighing up all the options available to us, in the event that something shouldn't work out.

Being in my early 30's and not one for routine, I am happy to camp, move, relocate and adjust every fortnight, but with hubby fast approaching 44 I have convinced him that it is probably our best bet to just crack on with the Aus application and get there first and foremost and get settled. Starting over when approaching 50 cannot be an easy pill to swallow, so the easier and quicker the transition, the better. If age wasn't an issue, I think starting out in NZ would be a fantastic opportunity.

We can always tour NZ on a holiday though ...

16years to answer some of your queries:

- I unfortunately don't qualify for much of anything in this process, save being the job hunter and paper pusher

I don't have any qualifications, only experience, which counts for naught just about everywhere these days, so hubby is only the applicant unfortunately.

- hubby has both mining (De Beers) and general fabrication skills and experience, so although his trade is not mining based, he can work on the mines, but that is not our target.

- I perused the NZ forum and found it interesting to say the least. It is more of a negative blog site than anything else, with forumites describing their "escape from NZ hell", much like the Saffer's describe getting out of RSA - it was quite a shock to read some of the posts as I have always envisioned NZ being an amazing beautiful and friendly place - based mostly on internet and television exposure as I personally have never been there.

- In a nutshell I think if we don't secure high IELTS scores and don't obtain a work sponsor, we would consider NZ for sure, but for now we are just going to keep at the IELTS and job hunting and hope for the best!

Thanks again for all your great feedback.