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think what you disliked before moving

Wellington is very picturesque however very windy you need to pick your place to live very carefully we bought a house backed onto a reserve and only managed to sit out twice all summer, its also miles from other places  think carefully before you jump

You might want to check out:

I have been here for 2.5 years, and I am treated like "filth" by the women (who hate foreign men) and by the employers ("too over qualified" / "you are a foreigner - we don't hire foreigners" / "you are an American - we would NEVER hire an American" - this from the government).

There is a HUGE underground of "trapped" foreign skilled migrants that are frozen out of their fields because they have committed the "sin" of knowing how to do their job.

No one will talk here - Kiwis HATE the truth, especially when it makes them look bad.  And foreigners know that Kiwis are VERY vindictive. 

Kiwis would rather hide problems then fix them. It helps to think of Kiwis as VERY small children without adult supervision.  They have no conception that their actions have consequences.  They fear anything that is "new or different."  And "fear" quickly becomes "hate."

There are only 4.5 native Kiwis in the world - more then one million Kiwis have already fled their own country.  As far as I can tell, they were the "doers", the "thinkers", the "professionals".  They were the "adults."

And every year more then 100,000 additional Kiwis flee New Zealand.  As a result, New Zealand is a Third World Country, and is falling behind fast.

Sadly, it is very easy to tell when a Kiwi is lying: "their lips are moving."

Come to New Zealand for a visit first, and talk to as many recruiters as you can (you have to do this face-to-face, because they will lie to you otherwise), and ask them some basic questions:

1) What is "The Tall Poppy Syndrome?"
2) What does it mean when a Kiwi tells me that I am "too over qualified?"
3) Why are all the Taxi drivers black?

I have been struggling as to how to cope with the prejustice, racism, and bigotry here in New Zealand, and have finally started a consulting business designed to prepare foreign people and companies for the realities of the "quality of life" offer by New Zealand.

It is possible to live happily in New Zealand, but you MUST know the truth first - because you cannot base your new life on the "lies" told by the New Zealand government, corporations, and recruiters.

I wish you well, and good luck.

Dead In New Zealand.

Deadinnewzealand- You're having a hard time of it by the look of things. In my experience, the average New Zealander is a lot more welcoming than Londoners. I have never tried getting a job in North America as a non-American but I have no doubt it would be as difficult if not worse than in NZ/UK.

As to being 'too over qualified', well, isn't it obvious, that means 'I am dead jealous of what you have done with your life while I was sitting on the sofa watching Shortland Street and therefore I will not put your cv forward because you might get a better job than mine'. The solution to that is to bypass the recruiter. Employers rarely think you are too overqualified; they think you are a bargain!  Recruiters become the way to go if you are desperate for a job and therefore they think they can treat you like a disposable commodity.

But, yes, you are right, it can be tough settling in here. The country is small and far from any other country. Finding a good job requires networking, but that's inherent to it being a small country, not to NZer being mean and nasty.
Like any country, people have their own habits and their own way of doing things. Good or bad. But, in my experience, life here is not remotely as bad as some of the other countries I have lived in (Italy being one), and I have encountered less bigotry, racism and prejudice here than in London, despite being a foreign too overqualified professional.

As for sitting out in your garden twice over the whole summer, I don't seem to have experienced the same problem, so maybe your suburb has its own microclimate, or is it mine that has the microclimate?


PS: I can understand that for political reasons, one would not want to employ Americans in NZ government jobs. Most governments will not employ any non-national. I don't think my government would employ any non-EU citizen actually. It would surprise me if it was any different in the USA. It makes a lot of sense considering the sensitive nature of some of the data one might have access to through a government job.
Don't get me wrong, I am not denying that you have had a bad experience, or been treated unfairly, but some of the examples you are using seem to be inappropriate for generalisation.

Deadinnewzealand's experiences are pretty common amongst migrants. Many people feel like him and think that 'it's just them' but there's lots of them out there.

There's a lot of over qualified people driving taxis in New Zealand and you have to wonder why.

Hi Betsy09

I too am Irish and am married to a Kiwi. I just moved down here permanently about 5 months ago. Hubby came down first about year ago he was offered a job and decided to take it - i wasn't ready for move at that time and told him if it doesn't work out at least you can always come back. But it did work out - he loves it here, He's like a new man and never whinges about his job ever !!! Unlike in Ireland where it was a constant barage of how awful the place he was working in was.
He extremely happy and I'm getting there. It does take a while to settle in - but it has only been 5 months. in that time i have gotten my work permit quite easily and can start looking - but that is proving to be a bit hard as I am from a very specialised background - but i'm willing to try anything!! I have made friends here through contacting people thru different blog sites and through volunteer New Zealand.
People can be abrupt sometimes _ i found this to be in the Kiwi nature for some people not all and they probably oblivious to the fact that they are being that way.(a kiwi nurse I met in her 60's advised me of this) you do get used to that and not take it personally. And dont expect replies to every job you apply for either. Soemtimes you will hear nothing back at all. not a reflection of you or the fact that you are a foreigner it happens to everyone even the kiwis themselves.
In saying all of this we have decided to make it our home down here.
I have been very proactive in having a nice life here and you can. Wellington is a great city - yes the wind is a B***h some days but there are great days to make up for it. I live in a very windy area (actually everyone does you can't escape it really) But the sunny days are fab, there are los of outdoor stuff to do over the summer, free gigs in the botanic gardens every suburb must have their own wee festivals which are all brilliant and really well attended. Even just heading down the hill on a sunday morning to the veggie market is fun.
For those wet crappy days there is Te Papa - the museum.
And there are always people like me around - in same boat as yerself and always ready for a coffee or that essential glass of wine. By the way the coffee is outstanding here.
I lived in Sydney for 6 years and then moved back to ireland for 4 and here I am now and Im not going anywhere else.
Wellington by everyone's account is a much better, easier accessible city than Auckland. Smaller but with a great community atmosphere. you can get to the airport in no time at all to get away for a weekend if you want and it is bliss compared to dealing with Dublin airport.
It all comes with time and facing fears and getting on with life. Come on down - the weather is great at the minute but it could be S**t tomorrow - it certainly beats the Irish summer i have had for the past 3 years.
And again as for the weather thing we're Irish and have putup with alot shittier weather than what Wellington can throw at you. My only other word of advise is Dont wear lip gloss coz the wind will blow your hair into it and it will be stuck  there! : )

Betsy09 you may find it helps to talk with people who have lived in Wellington for a bit longer, you'll probably know from your own experience of living in Auckland that once the initial "honeymoon period" is over the way you feel about a place can change a lot. The reasons why you disliked Auckland may be just as valid in Wellington.

It can place a lot of stress on a relationship when partner loves a country and the other one isn't too keen on it.

Besty, I moved here in 2004, spent the first 10 months travelling and living out the back of an 89 Lancer. I spent 4-5 of those 10 months based out of Wellington living a frugal and inebriated existence, which for the time was great. After travelling I moved with my ex partner to Auckland. Auckland is renowned as not being liked by anyone except for Aucklanders. It took the guts of three years there for me to find my niche but when I did it was too late because I had already enrolled at Vic Uni in Wellington. I've been down here since 2008, and even though I had a really tough year last year after breaking my jaw and suffering from PCS because of that I still wouldn't move back to Auckland, niche or no niche, unless I really had to.

Wellington is about as close to a classical European City as you are going to get in Oceania. Everything is central, itÂ’s a harbour city, packed with beautiful coastlines, and itÂ’s the best, if not the only place in the country to get a decent coffee and has a night life second to none. There is no place like Wellington on a sunny day... therein lies the problem, sunny days can be few and far between, and with the New Zealand housing predominantly featuring a lack of decent insulation cold and wet weather days can get you down, especially when a southerly blows thru your bones.


As for the employment myth, itÂ’s mostly our antipodal superiority complex. I genuinely found it hard to find decent work in New Zealand and struggled with the term New Zealand experience, which seems to be a local idiom for go on and get flaked and go home. But it isn't, I became proactive about the way I applied for jobs and took an employment course and learned interview skills and how to convince kiwi's that I was every bit as capable as anyone else when it came to work. A key phrase to remember is that although you lack in New Zealand experience you have worked in a very competitive and fast passed employment environment and you firmly believe that your skills are transferable.

Pros:

Wellington is a highly cultured and beautiful city, packed with great restaurants, cafes and night spots. It has amazing vistas and even a few great beaches. Most of the people that live here as easy to get along with and itÂ’s not as much of a closed shop as it is in Auckland. ItÂ’s easy to live an active and healthy life in Wellington, traffic can be bad but it has a much better transport system then Auckland does.

Cons:

When you consider that you have moved roughly 1300KM to live in a pacific paradise and you watch the weather on the news every night only to see that itÂ’s going to rain and gale again, it can get you down a bit. The other thing that gets me here is that it has been years since I have read an adequately written piece of news, the media here is shocking and tends to make news rather than report it. There can be some crime in Wellington, but in my experience working in the Courts, its mostly low level violence related to alcohol and you are more likely to be robed by someone you know than a complete stranger. I'm sure you are a better judge of character then some, so this wonÂ’t affect you. The other con, whihc you may remeber from your last stay in NZ is that the cost of emmigrating can build up, my advice is to complete all the forms your self and stay away from an immigration consultant, as all they really do is fill out forms and join that que the same as you would. I think that with all my supplementary Visa's, permits, medicals, and Permenant Residency applications all up it cost about $NZ6000. Which translates to about 2000 sterling and that is a lot of coin. It would have cost even more had I gone with a consultant. I have heard that some have paid between 10 to 12,000 NZ.

If you were to seek my advice, I would tell you that instead of committing yourself whole heartedly in to a big move before you have given it enough consideration take sabbatical from your work for 6 months, spend about two months travelling and 4 months in Wellington. We have a really supportive Irish Society who have all made the same move as you and know itÂ’s a big thing to be a long way away from home. If you like it, call work in London and play them down the phone, you can take your job and shove it, if you don't go back to the drawing board, maybe give Aussie a nudge


The worst outcome is that you get some life experience. New Zealand isn't heaven, but heaven probably doesn't exist, so go on and enjoy yourself

I have read through the above blogs and agree with all those about Wellington. I have lived in the Hutt Valley in Wellington for two years, and love it. But with that said there are some very important points to consider.

1. Both your partner and yourself must want to move. I have seen so many problems with married couples who move over and only one was committed. This usually ends in divorce or with the couple returning after spending an obscene amount of cash on the move.

2. Depending on what you do, work can be easy or hard to get. I am in the medical industry and found it very easy to get work. My wife, however, is a PA and damn good at her job, but has had a really hard time getting a job. There are always hundreds of applicants for non-professional jobs and it can take a very long time to secure a position.

3. A majority of houses are poorly insulated, and if you are renting will need to fork out a minimum of $450.00 a week for a house with good insulation. Otherwise winters can get quite cold and you end up burning a ton of wood in wood burners.

On the positive side: I absolutely love Wellington and the people. There is a great night life and tons of activities for the kids.

Wellington air is clear and without pollution, and the first thing you will notice when coming from the UK is the sharp blue sky on a clear day. Yup...No haze like in the UK.

When did you live in the UK Artaz?

You mentioned clean air in NZ but in the winter pollution can be very bad, some places regularly fail air quality standards due to all the wood that's burned.

I am a New Zealander now living in Thailand. Have just read some of the comments on here. And before anyone gets smart. Yes I love New Zealand. But decided that there is another world outside NZ and decided to go and look.There is some the remarks true and some are not. Do your home work before you go to another country and should you decide to go with an open mind.Get out of the big cities and meet the people in the country. I would not even think about telling Thai people how we do it in NZ unless they ask. Don't do it in NZ either.Majority of NZ'ers have a big heart. If you are not prepared to fit into the culture of another country stay where you are. You are the guest not the country. One day I may return to NZ to live. I will certainly go back for visits. Life is what you make it. If I can help anyone re NZ please call me.

Hi
We moved to Wellington from the UK just over a year ago. I have no regrets. Kiwis are really friendly and welcoming - far more so than in the UK. My husband was offered a job here before we moved but I am about to go back to work as a teacher and have had no problems getting help and advice from local schools.

Winters are chilly and what other people have said about the housing is true. It can be cold and damp and you need to pay for a dry warm house. The cost of living is not that different from in the UK really but the lifestyle is so much better.

Wellington is windy but beautiful and just the right size. There is enough in the city to make you feel you are not missing out on the culture and urban lifestyle - but small enough to be non threatening and easily negotiable. If you work in the city it is great in the summer to be able to sit on the waterfront, go for a swim or just sit on the beach in your lunch hour.

Anyway - I think its great.

Hi Lavenderbongo.

Would you describe yourself as still being in the 'honeymoon' phase and will your opinions change after you've rejoined the workforce?

Are you still subsidising your lifestyle with savings?

Do you have children and is your partner a Kiwi?

Hi Pandoral

I dont think we are in the honeymoon phase anymore - we really want to stay permenantly now. However the only thing that could change that is if anything dramatic happens to the family back home in the UK. I still really miss them but the opportunities and lifestyle over here make it worth it.

My husband (also from the UK) has a permenant job here and hopefully I can go back to work soon. I have made friends here who currently work in the area I will be returning too so I have a good idea of what it will be like and I think I can fit in. We don't have to subsidise our lifestyle with savings yet as we effectively earn what we did in the UK. The only problem is the cost of flights to the UK.

We have two children one school age and one at kindergarten. Both love it out here. It is a great place to raise children.

I dont think you can move to New Zealand in order to be wealthy. It just will not happen! Its a great place for work life balance and lifestyle.

Great reply, hope it works out for you. Good luck with the job when it happens.

Hi all,

I have read the replies from the forum and am really in two minds as to if I should move or not.
I am a primary school teacher from Durham in the UK and am really considering a years move to Wellington, but I do have so many questions and am in need of some helpful advice!

Any advice offered would be gratefully recieved!

This is interesting to read. We actually turned down a job and relocation here when we did some research on the place last year. I realized that my line of work doesn't exist here and that the size of the city would greatly limit any opportunities and my husband was worried the salaries were too low. We read through a ton of blogs. The happiest expats seemed to be the retirees and the most miserable were the young professionals. That's how we made our choice and I think it was a good one.

I find the happiest immigrants here are the younger ones.  They still have the health and the fitness to be able to go out after a days work.

We, in our mid 50's, moved here two years ago for the supposed 'lifestyle'.

We work longer hours and have less holidays for a lot less pay - and we are health professionals.  Unfortunately for us, we are not into 'sport' and we don't drink so are outcasts amongst our colleagues.

Lifestyle??? What lifestyle???  Too knackered, our health is down the tubes, and now too poor to afford one.

Still - at least the weather is better for our old aching bones.

May I ask why you disliked Auckland so much? I am in search for insight from New Zealand locals or previous residents.