X-Pat Thread

[Sharky]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Great stuff on NZ. You've given me another country to fantasize about. (Uruguay was already on the list.) Any recommended moving-to/living-in NZ books?

No, sorry. In fact, when I noticed that problem, I actually decided to write one of my own. Might be done in 6 or 9 months.

So, where's the tech work? Software R&D (me), technical marketing or product management (wife), etc?

All of the above. Have a look on www.seek.co.nz for job listings. Also check out the current list of in-demand job titles from NZ Immigration. Tech jobs are generally more available in the big cities, though. I do some telecommuting, but it's challenging at times.

Not that I could ever convince my wife.

A vacation here is the best way to sell anyone. It's an easy place to fall in love with, once you see it for yourself.

[LazyBoy]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Sharky!

Great stuff on NZ. You've given me another country to fantasize about. (Uruguay was already on the list.) Any recommended moving-to/living-in NZ books? Do you get a commission on successful immigrations?


I've already tried the points indicator and we'd need a job offer. (I tried a similar points page for Canada several years ago and they would've let us in just with our degrees and bank balance!)


But we're not ready to retire yet, anyway. So, where's the tech work? Software R&D (me), technical marketing or product management (wife), etc?

Not that I could ever convince my wife. Well maybe the pictures of your views could. I only recently got her to consider moving across the US. (As soon as she conceded the possibility, I booked a vacation in Seattle, which is officially under consideration.) But NZ is a nice fantasy.

My fantasy list, for inconsistent reasons: Seattle, Belgium, other Europe, Hawaii, Uruguay, NZ, Canada.

[Sharky]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Okay, so I looked up Tasman Bay and lo and behold, looks like you got some NICE farmland around there. Looks like vineyards or orchards or the like on some of it.

Any idea what all they are growing and what that land is selling for nowadays? Farmland catches my eye like a good lookin' woman!

They grow a little bit of everything, I think: pipfruit (apples and pears), beer hops, grapes, berries, nuts and most types of fruit trees are popular, but they're not the only crops by any stretch. Cows and sheep are also common, along with venison deer, pigs, chickens and so on.

Prices vary quite a bit depending on what you're after. For details, have a look on www.nzfarms.co.nz. The region I live in is "Nelson & Bays." Vineyards are also available in eastern Marlborough and on the east coast of the North Island. Kiwifruit is more popular on the North Island than the South. Nelson is a good farming area in part because it gets so much sun. It also has its own port, which makes export/import easier compared to some regions.

When looking at listings, it helps to know some NZ lingo/terms and a few other things:

vendor = seller
block or section = lot
leasehold vs. freehold = some lands are owned by the crown (the NZ govt), and can only be leased
lifestyle block = house on a good-sized piece of land, typically rural or at least somewhat so
GST = Goods and Services Tax (15%); payable if the property will be used commercially or only as an investment (as opposed to as a residence)
1 hectare (ha) = 2.5 acres
current exchange rate NZ$1.00 = US$0.85 or so

Property larger than 4 ha, or that's right on the coast, or right next to a national park, generally requires you to be a permanent resident or citizen in order to buy it. Most other types of properties can be owned regardless of your residency or citizenship status.

[doom&gloom]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Okay, so I looked up Tasman Bay and lo and behold, looks like you got some NICE farmland around there. Looks like vineyards or orchards or the like on some of it.

Any idea what all they are growing and what that land is selling for nowadays? Farmland catches my eye like a good lookin' woman!

[doom&gloom]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

No son, tis a nice life!

I so want to be there after looking at those.... *sigh*

[BadJuju]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Tis good pictures!

[Sharky]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Stunning, Sharky. I'm happy for you. May I ask what instrument is on your table?

Good eye! That's a ukulele. My wife plays and is in a small group with some friends -- very popular here.

Funny how people often pick up on stuff like that....

I didn't intend to turn this into a photo thread, but since the first one was well-received, here are a few more, taken from out on the deck.

tasman-bay-hualashore-the-cut-800x530.jpg

bay-rainbow.jpg

new-years-sunset-800x528.jpg

On the other side of Tasman Bay, about an hour's drive from here, is Abel Tasman National Park -- a wonderful area for photography.

[shiny!]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Stunning, Sharky. I'm happy for you. May I ask what instrument is on your table?

[swgprop]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

If you're asking me, the answer is both. I'm self-employed; I work when I want to, and only on projects I'm interested in.

BTW, here's a photo of the view from my living room:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4679[/ATTACH]

Gorgeous Sharky. Drops my blood pressure just looking at the picture!

[doom&gloom]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

If you're asking me, the answer is both. I'm self-employed; I work when I want to, and only on projects I'm interested in.

BTW, here's a photo of the view from my living room:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]4679[/ATTACH]

Missus D&G will be down next month to enjoy your Kiwi hospitality .... and we may never leave!

[BadJuju]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

That's lovely.

How many slave Hobbits did it take to build it!?

[Sharky]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Are you working, or have you retired?

If you're asking me, the answer is both. I'm self-employed; I work when I want to, and only on projects I'm interested in.

BTW, here's a photo of the view from my living room:

DSC_5214_denoise_crop.jpg

[doom&gloom]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Are you working, or have you retired?

[BadJuju]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Ah, thanks for the information! I have no intention of emigrating, though. It doesn't really strike me as much of an improvement over the USA. And I don't have the money for it. Just cool to see I am wanted.

I would love to move to Canada, though.

[dlaw52]

Re: Ex-Pat Thread

Looks like electrical workers are in very high demand there! I could maybe get in.

Before you apply to immigrate I would check to see what the wages for trades people in NZ are today. I lived there for 3 1/2 years starting in 1982 and as a young plumber, pipe fitter, gas fitter I found it tough. There was no problem getting a job due to trades shortages as people with a trade were being siphoned off to Australia due to the huge wage differential between the 2 countries but the wage I was receiving at the time was less than half what I had been making when I left Canada. I agree with all said here about NZ being a great place to live if you are planning to go there to retire but if you are young and starting out I found that the low wages combined with the high prices for things that one would need to start a family (housing, auto, fuel) were onerous. After my time there I exhausted my savings and decided to move back to Canada which is also a great place to live and where a working person is far better off financially.