A Very Green And Pleasant Land Eager for a fresh start, the Bird family left Norfolk and relocated to Mt Pleasant in Christchurch, New Zealand. This Meet The Movers Names: Jackie and Pete Bird (both 36), plus sons Charlie (6) and Freddie (2) Occupations: Jackie was a social worker in the UK and now occasionally works in childcare. Pete is a geotechnical engineer. Moved from: Rural Norfolk, England Moved to: Mount Pleasant, Christchurch, New Zealand Migration agent: Self-immigration through www.immigration.govt.nz
The Bird family had never been to New Zealand before, but set their hearts on a new life in the Land of the Long White Cloud. With two young sons, they were keen to try a fresh direction, and were attracted to New Zealand because of the perception of the country as a very safe environment to bring up children. Pete got a job in the same line of work, as a geotechnical engineer; and his employer sponsored the family in their visa application.Q: Was it easy to emigrate?
Jackie: Yes and no. Our preparations included selling our house in Norfolk, having medicals and sorting out the visa applications. We didn’t use a migration agent but Pete’s new employer made things easier: it only took one week for our application to be processed, although with police checks and medicals it took 10 weeks to complete. The applications for our work to residence visas were fast-tracked as Pete’s new company was an accredited employer with NZIS. Our costs were £10,000, which were paid for partly by us and partly by Pete’s employer. We also had help from a relocation agency, On Arrival, when we landed in NZ, arranged by the employer.
Q: What happened when you arrived in NZ?
J: We landed on 10 February 2006, and to start with it was pretty stressful – we had to sell the house before we left and were in temporary accommodation over Christmas. We stayed in a motel for two weeks while we looked for somewhere to live: this was like a holiday as Pete hadn’t started work, the weather was very good and we had plenty of days out with the children. Finding a home and a school for Charlie wasn’t difficult with the help of our relocation worker, and we found a house to rent in Mount Pleasant where the view never ceases to be inspiring.
Q: What made you choose Mount Pleasant?
J: The fantastic views, plus it’s such a nice area and has a good school. It’s a middle to upper-class residential area with detached hillside villas. Professional families and retired people live here, including a relatively high expat community; there are shops of all kinds, restaurants, bars and takeaways within a mile.
Q: What’s your house like?
J: A three-bedroom 1970s villa on the hillside. It’s very spacious with great views of the estuary, sea and mountains. The property market is overvalued and fairly static at the moment; buying costs around the same as renting. House prices are very strongly related to which suburbs you live in. We’ve just bought a house in Amberley, a 40-minute commute from Christchurch, which feels good and is helping us feel more settled and part of NZ life. The property is 30 minutes out of Christchurch and is set on two-thirds of an acre. It is a good size with five bedrooms, and we think we got a bargain at NZ$390,000 (£135,160); solicitors cost NZ$1,300 and the survey was NZ$800. We are feeling positive about our move to Amberley; we have just spent the weekend there and it is so tranquil – the boys love the big garden!
Q: How are you settling in?
J: We’re getting into a routine of school and work now, and going through a process of being homesick and attempting to face new challenges full on – it’s tough.The locals are friendly but they also seem to want to keep their distance and not get involved. I think that I will have to ask some school friends round for Charlie to play with or it isn’t going to happen! Work is picking up for Pete and Freddie loves pre-school; Charlie has not really settled at his present school so it won’t be a terrible wrench when we move. It would be good to have him in a new school before the school holidays – there might be some new school friends to invite over to the new house. Freddie is in a very good pre-school here, which is probably the biggest thing I will miss, apart from the estuary views. It is such early days in this relocation process; but at times it feels like being in a big hole. I think the Kiwis want us here; but at the same time they don’t! Autumn is better than in the UK, with sunny warm days reaching 20-25˚C. During winter it did snow, and we got quite cold in our damp, non-insulated house with no central heating – we got through pine and birch on the wood burner at an alarming rate!
Q: Has the move changed your life?
J: Our lifestyle is much less stressful now; we’re not working as hard, we’re enjoying more free-time, but we do have less money! Eating out and takeaways are much cheaper in New Zealand, but vegetarian and organic food are rare and very expensive. I don’t know about nightlife as we have small children and have no family or friends to look after them. Leisure activities are relatively cheap, especially for children. It’s a good outdoor life, with good parks, play areas, facilities and natural countryside to explore.
Q: What’s a typical day like?
J: Pete gets up, has breakfast, cycles six miles to work to start at 8.30am, has morning tea at 10.15, lunch at 12.30, afternoon tea at 3.30, finishes work at 5pm and cycles home. He’ll be back by 6pm to help put the children to bed, and then relaxes. At the weekend we phone friends and relatives back home after breakfast, make a picnic lunch and explore the countryside. We’ll get a takeaway for evening meal and play with children until bedtime.
Q: Would you do anything differently?
J: We’d ask for more money before we committed ourselves! It hasn’t been easy for me to become part of the community; it’s easier at work. Freddie has had to have private medical/dental treatment that cost NZ$3,500, as we weren’t covered by insurance.
Q: What do you miss about the UK?
J: Better TV, football, pubs, our friends, decent supermarkets, family and central heating. I’ve found that there are high levels of pollution (due to coal and wood fires), bad driving, poor building standards, and lower salaries here that you wouldn’t find at home.
Q: What’s your advice for other Brits wanting to move to NZ?
J: Don’t believe what you’re told about the cost of living. It is cheaper here, but not by that much and when you start getting paid in Kiwi dollars you’ll notice the difference. Interest rates are high, so big mortgages are hard to finance. Don’t expect to have a fantastic house with all the mod cons in a desirable area for much less than NZ$550,000 (£225,000). Research as much as possible and visit before finally moving. It is a great place for a holiday, but not necessarily to live long-term. Don’t be rushed into making decisions about where to live; take time to explore and familiarise yourself with the environs. Plan your move a long time in advance, preferably a year; certainly no less than six months. Allow time either end to prepare, say goodbye to friends and family, get over jet lag and find accommodation.
Q: What are your plans for the future?
J: We are undecided at the moment; we will try and stay two years at least so that we can apply for residency. Pete and I have decided to review the situation in a year’s time. I intend to find some part-time teaching or social work. We have got a steady stream of visitors coming over until next November 2007. If nothing else we will be able to say that we have experienced Down Under, and if we do return to the UK after two years, it will have been one big exciting family adventure! The Birds' Christchurch Pros & Cons Pros:
* Fantastic unspoilt scenery for us to explore.
* Slower pace of life and more time with the family.
* More lifestyle opportunities and outdoor living.
* Better weather throughout the year.
* Cheaper leisure activities, especially for kids.
Cons:
* Less money
* Houses of poorer quality.
* Less aware of energy and resource conservation and other environmental issues.
* Less choice and relatively high cost foodstuffs.
* Saturation coverage of rugby and very little coverage of football.
Why Move To... Mt Pleasant
So does Mt Pleasant live up to its name? It seems to if the popularity of the area is anything to go by. As one of Christchurch’s most desirable suburbs, Mt Pleasant has many attractions. There’s close access to Christchurch’s 740 parks, including Mt Pleasant’s reserve and nearby Heathcote Valley and Ferrymead Historic Park. What is there to do there? The centre of cosmopolitan Christchurch with its shopping, art scene and places to dine is a short drive away. But if you fancy staying local then Mt Pleasant has popular walking tracks, a yacht club, a community centre and nearby shops.
Is it popular with Brits? If you are moving from the UK to Christchurch then you may well end up living next to a fellow expat here. With an abundance of parks and gardens, the river Avon and the cathedral, there’s a lot that reminds people of England. What about education and employment? Christchurch boasts both excellent employment options and top schools. There are over 150 schools, many with a good reputation. Christchurch also has two of the country’s eight universities; Lincoln University and the University of Canterbury. Major employers are in the tourism industry, IT and electronics sector. So how much does it cost to live there? The average price of a two-bedroom home near Mt Pleasant is over NZ$300 (£104) per week, while a three-bed house will cost more than NZ$350 (£121) per week. Around Mt Pleasant, the median sale price is as little as NZ$242,000 (£84,029), but expect to pay in excess of NZ$450,000 (£156,220) for hilltop three-bed properties.