Thinking about jumping the ditch to Aus...

[Sean]

Hello Aussies,

My wife and I have been in Dunedin NZ for the last 13yrs and are itching to jump the ditch for a more warm sunny and beachy lifestyle. ETA is to sell up here in mid-Jan.

With the kids on their own and no pets, it shouldn't be too difficult now. We're leaning towards the QLD area and a small place in the Mermaid Beach area. We can basically sell up in NZ and get something along these lines freehold.

We're very simple and minimalistic types, not very flashy. We think we'd be quite happy with small 1-2 bed apartment living, and walking distance to the beach, cafes and eateries. I doubt we'd even have a car.

Some might think, what? The Gold Coast yuk, why?! Well, the last time we were there we loved the endless sun, beaches, eateries, and said to ourselves, gheez living here would feel like a permanent holiday so the seed got planted many years ago.

We could see ourselves doing various gigs as needed (wife is a piano teacher, I do the IT thing). One thing I noticed is a 6 month IT contract in Aus can be better pay than a 12 month in NZ. So there is opportunity to dip into contracts as needed. I would like to get into a routine of dipping into a 3-6 month contract, then going hard out on Photrio work for 6 months, rinse and repeat.

I've seen a LOT of apartment units in large apartment buildings, but some of the research puts me off (concrete cancer?, rust etc). The small apartment blocks (2-3 story brick) seem more sensible and less prone to issues and with body corp fees under $50/week.

I could see us in the peak of Aus summer heat heading to NZ to spend a couple months with the kids.

I don't have any specific questions but wanted to dip into the Australia group in case I do at some point. I'm sure I'll have more questions soon!

Sean

 

[Steven Lee]

How does this work from the immigration laws perspective? Any Kiwi can just move to Aus and vice versa?

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

How does this work from the immigration laws perspective? Any Kiwi can just move to Aus and vice versa?

We're Common Wealth, so it's not difficult!

 

[Sirius Glass]

Enjoy your change of location. I hope the transition runs smoothly.

 

[Molli]

It's not just a Commonwealth arrangement, Australians and New Zealanders can basically wander, work and holiday between the two countries without restriction or even a visa. As far as I know, Australia only has this specific arrangement with New Zealand and no other country. All of the reciprocal free health care between Commonwealth countries applies, of course.
I don't know the details, but there was some sort of update to citizenship here in Australia just recently, making it easier to become an Aussie.
Really, that just formalises what's always happened here in Oz - we like you, you're an Aussie; you throw a telephone at someone or go on a drunken rant, we don't know you
Kiwis get adopted here as our own about five seconds after arrival.

Welcome, Sean. I hope you and your family find what you're looking for here and that it's an easy transition for you. If I say 'sorry you've decided on Queensland," please take that as a regret that the state with the most forum members won't get to meet and welcome you and not some petty, silly rivalry with the northern states. Promise!

 

[benderscameracorner]

Personally I'd rather live in South Island NZ (love that place) than Queensland* but each to their own ;-) If you're after warm/hot weather and lots of beaches then northern NSW, southern Queensland or WA is definitely the place to look. I'm imagining employment opportunities and pay are likely notably better than NZ, with housing affordability being equally as bad either side of the Tasman... ;-)

Probably the only consideration I'd offer is to be thorough with any housing or unit inspection. There's plenty of poorly built/maintained structures out there and the ongoing housing boom means that they still sell for a fortune. Getting anything fixed is expensive and takes forever as most tradies are still riding the COVID construction wave though that's likely to be starting to slow a bit as interest rates bite.

* I'm from Tassie. Don't like too much heat and don't trust anyone who doesn't understand the wonderous virtue of Daylight Savings ;-)

 

[Ian David]

Nice one Sean! We had a place at Mermaid Beach (William Street) when I was a kid. If you like sun and sea, there are worse places to live for a bit... Keep us posted on your developing plans!

 

[koraks]

One thing I noticed is a 6 month IT contract in Aus can be better pay than a 12 month in NZ. So there is opportunity to dip into contracts as needed.

A friend of mine made the leap from NZ to Aus once upon a time for this reason.
Don't ask me how, but he ended up here in rainy/windy NL working mostly in the dark as a dedicated color printer - so much for endless beach holidays! So just be careful of the whole the 'stepping stone' thing...

 

[Sean]

Thanks for the comments all. I see very similar issues between NZ and Aus but real estate and jobs seem way more plentiful there. I'm not sure we would live in Aus forever, I can see a 5-10yrs stint. We would also like to digital nomad around Europe + house-sit our way around for a couple of years. The place in Aussie would be a small home base and a bit of a land bank as well.

We might first visit Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and a couple of other spots to see if something grabs us more than QLD.

I was a bit put off by spiders and snakes but they say no one has died from a spider bite in around 40yrs and I read up on techniques for snake bites that can keep you alive for 7hrs vs. 30mins (lying completely still, wrapping the limb that was bitten and waiting for emergency services to administer anti-venom). But statistically, it looks like you have a much higher chance of being murdered than killed by a snake. So it seems pretty rare. And I never go in the sea, I stick to swimming pools

@benderscameracorner "Personally I'd rather live in South Island NZ (love that place) than Queensland* but each to their own ;-) "

It is gorgeous down here for sure, but the weather is getting to me. You sort of struggle through it for 9 months of the year and just when you enjoy a couple of months of nice weather it's back to the gloom/cold grind. The North Island has better weather and we lived there for a while but the rat race there is a bit soul-destroying. I think I am hyper-prone to SAD (seasonal affective disorder), constantly craving sunshine.

 

[awty]

You may as well, every one else is.
It's hot and sticky 4 months of the year, rest is glorious.
I don't like the GC much too crowded and too many Kiwis ha ha. The Sunny coast is a bit less busy, but still fairly crowded. I live in Redcliffe less busy but no surf, close to Brisbane though.
My preference would be to live in NNSW, nice beaches, less people.
I'd rent for 6 months till you get a better idea of what you like.
You'll have no problems getting work, IT is highly sort after and well paid.

 

[Sean]

You may as well, every one else is.
It's hot and sticky 4 months of the year, rest is glorious.
I don't like the GC much too crowded and too many Kiwis ha ha. The Sunny coast is a bit less busy, but still fairly crowded. I live in Redcliffe less busy but no surf, close to Brisbane though.
My preference would be to live in NNSW, nice beaches, less people.
I'd rent for 6 months till you get a better idea of what you like.
You'll have no problems getting work, IT is highly sort after and well paid.

Thanks for the inside info. Yes, no major rush so will be happy to rent for a bit

 

[Molli]

Timing: This was repeated on TV here tonight - featuring the ever-gorgeous and so-very missed Cal Wilson

 

[tokam]

Hey Awty, I have Kiwi friends living in Dunns Tce, Scarborough, Lovely area and not too busy.

I have another friend living just out of Canungra in the Gold Coast Hinterland. That area is developing very fast.

The Gold Coast doesn't do it for me and driving around SE Qld between the Gold Coast and Brisbane is basically a nightmare. The traffic is full on for most of the day.

Although I'm in Sydney I would give big thumbs up to anywhere between the Central and north coast of NSW.

Don't sweat the snakes and spiders bit unless you are in rural areas. In the urban areas snakes are uncommon and at least you are close to emergency services. Just keep an eye out for drop bears!

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

Good luck with the move, Sean, whenever it happens!

 

[Vaughn]

I have only dangled a toe in Oz -- I have spent more time in NZ traveling about and if I did not already live in a near perfect place, NZ would be on my mind...and a few places in Aus. I have in-laws (ex-in-laws?) who live just up the mountain a ways from Port Macquarie...seems to be pretty nice place. My ex use to work in Lismore (North NSW) so I been that far north on the coast.

All sounds great -- time in the heat, do some work, walk the beaches. Sounds doable to me!!!!

 

[samcomet]

Good luck with the move Sean!!! Before retirement I used to live up there quite a bit as Warner Bros Movie studio was nearby where I worked on various movies. I was usually shacked up in Currumbin a tad south from Mermaid Waters but a whole bunch of my crew lived in and about MW. Nice area back then. You must try to get to the bird sanctuary in Currumbin if you do make the jump. And if you do get over here and are ever down in the big smoke (Sydney), pop me a PM and maybe we can break bread. Cheers good buddy!!! Sam

 

[mshchem]

Thanks for the comments all. I see very similar issues between NZ and Aus but real estate and jobs seem way more plentiful there. I'm not sure we would live in Aus forever, I can see a 5-10yrs stint. We would also like to digital nomad around Europe + house-sit our way around for a couple of years. The place in Aussie would be a small home base and a bit of a land bank as well.

We might first visit Melbourne, Adelaide, Fremantle and a couple of other spots to see if something grabs us more than QLD.

I was a bit put off by spiders and snakes but they say no one has died from a spider bite in around 40yrs and I read up on techniques for snake bites that can keep you alive for 7hrs vs. 30mins (lying completely still, wrapping the limb that was bitten and waiting for emergency services to administer anti-venom). But statistically, it looks like you have a much higher chance of being murdered than killed by a snake. So it seems pretty rare. And I never go in the sea, I stick to swimming pools

@benderscameracorner "Personally I'd rather live in South Island NZ (love that place) than Queensland* but each to their own ;-) "

It is gorgeous down here for sure, but the weather is getting to me. You sort of struggle through it for 9 months of the year and just when you enjoy a couple of months of nice weather it's back to the gloom/cold grind. The North Island has better weather and we lived there for a while but the rat race there is a bit soul-destroying. I think I am hyper-prone to SAD (seasonal affective disorder), constantly craving sunshine.

No spiders to worry about here.

 

[Maris]

Mermaid, Mermaid Beach, infrared
Gelatin-silver photograph on Ilford Classic VC FB photographic paper, image size 16.3cm X 16.3cm, from a Rollei Infrared
roll-film negative exposed in a Seagull 4A-103A TLR camera fitted with a IR720 filter.
Outdated film left some mottle in the sky.

 

[awty]

Just keep an eye out for drop bears!

It's OK if you wear the suit.....and Sean will be able to get a theme park annual pass!! What more could you want.

 

[Sean]

It's OK if you wear the suit.....and Sean will be able to get a theme park annual pass!! What more could you want.

Bwaahaaaa

 

[Sean]

Some great connections here, sure to come in handy in the very near future