Expensive in New Zealand?

LadyLucinda

What strikes people as being expensive there? As in what would you advise somebody to bring plenty of before going out there? Thanks

cactusgal

Everything! Clothes, books, magazines, banking services, makeup/cosmetics were some of the everyday things that I found were very expensive in NZ. You even had to pay to use the library. That was 2008/09 tho, so things may have improved since then!

on_my_oe

Electronics eg mobile phones, laptops etc. makeup and perfume, clothing etc

Have a look at the websites for Farmers, The Warehouse, Life Pharmacy which will give you ideas of prices.

On the upside, you can order online up to $400 and generally you won't get charged taxes - lots of people order trainers, clothing etc from the US

Rosy Posy

cactusgal wrote: »

Everything! Clothes, books, magazines, banking services, makeup/cosmetics were some of the everyday things that I found were very expensive in NZ. You even had to pay to use the library. That was 2008/09 tho, so things may have improved since then!

We've been here since 2006 and have never had to pay for the library! NZ can be reasonable if you are a bit savvy. Learning how to eat local seasonal stuff will go a long way. Also they're mad for sales and special offers. I tend to bulk buy non perishable stuff at the supermarket and keep an eye on seasonal sales for big stuff like appliances and electronics. Cosmetics are very expensive and a lot of high end cosmetics are simply unavailable. I usually get them in duty free. I nearly always buy clothes and knickers and bras in Ireland too. Stuff like chocolate and soft drinks are pricey too. Books and magazines are ridiculous too but you can get them for free at the library. TradeMe is a fantastic resource too.

pclancy

Check out this comparison:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=New+Zealand&country2=Ireland&city1=Wellington&city2=Dublin

Cookie_Monster

pclancy wrote: »

Check out this comparison:

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_cities.jsp?country1=New+Zealand&country2=Ireland&city1=Wellington&city2=Dublin

Dublin Auckland or Cork Wellington would be a better comparison size and price wise, Dublin Wellington is not a fair comparison IMO

and some of those prices are way off. 1.5l of water is 69c, power bill is insanely off (we've a house 3 times that size and bill is 30% lower), membership fees seems super steep, tomatoes are way off, supermarket beer is pretty far off. I wonder does it take seasonailty for veg into account. For example in season 4 corn ears for $1, out of season 1 for $4

My (generalised) experience:

Groceries, utilities and fuel are cheaper here.
Booze, either offo or pub is more expensive
Furniture and fittings are far far more expensive here
transport and eating out is much of a muchness
Cars are a bit more but you get a much better looked after vehicle for your money. Insurance is super cheaper.

on_my_oe

I'd second the one about books and magazines - the only reason my technophobe father got a Kindle was he saw how much cheaper ebooks were. Then again, books in Ireland are expensive compared to the UK

dc89

Hey,

Myself and my girlfriend are looking to work and live in New Zealand next year for some bit and do some travelling.

I will be looking for agricultural work and my girlfriend is a doctor.

Anybody have any suggestions where to go? North Island or South Island?

Thanks!

Rosy Posy

dc89 wrote: »

Hey,

Myself and my girlfriend are looking to work and live in New Zealand next year for some bit and do some travelling.

I will be looking for agricultural work and my girlfriend is a doctor.

Anybody have any suggestions where to go? North Island or South Island?

Thanks!

What kind of doctor is your gf? My oh is a doctor and the only short term hospital work he could get initially was in the ED. It was fine though- much better than A&E in Ireland with much better resources, far less needle drugs, homelessness and influx of drunken eejits in the small hours. She could look at a locum agency either.

A lot of short term agricultural jobs are taken up by crews from the pacific islands but if you have specific skills it could be easier to get something.

We're in Hawkes Bay which is lovely- decent climate and a nice stretch of coastline. Gisbourne too. South Island is more spectacular scenery wise but it can get very cold down there and kiwi houses can be not too well set up for the winter.

dc89

She will be finished her locum year before we go. Like I would probably be looking for 4-6 months contracting work and some travel then after that. Thinking about Hamilton. Any views on there? Thanks for the advice!

Rosy Posy

dc89 wrote: »

She will be finished her locum year before we go. Like I would probably be looking for 4-6 months contracting work and some travel then after that. Thinking about Hamilton. Any views on there? Thanks for the advice!

Imo the best thing about Hamilton is the road to Auckland...its a bit of a boring in between place. Gisbourne or Hawkes Bay are nicer. It's beautiful in Northland and Coromandel but not much work around.

If she's not specialised yet she won't be able to work as a locum. Looking at that time frame I'd imagine she'll have to do ED work- they won't take her as an SHO unless you're committed to staying in the job a year or more, at least that was the case when we came out nearly nine years ago.

When you're planning your travel, September to March/April is best. It can be a bit miserable in winter with a lot of tours and attractions shutting down. It's so lovely for the other three seasons too. Only problem is that farming work can be slow in winter. Can you sheer sheep? It's really hard work and the crews can be a bit rough and ready but the money's decent.

dc89

Rosy Posy wrote: »

Imo the best thing about Hamilton is the road to Auckland...its a bit of a boring in between place. Gisbourne or Hawkes Bay are nicer. It's beautiful in Northland and Coromandel but not much work around.

If she's not specialised yet she won't be able to work as a locum. Looking at that time frame I'd imagine she'll have to do ED work- they won't take her as an SHO unless you're committed to staying in the job a year or more, at least that was the case when we came out nearly nine years ago.

When you're planning your travel, September to March/April is best. It can be a bit miserable in winter with a lot of tours and attractions shutting down. It's so lovely for the other three seasons too. Only problem is that farming work can be slow in winter. Can you sheer sheep? It's really hard work and the crews can be a bit rough and ready but the money's decent.

Just looking at everywhere at the moment and trying to decide seems to be a lot of options!

Probably arrive late September alright maybe work to Xmas and travel around then after. A lot of planning to do yet!

No can't sheer sheep just looking for tractor work really for something different from my last few jobs!

on_my_oe

Try federated farmers and Trade Me Agriculture jobs

Otherwise maybe watch a YouTube video on sheep shearing

Markcheese

Anywhere that they're milking cows there's gonna be seasonal contracting work - but wether you'd get 3 or 4 months is another issue - Hamilton is big enough and it's the centre of Waikato dairy region . Canterbury , and southlands both on south island are really pushing on dairy wise- not sure what employment situation is in Christchurch since the big quake though -

Testament1

dc89 wrote: »

just looking for tractor work really for something different from my last few jobs!

Follow "New Zealand Agri Photos" and "NZF Contracting" on Facebook. Handy for getting names of some of the silage contracting crews around NZ.

Be prepared for a lack of sleep during the busy season!

William F

Motor vehicles, insurance and rent are all much cheaper than Ireland. You can get financing on a lot of stuff here. Everything else is more expensive.