Stay in NZ or return home to UK?

We were there in January: my advice is STAY, STAY, STAY.

SEE YESTERDAY (Friday 24th) 06.07
GrandmaKT IS COMING HOME !!
? ?

If you overstay your visa which |I think will be a 6 months visitor visa, you may not be allowed back for 2 years. I think you should check this out as you may wish to return every year. On the other hand if we no longer have regular flights for the next 2 years you may be happy to stay and go with the flow.

As others have said there are lots of pro and cons and it depends on what family you have left in the UK and how you feel about things in New Zealand.

Good luck!

GrandmaKT Have a safe flight and when you have a moment, pop back in to tell us how you are doing whilst isolated at home.

You'll breathe a huge sigh of relief when you close your door in NW London - 'Ah, home at last'

The OP has already posted that they have booked a flight to return.

It is a tough one. If they are about to remove lock down and you can be useful, I would say stay, although you don’t know what flights will be available in the future, and new waves of the virus in different countries may lessen the chance of flights so you may be there a very long time. I don’t know where you live in the UK but my experience is NOT that it is a shambles here. On the contrary. The hospitals local to us have lots of capacity, all specialities are still
open for business although many ops and routine testing on hold so that there are enough beds to make more intensive care wards. All respiratory staff are working flat out, but they have not been overwhelmed unlike in Italy / Spain, the peak was 8/10 April and now there is consistent high demand. If you are careful, you won’t get the virus. We are lucky, we get groceries delivered and have lovely countryside nearby, a garden and have had one of the most beautiful Springs I can remember, the birdsong without traffic noise is extraordinary. But social distancing will remain here, until a cure/vaccine, the virus is here and in the crowded island and cities, so we can’t hug a grandchild and may not be able to do so for another YEAR! So if you love hugs and can get them in NZ, I would stay.

Stay! It's really not good here, and it's not getting better! If you're family are happy for you to stay, then do .

I would have stayed, but I suppose it depends to a degree where in the UK your house is? If it's down here in South West or in a very rural area elsewhere, it would be safer than say London or the West Midlands. Safe journey

Exactly, chrissyh, well said.

Granny23 it's not that the New Zealand government have been exemplary in their actions but they are working with a population of just under 5 million people in an area of 103,500 sq miles as opposed to England, with a population of over 66 million in an area of 50,300 sq miles helps. They can easily do social distancing and their communities are doing as they're told, unlike a lot of people here.

Im curious as to how it would work if you stayed with Visas and healthcare?

Stay exactly where you are. It’s a no brainer. Jacinda Ardern is doing an amazing job at leading her country through this awful situation. I think she’s an amazing woman and just wish we had her here.

Stay, definitely. The UK has thousands of people arriving from all over the globe every week and no testing on landing. Scotland alone has 8000 a week. These travellers scatter all over the land. Do you feel tempted? I really hope not!

I don’t personally I think you are not more at risk in the UK if you abide by the rules. I think your judgement call should be on when you think you might get a flight back if you stay now. Remember you will have to get a connection somewhere and it very much depends whether or not any of the countries en route will be allowing flights in and out. I think getting an international flight in the next 12 to 18 months is likely to be tricky and expensive. In addition as others have said I think you will need to take into account whether or not you have things you need to be in the UK for in the next 12 to 18 months.

I agree .
So long as you get on with them / they are happy to have you , I'd stay in NZ.
They seem to be more in control, have one of the best PMs in the world - it's a no brainer from me .

No definitely stay there, gorgeous country, family, sensible politicians - what my DGD calls ‘a no brainier GrandDad’

Hope you get back safely and don’t find your garden too overgrown. The weather in the UK has been glorious though we could do with some rain.

Some posters choose to ignore the fact that NZ has a slightly larger land mass than the UK with a fraction of the population so considerably easier to deal with. The biggest problems are in the already over populated cities.

If some people had their way we would have totally open borders. So strange that so many people are risking their lives clamoring to get into the UK when a very loud and vociferous number of our own citizens appear to despise it. Puzzling?

Oh I would say stay where you are and keep helping your family.

Stay there! My son and family live there, wish I was there with them. Safer there and with a MUCH better PM!

What would happen if you overstay your visa? It's possible that there could still be no commercial flights in July and you will have missed the repatriation flights.

If your return flight is cancelled by the airline they must offer a refund or you can accept a voucher for a future flight. I'd stay as it seems you're safe there and likely to have more freedom sooner than we are!

We are in the same boat in Oz! We came here in Jan and were due to return in March. I worried about coming back to UK do daughter and son called a skype meeting. They decided we should stay in Oz with Dd and 3 children do we did. Best thing ever! We've heped out as Dd's business has plumeted. Now helping to home school children in a beautiful town. We feel safe here so will come back when the UK is on the mend.

I wish I was in another country! Stay where you are if you can. This government is hell bent on herd immunity and doesn't care a jot who dies in the interim. We have thousands of people coming in on flights every day from all over the world with no checks and no follow up. I have never felt so disposable.

Safe journey home GKT. I returned home because of the visa situation and also to take advantage of the British summer which has started early this year Glorious. . It has only rained once since my return!

Stay