I have written about this on another thread, but will reiterate here. My daughter and her family moved to New Zealand some eighteen months ago. Her husband had wanted her to relocate ever since they married but she always refused. Anyway they are both doctors and worked very long hours throughout Covid, whilst simultaneously being told by the media/patients that GPs were seeing no patients and hiding behind locked surgery doors. So she finally agreed to go to New Zealand where GPs work 9-5 for four days a week and get the same pay as the very long hours earned in England. We have just returned from a two months visit (we stayed in rentals) where we helped our daughter pack up and move house because her marriage has broken down, and then we did the childcare during the long summer holidays whilst she worked.
So, what are the advantages? She works fewer hours for the same pay.
The disadvantages in my opinion; firstly that she is so far away from her family and it is an extremely long and expensive journey in order to see them. Then the the expense as food is at least one and a half times as expensive as England, everything else, all goods and services are far more expensive, there is far less choice available in the supermarkets, everyone seems to drive rather old cars, including her, many NZ citizens cannot afford to travel abroad, or buy decent cars or houses. Services are slow, so if there is a problem people shrug their shoulders and say ‘it’s New Zealand.’ You would be surprised how many times we heard that. For example, although my daughter signed and started paying for an internet connection immediately on taking her new house in December, it’s only just been connected last week, despite numerous calls and emails. Additionally everyone pays to see a GP (perhaps that’s why she can work fewer hours) and the cost ranges from about £25 up to about £80 or more. If a person needs surgery they can only be put on the waiting list if it is open. Frequently waiting lists are simply closed, no chance of treatment unless you pay. GPs cannot prescribe the best drug for the patient unless the patient can afford to pay the full cost of the drug because the drugs available via the state system are limited to the cheapest. Patients pay for all their drugs unless they are fourteen years old or under.
The outdoor life style? What? My daughter runs, she ran in England and she runs in New Zealand. Her children take part in a lot of sports, they did in England too. We managed a total of two barbecues whilst we were there.
The education system is apparently poor and so my grandchildren attend an English style independent school. There are apparently nine universities in New Zealand but I’m told they are not of the same standard as English or American universities. I don’t know whether they are or not, but that’s what I’m told.
In New Zealand people go to work, go to the supermarket, wash the car, do the garden just the same as they do in England or elsewhere. No, the grass is not greener, but it seems to be something of a fashion for people to imagine that it is. My daughter wondered if we’d like to go to live in New Zealand. Absolutely not, I love living here in England. I’ll stick to visiting them.