New Zealand may not be as popular as its neighbour Australia, but that is great news if you’re looking to relocate there, more space for you! Australia is renowned for it’s laid back lifestyle, and so too are New Zealanders: they’re warm, friendly and welcoming, with a relaxed pace of life to match.
Whilst New Zealand shares a lot of similarities with the UK, what with being a small, green, English-speaking country too, that is pretty much where the likeness ends. New Zealand is warmer, less-crowded and therefore easier to enjoy an outdoors lifestyle. Want to know more?
Nature
With its spectacular nature and striking landscapes to explore, New Zealand is truly a country for those with a love for the great outdoors.
It has everything you could possibly want: sandy beaches, dramatic mountain ranges, great forests, rivers, lakes and fjords. There is a reason why travellers voted the country their favourite in the Telegraph Travel Awards 2017.
Healthcare
There is a mix of public and private healthcare on offer in New Zealand. They began switching from a NHS style, taxpayer-funded healthcare in the 1970’s to a more mixed economy system. And it seems to be working out OK: infant mortality is on a par with the UK’s at 4.8 deaths per thousand, and life expectancy (at birth) is 80.2 years.
The vast majority of New Zealanders opt for some form of private healthcare though largely due to the long wait lists for surgeries, some lists are up to a year long. However public hospitals are well spread throughout the country and are of a good standard. Most importantly, they treat all citizens and permanent residents free of charge IF you have a work permit in excess of two years. Any less, and you will of course be treated, but you will have to pay for it. So you are advised to get private health insurance.
Education
The vast majority of expat parents agree that education in New Zealand is equal to, or better than, education in the UK, with 70% of them saying that their children are more well-rounded and confident having spent time living in New Zealand.
● Three and four year olds have 20 hours a week early childhood education funded by the New Zealand government.
● In the 2015 OECD report, New Zealand’s 15 year olds scored ahead of British 15 year olds for maths and science in what the BBC described as ‘the biggest ever global school rankings’. The New Zealand education system is second to none and the best part is it is largely free.
● All 8 of New Zealand’s universities featured in the top 500 QS World University Rankings 2018.
Weather
New Zealand’s weather is classed as temperate, meaning warm, dry summers and mild wet winters, which all contribute to the outdoors lifestyle. When the weather is this good, why would you stay inside?
Like any country there will be overcast days, but you’ll typically find the weather much better than in the UK, especially in terms of how much sun you see.
