My father is from there! Hastings technically, but they're both in the Hawkes Bay area. I really have no idea about the wages, but they do advertise on tv even for work for Australians as we don't need visas to work. They make it sound like it's good pay, but their money is worth less and well less than the pound so I don't know.

Hey my girlfriend is from Hastings, small world! I've seen pictures, definitely want to go there some day.

Well, I suppose theres got to be something wrong with the place, or everyone would be over there!

I've heard that wages are shitty, taxes kinda high, cost of living kinda high, and yeah their dollar isn't worth much. But hey, that's from disgruntled kiwis that come over to australia to work. I don't want to turn you off, at all. I so want to go there one day too.

I suppose everythings relative, but I was in NZ for a month & compared to the UK, the cost of living was cheap as chips!
I was just looking at design jobs, and the wages arent that far off what I'm on! Bah!
The truth is, I'm too scared of missing home to emmigrate, I just get some sort of peverse enjoyment out of seeing what I'm missing out on.

Well regardless of wages, if you save your money here and move out there it more than doubles, £1 = $2.50, so you earn $37,571.03 a year.

You should have a look for vacancies online. something like this:

http://www2.careers.govt.nz/job_search_jobs.html

Alex, why dont you go on bunac work permit and live in new zealand for a year bunac, I'm not sure if you've heard of them, but their set up to help young Brits work and live abroad for a short period of time (the maximums usually a year).

I went on an exchange program to canada and lived their for 4 months and loved it and I really think the only way to get a full taste for a country is to stay there for a long time, because you'll be working and living not on holiday.

Immigration is a scary thing because its so life changing but that can be a good thing, I'll have a way better life in canada than I'll ever have in the UK so I'm just working towards that goal for the next few years.

british expats is also a useful website because it gives you the chance to talk to people thinking about/have emigrated .

Ta debora, I'm going to have a look.

Stubby, I know it's childish, but arent you afraid youre going to miss home too much once you get there?

I always get like this on lovely days, I look out the window & wish I didnt work in an office & lived somewhere green in a beautiful house.

I dont like living in the UK and there wasnt anything I missed about it.

My family on the other hand, yeah I'll miss them but you have to remember I'll be coming home at least once a year and my parents will probably come out to see me.