Thanks Stoop

Still thinking very hard about it. My husband wants to go for it but I'm not so sure....

Suzanne

Suze,

It's not often chances like this come along in life. If you don't go you will always wonder 'what if'.

I can only go on what I would do and I fully understand your worries and concerns.

I'd still say - go for it!

Stoop

Hi Sue, Footloose & Scott,
I am now back from Poland, (obviously), and am getting the house ready to go on the market. Pooling info is a good idea as is meeting over there. I will let you all know how I get on with the medical and E.O.I. etc as I go. Was anyone else asked for first aid certs. to be shown on the first day? Have a good holiday Sue and congratulations to Footloose and Scott, keep in touch. Tony

I also have been asked to produce a first aid certificate when I arrive. I emailed NZ for clarification, and as I have become accustomed the response was a little vague.

As far as I can gather form it, all people who work in contact with prisoners are required to hold a valid first aid certificate. Training can be provided, but I think it is in your own time and at your own expense.

If you want to me to let you have a copy of it please PM me with details.

I am also currently in the process of completing my EOI and hope to have it in by the end of the week.

Scott

Hi Footloose,
I'm going to try and get my F.A. Cert. done through work but if not I may have to get it else where. I'm just about to start on my E.O.I. and have heard it takes about 5 hours to do. I went for the X-Ray today, when you go you'll need 2 passport photos and your passport, the form you need can be picked up and filled out there. Let me know how it goes with your E.O.I. Cheers Tony

I am a NZer......some info for you all that may help........
Te awamutu is a small country town....not a lot to do there...but as you say, it is not far from Hamilton.....which is a lovely small city......
Hamilton has great shopping......it has a casino......& great resturants....

Hamilton is also smack dab in the middle of an export fruitgrowing area, so there is a lot of work, picking & packing there.....

a salary of $35,000 a year is perfectly adequate to live comfortably on, if you are not in one of the large cities.......

As for Nadas comments re the lack of varied foods....I,m not sure when she was last here......but this certainly isnt the case now.......
....in the area you will be going to, it is a very temperate climate.....the variety of fruit & vegetables available, is extensive....
There are also many ethnic eateries , in even the smallest of towns....

If you dont mind fresh air, beautiful scenery,good fresh food, water you can drink straight from the tap & a healthy lifestyle....you will probably love it here!!!!!

To dispel any notion that I am an untravelled stick in the mud, who is just being patriotic.....I actually have travelled extensively, including living in Asia for 5 years.......although I would rather be living in Asia still, that is about me, not NZ.......
this is a beautiful country!....very easy to live in....especially with kids!

Celia
I totally agree with you about New Zealand.
I am now aged 60+ and have travelled all over the world on holiday over the last forty years and have lived outside the Uk for most of those years
but if I could choose anywhere to live it would be NZ, I fell in love with the place on a visit a few years ago, but unfortunately the country will not give a visa to someone my age.
The people are friendlyand the country is beautiful. To anyone thinking of emigrating I would say give it a go.

Have seen this site ad just thought I would let you know, that the company I work for, has an Immegration service to Newzland. We work direct with the New Zealand Immigration authorities. We have a New Zealand Gentlement that is based 50% in Uk (Chester at the moment), and services range from assisting with paperwork, seeking employment, Work Visas etc. If you would like more details I would be more then happy to pass on either your details to my contact or vise versa.

Best Wishes

Debbie

hiya,

Thanks for the useful info. As I have never been to NZ any informationj or advice I can get hold of is useful. I am awaiting the next selection for the expression of interest to see if I get selected.

Scott

Hi Everyone,
As Scott said thanks for all the info and anything else would be great. Celia do you live near Hamilton now? also any more info on the area would be great, thanks Tony

Well the decision has been made. EOI finally submitted after the marathon application. Selection day on Thursday, so i will be drunk either way.

Thanks again for the info on the areas, I am considering asking about Wanganui, has anyone got any info on it?

Scott

Just a quick update.

EIO has now been selected, and awaiting further developments. And I am going to Waikeria, so I may well be living near te awamutu in the near future. I think Hamilton may be too far away. I travel a fair few miles daily at the moment, and I am looking to live within about 10 miles of the jail.

Foot

Hi Scott,
Congratulations on your EOI being selected, so has mine and I am also going to Wakeria. When are you planning to go there? They want me in October but I may have to wait till I sell my house. There is another lad on my wing who is planning to go out in November but starts in January. Good luck with the Medical etc, (though it should only be a formality). Keep in touch, Tony

Hiya Tony,

My provisional date is Feb, and like you I need to sell my house before I can go. I am saving my leave and have 31 days left, with a slowly growing TOIL balance (now 20 hours). So you never know, could be celebrating christmas out there.

Scott

Hi Everybody

We're back from our hols in Mallorca and what a wonderful time we've had.

Congratulations to all who have obtained jobs with the NZ corrections depmt.

I wonder Celia, if you could kindly tell me approximately how much it is to rent a nice detached property in Hamilton?

My husband started the on-line immigration app before we went on holiday and what a document it is. It doesn't seem to make sense in most parts. Anyway he is going to carry on with it this week.

After hearing the news whilst we were in Malloca of the awful bombings in London on 7th July (which just so happens to be our anniversary) it has made Andrew even more determined to go to NZ, however, yet again (same old story) I am still undecided , not to mention the fact that I struggle with a two hour flight and would really struggle with a 24 hour one. Anyway that is my worry and not yours and I know that I must make a decision very soon. I seem to be weighing all the good things up about our life and the UK and see that things aren't so bad as I thought when I really sit back and take a good look. But this long term, I don't think, will last as the bombings I believe could get more frequent in Europe and even encroach nearer to my own small Town.

Anyway let me know how you're all going on and also what your wife's, partners and children think of the move. Oh and just for the record - no first aid certificate has been mentioned to Andrew.

Suzanne

Hi Scott and Sue,
Glad to hear you had a good holiday Sue, There are now 3 from my place going to Wakeria so it should be a nice get-together when we get out there.Just a small point on the money, I have found that they do'nt pay national insurance, (Which is 9% of your wage), and tax is at 17% not 23% so I am on £20G less 9%, (just under £2G), and pay about 6% less tax, (about £1G), so my equivlant wage would be £17G over there so £15G is'nt so bad, (especially when you reduce the mortgage).I hope that you can get your TOIL Scott, my place tried to write it off when I moved up north,(POA came to the rescue fortunatley). Hope to hear from you all soon, Tony

Hi guys we are new to this forum. I am mates with tony collins and work at the same jail as him. I have had my interview in london and have recently received a reply saying i have got the job in nz (waikeria prison). My wife and i are really excited about the whole thing but like yourselves do share the same concerns about wages etc.
We are trying to think posotive and believe that financially we will be better off. Simply because we have a fair amount of equity in our house here in the uk and will have a very small mortgage in nz. I dont think my wife will struggle to much to get a job as she is a qualified nursery nurse and her job seems top be in demand out there.
We have a 2 year old son and he is another one of the main reasons why we are deciding to go for this big move. NZ seems to be so much more geared up for kids and he is our priorty.
We do like england but we both feel nz has so much more to offer. The hardest thing for us, well my wife mainly will be leaving family behind but that is obviously the decision you have to make.

Another guy from my jail has the job in waikeria and is due to start january next year. He is going out next month for a 4 week visit. He has been in contact with the jail and they are happy for him to have a visit so he knows what to expect. It will be nice to see what he thinks of the job out there and more importantly the country itself. I'll keep you all informed.
See you at work tomorrow tc.
Robbo

Hi Tony

It's gone from me and you to everyone else on this site, which is good because it means that more people have got jobs - especially where you work.

Tony, how long did it take you to complete the EOI as we're finding it a nightmare (the on line form that is) and also when you submitted it, was there a fee to pay there and then?

We haven't as yet heard from Andrew's colleague Paul who went to Auckland in May but I suspect that he must be almost at or already completed his 6 weeks training. I just hope that he hasn't lost our e-mail address in the move.

If we do go, we will probably rent our house out to start with just as Paul has done as at the moment we have 5 properties up for sale on our street alone, and seeing as I work in the mortgage department (as well as prison lecturing) I know that detached properties in this area are not selling quickly at the moment, plus ours needs lots doing to it which we knew when we bought it.

Has anyone thought about housing yet and whereabouts they will live? We are looking at Hamilton where there would be more going on in the form of activities for the children. Maybe we could all get together when we get out there as I am sure we will all need support and friendship seeing as not many of us know anyone else in NZ. What do your think?

Anyway speak to you soon and I would be grateful if you could let me know about the EOI Tony.

Kind regards as usual

Suzanne

ps- bombs in London really do make you think about the future here in the Uk for all of our children and indeed ourselves.

Sorry

Forgot to say Hi to Robbo.

suzanne