Emigrating to NZ from the UK to farm - Observations and advice?

[FonterraFarmer]

Always found NP and Taranaki to be pretty laid back, although the turning right in front of each other is just silly!

Got a few weird looks first few times I passed a car and turned right behind it lol!

Up here ,its not the locals but the f@#%ing impatient Jafa's I quite often get caught behind trucks heading to NP,Taranaki between Horotiu and Pirongia, its amazing how long Audi /BMW drivers have to stay behind you as there are very few places to pass

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Always found NP and Taranaki to be pretty laid back, although the turning right in front of each other is just silly!

Got a few weird looks first few times I passed a car and turned right behind it lol!

It's the 2 metre following rule that scares a country kid like me! 70 kmh in a 50 zone and they're still check your tonsils through the exhaust pipe..
I'm definitely a cruiser these days. Was a hoon with the best of them once.. now I save it for the track and hold everyone else up. Turning into the old man, in other words

 

[FonterraFarmer]

It's the 2 metre following rule that scares a country kid like me! 70 kmh in a 50 zone and they're still check your tonsils through the exhaust pipe..
I'm definitely a cruiser these days. Was a hoon with the best of them once.. now I save it for the track and hold everyone else up. Turning into the old man, in other words

Here we stick to the speed limits , 70 is 70,50 is 50, and 30 is 30, if those behind don't like it, tough, buggered if I'm going to make an enforced "donation".

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Up here ,its not the locals but the f@#%ing impatient Jafa's I quite often get caught behind trucks heading to NP,Taranaki between Horotiu and Pirongia, its amazing how long Audi /BMW drivers have to stay behind you as there are very few places to pass

I love holding up people in a rush.. what a wannker if you're late... and then overtake that truck on the last available stretch and disappear into the distance road games excite me greatly. One of my few remaining pleasures in life.
Ditto the 'speeding fees', they've had their fare share out of me over the years, but I'm more likely to be pulled over for holding up the traffic these days. No radars where I put the fuel down. Shame @holwellcourtfarm is too early for the Catlins Coast Rally, it's a good day out. Frozen snow last year

 

[Dukes Fit]

Here we stick to the speed limits , 70 is 70,50 is 50, and 30 is 30, if those behind don't like it, tough, buggered if I'm going to make an enforced "donation".

Last time I was over, mate lost his license 5 days before his wedding for speeding and we managed to hide it from his new wife for over a week lol!

We'll never let him forget that despite driving a 22B Impreza, he lost a race from New Plymouth to Hawera to a transit minibus

 

[Campbell]

HCFarm. Have you any Lions games on your itinerary ? There is a very [over] confident attitude coming from the family Kiwi's for this tour.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

HCFarm. Have you any Lions games on your itinerary ? There is a very [over] confident attitude coming from the family Kiwi's for this tour.

I wanted to catch the Christchurch game but haven't been able to get tickets

 

[Bill dog]

I am going to jump on this thread if thats ok....saves starting another!!

Myself and gf thinking about heading out next year for a year or two, we are 26 and 27. She is a full time english teacher and from a quick look seems to be a decent amount of jobs for teaching cover all round the place.

I am just about to sit my RICS (land agent, enemy I know) and have my own sheep flock with a couple of hundred ewes (Partnership with a mate). NZ romney and crossed to a cheviot..tup bloodlines from Orari Gorge via Wales!

Worked on dairy/arable/sheep farms and obviously run my own small flock now so happy enough to turn my hand to anything. Not sure what demand there is for land valuers/sales in NZ which is my day job over here?

Biggest question is where to go...want to find that balance between work and seeing/enjoying the country. Love to be on a big sheep/beef place to get ideas and bring home but the gf will not want total isolation. Play rugby, big into snowboarding, gf plays hockey so good to find out what sort of places you guys would recommend researching and taking a look at?

North Island looks pretty incredible and South Island seems more like home in places...

Anyway cheers in advance

You are needing to get my Farm sold first Mr Walker before you tootle off to the mighty N Z ! That way I'll be able to visit you and we can talk Romneys and Easyram texels !! If you ever succeed South Island for me !!

 

[Campbell]

Land of milk and money:
Have some family over from Auckland at present, interesting to see how much cheaper [lower cost] they find UK living is at present. Food, fuel, drinks, cars etc, they can't believe their eyes in Aldi. Housing is the only thing on par. OK, they live in Howick north west of the city, so not farming, but their modest little house is valued at over £500k !! Unsurprisingly they can't get back home soon enough. We hope to visit them at the end of the year, but better up our budget.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I'd well believe it!

Are you coming south, at all?

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

I'd well believe it!

Are you coming south, at all?

Be a shame not to as you're only down the road from Auckland (relative to the journey from the UK)

Seriously, if you do go @Campbell it's worth the trip down to the Blair estate for the scenery alone.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

I snapped this one yesterday while the girls were putting on their Bert & Ernie eyebrows, out the back of Gore, thought it pretty well captures what to expect down here.
Deer had just gone back into the bush as I got the phone out

 

[onthehoof]

View attachment 638158
I snapped this one yesterday while the girls were putting on their Bert & Ernie eyebrows, out the back of Gore, thought it pretty well captures what to expect down here.
Deer had just gone back into the bush as I got the phone out

The only thing that spoils it is 7 strands of wire instead of hedges

 

[stewart]

Land of milk and money:
Have some family over from Auckland at present, interesting to see how much cheaper [lower cost] they find UK living is at present. Food, fuel, drinks, cars etc, they can't believe their eyes in Aldi. Housing is the only thing on par. OK, they live in Howick north west of the city, so not farming, but their modest little house is valued at over £500k !! Unsurprisingly they can't get back home soon enough. We hope to visit them at the end of the year, but better up our budget.

We get this all the time when friends visit from the UK ,cost of living is more expensive than UK, houses farms are about the same, a weak pound makes it look even worse.

Usual rule of thumb for travelling, once you have got your suitcase packed open it again and take out half the clothes and leave them behind, then go down to the bank and get out twice the money you were planning on taking.

If you get down to the Bay of Plenty, look me up.

 

[Kiwi Pete]

The only thing that spoils it is 7 strands of wire instead of hedges

It must be what you get used to, when I see hedges I see expense!

 

[stewart]

It must be what you get used to, when I see hedges I see expense!

You beat me to it, I was also going to add they spoil the view.

 

[unlacedgecko]

It must be what you get used to, when I see hedges I see expense!

+1. I've never seen 7 strands of wire grow out to a base of 30ft.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

We get this all the time when friends visit from the UK ,cost of living is more expensive than UK, houses farms are about the same, a weak pound makes it look even worse.

Usual rule of thumb for travelling, once you have got your suitcase packed open it again and take out half the clothes and leave them behind, then go down to the bank and get out twice the money you were planning on taking.

If you get down to the Bay of Plenty, look me up.

NZ was more expensive for groceries but no more than about 20% from what I could see. Some things were much better value. Certainly not a big hurdle.

The quality of life is way better though IMHO.

 

[FonterraFarmer]

Land of milk and money:
Have some family over from Auckland at present, interesting to see how much cheaper [lower cost] they find UK living is at present. Food, fuel, drinks, cars etc, they can't believe their eyes in Aldi. Housing is the only thing on par. OK, they live in Howick north west of the city, so not farming, but their modest little house is valued at over £500k !! Unsurprisingly they can't get back home soon enough. We hope to visit them at the end of the year, but better up our budget.

Think you mean "Chowick", more like east and south as north and west takes you to the Shore , different languages either way

 

[Campbell]

Ooops, geographical error there, I've never been the same since getting lost in Pakuranga Heights.