Your accommodation requirements are sorted as we provide a variety of short and long term homes. For everything else you need to organise, have a look at the information, facts and migration stories we have gathered below.

Christchurch

Christchurch is on the Canterbury Plains on the South Island's east coast, bordered by the stunning Southern Alps to the west and the Pacific Ocean in the east. Christchurch is largely flat and has a distinctly English feel to it, mostly thanks to its atmosphere and the Avon River which runs through the central city. The city's gothic-style architecture lead many visitors to declare that it is the most British of New Zealand's towns. The city is known as the Garden City for its many beautiful parks, reserves and other landscaped areas.

There is heaps to do with skiing just an hour and a half away by car, the beautiful Banks Peninsula 15 minutes away and a huge number of parks, leisure centres, clubs and activities including kids' holiday programmes. Within a two-hour drive you can get to the hot springs of the alpine Hanmer Springs,
go for a day of top-class skiing at Mt Hutt or go whale watching or swim with the dolphins in Kaikoura.

Christchurch is becoming increasingly popular with British expatriates emigrating to New Zealand who want to rediscover an old style England.  The way of life in Christchurch really mirrors that found in the UK - but according to expats who have made the move - without the crime, the immigration issues, the poorer climate or the lack of basic personal respect now prevalent in British society!

Interesting NZ facts for those traveling from the UK

• Over 200,000 people from the UK live in New Zealand.
• Outside of the British Isles, New Zealand is the most "British" country in the world. (Around 85 percent or so of the country's population is of British descent.)
• NZ continues to accept more immigrants from the UK than from any other country - around 13 thousand skilled migrants are accepted from the UK each year.
• New Zealand has low unemployment - around four percent. There are labour shortages in many key professions and trades.
• NZ is keen to attract skilled, English speaking migrants. Immigration policy targets the skills in highest demand.
• NZ is bigger than the UK but has fewer people than Scotland. If it's more space you desire, you can find it in New Zealand.
• NZ's climate is often likened to the UK's. In fact NZ's climate varies widely depending on location. The far north's climate is closer to subtropical than British. The east coast of the North Island is closer to Mediterranean than British. Central parts of the South Island are semi-arid. All of New Zealand's main cities enjoy over 2,000 hours of bright sunshine per year. (London gets 1,500 hours.)
• People moving to New Zealand often discover a way of life that is more focused on the great outdoors and is less materialistic than the one they left behind.

Financial Advice

Contact Broadbase International, they provide expert financial advice for Brits in NZ and also provide a monthly newsletter. Their aim is to make the financial aspects of your life in New Zealand as easy as possible - and may even be able to save you thousands.

They have also produced a free information pack for Brits, "Moving to New Zealand - a Comprehensive Financial Guide". It contains over 60 pages of essential reading for any Brit New Zealand, presented in a easy-to-read, accessible format. 

The Cost of Living

Many migrants to New Zealand from the UK are surprised to find that the cost of living is far higher than they expected - especially when they start earning dollars. It is hard to compare incomes and household expenses between New Zealand and the UK – there is the exchange rate to take into account, different rates of tax and income support, as well as different lifestyles. Read more...

Immigration Information 

Have a look at our handy immigration links or check out our handy list of 45 things you need to organise before leaving the UK.
 
There is also Emigrate2.co.uk, a leading UK independent source of overseas emigration information and has been for more than 20 years.

Skilled Migrant Information

The skilled migrant category (SMC) is the major route to immigration. Most people will follow this route, but tend to find it overwhelming.

Most of the time, to qualify for entry under the SMC you must be aged between 18-55, be of sound health and good character, and hold an offer of skilled employment. The lists of acceptable 'skilled' trades is available to view on the immigration website (http://www.immigration.govt.nz) as it is far to large to include in this section. You must also meet a minimum standard of English language ability, which may need to be assessed by IELTS (again, check immigration website for full details).


Holiday / Transit Visas
 
If you are thinking of visiting New Zealand, you may need to apply for a holiday visa. In some cases, you may be allowed to visit New Zealand without a visa. This happens if you live in one of the 'visa free' countries listed here:

Andorra, Ireland, Portugal, Argentina, Israel, Qatar, Austria, Italy, San Marino, Bahrain, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Korea (South), Singapore, Brazil, Slovenia, Brunei, Kuwait, South Africa, Canada, Liechtenstein, Spain, Chile, Luxembourg, Sweden, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Switzerland, Denmark, Malta, Finland, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, France, Monaco, United States of America, Germany, Uruguay, Greece, Netherlands, Vatican City, Hong Kong, Norway, Hungary, Oman and Iceland

If you are in one of these visa free countries, you are entitled to visit New Zealand for up to 3 months. If you are a UK citizen, you are entitled to visit New Zealand for up to 6 months without a visa. Australian citizens do not need a visa at all.


Moving Companies
 
Have a look a this website which compares international moving companies. http://compare-international-movers.com/

Migration Stories

"For someone born a Pom who lived there for the first 55 years of his life, and has seen quite a lot of the world (including Oz) before marrying a Kiwi and enjoying a new lease of life in Christchurch, here's why NZ is the best place on Earth to live: Read more...

Life in New Zealand  is “a wonderful lifestyle, and I just can’t get over how lucky we are." Advice for teachers wanting to work in New Zealand ? “Jump on a plane and come over. We need more teachers, especially technology teachers. We’re desperately short of them.”  Read more...

"The job prospects here are very encouraging - it seemed like a better way of life, while having all the advantages of home... The beauty of New Zealand is that it's not only unique, it's accessible. I hadn't meant to stay here – I fell in love with the beauty of the country." Read more... 

But what we've really enjoyed here is how friendly the neighbours are. They've become friends very quickly...We've got a far better balance of work and lifestyle than we ever could have had in Scotland."Read more...

"Life is very different for us here... We own a house, something we could never afford to do in London . We are all members of a tennis club – we are a lot more social here, there are always events of activities going on." Christchurch is "a fantastic place to follow your dreams"    Read more...

Feel free to contact us if you need any help or cannot find the information you are looking for.

Don't forget to enquire about our holiday homes to make sure you tick one more thing off your list!