New Zealand Exchange
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New Zealand Exchange
Is there anyone out there who has done a New Zealand exchange recently, or maybe an NZer who has lived in UK? I am vaguely considering applying for RNZAF for a change next year when my RN commission ends, and I am having real difficulty comparing pay against cost of living, and trying to work out whether I could afford to live in the manner to which I have become accustomed if I were in NZ. The NZ armed forces pay seems minute on paper, especially when you apply 39% tax, but I can see from various websites that groceries are about 2/3 of the price of UK, petrol about 1/2 price, and housing reasonably cheap if you are not in Auckland. Does the standard of living you can get from 60-70,000 NZ dollars compare to what you would experience in UK on £40-45,000?
Hezza,
I'm a Kiwi lived in the UK for 20 years. About 10 years ago I was going to jack in the RAF and go home so I did a good-old recce.
Yup, the pay is less but so is the cost of living.
The glib answer is anything home-grown (ie food, clothes, WINE) is cheaper. But anything imported (CDs, books, cars) is more expensive.
If I could convince Missus DunH to come out with me I would go home tomorrow. It's the best place in the world to bring up kids.
BUT it is not a great place for flying jobs. Civvie jobs are limited and the RNZAF has a pretty limited role.
And don't forget as a POM you will be treated with the contempt you deserve...
Do it mate...
I'm a Kiwi lived in the UK for 20 years. About 10 years ago I was going to jack in the RAF and go home so I did a good-old recce.
Yup, the pay is less but so is the cost of living.
The glib answer is anything home-grown (ie food, clothes, WINE) is cheaper. But anything imported (CDs, books, cars) is more expensive.
If I could convince Missus DunH to come out with me I would go home tomorrow. It's the best place in the world to bring up kids.
BUT it is not a great place for flying jobs. Civvie jobs are limited and the RNZAF has a pretty limited role.
And don't forget as a POM you will be treated with the contempt you deserve...
Do it mate...
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Hezbollah,
Yes, you can probably live reasonably well on NZ salary, but unfortunately, the RNZAF has been virtually shut down over the last year, with several hundred redundancies in late 2001 - they lost their entire fast jet force. If you think Blair and Co are pathetic, check out the NZ government!!
You could try Australia - bigger armed forces, more opportunity!
Yes, you can probably live reasonably well on NZ salary, but unfortunately, the RNZAF has been virtually shut down over the last year, with several hundred redundancies in late 2001 - they lost their entire fast jet force. If you think Blair and Co are pathetic, check out the NZ government!!
You could try Australia - bigger armed forces, more opportunity!
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Hezbollah
TicketyBoo is almost right on the money, unfortunately. However there are a couple of points for consideration which may lighten things a little.
Only the top layer of your quoted salary bracket will attract 39% tax - the bit from 60 to 70 thou. Below that it falls incrementally, from 33% down to 21%.
GST - the equivalent of VAT - is 12.5% across the board.
Just this week the armed forces have been given a pay rise - hooray! But then this is election year, and the govt has spent the last two and a half years gutting and shafting the forces, so no surprises there.
Why would you want to live in Auckland anyway? Come down South, to the real New Zealand. As a for example, you could buy a three bedroom house and quarter acre section in my town for the equivalent of about 30,000 Sterling, good schools, hospitals, an hour or so (by way of an open-road drive through stunning scenery) from Queenstown, clean air, almost zero crime.....
I have to disagree with Dunhovrin about the price of cars, which I believe are at least as cheap as in the UK if not more so, but he's right about the rest.
I lived in Pomgolia for several years and liked it, but there's no place like home. We are in a bit of a backwater here, but the wide open spaces and clean, safe, friendly living are more important to me now than being stuck in 35-mile tailbacks or breathing smog.
Society here is more computerised and technologically advanced than the UK, but bear in mind the national infrastructure is built for a population the size of Birmingham, spread over a country bigger than Britain. Sometimes you have to wait a day or two for things that would be avilable in 5 minutes in Britain.
Poms fit in fine as long as you give back as much s h i t as you're given! These days people will like you simply for not being Chinese.
If you can find someone to pay you for it, these are the best skies to fly in the world. The news on that front may be better after the election - at the latest by November, possibly before. Watch this space.
I wouldn't book your ticket out in the name of Hezbollah, though....!
TicketyBoo is almost right on the money, unfortunately. However there are a couple of points for consideration which may lighten things a little.
Only the top layer of your quoted salary bracket will attract 39% tax - the bit from 60 to 70 thou. Below that it falls incrementally, from 33% down to 21%.
GST - the equivalent of VAT - is 12.5% across the board.
Just this week the armed forces have been given a pay rise - hooray! But then this is election year, and the govt has spent the last two and a half years gutting and shafting the forces, so no surprises there.
Why would you want to live in Auckland anyway? Come down South, to the real New Zealand. As a for example, you could buy a three bedroom house and quarter acre section in my town for the equivalent of about 30,000 Sterling, good schools, hospitals, an hour or so (by way of an open-road drive through stunning scenery) from Queenstown, clean air, almost zero crime.....
I have to disagree with Dunhovrin about the price of cars, which I believe are at least as cheap as in the UK if not more so, but he's right about the rest.
I lived in Pomgolia for several years and liked it, but there's no place like home. We are in a bit of a backwater here, but the wide open spaces and clean, safe, friendly living are more important to me now than being stuck in 35-mile tailbacks or breathing smog.
Society here is more computerised and technologically advanced than the UK, but bear in mind the national infrastructure is built for a population the size of Birmingham, spread over a country bigger than Britain. Sometimes you have to wait a day or two for things that would be avilable in 5 minutes in Britain.
Poms fit in fine as long as you give back as much s h i t as you're given! These days people will like you simply for not being Chinese.
If you can find someone to pay you for it, these are the best skies to fly in the world. The news on that front may be better after the election - at the latest by November, possibly before. Watch this space.
I wouldn't book your ticket out in the name of Hezbollah, though....!
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As you are only 'vaguely' considering it, then perhaps you need to do some serious homework before contemplating such a move. Once you make the move, you will quickly realise you are infinitely better off in terms of the quality of life you currently enjoy. Salary comparisons are meaningless, because it is the relative value that counts, and New Zealand wins hands down every time because essential costs are considerably lower than those of the UK. Exchange rates aside, cars are no more expensive here than the UK. Petrol is less than half the price, housing is not only only better in terms of the size and type of house you buy, but tends not to be half-way into your neighbours, and costs megabucks less than the UK. The skys are clear blue for a lot longer, there is room to move, NZ is light years ahead of the UK in many ways, banking technology for one, [a benefit of small being better and easier to manage] and the weather overall is better. New Zealand wines regularly clean up the awards at international judgings! Every year!
Service pay has recently been increased, especially for middle management officers. The RNZAF is still alive and well and able to compete with the best as it has always done. Funding is promised for replacements for the Iroquois, and B727,the Orion upgrade is still being debated, and the Hercs are also under review as to upgrade. I don't think NZ will buy the 130J just yet. I believe the boss of the new Seasprites is ex-RN, and didn't the last RAF Exchange Officer decide to stay? Or perhaps the one before?
Finally, younger UK and South African accents are being heard more and more often to my finely tuned lugholes, so come on in! Whatever you do, avoid Auckland! It has terrible weather compared to just about anywhere else, has an idiot for a mayor, and the worst traffic management outside of Bangkok!
On Saturday , The Guardian voted New Zealand the best long haul destination in the World! So there! Read it an weep!
Service pay has recently been increased, especially for middle management officers. The RNZAF is still alive and well and able to compete with the best as it has always done. Funding is promised for replacements for the Iroquois, and B727,the Orion upgrade is still being debated, and the Hercs are also under review as to upgrade. I don't think NZ will buy the 130J just yet. I believe the boss of the new Seasprites is ex-RN, and didn't the last RAF Exchange Officer decide to stay? Or perhaps the one before?
Finally, younger UK and South African accents are being heard more and more often to my finely tuned lugholes, so come on in! Whatever you do, avoid Auckland! It has terrible weather compared to just about anywhere else, has an idiot for a mayor, and the worst traffic management outside of Bangkok!
On Saturday , The Guardian voted New Zealand the best long haul destination in the World! So there! Read it an weep!
Last edited by Samuel; 25th May 2002 at 07:05.
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Gudday Hez,
If you go and join the RNZN (I'm assuming your not changing the colour of your uniform) I am sure you will have a great time in Auckland- home of the Americas Cup;enough said.
$60-70K kiwi (RNZAF Sqnldr pay: don't know the RNZN equivalent with seagoing allowance etc.) plus your pension should give you a pretty good lifestyle. The last RAF exchange Pilot reckoned that living on 40K quid in the UK was equivalent to living on $50K in NZ so there is a comparison for what its worth (no idea myself).
Since Labour disbanded the Air Combat Force last year, you should be able to find plenty of Kiwi's in the RAF to have a yarn to.
As a BRAVO plan, you could pick the big brown land across the Tasman. Far better pay, far better conditions of service and far better weather !! Either way, sure you will enjoy this part of the Planet, good luck in your decision.
If you go and join the RNZN (I'm assuming your not changing the colour of your uniform) I am sure you will have a great time in Auckland- home of the Americas Cup;enough said.
$60-70K kiwi (RNZAF Sqnldr pay: don't know the RNZN equivalent with seagoing allowance etc.) plus your pension should give you a pretty good lifestyle. The last RAF exchange Pilot reckoned that living on 40K quid in the UK was equivalent to living on $50K in NZ so there is a comparison for what its worth (no idea myself).
Since Labour disbanded the Air Combat Force last year, you should be able to find plenty of Kiwi's in the RAF to have a yarn to.
As a BRAVO plan, you could pick the big brown land across the Tasman. Far better pay, far better conditions of service and far better weather !! Either way, sure you will enjoy this part of the Planet, good luck in your decision.
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Some facts (and where to get them)......
assume you are rotary as hdg to RNZAF from RN expecting some stovie action is out of the question!
are you at VL? if so contact 800NAS, there is an ex-kiwi FJ pilot on SHAR conversion course.
or you can meet us at the x-keys on thursday 30th (and then rajpoot, of course)..... about 5pm. (we'll be the chaps with kiwi accents)
some RAF exchange pilots have stayed or returned to RNZAF. All top chaps and wouldn't change it for the world. However some ex-RN chaps have joined to RNZAF, been disillusioned and returned to blighty (now at Air 2000 and Go) so best you source as many opinions as possible.
Me, ex-RN and ex-RNZAF... left the military 8 months ago....
assume you are rotary as hdg to RNZAF from RN expecting some stovie action is out of the question!
are you at VL? if so contact 800NAS, there is an ex-kiwi FJ pilot on SHAR conversion course.
or you can meet us at the x-keys on thursday 30th (and then rajpoot, of course)..... about 5pm. (we'll be the chaps with kiwi accents)
some RAF exchange pilots have stayed or returned to RNZAF. All top chaps and wouldn't change it for the world. However some ex-RN chaps have joined to RNZAF, been disillusioned and returned to blighty (now at Air 2000 and Go) so best you source as many opinions as possible.
Me, ex-RN and ex-RNZAF... left the military 8 months ago....
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Hezbollah
Another place to find people to talk about it is 56 Sqn at Coningsby, they have a whole bunch of ex (FJ) RNZAF types converting for the F3. They will have the good buzz but I doubt there are any jobs left open in the the RNZAF!
Another place to find people to talk about it is 56 Sqn at Coningsby, they have a whole bunch of ex (FJ) RNZAF types converting for the F3. They will have the good buzz but I doubt there are any jobs left open in the the RNZAF!
