Trout fishing. And I go into a (happy) catatonic glaze. Then you add sailing...

Damn.

Certainly on my short list.

Tell me that nobody mountain bikes. That the hiking is awful. I need some NZ repellent.

Matt... If you've got something to say just say it.

I dig y'all's part of the world but feel a little sorry for you natives: you can't hear your women's accents the way the rest of us can.

Trust me on this ... you wish you could.

_

I was fortunate to spend two weeks on the south island of NZL in 2019 and it is a wonderful country. Things are more expensive there, being an island and all. But the conversion rate is favorable if you keep that in mind when paying for things.

It is a gorgeous country. If you have seen Lord of the Rings then you have seen what NZL looks like. After visiting, I entirely understand why Peter Jackson filmed it there (besides wanting to support his local economy and the beautiful scenery).

I could see moving there. It is a more laid back pace of life but everyone I met works very hard. They are tightening their requirements to emigrate there because they want to be particular about who moves into the country, which I understand and support.

I very much plan to go back and spend time on the north island. It is a long flight out of San Francisco, LA or Seattle but direct to the north island.

I'm not understanding the NZ$60k a year income. If you invest NZ$0.75m in the economy you would need 8% return on investment to generate that much. If you add the NZ$0.75m investment and the NZ$0.5m living expenses then you need less than 5% return to get your NZ$60k. IS that allowed, or is the NZ$60k some extra?

Also if you're emigrating from the US, I would assume you are still eligible to collect your US Social security. If you've managed to put away close to $0.9m USD over your life then the chances are you've been maxing out your social security contributions for many years too, so if retiring today you should get at least half the $60kNZ covered off the bat.

I'm not saying it's an easy goal, but it seems perfectly reasonable for many middle class people to achieve that.

Not many sheep.

I was there about 15 years ago, looked like a lot of sheep to me, LOL. According to wiki, 39 mil in 2007.

I did go for a sail on a dairy farmers boat though, great guy, we asked at a club if anybody needed crew, the club called and asked him and he drove down and we went and sailed for about 5hrs. I did a couple races on a 54' carbon hull out of Auckland, 2nd day he let me fly the spin, great skipper and quite the boat.

Hey Herr_oberist are you ok with wet winters, I think it is pretty soggy at least south island, you could try PNW San Juan Islands first.

I'm not actually realistically thinking I would retire to NZ, that's why I put a question mark in the title. I have been researching interesting places for an expat to retire to, and I was surprised but not surprised how the NZ govt put the bar pretty high compared to many other countries.

I live in PDX, and while not as sloppy as the San Juans, definitely not Puerta Vallarta either!

NZ$1,370,000 for 2 years sounds a bit steep, but then I guess it keeps out the riff raff.

signed,

R. Raff

As i hear, everybody wants to go to OZ, not NZ
People in NZ want to go to OZ
OZ is booming, NZ is not work wise.

All countries with a clue have strict immigration laws, including Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/campaigns/irregular-border-crossings-asylum/understanding-the-system.html

I have spent a lot of time in Australia and a month or so in NZ. Both remarkable places (Australia is like America in terms of differences in geography) that I would be delighted to be from.

But I am not. I'll stay here and welcome all visitors...just like they do until it is time they go home or legally apply for citizenship.

There are more Australians living in NZ than the other way around. Australians get paid more but they have taxes at every turn, cars etc are expensive. One Australian I'm friends with said he can live better in NZ than back home. So who knows. As we say; six of one, half a dozen of another.

Well, i'm just basing it on what a friend in NZ and a friend in OZ told me.
That it's harder for NZ to get into OZ then the other way around?

We've sponsored some coworkers from China into OZ and it wasn't easy, I can tell you.

Childhood friend emigrated from the UK to NZ about the same time I moved to the US. Her and her family were in NZ for about 10 years before moving to OZ. After 10 years in OZ they've made their final move back to NZ along with many others they know. Not a statistically relevant number of people I know, but my experience through them is the opposite of what you are saying.

I interpreted those figures by the OP as being to move there permanently, not for two years. You certainly don't need money like that to go there for a couple of years.

Yeah, but , Isn't Intra-Commonwealth migration is different from NON commonwealth migration?

If you are looking for somewhere similar to NZ, with good fishing great mountain scenery where everything is expensive just drive north into BC, LOL.

BC, short for bring cash.

What does it cost to buy your way into USA these days? Many years ago I think it was invest $500k plus must hire two, and pay for your own health care.

No idea and I wasn't trying to imply anything. Just replying to a different comment on people entering and leaving the country.

My comments on the cost to immigrate there were based entirely on the figures the OP posted. I wasn't questioning anything, just asking for clarification on some of the figures.

I really enjoyed my time in Australia. I would love to spend a couple of years there. I am not sure if I ever made it to NZ...as I woke up in a few places where I was unsure where I was back in my younger daze.

Buddy of mine I grew up with moved there (married a girl from there), lives in Whanganui and loves it. Being Canadian he missed hockey so he coaches in-line skates hockey.

Do what makes you happy

Every situation is relative.

From what I understand there is a difference between common wealth and non-common wealth to move there.