‘It’s been an adjustment — but not a regret’
Aucklander Michele Clemens’ reasons for leaving New Zealand were similar to those of many Kiwis who have hopped over the ditch.
The software industry manager moved to the seaside Sydney suburb of Manly a few years ago because of the significantly bigger market for the company she works for, Ranqx.
Job opportunities in her industry were also thin on the ground in her homeland and she saw more room to progress in Australia.
New Zealand was a great testing ground for fledgling businesses, but for them to truly make a mark they needed a bigger customer base.
She felt it was also easier for women to get ahead in business in Australia.
“In New Zealand there were only so many of the top-level roles that I was looking for . . . and it felt like they were more often than not going to men.
“I feel like here in Australia it’s not such an issue. I don’t know if that’s just because there’s more opportunity, but it was easier to get a senior role as a woman.”
She is paying quite high rent in Manly, but believes the cost is roughly equivalent to Auckland these days.
“And it’s better set up infrastructure-wise than Auckland. You earn more and although the living Newstalk ZB’s James O’Rourke headed to Australia after doing the big OE in Europe but came home for the promise of job opportunities.
The online news producer and his Aussie partner Tess Chapman moved back to New Zealand from Australia about three months ago after more than seven years living and working in Sydney, Perth and Melbourne.
They both managed to secure work but the pay was substantially lower than they had been earning on the other side of the Tasman.
“My partner and I didn’t realise how things had changed cost-wise so it’s been a shock getting used to what you’d pay for certain products or services — you pay a lot more here than you would in Melbourne to get the same thing.”
Financially, the couple felt they were better off in Australia, but they were still finding their feet in New Zealand.
“It’s kind of at the point where you have Australian prices for everything but you get paid that $15,000$20,000 less . . . which is strange because you’d expect it to be the other way around,” he said.
“So it’s been an adjustment, I don’t think it’s been a regret though.”