We Lived in Australia Twice, So Why Do We Choose New Zealand?

Arno at Mathesons Bay, Leigh, New Zealand

Life in Melbourne Was Fun

In January 2017, we packed our belongings and moved to Melbourne, Australia.

It had been our long-time dream to move to Melbourne, ever since we visited the city in our early twenties. We loved the art, food culture, hustle and bustle, and how exciting it felt compared to Auckland and anywhere else in New Zealand (and even the dozen cities and towns we'd visited across Australia)

St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, Australia

We spent our first year in Australia living in Geelong, a small city an hour's drive from Melbourne. Our first year was filled with countless walks along stunning coastlines, discovering the Great Ocean Road, clocking up over 35,000 kilometres on the Jeep, and exploring what felt like every nook and cranny of Victoria. It was fun and exciting, and we have literally thousands of photographs to look back on fondly.

Dom gazing out at the Melbourne City skyline from Brighton Beach.

In our second year, we moved to Melbourne City—to an outer city suburb called Elsternwick. We became fully immersed in apartment living there and enjoyed everything the city offered: wine and dining, shopping, visiting art galleries, etc. We loved living in Melbourne. We seriously considered purchasing our first home there at one point, but we got a reality check at the high cost of urban real estate (i.e. $1.8+million for a 2-bedroom standalone house in a decent suburb near the CBD).

At the time, Arno and I worked full-time for Australian companies. We were in our early thirties and weren't planning to return to New Zealand. Even though the novelty of living in a new country had worn off, and we were in the thick of routine, we still enjoyed living in Melbourne.

Pandemic Panic

Then COVID hit.

Melbourne went into complete lockdown.

Curfews and the 5km radius travel limit made apartment living unpleasant. Meanwhile, across the ditch, New Zealand handled the pandemic much better than its international counterparts.

After six months of lockdown in Melbourne, we returned to New Zealand, which made perfect sense since Arno was a New Zealand Immigration Adviser.

In August 2020, we packed up and flew home with thousands of other Kiwis eager to experience some semblance of normality.

We found ourselves in picturesque Snells Beach, an hour's drive from Auckland City. Life was relatively peachy despite the mess the world was in. Nevertheless, we couldn't let go of Melbourne.

From New Zealand to Melbourne and Back Again

Fast-forward to 2022. The pandemic (or at least lockdowns) had 'ended', and the world was slowly opening up, albeit tentatively.

In March that year, we moved back to Melbourne after Dom was offered a role with an Aussie company. The weekend we arrived, we secured a rental and settled into city living again.

Three months later, it became apparent that moving back to Melbourne was impractical for Arno, who had to be in New Zealand for work.

By September 2022, we had moved back to New Zealand for the second time in less than two years—talk about whiplash.

Do we regret moving back to New Zealand permanently?

Fast-forward to the present day, and we can say without a shadow of a doubt that we do not regret returning to New Zealand permanently.

In hindsight, New Zealand (and Snells Beach in particular) had always felt right to us and being back in Melbourne a second time made us (secretly) realise how much we missed living there. Of course, we were in complete denial at the time, still set on returning to our ‘exciting’ former pre-pandemic life in the city.

It wasn't until we came home a second time that it really dawned on us how much calmer and more easy-going life is in New Zealand compared to Melbourne and even a smaller city like Geelong.

What we love and appreciate the most is the Kiwi lifestyle.

Arno at Scandrett Regional Park, New Zealand

Here, life is more laid-back, with less emphasis on keeping up with the Joneses. There's a more down-to-earth attitude among locals and a strong connection to our natural environment; this is probably because everywhere in New Zealand (even in cities like Auckland and Christchurch), there's always a beach, lake, river or national park nearby.

Don't get us started on the scenery—it's on a scale from beautiful to absolutely stunning. Having easy and quick access to nature spots does wonders for our mental health and overall well-being, especially during hectic times.

Urban roads are easier to navigate, with only a million traffic cones to contend with - but at least no trams, wily pedestrians, or hook turns to avoid. The air is noticeably fresher, and people are friendlier and keen for a chat or a BBQ. Getting life admin done is easier too, like popping into a post office - they're everywhere (even our local gas station).

Operating a business is straightforward and feels more authentic. Businesses and professionals focus more on building quality relationships and trust than on pushy sales tactics. The overall approach to business and living is based on genuine connection, typical of Kiwi culture.

We like to say fondly that living in New Zealand is akin to taking a deep breath and a big exhale, followed by an overwhelming sense of relief.

But, don't you find New Zealand expensive?

Yes and no.

First, we want to highlight something not often reiterated in conversations around New Zealand in the media or on the internet: the rising cost of living is not unique to New Zealand. It's happening everywhere.

Moreover, income, lifestyle choices, discretionary spending, debt, etc., all affect what one person thinks is 'high cost of living' compared to another.

Some things cost more in Australia than New Zealand and vice versa; others are on par. Again, it's all relative and deserves greater discussion and analysis than simply stating that New Zealand is too expensive.

For a snapshot of the cost of living in New Zealand, check out this blog post.

Would we ever go back to Australia?

We love Australia (obviously not as much as we love New Zealand). It’s an awesome country with fantastic opportunities. We've made happy memories in Melbourne, visited some cool towns and cities and made life-long friends.

But New Zealand is home and the heart of everything we do. We love and accept this country, flaws and all, and hope to contribute to its growth in a meaningful and positive way.

Would we go back to Australia? Given the life we've built for ourselves here in New Zealand, the answer is a resounding no.

From our personal experience, living in Australia has definite pros, such as higher salaries/wages and job opportunities.

However, it's possible to have those in New Zealand (the opportunities may not be as vast as in Australia, but they do exist!).

Ultimately, it's like comparing apples to oranges: Australia has over 26 million people, while New Zealand has just over 5 million. Based on the sheer differences in population and size, there are bound to be noticeable contrasts in the job market, economy, culture, and environment.

We've found that people who choose to lay down roots in New Zealand do so for the lifestyle. They stay for the sense of safety, community, laid-back living, and, of course, the abundance of nature. Those who stay do so because they genuinely love living here and appreciate what our incredible country offers.

In our humble opinion, New Zealand is far from perfect, but it's our version of paradise, and we wouldn’t trade it for anywhere else in the world!