Perhaps no nation is closer to Australia than New Zealand, physically and poetically. The countries are like siblings. They share a common parentage (United Kingdom), have many similarities, and have their own share of differences.
Despite that, New Zealand and Australia have very good relationship with one another and are both up there in the top migration destinations in the world.
So we compare the two to find out which one suits your dream migration country more.
One of New Zealand’s driving industry is agriculture, especially the forestry, horticultural, and fishing industries. Mining also further contributes to the country’s economy. Agriculture accounts for 24% of its international trade output. So if you arrive here as a visitor on a Working Holiday Scheme (as most migrants start), occupations like seasonal fruit picking, pruning and harvesting are thriving and the best options, that is if you don’t mind working under the sun, getting your hands dirty, and get paid the bare minimum. Though office-based work are available in IT, telemarketing, banking, and finance industry.
The country is currently enjoying a low 5.4% unemployment rate, however, this number has heavily fluctuated in the past decades, especially during recession.
The country’s leading industry includes manufacturing, banking, and telecommunications, with the mining boom adding to the economy’s benefactors. The diversity of work is very good. With the service, technology, and hospital industry that does most of the employment. Poverty rate might have increased from 10.2% to 11.8% in 2013, but it’s still the country with the highest median wealth.
Unemployment here is slightly higher at 5.7%, and is gradually decreasing as a result of franchising and trade shifting from Europe and North America to Japan and other East Asian markets to revitalize the market and add to the investment portfolio.
Renting prices vary here throughout the country, depending on the quality, location and size of the property, but the pricier deals can be found in the main centres. When it comes to contracts, fixed term residential rental houses are mostly short to medium term, while fixed contracts are relatively rare.
You can locate rental properties either by seeking help from real estate agents or by directly contacting landlords. You can locate these landlords online through websites such as Trade Me Property, RealEstate Co NZ, and Open 2 View. They privately operated websites can offer you a very good overview of properties available in the area you’re seeking, including prices, types, and the contract categories.
Be sure to make you contact as soon as possible, since there is a very high demands for the renting houses here.
Like in New Zealand, costs of rental houses differ considerably depending on the region, city, neighborhood, quality of a property, size (number of bedrooms), age, and the facilities provided.
Expectedly, rents are cheaper in rural than urban areas. It’s also lower the further a property is from a large city or town, public transport or other facilities, the cheaper it is. The average rents are highest in Sydney, Melbourne and Darwin.
Letting agencies and estate agents will usually charge you a fee of two weeks’ rent for a one-year lease and one week’s rent for a six-month lease. These are the legal maximum fees. Also, you’re expected to settle one month’s rent in advance, depending on the type of property and the rental agreement, plus a bond which is held against damages.
Before going in with the transactions, before to make a careful inspections of the property. This will give you a feel of the house and decide wither this is the home you are looking for.
Buses are the main and most common form of public transport here. They make up the bulk of trips in cities where public transport is available. And more often, it is the only form of public transport around.
Suburban rail systems can be found in in Wellington and Auckland, but not used as much, though recently, they are getting increased patronage and new investments for further development. Taxis also operate in the country. Trams and cable cars were used to be employed but operations has since stopped and are just relegated as heritage displays.
A one way train ticket here costs AU$3.27, while a monthly pass is at around AU$130.96. Starting taxi tariff is AU$2.81 with also AU$2.81 for the first one kilometer. A Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (Or Equivalent New Car) will set you back AU$28,063.21 A$. Gasoline is at AU$1.81 for every litter.
Reliable, affordable public bus networks and train lines operates in all of Australian cities, plus taxis function nationwide. These train lines available include commuter rail networks, trams, light rails, and rapid transits scattered across cities. Despite this, driving is the most used mode of transport, with the number constantly rising. It is followed by train, walking (Australia has a very good culture of walking), and buses.
Fares are pricier here compared to Cana. A one-way ticket sets you back by 3.93 AU$, while going for a monthly pass will increase it by 130.00 AU$. A kilometer ride of taxi is 2.17AU$. If you want your own car, A Volkswagen Golf 1.4 90 KW Trendline (or any equivalent new car) will cost you 25,000.00AU$ plus 1.32 AU$ for every litter of gasoline.
For a country with close ties with United Kingdom, New Zealand is dominated by Asian flavors, especially Thai and Indian cuisine. It is an unspoken rule that when the chef or the server says the spiciness flavor of a food is weak, then it’s strong; if it’s strong, then you better have high tolerance for spicy food. Kiwis eat dinner quite early, between six and nine in the evening. You better dine here early since most restaurants close at ten.
A three-course meal for two people on a restaurant costs around AU$84.19, while dining at a less expensive café costs AU$16.84. A McDonald’s combo meal is at AU$9.35.
Cooking and dining at home is best in Australia. Fresh produces come in a wide variety and are offered virtually everywhere. They might come as expensive in some places, but you can get them by bargain in most areas. The fact that kitchen tools and gizmos are uber-cheap also. Dining out is another story. Eating at restaurants and cafes can be pricey, reinforcing further the cook-at-home culture here.
Dining out, a three-course meal for two people on a restaurant is at around AU$80.00, while dining at a less expensive café costs AU$1800. A McDonald’s combo meal is at AU$10.00.
For the past few decades, New Zealand’s health care system has gone through various incarnation in structure, form, and policies. For the past thirty years, it has transformed from a completely public system to a mixed public-private structure.
The government covers the entirety of the hospital and specialist costs, funded from government expenditure (77%), if the patient is referred by a general or family practitioner. Although the cost of payments are comparably lesser, private payment by individuals also presents a vital function in the overall system
People earning less than specific amounts, can be eligible for a Community Services Card (CSC), depending on the number of dependents in their household. This trims down the expenses of after-hours doctors' visits and prescription fees, but doesn't curtail the expenditures of visits to a person's regular doctor.
Medicare is the Australian government’s universal health insurance scheme. It provides Australian residents free treatment as a public patient in a public hospital and free or subsidized treatment for optometrist, dental care, and psychology services as well as treatment by doctors.
The amount paid by the federal government includes patient health costs based on the Medicare benefits schedule (85% of specialist and 100% of public in-hospital costs) and other concessions or benefits once they have go beyond a so-called safety net threshold, determined by the total health expenditure for the year.
Check here how the Australian Public Health Care System Works
New Zealand’s climate straddles between warm and mostly cool temperate with a bit of maritime or oceanic climate. The ocean influence diminishes any possible extremes in coastal temperature. Most parts of the country, specifically in the upper North Island, have high humidity all year round, which provides the effect of a warmer feeling in summer and cooler in winter than the thermometer indicates.
Rainfall is generally plentiful in the country, and is evenly diffused throughout the year in most parts of the country, though there are small differences based on topography. Snow mostly falls in the South Island and also at higher altitudes in the North Island and is quite rare at sea level in that area.
Due to its massive size, climate varies vastly in Australia to a wide degree. This is reflected on the snow-capped mountains in the south and arid deserts in the interior. Unlike New Zealand, majority of the country leans more towards the temperate, tropical rain forest climate. Australians get plenty of sun and warmth most of the year but with huge drops in temperature during winter.
The weather widely differs with every city. To find out more about the climate in each of them, check it here.
Advantages of New Zealand Citizenship include:
Advantages of Australian Citizenship include:
New Zealand and Australia have a lot in common than we actually know. They are located on the same part of the world, they were both former colonies of Great Britain, and a huge proportion of both countries are migrants.
However, this is where the similarities end.
If you appreciate nature and a service-oriented profession more, New Zealand is the place. Its overall look and ecosystem lean more on the green-ish façade (thanks to the high rainfall), with thick forests, huge rivers, melting glaciers, and rich soil. It is basically an environmental paradise. For this reasons, it relies more on the tourism industry as a major force of its economy despite the very high natural resources.
Australia on the other hand, has its beauty relying on a more diverse portfolio of features from scorching desserts to thriving jungles to snow-capped mountains. Employment opportunity-wise, it is a powerhouse of different industries ranging from mining to agriculture to manufacturing to service to information technology, since it has successfully created a mixed economy with an assortment of trades to support the economic structure.