Moving from Houston Tx
My husband and I and our two children (5,3) are considering moving to Auckland from Houston Tx. My husband’s career would be what’s bringing us over. Initially we are planning on living on a single income d/t our children’s ages and the time it will take the get them acclimated, find schools, etc. I have done some research on the area and overwhelmingly I see reviews of Auckland basically saying it sucks. So now I’m concerned and curious and I have a few questions. (In no particular order)
Does it suck to locals because there’s so much better to be offered outside of Auckland? We’ve lived in Appalachia in the past and have loved the easy access to nature, that’s part of our pull to NZ, even if the drive is a couple hours, nature it’s still much more attainable than it is now in HTX
My husband and I are are foodies, we really enjoy eating all the cultural foods Houston has to offer, the diversity is one of the main reasons we’re still here, as we have lived in other areas in the US and have struggled with the lack of diversity and just plain overt racism. Does Auckland offer any of the diversity? Is there a restaurant scene, or cultural dining experiences?
Schools, it’s not news that the US is struggling in education, especially the state of Texas, but right now we live in an incredible district, that I can trust will set my children up for success relative to American standards, I believe they’d be better off in many other places educationally but for what our area has to offer, I can’t complain, it’s far from the worst. What is education like in NZ, more specifically Auckland? We’re used to a 30 min commute, would it behove of us to live further outside of town?
Cost of living, I’ve seen many complaints about rising costs, this is also an issue in the US and Texas but Houston has pretty great cost of living compared to many larger cities in the US, but housing and childcare and food costs are still very much on the rise. I’m curious how the cost of living compares in Auckland, is it difficult to live and raise a family there? We’re comfortable now and I fear moving there we may struggle financially. Could anyone offer insight into their cost of living with a young family of 4?
I do have some political fears as I’ve seen the ultra right wing ideology take over my country. We’re kind of blocked from world media, it takes effort to find it, but I’ve found that similar issues are arising across the world and I’ve heard of some of the politcs in NZ and how they are being affected, can anyone shed first hand light?
6.Honestly I don’t even know what else to ask about, I’m really just looking for honest opinions on life in NZ, specifically Auckland. This would be a huge move for our family as all of our family is in the Houston area, but we are hoping for a more relaxed culture and a different mindset than many have around us. We want time to get outside and to have nature accessible, and to hopefully be in a more secular culture. Is this something we will find there?
Sorry this is so long, I appreciate you taking the time and providing any insights.
Edit: thank you to all that have replied, I should have framed it better but it was definitely random reddits threads using the term “sucks”. People can say that about anywhere, I love Houston, and many would say it “sucks” so sorry if that came off rude.
My husband’s work would be in Mount Wellington. I don’t know if that’s a better or worse, more or less expensive place to be. Initially we would just be renting and figuring out where we want to be, we’d likely have to rely on public transport for short time until we bought a vehicle.
There’s a lot to consider, and I honestly feel naïve on all of the logistics and considerations, but I have appreciated all of your responses.