I'm a kiwi living and working in London. I have lived here for just over 18 months. In my experience, I would not bring up children in London. Just remember there is more to New Zealand than Auckland and if you want to see the 'real' New Zealand and meet the real people you need to look further afield than Auckland. There is this Auckland and the rest of the country attitude. Auckland also has a high population of Maori, Pacific Islander and Asians in comparison to the south island.

Crime is a problem in New Zealand not just in Auckland but throughout the country. We also have a drug problem. There are limited resources so small crimes like burgulary etc are ignored. There appears to be a bigger gap emerging between the haves and the have nots and this is feeding the crime issue. We lived in a provincial town in the north island in a 'secure' apartment and were burgled twice and every other week had issues with law and order in the town. There is also a boy racer attitude throughout the country.

Have read the various comments re cost of living etc. Listening to family members and friends still residing in New Zealand, it is true the cost of living has risen dramatically. Basics like butter and milk are out of the realms of the average kiwi family. The economic crisis has also started to hit the housing market and nows the time to bag a bargin (if you're prepared to take the risk). Modern homes are fitted with heating however alot of kiwis still like log fires - the reason being, the price of power.

My advice is get out of Auckland where you may earn less but your cost of living is less and you have a better quality of life.

All in all it depends what you are looking for. If it's the great outdoors experience and a decent quality of life I would say get out of Auckland and research what the rest of NZ has to offer. If you want access to all the entertainment things like sports events and concerts, easy travel etc - Auckland's the place.

Good luck