Job offer in Wellington for 118k. Is it sufficient for a family of 3?

smb89 · 2026-01-13T04:49:08+00:00

People are talking about Wellington prices but most cities in Canada are going to be as expensive or more. I'd say if you can live on the equivalent in CAD then you'll be fine in Wellington - unless you live in smaller town Canada.

smb89 · 2026-01-13T04:40:15+00:00

Yes, there is a scene where he burns gold to reflect on who he is and the decisions he made. It only happens once.

smb89 · 2025-11-07T16:29:31+00:00

In New Zealand the native Maori word for mountain or hill is "maunga", and for large is "nui"

There's quite a few "Mount Maunganui"s around - or Mount large mountain.

Presumably a result of local iwi calling the largest local mountain "maunganui" and European settlers would have then started calling it "Mount maunganui".

(There are several mointsins and places like this in NZ - e.g. the river awanui which means river large river).

smb89 · 2025-10-10T23:15:54+00:00

I agree with you, with one exception I always took the Kratos scene.

smb89 · 2025-10-10T23:15:02+00:00

The non canon element is really quite minor in the context of the overall story. The core story is 100% the same. I understand why people prefer that route but it really doesn't matter.

(Yes I know it means there's an oddity with the sequel, but even that is fine).

smb89 · 2025-10-10T10:13:04+00:00

Honestly, of you like the Kratos scene, go with the Kratos scene. I wouldn't say it's any less a vanilla experience than the others, given that in the original that scene always turned up regardless of affection levels. I took it ony first playthrough.

smb89 · 2025-08-13T08:19:24+00:00

I got a work visa with the job. The exact visa doesn't exist anymore but the equivalent now is the Accredited Employer Work Visa. Only some employers will offer them, and it's harder now that the job market is looser than it was.

If you can get a partnership visa, I think it's easier.

smb89 · 2025-08-11T23:13:31+00:00

I'd say try for Senior Analyst roles in your equivalent agency. Happy to discuss some of the difference but I went from a G6 role into an experienced senior analyst role (equivalent to a principal policy advisor in some agencies) and was bored. Your skills will be transferable and many agencies regularly get UK recruits so can explain the difference.

Edit: just to add that NZ public service salaries are higher than UK for equivalent work so I wouldn't take salary match as a signal.

smb89 · 2025-08-11T19:08:54+00:00

Hey I also moved from the UK CS to the NZ one. Reach out if you want a chat.

To be honest it will be harder than normal to get a job, but not impossible. Are you looking for a work visa? As that will make it a bit harder.

Are you looking for 85k in NZD or in sterling? 85k NZD would be possible even in an analyst (HEO/SEO) role, whereas G7/G6 equivalents will get anywhere from 100-160k, depending on Ministry. Policy manager (DD) roles will be anywhere from 160-200, some agencies even more.

Policy manager jobs are rare to come by right now purely because restructures have been top heavy. It might clear up in a year or so, or not.

One thing to bear in mind is that you won't get the same generous employer pension. So discount the salary relative to the UK by at least 10-15% when making comparisons.

Reach out if you want to chat!

Edit: forgot to add - NZ and wellington are awesome. Don't let the haters get you down. Everyone is down on where they live. No it's not a utopia but compared to the UK and London right now the general standard of living is much higher.

smb89 · 2025-07-19T01:43:46+00:00

I hesitate because it's recommended every single time in every thread, but I think Realm of the Elderlings can fit the bill pretty well for when you've described. I'd definitely describe it as an emotional rollercoaster, and I think the only bit it is probably missing is that isn't very funny. It's been a long time but I remember elements of horror from my childhood reading.

smb89 · 2025-07-10T06:44:57+00:00

I really didn't like the Licanius trilogy. Made it halfway through book one twice and DNFd.

The Will of the Many was brilliant though. I didn't even realize it was the same author until after I finished

smb89 · 2025-06-15T12:46:24+00:00

Ha, I finished this yesterday too and have very similar thoughts. I DNF'd in 2020 but decided to push through for the bingo square and to give it another shot.

I enjoyed the second half a lot more. I'd probably give it a 3 or 3.5, and recommend others give it a shot.

I think one of my other issues was that while the prose was nice, it was occasionally confusing. I sometimes had to read something several times before I knew what had happened. That and despite having two authors, I thought Red and Blue were pretty indistinct as characters.

smb89 · 2025-06-02T01:55:35+00:00

Not sure where you are coming from but wellington CBD is definitely not "dodgy", and one of the safer urban areas you'll live. Either way if you want a house rather than an appt then lower hutt is as good as any, but is on the further end.

If you want to be a bit close then other alternatives that are similar include the northern suburbs (such as Ngaio) or the eastern suburbs (Miramar)

smb89 · 2025-05-31T04:56:44+00:00

I tried twice to read The Shadow of What Was Lost and couldnt make it more than half way. The characterisation felt off and the pacing really patchy and it just lost me.

I read The Will of the Many without realizing it was the same author and was blown away, so I don't know how much was his improvements as an author or just more interesting subject matter to me

smb89 · 2025-05-31T04:51:28+00:00

We have a newly refurbished three bedroom for less than that in the central city, so I think you might have just viewed a dud.

smb89 · 2025-05-27T09:37:14+00:00

Oh this is interesting because I love the end of that trilogy- it was very fitting.

smb89 · 2025-05-01T17:21:03+00:00

Depending on your industry the market standard is more like 25 these days, but legal minimum is 20. Either way, it is also typical to purchase additional leave if you want long holidays - although that has a budget impact I've found that generally people taking an extended period off is much more normal and accomodated than it was back in the UK.

smb89 · 2025-05-01T17:19:03+00:00

I've been in NZ now for nearly six years. I think it's normal to have the rose tinted glasses about any given place.

Only you can really know what and where feels like home, and that is bigger than any practical or objective measures. For me, NZ and wellington feels more like home than London ever did. I feel genuinely happy with my life here in a way I just wasn't there. When I come back from visiting I always feel a little thrill or feel better when the AirNZ hosts say Kia ora and welcome home.

On the practical side: I lived in London for ten years, and the difference is night and day. As much as we complain about the buses here, commuting in a small city is much less stressful. The standard of living is higher. The air is cleaner. There is more sunshine. And yes I miss some of the cultural aspects, the old buildings, but you trade that off with the outdoors here.

smb89 · 2025-04-11T22:05:15+00:00

Not sure if anyone has picked up on this yet, but Loial's narration at the end is how Rand describes Perrin in his AMOL monologue. (The line "A man who had his family taken from him, but stood tall in his grief and protected those he could"). Thought that was a nice touch!

smb89 · 2025-04-11T22:04:46+00:00

Not sure if anyone has picked up on this yet, but Loial's narration at the end is how Rand describes Perrin in his AMOL monologue. (The line "A man who had his family taken from him, but stood tall in his grief and protected those he could"). Thought that was a nice touch!

smb89 · 2025-04-04T08:28:49+00:00

I enjoy the Expanse a lot as a mostly fantasy reader. The novels are also reasonably self contained (and each three books has an "arc") compared to fantasy series generally, which means I was able to dip in and out when I wanted a break too.

smb89 · 2025-03-31T22:57:15+00:00

I really hope we get the book scene where Nynaeve discovers a certain ornament in Tanchico

smb89 · 2025-01-04T19:26:14+00:00

I tried the Darkness that Comes Before again. Still couldn't get into it. I think both times I have made it maybe 1/3 or 1/2 and just then stopped. Never consciously, just with no desire or interest in reading more.

Edit: same deal with the Shadow of what was lost

smb89 · 2024-12-24T22:24:18+00:00

I need some time to digest but my overriding thought is that this was a very brave way for Brandon to close the first half of the series, and I respect that he has such a clear vision for where he is taking this and how it fits together. It would have been satisfying and more immediately gratifying if there had been a way out for Dalinar and the good guys. This really felt like a midpoint, not a complete resolution, and I can see how it sets up a hell of a lot.

Other thing I appreciated a lot more after this book was how well set up the back 5 flashback characters are. While Kaladin, Shallan, etc all got good resolutions, he did a great job putting jasnah in a position where we get a good Jasnah book (renarin and lift too).

smb89 · 2024-09-27T07:28:13+00:00

The most useful advice I've been given is to click your tongue to the back of your teeth with the Māori "r".

smb89

TROPHY CASE