Merv and Michelle Cullen, with their children Jackson (left, aged 4) and Tayla (19 months), say Australia is what you make it. Photo / Supplied
In New Zealand, Michelle Cullen and her family were struggling to get ahead.
In Australia they have money, more opportunities and a superior lifestyle - making their choice a simple one.
"Australia is what you make it. Some people can do it if they are determined to do
it, and others, if you don't have that determination, then it won't work for you."
Mrs Cullen, 27, husband Merv, 30, and their children Jackson, 4, and Tayla, 19 months, have been living in Kirrawee, Sydney, since May.
Before that they had lived in Australia for three years, and tried returning home for 18 months to be closer to family and friends, but found themselves going backwards.
The former Timaru couple and their kids are back in Sydney for the foreseeable future.
"It's just the fact there are more opportunities and things are easier to get into. It's not just relying on having hands-on experience workwise."
In Australia, they can afford to live on the single income from Mr Cullen's job as a hydroblaster.
"When we left New Zealand, if we wanted a three-bedroom house we were looking at about $300 [rent] a week, say out of a base of a $500-a-week wage. Over here, you are paying $470 a week out of a $1300-a-week wage."
"You get the family assistance in New Zealand, but we get the same family assistance here...with Merv earning an extra $30,000 a year."
Also, the weather is better and there is more for them to do as a family, "because you have got the money to do it".
They find the Australian people friendly and rarely encounter any anti-NZ sentiment.
