New Zealand - The Good, The Bad and The Ugly.

[patches]

My wife is doing her IELTS exam in Feb. She needs all 8s. I'm concerned that she won't get this and wondered whether anyone that's done it recently has any resources/websites that she can practice on. At R2600 I'm not keen on having to pay for it twice. Anyone?

 

I didn't do IELTS, I did CAE (Cambridge Advanced English) in stead.

 

I got an A on C2 level. (C2 is the highest level on the CEFR scale). I think my results were 205 out of 210.

 

So A on that is equivalent to an IELTS 9.

 

... I didn't study at all

 

And I am by no means a master linguist.

 

So if English is her first language and her command of it is fairly decent, then I'm sure she'll do just fine.

 

I didn't need my CAE certificate for my NZ job (it was for another plan I had), but I know that skilled migrant visas require them or an equivalent (IELTS and TOEFL).

 

Here is the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference) Scale.

 

http://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/cefr-new.png

Edited January 22, 2016 by patches

[patches]

   

 

http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/438460497.jpg

 

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/cars/nissan/photos/a-1003506347/p-438460497.htm

 

1% interest rate

Zero Deposit

 

And from what I know foreigners can finance with just a passport, work permit, and NZ drivers (which as demonstrated by Wayne is pretty easy to get).

 

MUST RESIST!!!

 

hahaha!

[DIPSLICK]

   

 

http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/438460497.jpg

 

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/cars/nissan/photos/a-1003506347/p-438460497.htm

 

1% interest rate

Zero Deposit

 

And from what I know foreigners can finance with just a passport, work permit, and NZ drivers (which as demonstrated by Wayne is pretty easy to get).

 

MUST RESIST!!!

 

hahaha!

easy to resist when you start pricing property

 

and then theres the nissan badge on it

Edited January 22, 2016 by DIPSLICK

[patches]

easy to resist when you start pricing property

 

and then theres the nissan badge on it

 

hahaha very true!

 

And I see that the general rule is a 20% deposit on a property purchase.

 

If that was the case here in SA, then hardly anyone would own homes

[patches]

easy to resist when you start pricing property

 

and then theres the nissan badge on it

 

hahaha!

 

but but it's so beastly!

 

And the interior... so inviting!

 

http://www.2016carmodels.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Nissan-Navara-2016-interior.jpg

[BarHugger]

easy to resist when you start pricing property

 

and then theres the nissan badge on it

Leaving S.A. just so you can look like a Bulls supporter in another country....quite a radical move....

[Zatopek]

My wife is doing her IELTS exam in Feb. She needs all 8s. I'm concerned that she won't get this and wondered whether anyone that's done it recently has any resources/websites that she can practice on. At R2600 I'm not keen on having to pay for it twice. Anyone?

I wrote circa 2007.

 

I was worried and got the 'study pack'. (I'm Afrikaans speaking boertjie that learned English in an Agricultural school - worst case scenario....) It was easy - even the 'interview' test. If she is native English speaking she wont have any worries.

[No Hare]

looking at the Nissan ad.

 

Planning my NZ trip. Rent a vehicle for a month and do a bit of touring.  My niece nearly had a heart attack when she heard what I would pay for a rental vehicle.

 

She came with this idea: She will buy a vehicle for about half the price a rental would cost and after I leave, sell it again. I save and she earns a bit.

 

Weird place NZ

[droenn]

Remember in Aus and NZ that there isn't the 2nd hand vehicle market that there is in SA. (The price people pay in SA for a 2nd hand Golf or Figo is ridiculous.)

 

So because of this, any vehicle you drive out the showroom door immediately loses half its value (well something incredible anyway) and keeps on depreciating rapidly.

 

Also, all the 0% finance deals have no room for negotiating on the price, go in with cash you can get better a deal.

 

So, in my mind, its better to get something a few years old and not get too hung up on that new car feel. So many people get themselves into trouble thinking they need a new car and with the ease of finance available, max out on something that is worthless by the time they actually pay it off.

 

Better to put that into property - but then again, so many people in Aus and NZ stretch themselves there and get 30 year mortgages on $800K properties, constantly maxed out paying all their eggs into one basket...

 

And yes, you need 5% deposit minimum, 20% to avoid the higher lending taxes.

Edited January 22, 2016 by droenn

[patches]

looking at the Nissan ad.

 

Planning my NZ trip. Rent a vehicle for a month and do a bit of touring.  My niece nearly had a heart attack when she heard what I would pay for a rental vehicle.

 

She came with this idea: She will buy a vehicle for about half the price a rental would cost and after I leave, sell it again. I save and she earns a bit.

 

Weird place NZ

 

Yup! I looked at renting a basic little car for 3 or so days while I find my way around.

 

Cheapest I found was over R2000 for 3 days.

 

Fortunately I'm flying with at least one of my bikes

[patches]

Remember in Aus and NZ that there isn't the 2nd hand vehicle market that there is in SA. (The price people pay in SA for a 2nd hand Golf or Figo is ridiculous.)

 

So because of this, any vehicle you drive out the showroom door immediately loses half its value (well something incredible anyway) and keeps on depreciating rapidly.

 

Also, all the 0% finance deals have no room for negotiating on the price, go in with cash you can get better a deal.

 

So, in my mind, its better to get something a few years old and not get too hung up on that new car feel. So many people get themselves into trouble thinking they need a new car and with the ease of finance available, max out on something that is worthless by the time they actually pay it off.

 

Better to put that into property - but then again, so many people in Aus and NZ stretch themselves there and get 30 year mortgages on $800K properties, constantly maxed out paying all their eggs into one basket...

 

And yes, you need 5% deposit minimum, 20% to avoid the higher lending taxes.

 

I'm guessing you haven't been on TradeMe looking at 2nd hand bakkies (utes).

 

You're right, most cars in NZ depreciate rapidly, but trying to find a decent bakkie with under 100 000km for less than R200k... almost impossible.

 

There are many MANY of them with over 200 000km going for around R250k.

[droenn]

Ok fair enough, utes do hold value a bit better. Post was more focused on the finance deals people take to get something brand new

 

I was also looking at getting a new car when I land in Feb. But after looking through classifieds, think I'll aim to get something around 5 years old now. 

[MaxUmis]

My wife is doing her IELTS exam in Feb. She needs all 8s. I'm concerned that she won't get this and wondered whether anyone that's done it recently has any resources/websites that she can practice on. At R2600 I'm not keen on having to pay for it twice. Anyone?

I went through this last year.

As you said she'll need all 8s. Avg 8 doesn't cut it. (first try I got 9, 8, 7.5, 7.5 so had to re-write)

I can highly recommend going for the workshop that the IELTS guys present. It did help knowing in what format questions should be answered. Especially the written section.

Also, do all the exercises on the IELTS website. 

The other web resources that helped were www.dcielts.com and www.ieltsbuddy.com

 

Other than that, read lots and after reading an article for example, ask yourself questions about what you've read. Your comprehension needs to be sharp. Also speak English as best you can as often as you can, even at home assuming your home language isn't English.

 

And lastly... They might tell you that those tests are standardised. They lie. The first test I wrote was ruff. The listening and comprehension sections were really tough and felt like they tried to catch you out around every corner. The second time around I found it to be VERY easy. So you're going to need a little luck when they draw your exam question paper.

 

Tips on sections:

Listening: Listen closely; understand what is being spoken about; jot down telephone numbers, addresses and times as they whizz past.

Comprehension: be very awake here. Make sure your answer and question actually relate to each other. There will be keywords or synonyms that link questions and answers together.

Writing: Attend the IELTS workshop. Number of paragraphs are important; "linking" words that assist with the flow of your writing is important; appropriately addressing the recipient of your letter is important(know when to use Dear/Best/To. Know when to use Yours faithfully/sincerely ).

Speaking: Just keep talking. Even if you actually have to say "Wow, I don't know what to say". That'll give you an extra moment to get something else lined up. Try like hell to steer clear of one word answers. Watch your tenses.

[SwissVan]

   

 

http://trademe.tmcdn.co.nz/photoserver/full/438460497.jpg

 

 

http://www.trademe.co.nz/motors/cars/nissan/photos/a-1003506347/p-438460497.htm

 

1% interest rate

Zero Deposit

 

And from what I know foreigners can finance with just a passport, work permit, and NZ drivers (which as demonstrated by Wayne is pretty easy to get).

 

MUST RESIST!!!

 

hahaha!

 

 

Nee boet resist that typical Souf African urging.... There will be no need to "keep up with the Joneses"

[gummibear]

Remember in Aus and NZ that there isn't the 2nd hand vehicle market that there is in SA. (The price people pay in SA for a 2nd hand Golf or Figo is ridiculous.)

 

So because of this, any vehicle you drive out the showroom door immediately loses half its value (well something incredible anyway) and keeps on depreciating rapidly.

 

 

Same thing here.

 

You can get such good deals on a new car that theres almost no 2nd hand market and cars older than 3 years.

 

Guys go sell in France or Germany.

[niterider]

I was also looking at getting a new car when I land in Feb. But after looking through classifieds, think I'll aim to get something around 5 years old now. 

 

Exactly. Hardly anyone buys new cars here. And hardly anyone finances them. A cheap Japanese import off of TradeMe is the way to go.