Good People Are Leaving New Zealand — And I Don't Blame Them

 


I've watched good people leave. Colleagues. Friends. People who were genuinely talented, genuinely committed, genuinely trying to build something here. One by one, they packed up and moved to Australia. And every single time, I understood why.

This isn't just a hospitality story. Every industry in this country is feeling it. Chefs, nurses, tradespeople, engineers — the pattern is the same. Work hard. Earn less than you should. Pay more than you can afford. Repeat until you break or you leave.

The money doesn't add up.

Australia pays more. Not a little more — significantly more. For the same skill, the same hours, the same grind. A cook who crosses the Tasman doesn't suddenly become a better cook. They just get paid like one. And when you're working 50 to 60 hour weeks in a hot kitchen and still can't save anything at the end of the month, that flight to Sydney starts looking less like giving up and more like common sense.
Everyone shops at the same places.
Here's something nobody talks about. In NZ, it doesn't matter how much you earn — you're still in the same Pak'nSave, the same New World, the same Woolworths as everyone else. There's no real choice. No premium options for those who want them, no genuinely affordable options for those who need them. Rich or struggling, you're in the same aisle. In Australia you actually get to choose how you spend your money. That's called financial freedom. Most Kiwis don't have it.

Housing finished the argument.

People used to say at least NZ property is a good investment. Now some states in Australia have cheaper house prices than Auckland. Let that sink in. You can earn more, spend less, and own a home — all by crossing one stretch of water. For a lot of people that's not a difficult decision anymore.

The ones left behind.
I'm not writing this to tell people to leave. I'm writing it because the people leaving are exactly the ones this country needs to keep. The hardworking ones. The skilled ones. The ones who actually give a damn. And when they go, what's left isn't just an empty seat in a kitchen — it's a gap that's very hard to fill.
NZ is a beautiful country. I still believe that. But beauty doesn't pay rent, and pride doesn't build a career. Until the numbers make sense, good people will keep leaving. And honestly — I don't blame them.

— The Chef

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