In reply to laurentb:
I moved out here just over 4 years ago, happy to answer questions but I don't know much on immigration - there was a new immigration act last year. Loads of info on the NZ immigration website. If you're under 31 the working holiday thing is a good plan - that's how I started.
There's good and bad things about living here, and it certainly depends where you are and what you do for work, and the standard of living you'd like. Things are expensive (like for like) compared with the UK - to get the same standard of living would cost a lot (i.e. standard of housing, going out for meals/drinks, newish car, brand clothes (including outdoor stuff), speed of internet, international foods, etc). However, if you are happy with a different standard (15 year old car, going to house parties, tin roofed no heating house, capped internet limits, t-shirts and board shorts, grow your own veg) then you can live here fairly well on not too much money.
Housing is expensive in the cities but cheap in the sticks or the south (Auckland is comparable to London and more expenisve with respect to wages, you just get different things for your money).
Not a lot of jobs around right now - not well paying ones anyway. Saying that - I think I'm on comparable wages to the UK (outside London) but I know a lot of people think wages are lower here (but I think they presume everyone in the UK is on 60k a year). Less holidays tho.
It's expensive to travel overseas and the costs keep going up - important to consider if you have family in the UK. This is my biggest current concern.
Places are a long way apart here. And people drive all the time. You can't live without a car and even in auckland you'd struggle without one unless you lived in the centre. It's much easier to be lazy here, for all it's 'outdoor' image.
Everything is fried. Or a pie.
The climate is better generally, although here in the North we are still waiting for the summer. The humidity is here, but the sun is yet to catch up....
Christmas is completely at the wrong time of year.
My negative points might be positives to you. On balance I'm fairly happy here, but I think I would be just as happy back in the UK, for different reasons.
There's a few of us on here that have either moved out or moved back. I'm sure we all have different ideas and views. Have a good look into it - read the nzherald.co.nz or stuff.co.nz for the news and you'll get a feel for the country. Look on trademe.co.nz for rents and house/car prices. And visit and see if you like it!
Good luck,
Helen R