Moving to new zealand, need some advice

So, a friend and I have planned to move to new zealand in exactly two years.
We are very excited about it and completely serious. I keep trying to find someone to talk to who has either been there or even lives there. We'd love to meet some acquaintances as well!
But I have a few questions!

1) What is education like? I only have a high school degree from the U.S. so I'm not sure how to go about really anything. Since this is awhile down the road we are still trying to figure everything out. I'd love to go to school for physics/psychology after we are settled down a bit as it has always been my passion since birth.
2) Jobs: We'd like to get jobs as soon as possible after moving down there, only having a limited supply of money. What is pay like for minimum wage jobs? My friend told me that it is $13 / hour which would be absolutely splendid!
3) Where to live: We'd love to live at least within a mile radius of the coast! And we'd like to know which cities would be the best to look into that would be great!
4)Citizenship does not happen until 5 years of good character and evaluation from the government, or is this just for grants? We'd love to be citizens as we intend to stay for a very long time, quite possibly our entire lives!

We plan on buying a small house for the two of us with a little bit of land so that we can do a few things. Our goals are to have a complete fruit a vegetable garden, and later down the road invest in a stocked pond to possibly use as irrigation and also to fish inside of Another goal of ours is to build some solar panels after time to get more inexpensive energy and perhaps if it is possible, make more energy than we actually use to help out and also because I know that in the U.S. there are deals where if you do that you actually get sent checks for compensation!

Also a few questions about drug use. Him and I are completely fine not using drugs what-so-ever, but we do like to get buzzed every once in awhile so I was wondering a few things about this.

1) kratom cultivation. Is it legal? I use this for anxiety and my friend for pains.
2) poppy growing, how does that work down there? Nice for a long day at work or farming ya know?
3) Is there medicinal marijuana? This isn't so much for me, I don't really like smoking all too much, but my friend has just horrible issues with pains and such and he would like to know if that was possible down there as it helps him a lot.
4)With the synthetic drug reform they have going on down there, which designer drugs are actually legal and not? Not to into those either but I do like MXE, which I am pretty sure is illegal from the reading I have been doing.
5) What all can you get over the counter over there(DXM, codeine, ephedrine, etc...)
6) My cat wants to know if you are able to purchase mushroom spores without getting into any trouble.
7) I'm not even going to ask about psychedelics because I figure that they are criminal offenses, but perhaps I am wrong in this instance.

We are very friendly people and we'd absolutely love to have a guide! Making new friends to show us some cool landmarks, grab some lunch with us.. You know, things like that!

I'd really really like it if someone could help us out with this as it is a lot easier through direct conversation. Feel free to PM me, all help is appreciated, seriously! I'd love to get to know some kiwis before we go down there!
Thanks guys

 

bummp

 

Hi dude, I'm not a Kiwi though I would Love to go to New Zealand. I don't have any NZ specific info for you, but I recently took a big jump in my life (about 2 years ago) and moved from England to Northern Sweden, to do what you plan to do pretty much- the farm and the animals. All is going well so far, and I just thought I would share this quote with you. It's been in my head today and it seems like a good time to share it ;;

“Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. The time will pass anyway.”
Earl Nightingale

I know there are a couple of Kiwi's around here...Arlandis springs to mind. Perhaps you could send him a PM and get talking

Lycka Till!

 

Advice? Move to Australia instead

 

Good luck with your question. The forums here are... not the most informative places at times...

I have been to NZ and don't think there is Medical MJ but most of these questions can be answered by google searching. I'm pretty sure you're in for a rude awakening because unless you luck out, you're not going to be getting 13 dollars an hour. You'd have to be native to pull something entry level like that.

I was in Wanaka, NZ btw. Marvelous.

 

There's a reason a lot of New Zealanders have been moving to Australia for years.

 

Hi there. Im nz born and raised. If you have any questions, fire away