Ex-pat ChCh too
In Perth now, 7 yrs ago, lovely place, brutal working conditions now. When I left NZ I was getting $NZ45 an hr contracting to all my clients, then Perth $AUD55 hr, now down to $AUD38 hr. Irish and Kiwis have moved here like me! watered don the pay packet...
Labor over spent ALL the mining boom money and more, so she's not the 'lucky country' as you may hear about.
I hear not much building going on and the place is full of Irish - just like here!
We just sold our house in Linwood, built in 1946, stayed up! A few cracks in the walls, drive conc spread a bit....
I too came across this forum. Google'd it for spray topping on gyprock.