My husband has the opportunity to work as locum tenens in a year or so, and we are leaning heavily towards either Australia or New Zealand. DH is a child psychiatrist, so we really needed to pick an English speaking area, and DH spent a semester abroad at the U of Melbourne in undergrad, so he already knows he loves that area of the world.
Anywho, I'm trying to do some legwork to help us decide what area we want to go to, so any of you who would be willing to give me some insight would be greatly appreciated!
A little background into the situation: We're leaning towards Australia because it pays about $30k more, but they require board certification. DH has his MD, and is signed up to take his psych boards next year, but if he fails his first try we'd have to go to New Zealand because they would let him practice with just an MD and no board certification. DH also loves the animal diversity in Australia and is sad about the no-mammal situation in NZ. However, because NZ doesn't require board certification he would get to actually work with children there, whereas in Australia he would only have taken his adult boards (it'll be 2 more years before he can sit for child boards) so he'd be stuck doing whatever they say he's allowed to do.
So needless to say, we'd like to get info about both, as we won't know until after his boards where we'd be going.
We haven't been told specific cities, and wouldn't know that until closer to the last few months, but we know areas. Victoria, Tazmania, Queensland...North and South Island of NZ, high need areas so that would be cities between 20k and 500k people. We'd *prefer* cities in the 50-100k size.
So with that said, here are some questions we have. Could you please compare these areas for us, keeping in mind cities in those size categories?
1) We are homeschoolers...what is the homeschooling climate like?
2) There's a major chance that we could have either a brand new baby, or give birth while we are there. What is the breastfeeding and homebirth climate like? What is the out of pocket cost like for hb mw's(we would have to have private insurance, we couldn't get in the social system)? What about doulas? Costs and availability?
3) We are Christians and would love to find a faith community. Is there a good mix of Protestant denominations and churches?
4) I'm a birth doula...what are the odds that I could doula/doula group/hb mw who would let me work backup for them or could help me find clients?
5) What is public transportation like in cities around 50-100k people? Are cities that size compact enough that we could walk most places, or more spread out like US cities.
6) Entertainment options? Odds are we wouldn't be within an hour of a major city like Sydney...do smaller cities have parks/museums/theatres?
7) Do cities in the 50-100k size have fresh markets/farmer's markets/open air produce?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Anywho, I'm trying to do some legwork to help us decide what area we want to go to, so any of you who would be willing to give me some insight would be greatly appreciated!
A little background into the situation: We're leaning towards Australia because it pays about $30k more, but they require board certification. DH has his MD, and is signed up to take his psych boards next year, but if he fails his first try we'd have to go to New Zealand because they would let him practice with just an MD and no board certification. DH also loves the animal diversity in Australia and is sad about the no-mammal situation in NZ. However, because NZ doesn't require board certification he would get to actually work with children there, whereas in Australia he would only have taken his adult boards (it'll be 2 more years before he can sit for child boards) so he'd be stuck doing whatever they say he's allowed to do.
So needless to say, we'd like to get info about both, as we won't know until after his boards where we'd be going.
We haven't been told specific cities, and wouldn't know that until closer to the last few months, but we know areas. Victoria, Tazmania, Queensland...North and South Island of NZ, high need areas so that would be cities between 20k and 500k people. We'd *prefer* cities in the 50-100k size.
So with that said, here are some questions we have. Could you please compare these areas for us, keeping in mind cities in those size categories?
1) We are homeschoolers...what is the homeschooling climate like?
2) There's a major chance that we could have either a brand new baby, or give birth while we are there. What is the breastfeeding and homebirth climate like? What is the out of pocket cost like for hb mw's(we would have to have private insurance, we couldn't get in the social system)? What about doulas? Costs and availability?
3) We are Christians and would love to find a faith community. Is there a good mix of Protestant denominations and churches?
4) I'm a birth doula...what are the odds that I could doula/doula group/hb mw who would let me work backup for them or could help me find clients?
5) What is public transportation like in cities around 50-100k people? Are cities that size compact enough that we could walk most places, or more spread out like US cities.
6) Entertainment options? Odds are we wouldn't be within an hour of a major city like Sydney...do smaller cities have parks/museums/theatres?
7) Do cities in the 50-100k size have fresh markets/farmer's markets/open air produce?
Thanks in advance for your help!
It isn't much - a few hundred a year, more for first children, less for subsequent ones - but it's better than a kick in the teeth and you can buy the odd Bic pen with it! You have to apply for an exemption by age 6 to homeschool, and in theory you get "inspected" by the ERO every so often, but it's not too bad. Once they check you out the first time and realise you're OK they come around less often - once every few years, maybe? The line is simply that you have to be taught "as regularly and as well" as in a public school, which frankly isn't too difficult - NZ education is not known for its brilliance. In Hamilton, where I was homeschooled, there's a very large and active HSing population, so plenty of activities.
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