Indian New Zealanders lured to Australia by better opportunities

Much has historically been made of New Zealand's brain drain to Australia, with former Prime Minister Robert Muldoon famously saying the migration raised the IQ of both countries.

Last year, data from Statistics New Zealand showed a net migration loss of 13,400 people to Australia - the largest annual deficit since 2013.

It's a trend that shows no signs of declining, with an increasing number of Indian households making the move across the ditch as rising costs associated with living start to bite and better employment opportunities emerge.

Abhinav Manota, a former top-ranked national badminton player and current Oceania champion, relocated from Auckland to Brisbane in May.

Originally from Jalandhar in Punjab, Manota first moved to New Zealand in 2014, starting in Christchurch before relocating to the country's largest city to work as a development officer at North Shore Badminton Association.

"My elder cousin, Paviter Kumar Noori, owns a real-estate business and offered me an opportunity to be a part of it," Manota says from Brisbane. "I came here with my wife recently, as Queensland prepares to host the 2032 Summer Olympics.

"New Zealand has been incredibly supportive of my badminton journey. Representing my country on the international stage is a privilege I hold dear. I am determined to find a balance between my professional responsibilities and my continued representation of New Zealand in international tournaments."

Noori also immigrated to Brisbane after living in Christchurch for more than a decade.

"Some reasons are the same as for all New Zealanders," Noori says. "Australia provides better pays in almost all sectors and house prices are considerably less. This directly translates to more savings and better future for our children."

An added advantage for Indians in Australia, he says, is the relative proximity to the subcontinent in terms of direct flights and cheaper airfares.

"While it might cost about $1,200 to $1,300 per person when we travel to India from here, it is more than double the amount if one flies from Auckland to Delhi," he says. "Suffice it to say, we are able to visit our extended family in India more often."

Noori, who worked in the international education sector in New Zealand, tried his hands at events management in Australia before eventually breaking into real estate.

"It's difficult to explain - and maybe it's because of the scale of things - but in Australia, even if you are struggling professionally for the time being, there's always this confidence that eventually you will do well," he says. "Even the weather here is much closer to what we are used to India. Going by our experience of the past seven years, it was the right call to move."

Originally hailing from Punjab, Karpal Singh expresses a similar sentiment.

"After more than two decades in New Zealand, we moved to Melbourne last year and the only regret we have is why didn't we move earlier," says Singh, who worked in banking before finding a role in creative arts. He is a father of two sons, aged 10 and 14, and his wife is a hair stylist.

"Eating fruits in New Zealand, especially in winters is a luxury," he says. "Here, we don't even think before purchasing it. To give an example, just yesterday, I brought nice ripe green grapes for $2 per kilo. In contrast, anyone can google the current price in New Zealand. Similar price differences are apparent with milk and milk products, which, we as Punjabis, consume a lot."

Christchurch-based Suresh Sangwan, who comes from Haryana and moved to New Zealand in 2010, looks to be heading down the same path. Sangwan and his family are moving to Brisbane in August.

"In addition to fruit, the prices and more variety of vegetables available in Australia is also an added incentive for us Indians, many of whom are vegetarian," Sangwan says.

He says his two children have better employment opportunities in Australia compared to New Zealand.

"We left our parents behind when we moved to New Zealand," he says. "As things have turned out, more and more Kiwis are moving to Australia for a better future. Our children will be no different, so it's better we move now to live closer to them when they are adults."

Sangwan doesn't have any reservations about making the move.

"We have many friends who have done this, and the feedback is overwhelmingly positive," he says. "There is not much material difference between the way of life between the two countries.

"Also, the racism that Indians face in Australia is just hype. There have been a few isolated incidents, but nothing widespread."

Singh agrees, saying his children are loving life in Australia. The family is also grateful for the recent announcement of the new pathway to citizenship for New Zealanders in Australia. "It's definitely a big plus for us recent migrants," he says.

Singh loves the fact his children are given homework on a regular basis these days.

"In all their school years in New Zealand, my boys never brought any school assignments home," he says. "(In Australia), they come back from school, get some rest, finish their homework and then go out to play. I agree it shouldn't be stressful for kids but, for us, the New Zealand way is too lax. Australia has found the optimum balance."

Indeed, Singh struggled to find anything negative about his experience in Australia so far, highlighting the traffic when pushed for an answer.

"If you are in a big city such as Sydney or Melbourne, with much larger populations, you might be stuck in traffic sometimes," he says. "As a result, one gets much less time for social life."