There’s so much to organise when moving to Australia — so I created a Countdown to Australia to guide you every step of the way.
It’s an incredibly exciting move, but the to-do list can also feel really overwhelming. There are so many things to organise, and it’s hard to know:
- what to do
- when to do it
- and what actually matters right now
Each email focuses on one task at a time, with exactly what you need to complete it quickly and with confidence. Whether it’s:
- organising your TFN
- setting up a bank account
- applying for Medicare
- understanding your visa rights
- or organising your move itself
This system guides you through every stage of your move — before you leave New Zealand and once you’re living in Australia.
No guessing. No missed steps. Just clear, practical guidance to help make your move easier, more organised, and far less stressful.
If you’re wondering whether you can trust the information on this website, take a moment to read some of my 5-star Google reviews. I’ve been helping Kiwis move to Australia for over 18 years, and I know the questions, challenges, and opportunities you’re likely to encounter along the way.
Join Countdown to Australia Now
To make this as helpful as possible, your tasks are timed based on how far away your move is. Simply enter your email and select your timeframe – you’ll be automatically placed into the right sequence.
From Research to Real Life in Australia
The Countdown to Australia system is designed to guide you through every stage of your move — from the early research phase right through to living in Australia.
At the beginning, the emails focus on helping you understand the big-picture topics that influence your move:
- jobs
- healthcare
- schools and childcare
- pensions
- visas
- property
- and what life in Australia is actually like
Then, as your move gets closer, the focus shifts from research to action.
You’ll begin working through the practical tasks that need to happen before you leave New Zealand:
- booking flights
- organising accommodation
- moving your belongings
- pet transport
- banking
- money transfers
- airport transport
- and more
Finally, once you arrive in Australia, the series guides you through setting up your new life:
- TFN
- Medicare
- phone + SIM
- utilities
- superannuation
- driver’s licence
- and settling into your new community
Everything is delivered step-by-step, at the right time based on your move date, so you always know what to do next.
Choose Your Countdown
The Countdown is broken down into easy-to-follow steps, but what really makes this system work is the timing.
To make this as helpful as possible, your tasks are scheduled based on how far away your move is.
Why You’ll Enter Your Move Date Later
The first stages of Countdown to Australia focus on helping you research, understand, and prepare for your move. As your move gets closer, the tasks become much more time-sensitive and action-based.
That’s why, once you reach the final month before your move, you’ll be asked to enter your exact move date so the remaining tasks can be timed properly around your departure and arrival in Australia.
Things like:
- bank accounts
- money transfers
- TFN
- and Medicare
They are most useful when completed at the right time.
This system is designed to make sure you receive the right information exactly when you need it most!
Simply enter your email and select how far away your move is — you’ll automatically be placed into the correct sequence.
Your Countdown Journey
6–3 Months Before You Move
🗓 Research and planning
Understand the big-picture topics that influence your move, including:
- Documents You’ll Need
- Searching for a Job
- School & Childcare Research
- Australia Health Care System
- Understand Australia Age Pension
- Book Your Flights
- Buying Property in Australia
- Know Your Visa Rights
3–1 Months Before You Move
📦 Booking and organising
Start taking action by:
- Book Temporary Accommodation
- Dealing With Your Possessions
- Organise Pet Transport
- and preparing for the final countdown
Final Month Countdown
✈️ Essential pre-departure tasks
Lock in the important practical things before you leave:
- Book a Job-Required Course
- Compare Money Transfer Options
- Open an Australian Bank Account
- Get to Know Local Public Transport
- Plan Airport Transfers
- Goodbye, New Zealand…
Living in Australia
🇦🇺 Setting up your new life
Once you arrive, I’ll guide you through:
- Apply for Your TFN
- Activate Your OZ Bank Account
- Your Phone Plan + SIM
- Register for myGov
- Apply for Medicare
- Connect Your Utilities
- Australian Drivers Licence
- Apply for the Australian Age Pension
- Set Up Your Superannuation
- Settle Into Life in Australia
- Mortgages & Buying Property
- and finally, Australian Citizenship
One Task at a Time
To make these tasks as easy as possible to complete, each email includes:
- Task description
- Who needs to complete the task
- Documents required
- Links to complete the task
- Helpful tips and recommendations
- Related content on my website
- Referral partner information (if applicable)
- What’s coming up next
The goal is simple:
- reduce overwhelm
- save you time
- help you feel organised and confident about your move
Editors note: I haven’t scheduled any tasks on “move day” because I know from personal experience that you’ll already have more than enough going on!
Having made the move from New Zealand to Australia myself, I understand just how busy, emotional, and exhausting those final travel days can be, so the goal of this system is to make everything before and after your move feel as organised and stress-free as possible.
The First Email
The first email helps you organise all the important documents you’ll need throughout your move. This includes both digital and physical documents, so you’re ready to complete tasks quickly as they come up.
Believe it or not, one of the most stressful parts of moving to Australia is all the forms, applications, and identity requirements involved in setting up your new life.
Because you’re new to Australia, you won’t yet have things locals use every day for identification:
- Medicare card
- Australian driver’s licence
- utility bill with your name on it
- Australian ID history
Getting organised early makes everything much easier later on and helps you complete tasks quickly as they come through.
Why I Created This
If you don’t know me, I’m JJ Smith, and I LOVE researching.
I like knowing I’m getting the best service at the best possible price, and I’ve spent years helping other New Zealanders do the same when moving to Australia.
Everything in this system has been researched (and re-researched), and along the way I’ve also improved the content across almost every post on this website.
So even if you don’t go through the full Countdown system, you can feel confident the information across this website is current, practical, and genuinely helpful.
Helping New Zealanders move to Australia is my job — and honestly, I love it.
Future Upgrades
Further down the track, I’d love to create customised countdowns for different situations:
- families
- retirees
- trades
- solo movers
- and more
For now, I’ve included a “Who needs to complete this task” section in each email so the system still works well for different people and situations.
I’d Love Your Feedback
This is a huge project, and while I’ve done my absolute best to think of everything, I’m sure there’ll still be things I can improve. So if you spot:
- an error
- a broken link
- a missing task
- or a service I should include
Please let me know.
The feedback from other Kiwis has always helped make this website better, and I genuinely appreciate every message.
Ready to Get Started?
Join Countdown to Australia today and start working through your move one step at a time.
- No guesswork
- No overwhelm
- Just practical help when you need it most
Choose your timeline below and get started now…
10 comments
Hi
I want to say a big thank you to you for your website on moving to Australia and your weekly emails once I had moved.
It was a huge move for me at 82 to join my family who had been here for 20+ years.
I had no one to help in NZ so found your website so informative.
I used Ausmove to move and they were amazing. I had already culled everything I didn’t want to take, and they just moved in for 8 hours and packed up my house. It took 8 weeks for my belongings to arrive but were actually in Sydney in 10days. I am living 600km south of Sydney which is probably why it took so long but it was still 2 weeks shorter than the timeframe I was given initially. The movers at this end were Kent and the two men delivering my goods were so helpful and willing. There were no breakages or damage. The only problem is because I do not live in a metropolitan area they have not come back to pick up all the empty cartons and packaging and who knows when that will happen.
I have found all your emails most helpful, although haven’t yet applied for the pension which I am expecting to be rejected because of having to be means tested.
I thought I would share the things which have caused the most problems.
Changing my mobile to an Australian Sim card. I still cannot send text messages to any NZ recipients if they don’t have an iPhone. We have had a lot of people try and sort it but unsuccessfully.
TV. I brought my 1-year-old smart TV with me, but Australia have quite different set up system which has caused problems. I can now use it for some channels and all apps but will need to get an extra attachment if I want more. Maybe advise people not to bring their televisions.
Medicare: I have now applied twice online and have waited 8 weeks with no sign of it. The first time they rejected it because they couldn’t read my address on one of the documents submitted. That is okay except I wasn’t informed and didn’t realise there was anything wrong until I phoned to see how long it was going to take as I needed to make a medical appointment.
None of these things are major just very frustrating.
Without your website and email reminders it would have been a lot more difficult and time consuming trying to find how to do these things as there is a lot more to moving to another country than packing and unpacking.
Thank you so much for all the time and resource you have put into this. I will absolutely recommend it to anyone thinking of moving and I know my family will recommend it to their friends as they have seen how much easier it has been for me to make this move.
Thank you so much
Beverley
Hi Beverley,
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a lovely and detailed message. It absolutely made my day!
Moving countries is a huge undertaking at any age, but making the move at 82, particularly when you had no one in New Zealand to help you with the process, is quite an achievement. I’m so pleased that my website and Countdown emails helped make it a little easier for you.
Thank you also for sharing your experience with Ausmove and Kent. It’s great to hear that everything arrived safely and that you had such good service at both ends. Eight weeks probably felt like a long time to be without your belongings, but it’s good that they arrived ahead of the timeframe you were originally given.
Your feedback about the things that have caused you problems is incredibly helpful too. These are exactly the little things that you often don’t discover until you’ve actually made the move.
I’m particularly interested in your experience with your mobile phone and TV. I’ll do some more research into both of these, as there may be information I can add to the website or my Countdown emails to help other people avoid the same frustrations.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve had such a run around with Medicare. Eight weeks is a long time to wait, particularly when you need to make a medical appointment. Your experience is also a really good reminder for people to follow up rather than assume their application is progressing, especially if they haven’t heard anything.
Regarding the Australian Age Pension, you should still apply at around the 25–26 week mark, even if you think you may not qualify because of the income and assets test. I’ve heard from another visitor that if you don’t apply, you may be required to repay the NZ Super you’ve received since moving to Australia. If you have any questions when you get to that stage, Centrelink International Services is also a very useful place to start.
Thank you again for your incredibly kind words about my website. I’ve been running Moving to Australia for many years, and messages like yours really do make all the time I put into it worthwhile.
Most importantly, I hope you’re settling into your new home and enjoying being close to your family after more than 20 years apart. What a wonderful reason to make such a big move.
Please keep in touch and let me know how you get on — particularly with Medicare and your pension. Your experience is incredibly valuable and may help me make the journey a little easier for the next person.
All the very best for your new life in Australia, Beverley.
How ti apply the white card and how much is the cost?
Hi Rommel,
I’ve actually managed to get a white card training company as a partner, but I’m waiting for them to confirm my discount code, which will give you a very competitive price for both online and face-to-face!
I should have it by tomorrow and I’ll email it to you, along with the website, as soon as I have it!
Here’s the link to my White Card Australia post: https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/white-card-australia/.
Hi Rommel,
Here are the details for the White Card course:
Company: National White Card Courses
Website: https://nwcc.edu.au/
Cost:
– NSW – from $99 ($94 using discount code MTA0526)
– Queensland – from $99 ($94 using discount code MTA0526)
– Victoria – from $99 ($94 using discount code MTA0526)
– SA – $89 ($84 using discount code MTA0526)
– WA – $90 ($85 using discount code MTA0526)
– Tasmania – $99 ($94 using discount code MTA0526)
I’ve updated my White Card Australia post, so you’ll find extra helpful info on there.
Please feel free to email me back any further questions you have.
Good luck with your move.
Fantastic info JJ but still feel a bit daunted by being a almost 70 year old on nz super and really wanting to move to Australia.
Hi Jerry,
I completely understand. Moving to another country at any age can feel daunting, and it’s perfectly normal to feel that way.
The good news is that you’re certainly not alone. I’ve helped many people in their late 60s and 70s make the move successfully, often to be closer to their children and grandchildren or to enjoy a different lifestyle.
Do you know that you will be eligible for the Australian Age Pension? It is income and asset tested, you can read more here – Australian Age Pension for New Zealanders (https://www.movingtoaustralia.co.nz/australian-age-pension/).
If there’s anything you’re particularly worried about, let me know. If I know the answer, I’m always happy to help point you in the right direction.
Wishing you all the best with whatever you decide.
That’s a great list JJ.
One thing I would like to add is for people to get their health insurance within 12 months of getting their Medicare number.
Unfortunately we kept our NZ health insurance and looked to change after about 24 months of getting our Medicare number. When we looked to get an Australian insurance, we were stung with a Lifetime Health Cover (LHC) penalty which significantly pushed up our premiums
Hi RR,
That’s a fantastic point, thanks so much for adding that.
I think a lot of Kiwis assume their NZ health insurance will continue to be enough once they move, without realising the Australian system has different rules around Lifetime Health Cover (LHC).
Definitely something people should look into early, especially within that first 12-month window after getting Medicare eligibility, otherwise the penalties can become quite expensive long-term.
Really appreciate you sharing your experience, as it could save others a lot of money.
I haven’t included health insurance in the Countdown yet, so I’ll add it under the “Live in Australia” sequence.
I hope you’re loving life in Australia.
Congratulations….escape to Freedom always need a detailed “flight plan”. Thanks.