Sarah Arnold nonetheless remembers the day her companion mentioned the three magic phrases.
For years, the New Zealand couple from Kāpiti had been residing week-to-week, struggling to search out time to spend along with their daughter, till someday Huia got here dwelling from work having been advised a protracted awaited pay rise could be 50c an hour.
"He walked within the door and all he mentioned was, 'guide the tickets'."
Sixteen years after the whānau headed throughout the ditch, specialists concern they will quickly be joined by 1000's extra Kiwis that New Zealand can unwell afford to lose.
The Australian Authorities's announcement of simpler citizenship for Kiwis has prompted warnings of worsening expertise shortages in New Zealand as Kiwis are lastly tempted to depart for Oz, or these already there select to not return.
Shay Peters, managing director at recruitment agency Robert Walters says NZ is at a "expertise precipice" with inflationary pressures and a excessive value of residing which make it a tricky place to dwell.
And, with many individuals about to return off low rates of interest and transfer onto increased ones, Kiwis are eying higher lives overseas.
"... There's an actual financial push for New Zealanders to maneuver to increased paying nations, and Australia is the next paying nation."
Peters warns that already New Zealand is shedding a excessive fee of younger professionals to OEs and the citizenship improvement goes to make it simpler to remain in Australia.
The ability units coming in to Aotearoa merely aren't matching these going out as these returning are sometimes trying to settle into management positions and are on the different finish of their profession.
"New Zealand goes to have an actual dearth of 'doers' and that's what I foresee coming within the subsequent 24 months."
The nation should make itself extra engaging to younger professionals or the economic system goes to essentially endure.
"Now we have to focus on industries that we're particularly skills-short in. Now we have to have a look at the youthful technology of newly certified people and get them into the workforce lots earlier."
In the end, NZ is in a very powerful place: "Australia is a way more engaging place to go in the mean time as a result of pay charges are a lot increased."
Economist Cameron Bagrie additionally anticipated the event could be an enormous think about peoples' selections to depart.
"It is fairly properly flagged that NZ goes to have a full-blown recession and the consensus is Australia goes to avert one."
Bagrie mentioned New Zealand had usually accomplished properly over the many years when it got here to migration, however was now coming into a worldwide surroundings the place there was heightened competitors for workers pushed by "structural developments resembling demographics".
Healthcare employees could be amongst those that is perhaps extra tempted to depart the nation, he believed.
Registered nurse Sally-Anne Colmore has already left and has no plans to return, describing the citizenship announcement as a recreation changer: "We'll go for it, completely."
She's been in Perth for about seven years and whereas her Australian-born son would have mechanically obtained citizenship when he turns 10, now there will be no ready for him or his Kiwi dad and mom.
Colmore's wage at mining firm Mineral Assets is at the least triple what she may earn in NZ, and the corporate's advantages are incomparable.
That just about 5000 nurses, about 8 per cent of NZ's nursing workforce, have registered to practise in Australia since August, comes as no shock.
Infometrics has tracked common earnings in NZ and Australia since 1994, which confirmed Australians had been usually at the least NZ$200 every week higher paid.
However Infometrics chief government Brad Olsen warns towards pondering the grass is all the time greener throughout the ditch.
Inflation figures this week had NZ charges as decrease than in Australia.
"If we may have our way of life, if we may earn this cash and the price of housing and residing wasn't like it's, we might return. However that is by no means going to occur."
"When it comes to the roles, in the event that they had been unequivocally all the time paying higher and had higher circumstances... why would anybody be in New Zealand?"
Nonetheless, New Zealanders are nonetheless leaving.
The pre-COVID development of extra Kiwis going to Australia than vice versa has resumed, after a reversal when the pandemic struck.
Over the yr to September 2022 (the most recent knowledge out there) 5400 individuals moved from Australia to NZ, with simply over 8500 Kiwis transferring to Australia.
And whereas Olsen will not be becoming a member of them, it is not simply because an economist who cannot level out many locations on an Aussie map will not be a lot use to the nation.
"Personally it is extra as a result of I am unable to stand the warmth at the perfect of instances, and the Aussies can maintain their snakes and spiders, I am fairly blissful that we've got kiwi again right here."
One Kiwi who will not be again right here is James Eire, who's planning on making use of for citizenship on July 1.
The 36-year-old shifted to Melbourne in 2018, after making use of for a public transport sector job simply too good to disregard.
"It was mainly the identical factor I used to be doing in Auckland however close to on double the wage for a similar job."
Whereas the cash performed an enormous half in his preliminary resolution, it is the longer term profession alternatives, occasions and way of life which have additionally seen him keep.
"There's extra of the whole lot - the whole lot is only a bit brighter and shinier over right here."
He says it is on journeys dwelling, and significantly to supermarkets, the place his resolution is additional cemented.
Though cheese is dearer in Melbourne, different grocery gadgets are typically cheaper; the identical goes for lease.
"On no account is it good right here... nevertheless the wages are a lot increased, and it seems like the price of residing stress degree is 50 % decrease. It seems like that stress simply is not so intense."
As for the downsides? There aren't many.
Being other than household is the biggie and the cultural touchstones of Aotearoa are the one different issues missing.
Jandals have change into thongs and kūmara candy potato.
In the end although, Eire encourages different Kiwis to make the transfer or at the least give it some thought critically.
And though citizenship will not change a lot in his quick time period future, it is a dedication to a rustic he deeply loves.
"It is proving to myself in addition to these round me that I am right here for good; I am not coming dwelling."
As for Sarah Arnold's whānau? Sixteen years on from these three magic phrases, they will not be returning – although it is not for an absence of making an attempt.
"We tried for 2 years to purchase a house in NZ; we have been again in Perth a yr and have simply been permitted to construct a home. That is the entire motive we got here again right here - we would like a mortgage."
Whereas Arnold and her two youthful youngsters are already dual-citizens, Saturday's information means 23-year-old Tiaia can apply now and Huia in three years.
And that is a aid, as a result of life is nice.
Huia now earns almost double what he may in NZ and the home is being constructed.
The whānau miss Huia's household and Aotearoa's māori tradition however principally, Arnold says, it is all of us she actually feels sorry for.
"My solely remorse is that we could not have all this again dwelling, that each one Kiwis cannot expertise what we've got right here."
A problem to make New Zealand higher
Nationwide Chief Christopher Luxon says the simpler citizenship pathway is most welcome: "Kiwis make a big contribution to Australia and they need to obtain the identical rights as Australians do on this nation."
Regardless of that, it is also a reminder that many New Zealanders are on the lookout for higher lives.
"It is also a problem as to if we will make NZ such a compelling proposition they do not wish to depart; make it a spot the place individuals wish to dwell, work and run companies."
ACT Get together chief David Seymour says whereas its excellent news for New Zealanders in Australia wanting citizenship, it is a signal the Authorities's given up.
"It could be churlish to disregard the aid it will give Kiwis in Australia however its tragic that one in every of Labour's biggest achievements helps individuals depart the nation, and it is really a call made by a authorities in Canberra.
"The query is how New Zealand makes it extra engaging to maintain Kiwis right here."
He says NZ should enhance its productiveness which "underlines the standard of healthcare which is the canary within the coal mine as nurses depart."
NZ First chief Winston Peters says the announcement lastly places to rights the "disastrous" 2001 resolution that critically broken the connection between the nations and noticed Kiwis in Australia lose their rights.
"It has been repaired and you may't argue with success. Folks have the best to depart, our job is to assemble a society through which they wish to keep."