No way onto housing ladder for young couples

A generation later, Ms White and her fiance, Andrew McDowall, both from Auckland, can't afford even a small slice of the Kiwi pavlova paradise. They are the face of a crisis that has put first homes beyond the reach of even relatively well-off young families, let alone those on low incomes and benefits.

For Ms White, 27, and Mr McDowall, 26, the prospect is daunting. They are trying to save $20,000 for their December wedding, and $20,000 for a deposit on a house. So far, they have put away about $10,000.

Between them they earn about $90,000 from Ms White's job designing children's clothing and Mr McDowall's one-man television music business. His income is uncertain, and she has a $40,000 student loan "like a monkey on the back".

Read More - Opens in a new window