jandjuk

Thought some of you might appreciate this....

Seems pretty accurate to me.... though it depresses me to think the coastline will end up like California. The sad thing is that I don't think most Kiwis realise what they've got, and we'll just keep on building and building and spreading out.

It's already happening, and it's inevitable that it will happen in the future....

this cracks me up....
"where coffee shops pass for fine dining and a dozen decaying art deco era buildings constitute a tourist attraction".

so true. architectural wonders is not something NZ is renowned for - there are none - at least not with the history & scale of europe/USA. But that's why I like it - all the more room for hiking!

One man's boring is another man's paradise.

Just have to look at the holiday swap TV program last night. One family liked the manufactured holiday resort holiday, and the other liked the hike up to a beautiful natural pool. I prefer the latter, and that's what NZ can offer me.

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California dreaming brings them to a cheap backwater
31 October 2003

A new wave of rich Californian immigrants love New Zealand but find people here unsophisticated.


It can be hard to find good Mexican food, and the natives are rarely impressed by having a multi-millionaire next door and are not keen to see their coast covered in housing, according to the Los Angeles Times newspaper.

It says Americans are encountering a Kiwi variation of Nimby – not in my blue yonder.

But being able to buy waterfront property for a pittance makes up for the drawbacks of living in a boring, if beautiful, backwater.

The long feature article, headlined "It reminds them of California", has interviews with Californians who have bought property in New Zealand. Describing Wellington as having "a San Francisco vibe", the paper marvelled at downtown streets free of a "street-wise hustle or a sense of urban danger".

Producer Rick Porras said he used to miss Mexican food but had "persuaded a neighbour to open The Flying Burrito Brothers".

The article said Americans had invested in vineyards in Hawke's Bay, "where coffee shops pass for fine dining and a dozen decaying art deco era buildings constitute a tourist attraction".

Las Vegas casino tycoon Glenn Schaeffer, who has a Nelson vineyard, warned that New Zealanders were not likely to be impressed by immigrants' wealth. "That's American. One of the appeals of New Zealand is that they live well – best quality of life of anywhere in the world – but New Zealanders don't have any money."

That did not stop him wanting more development. "That coastline basically feeds animals. Well, those animals don't need to look at the ocean as they eat grass. If they could put houses on those cliffs, there are fortunes to be made."

He also boasted that pouring "a couple of million bucks" into the refurbishment of Nelson's Suter Art Gallery had made him world famous in New Zealand.

Not all Americans were keen to fraternise. Mark Blake, the San Franciscan owner of 6600-hectare Poronui Station near Lake Taupo, charged guests close to $1000 a night to hunt and fish on the property. He was not keen on free access to the high country.

"It's not cool to go around the corner and find a six-pack of used Tuis," he said.
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MrsDagboy

Yeah, but is it your opinion?

jandjuk

No of course not. it's the goddam truth according to Jon.

But I'm so completely bonkers today I don't know my own mind. ('Today' - otherwise known as friday) .

But it's only Friday IMHO. Downunder it's Saturday already - just as well I used that IMHO then huh?

deedee

well i agree, you only have to see Queenstown and Wanaka to realise.It pisses me off no end that of all the places in this country to build they go build in thee most beautiful tranquil spots.Therefore no longer been the very thing that made them what they are.120 acres of land in Queenstown went to an Americano the other week at 60000$ per acre(valued at 1000$ per acre for farming as it is farm land) and he bought it without planning permission or anything.Next month there will be a 12 bedroom mansion on it with a heli pad and it will be lived in for one week a year....... The council here does not realise that once the land is sold and developed it has gone.
One neighbour here has a house with the heating lighting and power all activated by telephone so on approach to Queenstown airport he can dial it all to switch on.Sigh,California indeed.

MrsDagboy

I can see, you've got Friday on my Mind - or should that be your mind? Never mind! Im sure someone minds .

And whats with the humble bit? huh? humble my arse

As for the actual report, yep, that could be parts of Australia too, sad, isnt it? Over here they seem impressed with the large, oversized fibreglass representation of tropical fruit & animals.

jandjuk

It's a product of NZ's isolation I think. So many Nzers haven't been to Europe or Asia or America and really just have no idea of how NZ will end up.

It's all 'progress' I guess!

NZ's saving grace may be it's terrain. there are certain parts that will never be populated, and being an island helps a little. Places like Scotland and Corsica has been populated forever but they're still relatively pristine.

the queenstown situation seems crazy. I have less of a problem with development if it actually puts something into the local economy over the long term (eg a hotel), but a glorified holiday home? that makes me so mad!

TreborS

You might be interested in the original article from the LA Times. Here's the link It Reminds Them of California

I don't know how much longer the link will be good for.

A very long but quite well balanced article I thought. The Americans questioned for it were absolutely glowing about the lifestyle and investment opportunites in NZ (the unsophisticated dining thing was a comment about rural Hawkes Bay and was about the only vaguely negative thing, from an American viewpoint, throughout the entire article). The writer also spoke to those within NZ who are concerned about large scale foreign property investment - hence the good balance of views. A good article on the whole.

jandjuk

my god, I had no idea! very very interesting.

That article made me come over all emotional! lol It both excited me and terrified me at the same time.

NZ needs immigration to be economically strong, but it terrifies me to think back country access is being restricted. I don't care who owns the land to be honest, just as long as i can still access it. I guess it couldn't last forever, and the battles that ramblers fought in the UK many years ago are probably only beginning in NZ.

It's funny, that article paints a far rosier picture than the NZ report of it! It's usually the other way around- but the NZ paper seemed to emphasise a few negative aspects. It's also far rosier than Wilf used to tell us (whatever happened that dear old Troll - must have moved to some other forum...)

I can see why it would appeal to Californians - I think NZ is more similar to California than it is to Britain in many ways (and increasingly so).

No wonder the property market has gone ballistic.

deedee

interesting indeed.I do however think you will never stop people accessing any of the available high country.Maybe it will be difficult in a vehicle but it is that already.Most of the high country is soooo empty and so vast it would be quiet unenforcable.We have 11000 acres here and we would'nt know if any number of people were hunting on it or just wandering around as its too big.
As for Molesworth Station which covers the biggest part of Cantabury at 160000acres,they do try stop people going in there but more for your own protection than anything else as its very easy to get lost!Who ever owns it, Americans ,NZers or Europeans, they can't take it with them when they go and sure can't fence it all to prison standards.It is also a numbers thing,in the central south there just are not the numbers of people like in the UK to give land owners problems.We farmed in Scotland before moving here and there they have the right to roam, the only problem been most English people like to drive eveywhere and not get out of their cars.....walkers and ramblers not a problem,going and creating a car park in your farm yard is.I spend most of time on high country and i know it only appeals to a very few people in a country that has a very very small population.

jandjuk

yes i think you're right. I think I've forgotten just how empty NZ is! I'm imagining the popn of the UK or California in NZ of course that's just not the case!

There's still plenty of space - and so many parts difficult to get to, that there'll still be space for many years to come.

No wonder you're at home there deedee - if you came from scotland! I think scotland is a lot more similar to NZ that SE England. I would imagine people from scotland would feel a lot more at home than those who have come from England.

mumomonty

Noticed they were moving in on the place. Yanks get everywhere with their globalised plastic values or are they the ones that are sick of that?

jandjuk

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/dominio...3a6479,00.html

just a followup, from another american viewpoint....

tennisoz

Ah, the big banana, the big Ned Kelly, the big apple (wait a minute that's). 'Went to the big apple, took a bite' - name that tune.

TennisOz

jajpe

That's interesting Jandjuk - thank's for posting!