Is NZ better than the uk
Jan 14th 2004, 7:06 pm
#31
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Dec 2003
Location: Gold Coast Hinterland
Posts: 2,359
We had a few months working in Wellington a few years back.
Likes....
Scenery - so varied and photogenic in manageable distances
Lack of crowds and traffic
Eating out - not all mass-produced variations. Modern restaurants to tea-shops.
Walking to work in fine weather
Seals at Kaikora
Birds and birdsong
Bookshops
Motels and easy weekends away
Fresh fish sold without any bones
Walking for pleasure
Dislikes...
Earthquakes
Parochial to a fault, eg headline on front page of capital city newspaper - Woman finds dead mouse in flour bag.
Only 2 roads out of Wellington
Lack of shops for cheap chic
Distance to anywhere else
The TV
Lack of world news coverage
Lack of alternatives to walking for pleasure
We were so looking forward to going there (already knew Oz) but after 3 months turned down the offer of permanent jobs there. Needed to feel more a part of the world, but that's just us. You can't tell till you try it for yourself. We proved ourselves that any preconceptions can be wrong.
Likes....
Scenery - so varied and photogenic in manageable distances
Lack of crowds and traffic
Eating out - not all mass-produced variations. Modern restaurants to tea-shops.
Walking to work in fine weather
Seals at Kaikora
Birds and birdsong
Bookshops
Motels and easy weekends away
Fresh fish sold without any bones
Walking for pleasure
Dislikes...
Earthquakes
Parochial to a fault, eg headline on front page of capital city newspaper - Woman finds dead mouse in flour bag.
Only 2 roads out of Wellington
Lack of shops for cheap chic
Distance to anywhere else
The TV
Lack of world news coverage
Lack of alternatives to walking for pleasure
We were so looking forward to going there (already knew Oz) but after 3 months turned down the offer of permanent jobs there. Needed to feel more a part of the world, but that's just us. You can't tell till you try it for yourself. We proved ourselves that any preconceptions can be wrong.
Jan 14th 2004, 8:44 pm
#32
BE Forum Addict
Joined: Nov 2002
Location: NZ since 2003.
Posts: 1,433
I find the lack of world news very interesting. To me it looks like a case of out of sight out of mind. The opinions I pick up here are that we are so far away from the world's troubles, that they can get on with it is not going to really effect us.
Rob
Rob
Jan 14th 2004, 8:46 pm
#33
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2001
Location: Berkshire, UK
Posts: 470
Originally posted by Gill and Rob
I find the lack of world news very interesting. To me it looks like a case of out of sight out of mind. The opinions I pick up here are that we are so far away from the world's troubles, that they can get on with it is not going to really effect us.
Rob
I find the lack of world news very interesting. To me it looks like a case of out of sight out of mind. The opinions I pick up here are that we are so far away from the world's troubles, that they can get on with it is not going to really effect us.
Rob
Jan 14th 2004, 9:35 pm
#34
Proudly Deplorable
Joined: May 2003
Location: Alloha snack bar
Posts: 24,246
Originally posted by Gill and Rob
I find the lack of world news very interesting. To me it looks like a case of out of sight out of mind. The opinions I pick up here are that we are so far away from the world's troubles, that they can get on with it is not going to really effect us.
Rob
I find the lack of world news very interesting. To me it looks like a case of out of sight out of mind. The opinions I pick up here are that we are so far away from the world's troubles, that they can get on with it is not going to really effect us.
Rob
Jan 14th 2004, 11:05 pm
#35
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NZ
Posts: 100
For me as a single young person living in NZ life is much better here than at home.
I don't earn a huge amount but what I earn enables me to live life to the full, I do many more outdoor activities here - tramping, kayaking etc than I would do in England. I can afford to go out to the pub much more and generally have a better "lifestyle".
The countryside just blows me away everytime I go on a little trip away at least once a month and i cant wait to get my first home and really settle here.
I definately do not think it is a little australia they are two completely different countries in outlook and geography and I cant believe people would really think that?!
I never visited NZ before I came here for me that wasn't a problem if I didn't like it I could always go home but 14 months on I am hooked and could never envisage leaving
I don't earn a huge amount but what I earn enables me to live life to the full, I do many more outdoor activities here - tramping, kayaking etc than I would do in England. I can afford to go out to the pub much more and generally have a better "lifestyle".
The countryside just blows me away everytime I go on a little trip away at least once a month and i cant wait to get my first home and really settle here.
I definately do not think it is a little australia they are two completely different countries in outlook and geography and I cant believe people would really think that?!
I never visited NZ before I came here for me that wasn't a problem if I didn't like it I could always go home but 14 months on I am hooked and could never envisage leaving
Jan 14th 2004, 11:21 pm
#36
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Banks Peninsula, SI, NZ
Posts: 373
Also, as much as other countries have tramping, skiing, scenery, etc it's all about accessibility. Most of NZ isn’t open to cars, but what is, is drivable in a day or so. You don’t have to check in to the airport, etc, etc you just head on out and do it.
I am sure Oz, US, etc all have lots of great things, but it may as well be in another country the distances you have to go to get from one area to another.
I am sure Oz, US, etc all have lots of great things, but it may as well be in another country the distances you have to go to get from one area to another.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:00 am
#37
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 266
NZ - as it is
It has been really interesting reading people's comments about NZ. Having lived here for 18 months I felt compelled to contribute something about my experiences. As previously stated by most other contributors this is just my insight into life here.
The weather in the North Island is truly grim. In Auckland, where we live it rains for 8 months of the year. Not a gentle drizzle but a downpour. The winters seem cold as the majority of houses do not have central heating and you end up using a gas fire in the living room to heat most of the house - not uncommon to sit in in the winter wearing a thick fleece, socks and slippers. The dampness creates havoc with mildew and mould in the house. Too wet to go tramping or hiking - those great Kiwi past times for 6 months of the year.
Very difficult to find properties to rent / buy in the Auckland area and most are far below the UK in the standards of decor - think 50s bathrooms and kitchens.
Appalling traffic in Auckland and surrounding areas most people spend 45 mins at least driving to work, or get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour.
Wages are very low compared to the cost of living. Most Kiwis do not holiday anywhere else than their back yard due to the cost, certainly do not travel to the Gold Coast of Pacific Islands for a holiday break. Holidays consist of camping or staying in suspect motels - pretty grim, unless sharing bathroom facilities is your idea of a holiday.
Employment - although employment is low there are not that many skilled jobs on the market mainly due to many international companies retrenching their Pacific enterprises back to Australia. Most companies are using outdated IT and business methodologies - career limiting.
Migration has grown the country's population but as the entrance level has been so low for the last 10 yrs NZ has attracted Australia and Canada's castoffs.
The above is a view of the Auckland area and I am sure many people will write in about Christchurch (a lovely town - not large enough to be a city), Wellington (lovely but lousy weather, cold and windy for 9 mnths of the year), tauranga, Coromandel, Bay of Islands - beautiful but what are you going to do for work and what are your kids going to do for work when they get older.
As numerous posts have said lovely scenary but so has Scotland (the Highlands), US (Grand Canyon, the Rockies), Canada (Banff, Whistler), France and many many other places.
Come and see NZ before you make the leap too many people think it is a mini Australia and you may be very disappointed.
This is my point of view - but NZ is not a paradise and the weather is crap.
The weather in the North Island is truly grim. In Auckland, where we live it rains for 8 months of the year. Not a gentle drizzle but a downpour. The winters seem cold as the majority of houses do not have central heating and you end up using a gas fire in the living room to heat most of the house - not uncommon to sit in in the winter wearing a thick fleece, socks and slippers. The dampness creates havoc with mildew and mould in the house. Too wet to go tramping or hiking - those great Kiwi past times for 6 months of the year.
Very difficult to find properties to rent / buy in the Auckland area and most are far below the UK in the standards of decor - think 50s bathrooms and kitchens.
Appalling traffic in Auckland and surrounding areas most people spend 45 mins at least driving to work, or get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour.
Wages are very low compared to the cost of living. Most Kiwis do not holiday anywhere else than their back yard due to the cost, certainly do not travel to the Gold Coast of Pacific Islands for a holiday break. Holidays consist of camping or staying in suspect motels - pretty grim, unless sharing bathroom facilities is your idea of a holiday.
Employment - although employment is low there are not that many skilled jobs on the market mainly due to many international companies retrenching their Pacific enterprises back to Australia. Most companies are using outdated IT and business methodologies - career limiting.
Migration has grown the country's population but as the entrance level has been so low for the last 10 yrs NZ has attracted Australia and Canada's castoffs.
The above is a view of the Auckland area and I am sure many people will write in about Christchurch (a lovely town - not large enough to be a city), Wellington (lovely but lousy weather, cold and windy for 9 mnths of the year), tauranga, Coromandel, Bay of Islands - beautiful but what are you going to do for work and what are your kids going to do for work when they get older.
As numerous posts have said lovely scenary but so has Scotland (the Highlands), US (Grand Canyon, the Rockies), Canada (Banff, Whistler), France and many many other places.
Come and see NZ before you make the leap too many people think it is a mini Australia and you may be very disappointed.
This is my point of view - but NZ is not a paradise and the weather is crap.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:03 am
#38
Banned
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 7,613
Re: NZ - as it is
You quite like it here, then?
Originally posted by hubbard
It has been really interesting reading people's comments about NZ. Having lived here for 18 months I felt compelled to contribute something about my experiences. As previously stated by most other contributors this is just my insight into life here.
The weather in the North Island is truly grim. In Auckland, where we live it rains for 8 months of the year. Not a gentle drizzle but a downpour. The winters seem cold as the majority of houses do not have central heating and you end up using a gas fire in the living room to heat most of the house - not uncommon to sit in in the winter wearing a thick fleece, socks and slippers. The dampness creates havoc with mildew and mould in the house. Too wet to go tramping or hiking - those great Kiwi past times for 6 months of the year.
Very difficult to find properties to rent / buy in the Auckland area and most are far below the UK in the standards of decor - think 50s bathrooms and kitchens.
Appalling traffic in Auckland and surrounding areas most people spend 45 mins at least driving to work, or get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour.
Wages are very low compared to the cost of living. Most Kiwis do not holiday anywhere else than their back yard due to the cost, certainly do not travel to the Gold Coast of Pacific Islands for a holiday break. Holidays consist of camping or staying in suspect motels - pretty grim, unless sharing bathroom facilities is your idea of a holiday.
Employment - although employment is low there are not that many skilled jobs on the market mainly due to many international companies retrenching their Pacific enterprises back to Australia. Most companies are using outdated IT and business methodologies - career limiting.
Migration has grown the country's population but as the entrance level has been so low for the last 10 yrs NZ has attracted Australia and Canada's castoffs.
The above is a view of the Auckland area and I am sure many people will write in about Christchurch (a lovely town - not large enough to be a city), Wellington (lovely but lousy weather, cold and windy for 9 mnths of the year), tauranga, Coromandel, Bay of Islands - beautiful but what are you going to do for work and what are your kids going to do for work when they get older.
As numerous posts have said lovely scenary but so has Scotland (the Highlands), US (Grand Canyon, the Rockies), Canada (Banff, Whistler), France and many many other places.
Come and see NZ before you make the leap too many people think it is a mini Australia and you may be very disappointed.
This is my point of view - but NZ is not a paradise and the weather is crap.
It has been really interesting reading people's comments about NZ. Having lived here for 18 months I felt compelled to contribute something about my experiences. As previously stated by most other contributors this is just my insight into life here.
The weather in the North Island is truly grim. In Auckland, where we live it rains for 8 months of the year. Not a gentle drizzle but a downpour. The winters seem cold as the majority of houses do not have central heating and you end up using a gas fire in the living room to heat most of the house - not uncommon to sit in in the winter wearing a thick fleece, socks and slippers. The dampness creates havoc with mildew and mould in the house. Too wet to go tramping or hiking - those great Kiwi past times for 6 months of the year.
Very difficult to find properties to rent / buy in the Auckland area and most are far below the UK in the standards of decor - think 50s bathrooms and kitchens.
Appalling traffic in Auckland and surrounding areas most people spend 45 mins at least driving to work, or get up at the crack of dawn to beat the rush hour.
Wages are very low compared to the cost of living. Most Kiwis do not holiday anywhere else than their back yard due to the cost, certainly do not travel to the Gold Coast of Pacific Islands for a holiday break. Holidays consist of camping or staying in suspect motels - pretty grim, unless sharing bathroom facilities is your idea of a holiday.
Employment - although employment is low there are not that many skilled jobs on the market mainly due to many international companies retrenching their Pacific enterprises back to Australia. Most companies are using outdated IT and business methodologies - career limiting.
Migration has grown the country's population but as the entrance level has been so low for the last 10 yrs NZ has attracted Australia and Canada's castoffs.
The above is a view of the Auckland area and I am sure many people will write in about Christchurch (a lovely town - not large enough to be a city), Wellington (lovely but lousy weather, cold and windy for 9 mnths of the year), tauranga, Coromandel, Bay of Islands - beautiful but what are you going to do for work and what are your kids going to do for work when they get older.
As numerous posts have said lovely scenary but so has Scotland (the Highlands), US (Grand Canyon, the Rockies), Canada (Banff, Whistler), France and many many other places.
Come and see NZ before you make the leap too many people think it is a mini Australia and you may be very disappointed.
This is my point of view - but NZ is not a paradise and the weather is crap.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:07 am
#39
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 11,149
Re: NZ - as it is
Originally posted by pleasancefamily
You quite like it here, then?
You quite like it here, then?
Janandjuk the Kiwi Auckland knocker was from Wellington. He also did not like Wellington. I also met another Aucklander at a wedding the other day. He left as soon as he finished Uni and he rarely returns there from London. He could never move back. I would not be surprised if he is in Sydney for the Mardi Gras though.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:18 am
#40
BE Enthusiast
Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Banks Peninsula, SI, NZ
Posts: 373
Just make sure you are not the average NZ'er.
Where I am in NZ it is very dry currently another drougt and not a great deal in the winter due to the southern alps blocking the weather systems and forcing them to dump the water on the west coast.
If you are going to come out here with no money or investments back home or whatever, it won't take too long before your standard of living (NOT quality of life) is probably dipping around the level of unacceptable.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
Where I am in NZ it is very dry currently another drougt and not a great deal in the winter due to the southern alps blocking the weather systems and forcing them to dump the water on the west coast.
If you are going to come out here with no money or investments back home or whatever, it won't take too long before your standard of living (NOT quality of life) is probably dipping around the level of unacceptable.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:23 am
#41
Forum Regular
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: On the beach in Christchurch
Posts: 43
If you are going to come out here with no money or investments back home or whatever, it won't take too long before your standard of living (NOT quality of life) is probably dipping around the level of unacceptable.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
Jan 15th 2004, 1:31 am
#42
Forum Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Location: Bristol - Waitakere - ChCh
Posts: 294
I'm starting to feel depressed with all this Auckland bashing! We've lived in Auckland for two and a half years now and think it's great - it can be as quiet/lively/rural/by the beach...as you want it to be. you just have to pick which area of Auckland suits you, it's quite a large area and doesn't just consist of the city/business area - we're in West Auckland in quite a rural area and near good surf beaches..............it's not all bad !!
Jan 15th 2004, 2:23 am
#43
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 266
Originally posted by WheelsOfSteel
Just make sure you are not the average NZ'er.
Where I am in NZ it is very dry currently another drougt and not a great deal in the winter due to the southern alps blocking the weather systems and forcing them to dump the water on the west coast.
If you are going to come out here with no money or investments back home or whatever, it won't take too long before your standard of living (NOT quality of life) is probably dipping around the level of unacceptable.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
Just make sure you are not the average NZ'er.
Where I am in NZ it is very dry currently another drougt and not a great deal in the winter due to the southern alps blocking the weather systems and forcing them to dump the water on the west coast.
If you are going to come out here with no money or investments back home or whatever, it won't take too long before your standard of living (NOT quality of life) is probably dipping around the level of unacceptable.
I still work as I am only 32 but I am not career driven as if I were I would have stayed in London. However, because of my experience I was able to land a very well paid job for NZ and buy a large 5 bed house looking over the sea. Two cars, etc.
I agree Christchurch is not a city on Londons level, but heh Neither is Lichfield! IMO these are positive points as if a city was what I wanted I would have stayed in London.
I never like to say never, but if I were it would be to never live in Auckland.
Why move halfway round the world to live in a wanabe city earning peanuts.
Rather like London I don't think Auckland is a true reflection of NZ.
Quality of life and 'it's a lifestyle' a comments I hear frequently banded around but I am yet to get just what higher quality of life there is here that so much supercedes a life in Tuscany, Colorado, or Sydney - all places I have lived. Myself and my partner earn upwards of $150k between us per year and so are fairly comfortable by NZ standards but the cash does not go far. In the UK and the USA spending power per money earned was far greater.
I enjoy the outdoors and have a horse but due to the rain and lack of public bridleway paths the actually places you can ride are pretty poor compared to elsewhere. We are both keen skiers and have to say that compared to the Dolomites in Italy and the Rockies in the USA , Tripple Cone and The Remarkables are poor contenders.
My partner is a Kiwi so we are here for a while and I would early like to understand what the 'lifestyle' is but I am struggling.
Maybe you have to have kids to realy reap the benefits ???
Jan 15th 2004, 2:29 am
#44
Forum Regular
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: NZ
Posts: 100
I agree with you xpat I have lived in Auckland since i moved here and its not that bad (even though I am moving to Christchurch). Yes it rains but so does it in England and it doesn't compare with the cold in Britain!
The central heating issue is a pain but hey it wont kill you to wear an extra jumper and some socks - and that comes from somebody who hates the cold with a passion!
Of course there are going to be downsides on living in another country but you need to weigh those up with the downsides of living in England and for me I can live without central heating if it means living in New Zealand.
The government is pushing for immigrants to leave Auckland and work else where so I should imagine the jobs will follow, yes house prices are high - hence one of the reasons moving to christchurch, but if you come over with GPB's you should have no problem buying a reasonable house.
The central heating issue is a pain but hey it wont kill you to wear an extra jumper and some socks - and that comes from somebody who hates the cold with a passion!
Of course there are going to be downsides on living in another country but you need to weigh those up with the downsides of living in England and for me I can live without central heating if it means living in New Zealand.
The government is pushing for immigrants to leave Auckland and work else where so I should imagine the jobs will follow, yes house prices are high - hence one of the reasons moving to christchurch, but if you come over with GPB's you should have no problem buying a reasonable house.
Jan 15th 2004, 2:37 am
#45
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2002
Location: Dorkland
Posts: 19
Hi there,
I've been in NZ for about 1.5 years now and living in Auckland and I love the place. Although it does seem to be a national sport bashing Auckland. As the rest of NZ call them Jafa's (work it out).
And the weather can be grim some times but it can be beautiful and hot other times. And there's only about 150mm difference in rainfall between Sydney and Auckland, except Auckland gets it distributed evenly year round and Sydney gets the majority in the Summer.
I've been in NZ for about 1.5 years now and living in Auckland and I love the place. Although it does seem to be a national sport bashing Auckland. As the rest of NZ call them Jafa's (work it out).
And the weather can be grim some times but it can be beautiful and hot other times. And there's only about 150mm difference in rainfall between Sydney and Auckland, except Auckland gets it distributed evenly year round and Sydney gets the majority in the Summer.
Last edited by jaycee; Jan 15th 2004 at 2:43 am.