ProudVIC

These comparison discussions will always end in jingoistic nonsense.

One thing that can be said about both countries is that they can be very jingoistic. I'd like to think Australia has come out of that a lot in recent times and is less of the isolated backwater that it probably used to be 30 odd years ago. I do get the impression though that this sort of culture still exists quite prominently in NZ.

The NZers (on average not as a general blanket statement) seem to have a lot to say for themselves, very defensive concerning their standing relative to other countries. One example is the debate earlier this year concerning Australia's ban of NZ apples and the UN forcing AUS to back down on this.

The number of NZers posting jingoistic diatribe towards Australians on news sites, taking the ban personally as if we were banning their apples purely out of spite and trying to make out they are a superior race or something because apparently they have better apples over there was just pathetic and cringe worthy. You won't encounter quite the same levels of insecurity and jingoism in AUS, well at least not in the SE states, I can't speak for QLD and the north.

We are far more accepting of NZers here than they are of us and I'd say it would probably be the same regarding those from the UK. I just get the feeling Australia has progressed more as a nation and embraced our place as a nation of the world and not as some isolated exclusion zone, (as we used to think).

Coryate

I actually like the SA accent.

I lived in Auckland for 3 years, and found most of the people quite nice, some of the Maori have funny attitudes, but I never got being an Australian pushed in my face, most people thought I was English anyway.

There is quite a bit on tension with the Maori and the Pacific islanders, and between the Islanders themselves.
It's not obvious to outsiders, but I lived with some Maori for two years.

It is more expensive to live there than in Australia, since most of the food and goods come via Australia anyway it sort of makes sense. As usual the more money you make, the better lifestyle you have. I'd never go back to live, but I hope to go back with the wife and son on a holiday.

It would be better to bring the nicer clothes, as your choice is rather limited when your out shopping.

NZ made products are usually better made than the Australian equivalents, such as locally assembled cars in NZ have a better finish, whitegoods have a better style.

But anyone who is any good quickly grows out of the small pond and goes to the big smoke, that would be London :-)

In some way it's much like Scotland, in the best resource is it's people.

ProudVIC

Fisher and Paykel, the NZ white goods company, whilst very popular over here in Australia I wouldn't say they're products are particularly well made. I have found quite a bit of trouble with the performance of ovens, washing machines etc. made by F&P, they tend to be pretty unreliable after a couple of years and have a bit of a reputation over here for not being the best.

Most electrical appliances seem to be made over in South Korea or Japan or countries like that, and they tend to have the better made products that perform more reliably etc.

Buzzy--Bee

110% agree.

Nzers are very very nationally insecure and are very quick to put down another country if they feel it makes NZ look better.

BB

Kentish Lass

You say that NZers put down other countries.....yes, I agree with that. But I find that they mostly ignore the existence of the rest of the world.They have very little interest in what is happening in world news. You could live here and totally forget that there are other countries. Being from the UK I know what it is to be fully aware of what is happening elsewhere via newspapers and news programmes. There are no national newspapers here.
We watch UK news on Sky and it is followed by Australian Sky news, which is very impressive. Even the presenters are heaps more professional. Ours are very amatuerish. Living here you could easily think that we are the only island in the world. Is there anybody out there??????

Buzzy--Bee

I reckon the two are connected - NZers put down other countries because they are ignorant about them.

BB

lesleys

Very well put!

I remember a headline from the front page of a Wellington paper (ie capital city),
'Woman finds dead mouse in flour'

Then on TV you get 'Sport, followed by rugby'

Am Loolah

Ahh, but you see, some of us like that! It's part of the appeal. As I said before, everybody's different.

And I love their patriotism, the flag flying outside the kids school every day, the National Anthem sung every day in assembly. Just 2 examples of what the UK could do with a little more of, IMO. National pride.

Auskiwi

I am an Aussie, live in Sydney, lived in Christchurch, back in Sydney due to unforseeable circumstances, was hoping to go back to Christchurch, but now the quake has made hubby's company decide not to open up another office at this stage..

I think there is good and bad in both..I love Christchurch, but boy is it expensive!! I love Sydney, but housing is expensive...wages do make an enormous difference to living, even though prices are dearer in Sydney, we had a good start when we bought our house years ago, so only have to borrow a certain amount..we lost a little money selling our new zealand home, and waiting for the time to bring our money over before we lose too much more!

The only thing I will stand strong on is I think Australia definately has more opportunities for my kids when they are older, hence why my hubby's family ended up in Oz (he is a kiwi)..and why I know so many kiwi's in oz!

(just read back and look like I'm rambling!)..

Auskiwi

Don't laugh, I think the 4 that moved to New Zealand in 2009 was my family!

Now we joined the stats back to Oz..

Kentish Lass

Fame at last!

ExKiwilass

F & P is considered top of the line appliances here. They are mentioned in advertisements for new condos as a selling point, up there with european appliances like Asko etc. Sadly, no Australian appliances appear to have made the grade. OH well. Better luck next time eh?

ExKiwilass

It's an ad, FFS. That's what ads do. I remember the lame-ass advertising campaign Australia did over here. "Where the bloody hell are you?" I think was the line. I guess they thought people would think OMG WE HAVE TO GO TO OZ RIIIIIGHT NOW. IN fact they just rolled their eyes and went to Mexico which is cheaper, just as hot and more interesting. And did I mention cheaper? And closer? Much closer.

OH was invited to an event, tied in with aforementioned campaign, by the australian consulate here. When he came home he was confused by the whole thing. From a north american POV, it just didn't make sense for a country that is trying to advertise itself as a great place to visit. They spent the first part of the evening showing a film about all the death-inducing Australian fauna - crocs, spiders, snakes, etc. etc. His response was "WTF? Why would they advertise this? Are they trying to scare people away? Cos it's working" (He just said "They made it look like an apocolyptic desert of death. FAIL." hahaha) And then they had some bikkies and drinks which were crap and not enough food (BAD MOVE) and a lot of very old bureaucrats standing around. I had to laugh because I thought it totally nailed a part of Australian culture. Kind of a mixture of cluelessness and parochialism and bureaucracy. I mean, if they'd spent time actually thinking about the audience they were targeting (i.e. not themselves and what Australians find funny), they'd have realised "Where the bloody hell are you" doesn't sound friendly, or ironic, or whatever they imagined it sounded, it just sounded rude and crass and rather arrogant. Parochialism FAIL.

I also found it very parochial when I lived there. It's one of the reasons I left. I went there after living iN Europe, thinking it would be more international than NZ, but I was terribly disappointed. I agree NZ is too, but I don't think Aus. is much different.

ExKiwilass

Nail, head.

He doth protest tooooooooo much.

Buzzy--Bee

Funny. You just proved my point, that New Zealanders run other countries down to try and make NZ look better.

BB