After 5 years in NZ
Mar 7th 2008, 9:13 pm
#121
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Mixed bag...I'm unfortunate that I spend a fair bit of time with wealthy Kiwis who, like the nouveau-riche in any country, are a complete pain.
(I'm also nouveau, so much so that the money is still wet..but at least I have the decency to be embarrassed about it)
Perhaps 'mean-spirited' was a bit too harsh...but I still think that the "awesome, sweet as" stuff is only the icing on a rather bitter cake.
(I'm also nouveau, so much so that the money is still wet..but at least I have the decency to be embarrassed about it)
Perhaps 'mean-spirited' was a bit too harsh...but I still think that the "awesome, sweet as" stuff is only the icing on a rather bitter cake.
Mar 7th 2008, 9:14 pm
#122
Forum Regular
Joined: Feb 2007
Location: Medway (for as short a period as possible)
Posts: 42
Re: After 5 years in NZ
I am originally from just a bit north of Inverness and that rings very true.
The North of Scotland is a great place to be if you have money or the sort of job that is readily transferable to a small town far from a big city. I know mine isn't.
Instead I am willing to risk it all on the basis that we know for certain that life in the bits of SE England we can afford to live in is not what we want for our son.
We thought about Canada, but neither my wife nor I have jobs that are in high demand there, and the thought of waiting three and a half years for a visa application to be processed was enough to make us look elsewhere. Also our occupations were not really in demand in Oz, unless my wife was willing to take us to the back end of beyond, and we were borderline too old at 39
. In comparison, in New Zealand my wife's occupation is in high demand, I have a job interview lined up for my recce trip next week, and my brother-in-law gives the country a glowing report as a place to bring up kids (admittedly he did move from a grotty bit of Middlesbrough to the Coromandel........).
We know we will never get rich in NZ. We may even get bored in NZ. But at least I will be able to see my son before he goes to bed on a week night and live in an area where the horizon is not made up of row after row of terraced houses. And after all, if we don't like it we can always go home (or onto Australia
)
Mar 7th 2008, 9:33 pm
#123
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Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,994
Re: After 5 years in NZ
I moved from Somerset to NZ and would also give the place a glowing report as a place to bring up kids
Mar 7th 2008, 10:03 pm
#124
you dewty owld maan!
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: is practically perfect in every way
Posts: 5,565
Re: After 5 years in NZ
What *is* superficially friendly? Someone who is friendly but doesn't want or have time for something deep? Someone who is civil enough but perhaps not fond of you? I've met people who aren't 'wowed' by, but that's the way it goes I suppose. I've also met plenty of people I'm not wowed by but that doesn't mean they're shallow- just not my sort of folk. But I've met loads of really friendly people who call me up when I'm sick and look after my kids, who invite me for coffee, dinner, a movie and 'seem' to like me, perhaps I'm wrong. So my assessment would be that most of the Kiwi's I've met are friendly and welcoming 
Petty and shallow? No! That's a very harsh assessment of someone? :blink I don't find massive driving differences here but I don't live in or near a big city- I did note it was hairier near Auckland and Wellington but that didn't lead me to conclude the people are 'mean spirited'! You know what though- I don't get out that much and live in a weeny community with very few immigrants *(and virtually none in the last ten years) so perhaps that's why our experiences are so disparate
Petty and shallow? No! That's a very harsh assessment of someone? :blink I don't find massive driving differences here but I don't live in or near a big city- I did note it was hairier near Auckland and Wellington but that didn't lead me to conclude the people are 'mean spirited'! You know what though- I don't get out that much and live in a weeny community with very few immigrants *(and virtually none in the last ten years) so perhaps that's why our experiences are so disparate
As I have said before we do have Kiwi friends but most of them that relate to us well or we get on with the best have an offshore connection, either being child immigrants, or having close family in UK, etc. We have far more ex-Pat friends, again that is the natural consequence of living that lifestyle and may not be a great thing in the end....who knows.
As you say living in a very small and it seems very stable rural community is very different from being here in a seaside town (just like the OP) with a large transient population and pretty close to the "Big Smoke". Having siad that we know Kiwis who have moved away from small rural locations as they were shut out because they were not "local" - this is a universal thing, not confined to the English-speaking world! I would add that my observations on the Kiwi personality is that, generalising agian (but how can you do otherwise?) it is somewhat more withdrawn, insular and less open to change than the UK one - a natural consequence you might say of the geographical isolation and the history of the two countries.
Our expereince is more similar to yours in actual fact as we have Kiwi friends that look after our kids, invite us round for meals/coffee/a chat and are extremely generous, friendly and open. Now we have moved I'm glad to say that our neighbours are the same! Shows how (what seem) minor aspects of your experience can affect the overall outlook.
Unfortunately, in my experience, those people just seem to be a little less common than they were in our village in the UK.
Mar 7th 2008, 10:45 pm
#125
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,298
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Moreover we think Palmy and Palmy's square is awesome...that's all that matters, not what some 'newly rich' (still wet? yuk!!) Wellingtonian thinks is neither here nor there.
Mar 7th 2008, 11:17 pm
#126
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: After 5 years in NZ
In responce.
I have spent almost all my life in the uk (apart from a spell in oz) and we have recently recieved our PR visas.
I have lived in my current home for 11 years and after all that time i could not tell
you the names of any of my neighbours other than those who are next door on either side. we are a freindly familly, have always gone out of our way to greet new neighbours have always had a smile and a good morning to any familiar faces we see when out and about yet we seldom get a responce in return which i find very sad but after talking to workmates i know lots of them see the same thing with their neighbours.
The uk govt has no direction at all neither have any of the opposition parties, the answer to any problem is raise taxes. only today the conservatives said they would tackle the binge drinking culture that is so prevalent in the uk. How were they going to do this? simple by raising taxes on all strong beers and alcopops. thats a great way to tackle the soicial issues that are blighting this country isnt it!
Take a look at the uk housing market, i live in a house i couldnt afford to buy if i was looking now. The cost of uk housing has spiraled out of control. we're seeing a slow down now but it will only be temporary, prices might drop by 10-20% in the next year or so but once people get used to it they will start to climb again and the proccess will continue. (on average prices trebble every 7 -9 years, despite the dips such we are seeing now) my children will NEVER be able to afford to live here.
The roads are over crowded, theres massive congestion everywhere, the public transport system is laughable and expensive.
I'm not expecting nz to be trouble free but as i see it it cant be worse than here.
I have spent almost all my life in the uk (apart from a spell in oz) and we have recently recieved our PR visas.
I have lived in my current home for 11 years and after all that time i could not tell
you the names of any of my neighbours other than those who are next door on either side. we are a freindly familly, have always gone out of our way to greet new neighbours have always had a smile and a good morning to any familiar faces we see when out and about yet we seldom get a responce in return which i find very sad but after talking to workmates i know lots of them see the same thing with their neighbours.
The uk govt has no direction at all neither have any of the opposition parties, the answer to any problem is raise taxes. only today the conservatives said they would tackle the binge drinking culture that is so prevalent in the uk. How were they going to do this? simple by raising taxes on all strong beers and alcopops. thats a great way to tackle the soicial issues that are blighting this country isnt it!
Take a look at the uk housing market, i live in a house i couldnt afford to buy if i was looking now. The cost of uk housing has spiraled out of control. we're seeing a slow down now but it will only be temporary, prices might drop by 10-20% in the next year or so but once people get used to it they will start to climb again and the proccess will continue. (on average prices trebble every 7 -9 years, despite the dips such we are seeing now) my children will NEVER be able to afford to live here.
The roads are over crowded, theres massive congestion everywhere, the public transport system is laughable and expensive.
I'm not expecting nz to be trouble free but as i see it it cant be worse than here.
Mar 8th 2008, 12:13 am
#127
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,454
Re: After 5 years in NZ
But you'd have to admit that you are going to be in the minority on this one.
Didn't John Cleese slam the place, say it was the worst audience he ever faced and called it 'the best place to commit suicide in New Zealand'?
Not that his opinions matter but didn't 90% of the country slowly nod their heads when he said it?
Mar 8th 2008, 1:55 am
#128
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Joined: Nov 2006
Location: NI New Zealand
Posts: 347
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Mixed bag...I'm unfortunate that I spend a fair bit of time with wealthy Kiwis who, like the nouveau-riche in any country, are a complete pain.
(I'm also nouveau, so much so that the money is still wet..but at least I have the decency to be embarrassed about it)
Perhaps 'mean-spirited' was a bit too harsh...but I still think that the "awesome, sweet as" stuff is only the icing on a rather bitter cake.
(I'm also nouveau, so much so that the money is still wet..but at least I have the decency to be embarrassed about it)
Perhaps 'mean-spirited' was a bit too harsh...but I still think that the "awesome, sweet as" stuff is only the icing on a rather bitter cake.
How does one on a (stated) 12 month holiday in NZ get to meet all these wealthy Kiwis anyway
I've been here a bit longer and haven't found anyone earning over $35 K
Kip
Mar 8th 2008, 2:01 am
#129
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Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 4,298
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Couldn't agree more. Personal taste is all that matters.
But you'd have to admit that you are going to be in the minority on this one.
Didn't John Cleese slam the place, say it was the worst audience he ever faced and called it 'the best place to commit suicide in New Zealand'?
Not that his opinions matter but didn't 90% of the country slowly nod their heads when he said it?
But you'd have to admit that you are going to be in the minority on this one.
Didn't John Cleese slam the place, say it was the worst audience he ever faced and called it 'the best place to commit suicide in New Zealand'?
Not that his opinions matter but didn't 90% of the country slowly nod their heads when he said it?
Errr, bothered?
Last edited by Genesis; Mar 8th 2008 at 2:14 am.
Mar 8th 2008, 3:43 am
#130
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jun 2005
Location: In a large village called Auckland
Posts: 5,249
Re: After 5 years in NZ
John Cleese referred to the city as the "...suicide capital of New Zealand. If you wish to kill yourself but lack the courage to, I think a visit to Palmerston North will do the trick". There is now a municipal rubbish heap of 45 metres (148 ft) in altitude with an official-looking sign naming it "Mt Cleese".
Mar 8th 2008, 8:00 am
#131
Banned
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: No more bloody flies.
Posts: 1,084
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Couldn't agree more. Personal taste is all that matters.
But you'd have to admit that you are going to be in the minority on this one.
Didn't John Cleese slam the place, say it was the worst audience he ever faced and called it 'the best place to commit suicide in New Zealand'?
Not that his opinions matter but didn't 90% of the country slowly nod their heads when he said it?
But you'd have to admit that you are going to be in the minority on this one.
Didn't John Cleese slam the place, say it was the worst audience he ever faced and called it 'the best place to commit suicide in New Zealand'?
Not that his opinions matter but didn't 90% of the country slowly nod their heads when he said it?
Mar 8th 2008, 8:06 am
#133
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 2,225
Re: After 5 years in NZ
Wonder if Cleese ever visited Bridgend.