Franklin

Who's cooking up a storm? Who's a track short of an album? OK, sorry, I've been watching a lot of that UK quiz program, "The Weakest Link". Get it each morning on cable - watch it with my recently arrived mother who is still getting used to living away from the UK.

Meanwhile, I wish I was NZ bound, but I'm stuck in port DC, my plane is missing a wing and the boat lacks a rudder, so no chance of me heading for NZ anytime soon.

But what of you guys, those who have made it, those that are thinking of making it to NZ. What do you regard as the strongest urge acting on you to move to NZ? Strongest ... not weakest! Who's bunny has run away ... who is missing a tile from his roof ... who feels "the force" to get to NZ?

tottefan

I want to move to NZ but it won't be until June 2008 unfortunately. The main reason is the natural environment - how many REAL natural paradises are left on this planet? NZ is one of the few countries that still has retained so much natural beauty.


tottefan.

Franklin

Yes, and it is so clear from the many photographs so kindly posted on this forum/site (re: your comment, "is one of the few countries that still has retained so much natural beauty").

Also, what makes NZ so beautiful is that the scenes vary so much and are within reasonable travel distance. So different from other countries.

bookemjano

Why migrate? Our strongest reason is to give our kids (ages 12 and 14) the confidence to go for anything in life, if we can move 12,000 miles and start a new life successfully, they will know they can tackle anything after that. Close to that, we want to get there whilst we're young enough to enjoy it (ages 38 and 40), wise enough to laugh off the problems we'll no doubt have, and old enough to do it properly.

Why NZ? The personal space, the personal safety, the reputed easy going lifestyle, the no-compensation culture (as UK is fast becoming), the beauty of the country, the friendliness of the people, the pride Kiwis still have in their country and, most of all just the sheer bloody adventure of it all!

lizard

The space, thats what we like. Only 7 days to go. Adventure. When you go in to the contryside in NZ you feel relaxed. Try going into the Yorkshire dales or up mount Snowdon at a weekend, busier than Manchester town centre.

80s Chick

Nice thread Franklin. We're going for the same reasons as bookemjano. We want a better life for the kids (we have a child at secondary school age and don't want him educated here - the obsessions with targets is insane, my husband's a teacher and we hope to get over on his profession). The accepted anti-social behaviour over here is a real worry, it all gets dealt with in a namby-pamby wishy washy liberal way (and I'm a namby-pamby wishy washy liberal and even I don't like it). Our children are quiet sensitive creative souls and we don't want them tainted and ruined by the aggresive environment in schools here. The scenery is also a big bonus and laidback lifestyle (a friend once described us as so laidback we're almost asleep. )

Phyl

sunshine_and_rain

The MAIN reason we came too was for our children. Everytime I read British Press it confirms for me that we made the right decision as well as seeing the lifestyle my children lead, carefree and happy, and with the freedom to play outside - safely and happily. Lots of other things played a part too - but my 2 gorgeous children were the main reason. Our lifestyle is definately better here, without doubt - still miss me folks back home though and my best mates. Kiwi's are so lovely though and friendly and welcoming, and my children go to school with people from all around he world and see a culture (Maori) that they may never have learnt about, as well as all the other cultures and experiences they gain here. Who knows what tomorrow holds (I don't want to either), but for now we are here and happy in the most part, you can't ask for too much more than that - winning the lottery would be good though

bookemjano

Couldn't agree more. My lad, aged 14, was bullied for three years, including an assault by three lads that involved us having to make a police complaint, and an injury that had it been an inch higher would have lost him an eye. Two lads held him whilst the other 'roundhoused' him with Rockport boots on. It wasn't the old school 'give us your dinner money' bullying, it was dog crap in the bag, spit all over the clothes, don't let him sit anywhere in the classroom, chewing bum in his hair, and this new horrible 'happy slapping' where they would punch him and film it on their camera phones. It wasn't just my lad suffering, it was plenty of others. At the start we were reasonable, wanting him to learn to deal with things himself. A big mistake. We should have gone in there with all guns blazing, but we were too soft. He's now changed school (after over two years of us trying to get it solved) and is doing well. Timing for us going to NZ is difficult for his exams next year but he's a clever lad and will catch up in time for his NZ exams. The first school's reasoning on not dealing with the bullies? These kids need help themselves. B****CKS! The headteacher offered for my lad to get in late, leave early, do extra coursework at home to make up the time, spend his lunches in the classroom. They moved him out of his set 1 classes as 'he didn't get on with the other kids', and expected him to do set 1 work in a set 2 classroom. Even threats written on the blackboard to my lad just got ignored by the teachers. It still makes my blood boil, can you tell?

Some of the teachers are scared stiff of the kids, and who can blame them?

NZ's education system, which seems to be aimed at the individual, with smaller classes, will do both my kids the world of good. Can't wait!

Don

You're right, and I agree with the way NZ puts kids with Down's Syndrome, Autism and ADD etc in the same classes as 'normal' kids.

This is the way forward, difficult as it might be for 'normal' kids to make the adjustment and for teachers to cope.

bookemjano

But kids without these difficulties don't have to adjust do they? They just take it in their stride and they all integrate without problems usually. I do feel for the teachers, whose jobs are difficult enough, to have to cope with giving out and monitoring different streams and areas of work when the class is mixed like this, but most kids, disabled or not, black or white or whatever, seem to have so much tolerance compared to adults. Good on them.

I couldn't cope with the job of dealing with kids, I'm a wuss, but some schools focus too much on targets and not the kids. From what I've read on NZ education, which was our first area of research when making the decision, is that the kids are the priority, which is how it should be.

So, political rant over, and sorry to go off at a tangent on the thread, but another of our reasons for wanting to get to NZ is, like a lot of people, to be able to afford a house and space that we couldn't afford here, unless we won the lottery. Our budget, unless we both take second jobs, would only allow us to buy a small to modest semi with a patch of garden in the UK, and who in their right minds would want to work just to pay the huge mortgages? NZ will give us the chance to put the priority on living our lives, rather than working them. (Well, that's the idea anyway, wait until my posts 6 months after we get there, I may be singing a different song going by the recent threads on budgets! )

Guitar Mad Pom

Well, what can I say without repeating everyone else. It looks like we all have the same basic reasons for leaving. Reading in the news today of another, this time very very disturbing 'happy slapping' incident. Isn't it amazing how the pass-times of these mindless idiots get such nice names, 'happy slapping, joy riding etc....GGGRRR. Maybe one day, whichever govt it is in the UK, will finally wake up and realise that the UK is far from the lovely place it used to be.
Bookenjano and 80's chick in particular, couldn't agree more with your postings. Your young lads experience bookemjano kinda sums it all up.

Well, moan over.......... NZ mmmm wide open spaces, scenery, quality of life, friendly people, kids growing up with what we hope will be a freedom they could never have in the UK and the fishing, bike riding, playing my guitar on abike while fishing lol sounds good. Here's to us all.

Franklin

Sorry to hear about these school problems. It is so sad that the teachers feel compelled to give up. Teachers need back-up. From parents and the school head. If either are lacking it is very hard for the teachers to maintain control, and some just give up. When this happens it is so sad. The school goes downhill and many kids who want to learn are crushed.

80s Chick

I tell you what's just as bad. I had a child who was disruptive in the class and it's just as difficult when you're the parent of the bad child and you try to support the school in disciplinary measures but you have to deal with it after the event because the school is toothless!! So I see it from both sides. Parents have to do the disciplining on behalf of the school so your a B**tard on 2 counts. I urged the school to issue whatever punishment they thought appropriate, they just gave her 'a talking to' and I had to all the proper punishment at home for behaviour I hadn't even witnessed. It doesn't help with family relationships and does nothing for the credibility of the school or the parent and shows no consistency. I feel for you bookemjano, I haven't been able to reply to you about your awful situation I've felt quite choked up about it. Thank goodness my daughter wasn't that bad but with the ineffectual discipline in her school I worry about what could have happened. She seems to be on the straight and narrow now thank goodness.

Phyl

bookemjano

Thank you for the kind words Phyl, your daughter is very lucky to have your good support. A lot of kids don't get that, at the first sign of them being misunderstood some parents give up too quick. All kids rebel one way or another, it's how it's handled that counts.

I am so proud of my lad, he refused to move school for two years because he didn't want to give them the satisfaction but it all got too much for him in the end and he lost a lot of weight with it. He's now in a terrific school, though it is two bus rides away, and everyone can see the huge difference in him.

My daughter's 12 and the novely of high school is beginning to wear off, so she's about to hit the disruptive stage. Can't wait! You may find me asking advice soon from someone who's been through it. Who'd be a parent?!!