simonsi

It takes dedication to complain about those two in the same sentence....

Pom_Chch

You're going to Europe for that?! Job opportunities Affordable housing

I wish you luck...you will need it.

TommyLuck

This didn't take a turn for the worse after you arrived. New Zealanders will tell you that what is considered a "social life" is quite different in New Zealand (and Australia) to what it is in Europe.

'Weird' is a very subjective word. Each nation has it's own working culture and with out casting a stereotype, I can't imagine as a German national working culture will satisfy you anywhere in the world.

The Germans I have worked and currently with, to a man/woman, have been a pleasure to work with, because standards are so bloody high.

This is what I'm going to look out for. With a young family, I'm pleased you mentioned this. I'm on red alert. But I don't exactly live in salubrious housing in London. My rented accomodation is cold and draughty, which makes is cheap(er) to rent.

You knew that New Zealand was a remote country, with a small population before you went there.

You can't not have done.

Again, this hasn't changed in the time you were there. New Zealand has never been a country for those with expensive taste.

This has been the case since before humans existed.

Following your previous point, this is plainly oxymoronic. However, Auckland is, at times, a wet place. It's surrounded by water, it has an oceanic climate. This has never not been the case in the time of human existance.

There are bad drivers all over the world. And in fairness this wouldn't be a reason for moving away from somewhere.

Extreme?

Rioting in the UK and Greece in the recent past represents extreme social problems, for the developed world


Just a tip here; don't go and live in Scandaniva.

Can't comment on this, but Europe is hardly progressive when it comes to equality, though it pretends to be.

A couple of national leaders being women doesn't make anything equal.

Again, this percieved attitude is nothing new, in fact for me it's part of the charm and attraction to New Zealand.

So, Kiwi's have a "I don't give a f*** attitude", and yet you work longer hours?

You're bordering on contradicting yourself again.

People will have to begin to work harder, for longer in Europe to get us out of this current spot of bother, if indeed they find a decent enough job to bother working hard at.

Given you left them all behind to move to New Zealand, I'm surprised you actually insult peoples intelligence by adding this.

Germany does have housing available at better value, not the case across Europe, necessarily.

You've already covered this.

This is also one of your nuggets that I've taken onboard and will look to prepare for.

I think I'm relatively well travelled, I've never struggled to meet and speak to people wherever I've been ... This says more about you than it does a whole city, or even a nation.

There may or not be better opportunities. It's certainly not a given.

So this is really your synopsis of everything else that's gone before. The phrase "real city life" is patently generic. No two cities are the same.



In summary, nothing that is driving from New Zealand is any different to when you turned up, which begs the questions - why an earth did you move? And, if it's as bad as you say, how come you STILL haven't left?

mikesurf

I think it can get a bit silly comparing New Zealand with Europe because really there is no comparison. The reasons I left were nothing to do with Europe and everything to do with New Zealand. There will always be different thoughts on whether New Zealand is a good place to move to and if you thrive on nice views and few people then I am sure it would be good, so probably would the Falkland islands (doesn't appeal to me either though).

There is indeed good and bad everywhere around the world, however I was living in New Zealand and at this time I felt the country overhyped by the immigration departments, no doubt to keep migrants coming in to keep the country with enough workforce.

Australia 30 or 40 years ago is the best description I can come up with

kooga61

I for one appreciate both good and bad posts about NZ. To be hyper critical of someones views is

You sometimes have to "live it" to appreciate the differences. Some of us do come over here and stay here with rose coloured glasses on, and get very upset if someone tries to burst their bubble. I've been here nearly 15 years now (after many years of pondering the move) and even now I wonder if I did the right thing.

I'm conscious of the fact that I haven't lived outside of Auckland yet (work dictates otherwise), so I feel I haven't seen the "real NZ". I am always a bit niffed when I question a Kiwi about their "UK experience" and they usually say " Oh I stayed for a while but I hated all the traffic, crowds, poor wages/ being ripped off, cost of living, soggie chips etc etc.. Then I ask where did you go? "Oh I lived in London for two years!" Christ even I wouldn't want to live in London that long! And my family come from there!!! Why didn't you try Cornwall, Dorset, Sussex, Yorkshire, Scotland...QED - Auckland isn't NZ, and I hope someday to find out. Going on holiday there wont be enough, again you have to live it.

We are all different, have different needs at different times. Some of the reasons I came here now feel obscure and laughable. There are things about the UK that I never dreamed I'd miss that I do now. Things I took for granted that dont happen here. I never thought I'd miss my family much, but as I get older I find I miss them more (having said that I dont for one minute expect that after 2 months back we'd see them for months on end!), after all we all have our lives to live.

I've had good times and bad times here, and it will continue I'm sure. I'll have days when I'll bitch and moan about the place and days I dont. Days when I think wow! this is great.

Its a bit of a roller coaster ride really, and if you (or I) decide we've had enough and want to try some other ride...At least we tried it out, and not just stayed on the ground, wondering.

tweetweet

yes we tried five years and what a waste of five years that was.

NZ is like a cup of coffee, the dregs are left behind

Pom_Chch

And more importantly some of the dregs leave...

tweetweet

no, sadly the dregs never leave, they sit at the bottom of the cup.

the cream of the crop has left, you will meet those Kiwis in top jobs around the world, never to return. now that UK only takes professional Kiwis, the unprofessional ones go to Australia, the rest stay behind in NZ.

we too thought that NZ would be a super place to live. 100% campaign and all got us hook line and sinker.

we are so happy to be back in Europe. where there is democracy and the people are friendly, there are more jobs here and the cost of living is sometimes half the price of NZ

NZ has pakeha culture, Europe has culture

pakeha culture - masochistic, druggy, uneducated, blinkered, ignorant, vindictive, chippy

Pom_Chch

Uneducated? Are you serious? My Kiwi cousins are amoungst the brightest people I know. One of which has built a successful business from scratch and the other with a PhD in engineering - bloody clever bloke! Non of which take or took drugs, same with their friends. Neither are vindictive or ignorant.

Just because you've met Kiwi's with the above description it doesn't mean you can tar them with the same brush. I've met some right ****heads in the UK but I wouldn't say everyone is like that.

When you post in threads such as this one making sweeping statements about a certain population no one is going to take you seriously or listen to your advice.