Stormer999

SWANA,
Please may I ask.......
cost of living uk vs nz
have you personally been a victim of crime uk vs nz
standard of living uk vs nz
ability to make friends uk vs nz
driving standards and roads uk vs nz
schooling and education including university uk vs nz
are you able to take an annual holiday abroad uk vs nz
how were you integrated into society uk vs nz
how Politically correct is society uk vs nz
What are your answers seeing as you live in NZ compared with your life in the UK ?

Helen256

I think it's more about this being an online community; more than just a sounding board for making mahoosive decisions in on quick fix.

The original post did sound a little blunt but you've also commented (very kindly, thank you) on one of my threads which suggests you've sterted going through all the other (thousands of) posts on here.

I understand, as I imagine many folk new to here would be, that there is HEAPS of information to wade through. It's tough to know where to start. I understand that completely.

Just take a deep breath, give yourself a few more threads to read through (check out the search facility too, if it's up and running) and I'm pretty confident you'll find tonnes of information that may/may not answer your queries.

Like you say, it's a massive decision. It's stressful and difficult. Don't go rushing yourself. Enjoy reading the rambles of this cookie lot! They really are quite nice deep down. Promise!

BEVS

I'm a volunteer . English is my first language but hey. I've not been rude. Rather , all you have been asked to do is to share your own experiences and the reason for your threads. I have placed one of your threads in a mod queue for now as it is rather an odd topic .

I am giving this a chance here, so work with me not against me.



Thank you.

SWANA

(reworded)
please can I have some information on people's experience of NZ:
explanation for this:
I have been living in NZ away from family in UK. I have been in NZ for 3 years. I am presently visiting family in UK and seriously wondering if I have made a mistake to emigrate to NZ, having always worked away from home I find this unusual for myself not to settle in and find my niche in a new country.
I am an engineer and my work has taken me to many countries. I have lived in Canada and US as well as Emirates. However I have found it difficult to integrate into NZ and wonder if it is me, my stage in life or whether others are experiencing the same situation. Any feedback would be welcome. I need to look at this from all angles as a move back to UK may be in the offing. thank you

cost of living uk vs nz
have you personally been a victim of crime uk vs nz
standard of living uk vs nz
ability to make friends uk vs nz
driving standards and roads uk vs nz
schooling and education including university uk vs nz
are you able to take an annual holiday abroad uk vs nz
how were you integrated into society uk vs nz
how Politically correct is society uk vs nz
thank you

MrsFychan

did you manage to get along well in the other countries you have worked in?

Did you manage to make friends there?

why do you think you haven't fitted in?

what visa are you on for NZ?

Is it just you are do you have a partner and children your choice would effect?

It really doesn't matter what other peoples experiences have been, I said recently in another thread if you had asked me a certain question 6mths ago I would give a different answer to what I would now.

Stormer999

Why are you asking about the cost of living
driving standards and other questions of simple NZ life after you have lived here for a full 3 years? Surely you know better than some of us?
Give us your views and history of your move into NZ.

cappuccino

I don't understand your post SWANA. If you have already experienced living in New Zealand recently you have the knowledge of the questions you are asking. You are currently in the UK and can seek the answers to those questions locally. It is then for you to compare and contrast and then decide which country suits you best. Everyone here has totally unique to them experiences and no amount of asking or receiving their replies should influence your decision.

Snap Shot

Agree

Pom_Chch

BEVS

Er-herm.

Give the OP a chance to come back to us with their own story and experience first please. Per their post they may be on a hit and run following a UK brief visit.


Benefit of the doubt first.

Has had to be done on several occasions and I can always hope.

Snap Shot

I arrived in NZ in 2011, so three years just like you.

cost of living uk vs nz - the same as uk or more expensive, usual story, groceries are more expensive in nz, petrol is cheaper than uk - you must have found this yourself. You know the cost of utilities, car insurance, clothes, eating out etc

have you personally been a victim of crime uk vs nz no, not in either country. Minor nuisance of having my car arial bent in uk many years ago. Minor inconvenience of dropping a key purse in the street here in nz, when I retraced my steps to find it, it was gone. Thanks to the friend of humanity who picked it up as it contained my house keys . Anyway, insurance company paid for replacement locks, so no real drama.

standard of living uk vs nz more or less similar I suppose. Things just happen that much s l o w e r for us as we're on one income. Yeah, we could really penny pinch, not make home improvements, not buy furniture, not go on holiday but why ? We came here to live didn't we ?

ability to make friends uk vs nz Some say it's hard to make friends as an adult, some don't. I've made acquaintances here in nz. Some say they've made lots of friends. It just depends.

driving standards and roads uk vs nz In my hometown, Wanganui, the driving isn't much better or worse than where I come from in Britain. It's Auckland drivers that get the rest of NZ the bad reputation, in my opinion.

schooling and education including university uk vs nzNo idea, I don't have children

are you able to take an annual holiday abroad uk vs nz We went to Martinborough in February of this year. We might be going skiing in August of this year for a few days. My husband likes skiing, he wanted to live within driving distance of a ski field. We do now. In Britain we would go on holiday in either UK or abroad. It just depends.

how were you integrated into society uk vs nz That's a very sophisticated almost odd question. Are you a journalist ? Can I throw these questions back at you from when you lived in NZ for three years ? I integrated just by being here. Getting to know the area. Doing voluntary work. Getting paid employment. Chatting to the tradesmen that came to the house to do work. Exchanging pleasantries with the cashiers when I was at the shops. How did you do it ?

how Politically correct is society uk vs nz Dunno, you tell me. All words are equal in NZ. Not swearing seems to be considered snobby. There's no watershed in nz. I'm open mouthed at the swearing that goes on in mainstream news and sport bulletins and mainstream current affairs shows. There's an NZ advert for a hamburger place that I don't think is in very good taste. I also have a small problem with one of the New World supermarket adverts. However, it's a free country.
thank you[/QUOTE]

davros1984

Hi there, whilst I get the"blunt" angle from some of the others, your questions and reasons are perfectly legitimate. I warn you now, don't expect a lot of truth from some of the people on this forum. They came to NZ back in the daywhen you got 3 dollars to a quid and houses in Auckland were dirt cheap. Oh how the reality today (and the last few years) is very different. Here are my answers

cost of living uk vs nz:
its down to your lifestyle, i.e. the food you buy,how often you buy clothes, do you like to go out and drink/eat regularly. I do alot less stuff here that involves spending money, even though I earn a decent amount more here. so I guess that partly answers the question. Certainly I have to save a lot more money here to try and do some of the simpler, but necessary things in life, i.e. buy a car or build up a deposit.

have you personally been a victim of crime uk vs nz
No to both.

standard of living uk vs nz
Too many variables to answer this. I love NZ,the lifestyle here is great, if weather, scenery, the outdoors and rugby are your things. I'd say though that a lot that makes up "standard of living" is far more affordable in UK.

ability to make friends uk vs nz
I have really struggled here to makefriends. I have made 0 kiwi friends (1 sort of). My best friend here is a saffa, whereas my other friends are all brits. Making friends in the UK, especially at work, was always easy.

driving standards and roads uk vs nz
Driving standards = UK by a factor of 100 it wins. Empty roads (once out of auckland) = NZ.

schooling and education including university uk vs nz
Could not comment.

are you able to take an annual holiday abroad uk vs nz
We can yes.however we are able to take many more in UK,due to cheaper cost and physical proximity.

how were you integrated into society uk vs nz
My view is that NZ doesnt really have one, especially in auckland. Aucklanders live in a bubble (a bit like when they drive), only seem to care about themselves and immediate family. Dont really seem to care about society, the community or the future generations, as clearly shown by the greed of investors in the Auckland market. However, when going to some places in the south island, I get a strong sense of community. It is the same in the UK, i.e. London VS friendly communities in wales or devon.

how Politically correct is society uk vs nz
The UK is ridiculous, as clearly shown by the huge increase to UKIP. People are tired of the PC society, tired of being ignored, hence people want a straight talking party, even if some lefties do find their politics "extreme". NZ is more laid back, plenty of male adverts and occasional banter about women in the home/kitchen.

Hope that helped. FYI we move back to the UK after 3 years in NZ at the end of May.

BEVS

I've been here 10 years Davros and I can assure you I did not get 3 dollars to a quid. Far from it.

I also arrived just as property prices took a huge great leap and the dollar v pound went all to cock not in our favour.

Yo are not the first person to have lived with this and will not be the last.

BEVS

So given responses and posts Here is the other thread.

I'm not sure of the relevance to your life choice for the UK or in NZ but it's there for whatever.

Tom1983

1: Here is more expensive than the UK. Far more expensive to raise a kid here, far more expensive to have a decent life, you really have to limit yourself, where as back in Blighty we had some money left over. But this is 3 years so far of paying extortionate rents thanks to a living in an utterly ridiculous rental market. Hopefully from home ownership things may be a bit cheaper. The major big difference that makes it cheaper here is car insurance

2: Yes whilst in Blighty. Not here yet. Probably will get run over eventually (if that can be classed as a crime)

3: Standard of living is much better in London. Good insulated housing, food at reasonable pricing - again it could all change once in a new build where all this is in place. I hope living like a peasant in the olden days can move on once we're in a decent warm place.

4: No difference. You are who you are. I had no issues making friends back in London and the same here. I do think Kiwis are more tougher to make friends with than the English, sometimes they do move away when they think your getting a bit too close.

5: Oh jees don't start me on the standards of driving in Christchurch. Then again it doesn't help with the utterly pathetic planning of roadworks. Gridlock throughout the whole of the city centre during rush hour. Usually it takes me 10 to 15 minutes to get to work when am in the Addington office, today it took an hour. Whichever numpty planned the roadworks for this month, needs urgent brain surgery. Seriously it's got worse and worse the roadwork planning. Must be someone in CERA!
Then you have the idiots that don't know what an indicator is, think tailgating is fun and then drive through red lights when it's green for pedestrians. The amount of near misses I've had here is too many. I do worry i'll end up inside for trashing cars - boy racers mainly. Well boy racers in done up 1976 ford fiestas, just crash you pathetic sods

6: My pet hate of England is education and if I ever see David Blunkett, I'd tell him that to his face. Blunkett destroyed English education and it's getting worse. I just hope Heiki Peralta (education minister for China) gets booted out at the election, a very hated woman down here.
Education is what is keeping us in New Zealand. I don't want my son to be bought up with the education in England. I had a rubbish education, key skills guinea pig, SATS guinea pig etc etc, you never felt like you were having an education - just getting methods on how to pass an exam.
I can't comment on University though, only what I've seen in nursery and future schools

7: Again I can wherever. I've got family in Australia that I go and see every year. Plus there's loads to do in Queenstown. I like not having to worry about chosing a place to go on holiday where you're not going to have it trashed by drunken 18-21 year olds. Yes the tourists of Malaga and salou, thanks for ruining some lovely parts of Spain!

8: What do you mean by this? Have I constantly masturbated about Lorde winning a brit? Do I ride 3993 high horses when discussing the All Blacks? Or just the relaxing work ethic atmosphere here? No difference really.

9: Another thing I much prefer here. 7 days makes me laugh, the stuff they say would never be allowed in England. Plus here hasn't called Thomas the Tank Engine sexist, unlike England where some New Conservative cretin did. Do not start me on Sol Campbellend and Peter Herbert.