Originally Posted by Genesis

Some of the beaches do get chokka with motors..but in the main people drive carefully and I still maintain that every beach I have been on both sides of the north isle are essentialy empty, peaceful and quiet. Can't hear much over the waves anyway my hearing's so bad!!!!!

Originally Posted by Genesis

................if you need to feel part of the rest of the world, if you feel the need to have quality news and papers, clothing and generally figure that shopping is a big deal.

If living in a country that is in many ways 'backward' (careers, internet, public transport, broad base of culture/history, shopping, availability of stuff etc).

If living amongst a bunch of people who are apparently insular and don't give a stuff about anything much so long as it does not affect them.

If limited classical music scene will irk you.

If you want to live in a house that you were/are used to in the UK/europe.

If you are concerned with the prospect of having to build a house yourself or seriously modernise the one you buy to make it 'habitable' as far as warmth standards go.

Unless you are going to get a well paid job or come with enough equity to buy outright. Incredibly high housing costs relative to wages....interest rates around 10%.

If you are worried about the gang, P, domestic violence, childabuse/murders, paedophile (apparently) problems that we have here.

If you don't like the feel of isolation (NZ is the worlds most isolated western counrty allegedly).

If you are concerned that an expose of our police force has recently shown that about 33% are 'disengaged' from the job and the large part of the rest of them are just 'going thru' the motions'. ie moral at an all time low.

COME TO NZ..........

If you want to live somewhere really different,
with an incredibly low density of population,
virtually traffic free out of the 3-4 main areas,
where kids remain kids longer and they are welcome virtualy everywhere,
for empty beaches without £3 per hour parking,
where you can surf and ski IN THE SAME MORNING!!!!! (Taranaki)
if you like a quirky country full of quirky individuals,
if you want adventure and a great outdoorsy lifestyle,
simply if you want to live in one of the most beautiful places on earth that speaks english where you can get a job and start a new life!!

Been here 3 years and NZ has delivered and way surpassed ALL of our expectations. It at times has been hard but we have carved our mark both in our home and our new town. NZ has so much going for it if you approach it with the right attitude. Some would have been far better off going straight to Oz or Canada, some like me and my family adore our new lives. We have so much here that we did not in the UK

Sure we have had to give loads up, we miss europe, all the GREAT stuff about G B and theres lots of it..but most of us have choices.

THINK HARD ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT NEED AND EXPECT!!!

All the negatives about NZ above are very true and I have missed loads out.

The place is full of problems..but will they affect you day to day....virtually all the serious probs in NZ do not impact on most people.

Booshyman intimated that there's an attitude of selfishness in people like me who say 'these problems don't affect me'.

Well when you get to my age and you have left a part of the UK where I had wall to wall shite day in day out I reckon I desereve a bit of peace and quiet and some quality of life for me and my family if I can find it.

I did in NZ.

Weigh up all the pros and cons. Make sure the former basket outweighs the latter.

Originally Posted by Batty

I'll add ...
If you don't always need everything and everyone to be 'just so' and under your control come to New Zealand

Originally Posted by I_Will_Freckle

And I'll add...

If you do need everything and everyone to be 'just so' and under your control then don't go anywhere. Stay in the UK and content yourself by watching repeats of "One Foot in the Grave".

Originally Posted by Bo-Jangles

And how many millions of people do just that? Anyone who does step outside of their comfort zones and try something different deserves the biggest pat on the back, whether they like it here or not. At least they got off their arses and tried.

Originally Posted by Genesis

So my conclusion from that is that people more than anything else should choose very, very carefully where in NZ they will settle.

Originally Posted by Genesis

Point is try to ski and surf in one morning in Coventry or Northampton or St Ives. Or New York or Sydney come to think of it..infact where in the world can you do both in the same day as a normal, regular person without a LearJet at your disposal???

Originally Posted by I_Will_Freckle

You can do it in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan but you'd freeze your knackers off swimming in the winter.

DH tells me that you can do it in North Carolina.

Originally Posted by Genesis

Nice one..alas I can't speak Japanese. North Carolina, know it well, have good chums in Raleigh..I get the surf..where's the piste?

Originally Posted by lardyl

You'll be able to do it in the "mid-east", albe-it without any natural assistance.........

Originally Posted by I_Will_Freckle

Of course. Ski Dubai. We peered in through the glass when we were there - it looked great fun.

Originally Posted by I_Will_Freckle

Just asked him and he said, 'In the mountains, near Charlotte and Ashville". Sorry if that's not helpful.

You may have guessed that this topic has already been aired in our house. It's one of the things I loved about my home in Japan - it was so close to great skiing and good beaches. (Beautiful autumns in the mountains too.)