The Weezer

I have been to all those places and back several times. I've travelled extensively throughout the South and North Islands. My mate's from Christchurch. I think our perceptions are based on our experiences, which are probably very different.
It's fortunate that you've found a place that you can take so much pleasure in.
That's a lovely photo.

Woodlea

No worries, each to their own eh?

Avid

Hmmmm...that might be true..but what about the suicide rate? NZ is a world leader in suicides but the media won't touch the subject.

Any country that relies so heavily on tourism is going to sweep a lot of things under the carpet...

Woodlea

Behind all these places for male suicide...which is not surprising for the one's at the top, but La Belle France! Belguim, Switzerland - hey not too bad for a wee country miles from anywhere. Only marginally worse than Scandinavia and Ozzy. Double that of the UK though, maybe all the poor individuals who resort to this desperate act turn to crime in the UK?

BELARUS
LATVIA
UKRAINE
SLOVENIA
HUNGARY
KAZAKHSTAN
ESTONIA
SRI LANKA
JAPAN
FINLAND
CROATIA
BELGIUM
AUSTRIA
REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA
SWITZERLAND
FRANCE
CZECH REPUBLIC
POLAND
BULGARIA
CUBA
LUXEMBOURG
NEW ZEALAND

Source http://www.who.int/mental_health/pre...iciderates/en/

Avid

Oh no!! My second statistics battle in as many weeks!

NZ ranks, according to the government statistics I just googled, 6th in the developed world for male suicides and 4th for females. Finland leads the male suicides and Japan leads the female suicides.

NZ is the 'winner' in female youth suicides...and is an unusual country in that young people are more likely to kill themselves than old people.




I blame Dai Henwood.

Woodlea

Benjamin Disraeli: There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics!

karonious

I thought that was Mark Twain?
And on the subject of gangs in New Zealand: why would Maori and Pacific Island people want to emulate American gangs when they have such a rich cultural heritage of their own?
That's rehetorical incidentally, just musing......

kiwi_child

Simple answer. They are looking to their contemporaries for identity and as a way to connect to themselves and express their rage and frustration that lurk underneath. One valid point that came out of the movie "Once Were Warriors" was that when young Maori truly connected with their rich ancestry and listened to their elders they became empowered and developed their sense of identity and belonging and turned their rage and pain into far more positive outcomes.

True Maori culture, while having an aspect of warriorship also has a discipline. We have some fine Maori people and among the ones I respect the most are those who reach out and up and serve our defence forces, arts, teaching etc etc. These are the role models that I hope all kiwi kids listen to and aspire to be like.

kiwi_child

The relevance of my statement is that it refers to the naive assumption many new migrants to NZ make based on what is propaganda. A small percentage of Maori like to feel they gain "oneupmanship" against whites by whinging about anything remotely connected to pakeha society and denouncing it as some type of abuse and insult to maoritanga and themselves as Maori.

Quite frankly, it's bullshit, but is often lambasted as justification for unacceptable behaviour.

StevieB

I would like to add to this comment, and state that there has been a substantial success rate in the probation service with 18 to 30 year old male Maori offenders attending Tikanga programmes and thereafter leading offence free, responsible lives. These programmes teach traditional Maori values in a marae environment (they are residential), which get the students in touch with the culture they know they are a part of, but have no experience of.

kiwi_child

This is excellent news to hear. Programs like this are a great initiative and something I would hope all NZ residents and citizens would value and support.

abc123

Hi
I ended up stumbling on this site having been directed from google search while researching for an essay. Your assumptions [im assuming] are based on what you see in the media, how your parents raised you and the life experiences you have thus far. If one is so concerned about gangs in NZ then dont ****en come here. Your motives to give you and your family a better lifestyle than you currently are having in the UK is pathetic, my view is stay the **** where you are NZ is better off without you.

Oh and Jedi Princess, youre a loser, seriously. I dont believe in gangs either but the comments you have made have pissed me off. I agree gangs are a Maori issue, that is a fact, but the way you have presented your arguements is disgusting. Was it necessary for you to compare the sufferings of Maori with Aboriginals? On a comparitive level Aboriginal peoples did suffer more than Maori but the issue isnt about the severity of the impacts of sufferings, and the end of the day both groups despite the differences of their experiences have been screwed over by their colonisers the British. Its that simple, so dont go ****ing trying to justify who is right and who is wrong based on the degree of harms caused. You are a racist, ill informed, naive idiot, simple as that.

RADI

WOW what a post from someone who knows everything ,I look forward to future posts from such a mentor as yourself.You are truly a person of upper status than the poor mignions who post here .I bow down to your superior intelligence .(think not w***er)

RADI

and you are still alive and posting

lardyl

mmm, touche, nice nick /thinks of the famous song lyric and smiles to himself/ "simple as" by name and nature!!!
I'd get your dictionary out before plagiarizing another website in search of a decent grade