wimsy

We came to NZ over a year ago and now we are returning home.
My name is Shelly and my OH is darryl, 2 sprogs ages 5 and 10!
NZ is a nice place for a holiday but thats it.
Dont come over here thinking people dont care about how you dress,what you drive HAHA! WRONG!!! Just like everywhere people will always try to keep up with the jonses.
CRIME is here and tagging is everywhere (In christchurch anyway) Teenagers are just the same and dress the same (hoodies)and the teenager pregnancy is high too. Kids driving powerful cars ends up in disaster, in the first month we saw about 5 accidents, the driving is bad!!!
Come over here with your eyes wide open and your glasses OFF!!!
We honestly came over thinking it would be nice and safe, nice people, not too busy, cheap enough houses, affordable cars....wrong!!!!!
Yeah sure some kiwis are nice but so are some british, same everwhere!!!!!!
kiwis think "us british" are rich as soon as we get here and maybe for that reason dont like us too much. We have lived in our house for 9 months, we dont even know who our neighbours are, who cares?????
we are going home to be back with our family and friends, missing family is VERY HARD!!! I didnt think I would be that bad but WOW it is hard!!!!!

I wish you all well, do your research NZ has its bad points too, the UK isnt that bad ya know!!!!!!!

Avid

Well at least you had the chance to have a good holiday and do something a bit different. And it's good to get a taste of being an immigrant. Perhaps when you are back in the UK and people start yapping on about 'too many foreigners' and 'asylum seekers' and 'blah blah blah' you can tell them what it's like to live in a foreign country.

I still think, personally, that coming to NZ because 'The UK has gone down the tubes' is a recipe for disaster...

wimsy

That bugs the hell out of me...Im leaving because of the immigrants???? WE are all imigrants once we step foot off the plane in NZ!!!! sheeeesh!!!

Avid

No!!! That's what I am saying! When you hear British people moaning about 'immigrants' you can say 'I used to be one'!

Beachcombers

Good day and welcome to the forum.

Interesting first post, sorry things have not worked out for you all, good luck on your return.

Headcase

I suspect this person has been told to visit us by Burt Badger

southerner

Wimsy

Well done for trying it, and have a great trip home and I hope you settle back in to blighty no problems..

donnaf

I'm interested in why you have decided, now you are leaving NZ, to join this forum and make this your first post??? What a shame you didn't join earlier - you may have got some support from the expat community.

I agree that you have to come here with your eyes wide open, there are things that are hard - missing family in particular. There are problems over here but for us we haven't found that you have to keep up with the joneses, we've got the kind of house we couldn't afford in the uk and we both drive relatively cheap but crappy cars. Where we live is quieter and safer - it's all relative really. We've not only met our next door neighbours but also neighbours from around the corner and over the road - we have a good network here, yes it is mainly expats but we have kiwi friends too.

I'm sorry it didn't work out for you - I hope you will be happier in the UK.

SarahB

Oh sorry to hear that things didnt work out for you here. Good luck to you all!!

phil01

I agree you have to come with your eyes open but like Donnaf we have met our neighbours, our landlord and many other locals. We live in Northland and don't feel the need to keep up with anyone and don't feel we are being judged by anyone either. Crime is everywhere but as said before it is relative, we chose a small village to live in and as such there is not really any crime, just as the kids don't wear hoodies and there is no graffiti!

Good on you for giving it a go. I think if I decided I was not happy where I was living I would try elsewhere in NZ first, but perhaps it is more that you are missing people in the UK rather than really disliking NZ...just like in the UK different Cities have different issues, you can't judge them all based on living in one area.

NZ isn't that bad either...choosing the right place may be hard if you have never visited but rent, find your feet and choose wisely.

orca05

Have you tried visiting any other places in NZ.Have you been to the North Island it is really lovely up here.The weather is so much better and warmer.Members of my family have been to Christchurch and have said it is really cold.You must have left teh UK for a reason so before going back and regretting it why not have a holiday up North and try Hamilton and Tauranga which are really fantastic places to live.You will always miss your family friends and things that are familiar to you no matter where you are in the world.By the way we don't have hoodies around where we live and there is not much crime compared to the UK I think you have just picked an area of NZ that does not suit you.

RobClubley

Good for you - you've had the balls to move countries and try it, not like the many who say "I've always fancied emigrating" "If only I was your age again I'd be off" etc etc.
It's obviously not worked out for you and you certainly seem to be focusing on all of the negative points, but each to their own.
I hope everything goes well for you in your return trip and you settle back in happily.

whitesand

Hi, I've only posted here a few times but was interested in your post. I think you should give the place one more try. What you feel about the place may simply be that you're not finding what you want in that area.

When we first arrived we tried everywhere but Auckland - everyone said 'Don't go there - you'll hate Auckland!' Well, we returned to the UK and then after some time returned to Auckland. Surprise, surprise - it was just the place for us.

I'm also a great believer in taking things easy, not jumping in and settling down too quickly in one place. Rent a place first, take your time, don't buy everything at once. Go round looking at areas - you'll find some you love, others you don't. Sit in a cafe with the local paper. You'll learn more from this than going to all the tourist attractions. These are for visitors, remember you're not - you're a resident.

Anyway, good luck in whatever you do.

Headcase

...if you care that much about what you drive and how you look to other people then you will never be happy ANYWHERE and particularly in the UK...Be your own self and dont care about other peoples opinions...the poorest people in the world dont worry about what they look like they just care about looking after themselves and their families

AlbieLittle

true, and most of em live in Porirua!