Originally Posted by Campbells

Are we talking inside or outside temperatures

Originally Posted by Campbells

But I thought New Zealand doesn’t have nuclear energy

Originally Posted by Hoyo

Ooh 'eck....looks like I'm in for some bother!

Originally Posted by petful

Very interesting for a Kiwi to read this thread.

I'm 27, Kiwi born of British-Irish-Italian descent. I know loads of Brits in my age group who are living here. Most of them have plenty of Kiwi friends. One of my best friends is a Surrey lass. The younger Brits I meet all seem to be adventure/outdoors loving and have no problem finding like-minded Kiwi friends.

So, here's my observations....

HUMOUR:
I think it's true that some Kiwis find Brit humour too crass IF we have only just met you. It's just a cultural thing. If a man I've just met starts talking about my tits and shagging and so forth, I just find that ...... well, not very imaginative from a comedic point of view, and just grotty. A lot of Brit humour seems to revolve around 'boozing and shagging' and when we hear it coming from a Brit, it just seems stereotypical and kind of lame.

Having said that, plenty of Kiwis enjoy, nay, LOVE GOOD Brit humour. Harry Enfield, Rik Mayal et al.....Brit comedians and telly shows are very well loved by many Kiwis. Kiwis generally agree Brit humour, films, music etc will always be faaaaaar better than anything the Yanks come up with. Trust me!

SPORT:
Many Kiwis are obsessed with rugby. Many people all over the world are obsessed with many different sports. Some people are always gonna be overly patriotic/sensitive. Fact of life.

DISCOMFORT:
Yep, I have observed that Kiwis can be funny about people getting passionate/expressing opinions .... regardless of the opinionated person's ethnicity. Yep, this frustrates me too. Why is this????
We are a very polite bunch. Scoff if you will, but sometimes maybe we are TOO polite. We tend to often use expressions such as:
'but that's just my opinion'
'apparently....'
'sure, but don't you think....'
I think most Kiwis tend to express their opinions quite softly so as to avoid offending anyone. We don't like to get confrontational, we'd rather 'offer' our ideas but not push them on people. If you DO hear a Kiwi being forceful with their views, they are either just that kind of person, or they're on a topic they refuse to be 'soft' about - it's something close to their heart.
Again, it's a cultural thing. People who are very in-your-face with their opinions can seem rude and arrogant to a Kiwi.
Next time you want start a debate/get passionate, maybe try the 'This is what I think and I'm keen to hear what you think?' approach.......you could be surprised
Call us overly-PC. We just see it as being nice. Noooorce!

GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE:
Having lived in numerous small towns, Auckland, Christchurch, national parks, NI and SI, I hafta say Auckland is by far the friendliest part of NZ. I have numerous theories on this - the fact that it's a melting pot and any circle of friends up there generally comprises at least four or five different ethnicities, makes it hard for people to be closed-minded. Also, most people in Aucks WANT to be there. Yep, it's expensive and the traffic is not so groovy, but that's where the jobs are.
I love small town NZ lifestyle, but I find the mindset hard to take at times. My age (and personal liberal values) probably have a lot to do with my feelings on this. But I think it's definitely easier to make friends in Aucks than it is elsewhere.

SO, WHY ARE YOU HERE, THEN?:
Many Kiwis share the view that we can't understand why Brits emigrate here and then slag the place off. Constantly. No, this doesn't mean we believe you should wax lyrical about Aotearoa 24/7. But seriously, if within moments of beginning a conversation with a Kiwi, you are telling us what you hate about NZ and why the UK is better, how do you expect us to react???
When I was in the UK, there were some things I really didn't like that I experienced day to day. But I never would have spoken to Brits who weren't my friends about this. It would give the wrong impression. Save those conversations for when you know a Kiwi - and be prepared to hear the other side of the story. Again, it's a politeness thing.
And 50,000 Brits leave the UK permanently each year. So you must have good reasons - to get away from terrorist attacks and the threat of further terrorist attacks, the horrendous crime rates, the over-crowding, the abundance of drugs and all that comes with that, the shite weather, the money, money, money lifestyle, the general pessimistic view, the dog eat dog rat race...
Yet I don't hear Kiwis banging on about this to Brits. The fact that you've come here tells us enough.

MONEY:
Yes, the wages in NZ are crap. Well, we've got 4M people and we buy more than we sell. Yes, it's a problem that our doctors, nurses, engineers etc head o'seas for the better wages and to pay off their student debts. And there will always be those who head for Oz and don't look back.
All I can offer is my personal perspective. Running your own business is the way to get rich in NZ. And if you don't ever end up doing that, it's the lifestyle that makes NZ special.
It all depends on what you value. I value caring, helpful people and beautiful wild places. I can't live without either. I value being in a country that's nuclear free and not at war. I love that our PM cut our arms budget back to pretty much nothing. I appreciate NZ so much more since having gone abroad and seen the alternatives.
If you want wild night life and a big corporate salary, perhaps NZ just isn't the place for you.

The secret to making Kiwi friends.....? Jeez, what's the secret to making friends anywhere? Don't you think human beings are more often than not stand-offish and cautious with each other, regardless of where you go in the world??? I reckon it's at least easier here than it is many other places.

Yep, we don't have the same kind of pub culture, as many of you have already sussed out. We do coffee. And brunch. Especially when getting to know people. Eggs Benedict, anyone? Pancakes with maple syrup and fried banana? Mmmmmmmm..........

I guess the one piece of advice, based on MY experiences that I can give, if you realy want it is: go gently. We are a quiet, understated sort of people. We are a small, young country, yes, but we have heaps to be proud of. But we feel no need to ram that down people's throats, so don't ram your cultural pride down our throats. No Kiwi will respect you for that.

Once you get to know us, you'll be pleased to dscover you CAN be sassy and play 'Rule Brittania' at top volume on repeat, with a glass of gin in one hand, and we'll sass you right back. Or chuckle quietly.

But just don't use that as your opening line.

Enjoy NZ!