Genesis

I had a look at this the other day, you put your post code in and it comes up with stuff about where you live/lived in the UK. In some of the areas I have lived there is a camera that has gone round the locale and you can pan round 360 degrees to have a gander...its amazing. I know google earth has such an application..possibly its this one, what I didn't realise is the ability to turn the camera everywhich way. You need to scroll down a wee bit to see if your area is on this 'live' camera. Anyways in the east end of London one of the areas I lived with I was struck with the amount of traffic, the lack of space and the dour look of it all..even on a sunny day. I do love the UK but most of it where you can get work etc is soooooooo crowded its beyond a joke, wall to wall parked traffic at every intersection.

One thing NZ has amongst all its faults is SPACE. I am sure even those in the 3 big conurbations (Chchch, Auck & Well) will agree even there there is SPACE. The roads may be crap as is the driving, the shops are nothing like europes, the choice is less, the food is not as cosmopolitan, the service is crap ( in the Manawatu anyway) by the way service on a 'one off' is great here, like a restaurant or getting served in the pub, a dairy or the like, its when you need an 'expert' to come..some such artisan as a builder or plumber or electrician is where they fall down. Anyway my point is SPACE. It is something alas that only really seems to exist in low density populated countries such as NZ or Oz..its a WONDERFUL feeling!!!

For me that is a huge bonus about living here. That leads directly to bigger gardens, bigger houses (yeah I know lots are crap but they CAN be improved..we improved ours hugely) and less time spent sitting in horendous traffic jams being charged for the pleasure!

I am not knocking the UK per se just offering the fact that its way too crowded for some. In NZ you will leave all that behind. Which is nice. It only remains to be seen if you can hack all the downsides of NZ (there are many) and in some ways that will be decided by your mindset. Some of us can hack it some can't..just like I could not hack the UK in the end and many have a huge hankering to be back there. Horses for courses


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Wiz'n'Ton

Funny you should mention that fella. The space issue that is. Went to Akl the other day and it took 1hr 15 to drive the 20kms from airport to city centre, and one in the city it reminded me very much like London and I realised I just couldn't live like that anymore. NZ spoils you so much in the space stakes, in so many places, that it just doesn't seem fair to compare it like-for-like in the UK.

Will check the website out.

BEVS

I checked it out and spent a few lovely moments looking down at what was my Dad's house, the garden and his cars.

Think the pic would have been around 3 years old or so, but was smashing to go down that bit of memory lane.

RobClubley

So weird looking at our old house. They've tidied the garden up a little bit and still haven't fixed the dodgy hinge on the gas box that lets it drop open

j19fmm