Justcol

we don't have have many places to ski, or skate, the rivers and lakes aren't particularly clean which
would make most think twice about swimming in them, why do you think most of us revel in the abundance of outdoor activities here in nz

phyns

Munich is a beautiful city. Spent a fair bit of time there. If Auckland was 1 hr to the Sth Tirol I'd move there in a flash. I think you're correct in that if I lived in a place like Munich and had family there I wouldn't consider moving back to to NZ.

For me the driving factors are family, weather and an outdoor lifestyle. and NZ ticks all those boxes. The last three summers in West Yorkshire where we live have been very wet and it breaks my heart to not see my children been able to play outdoors all the time.

We bit confused as to how you compare Munich to Auckland. I'd have thought that if you are into the sports you mention above you'd be better in somewhere like Chch.

Every country has it's own merits. Brain drain to Oz. Yup it's happening but it's been a back and forth cycle for years. NZ is isolated yes but a flight to Oz is 3 hours so anybody moving there should know to get to the nearest country is like flying from the UK to Moscow. We haven't got European culture, yup but we're not in Europe so no surprises there however NZ has a wealth of history. Can't go to a country pub. Nope but that's one of the things that make England nice..........my point is NZ is a great country and should be judged on what it has got. Not what other countries have.

Have to run. Off to take my daughter Ice Skating at the Bradford Ice Arena. Lets hope we don't get soaked running to the car.

phyns

Yup. I work in the snowsports industry and NZ has an incredibly good reputation for snowports and outdoor sports in general.

Caz8NZ

I think to sum it up yes there are good and bad things about NZ like any other country.

Others here have made relevant points regarding the housing and wages. Its a country that is remote from many other places so cost of living can be higher for goods that are imported in particular. The population is smaller, so again, supply/demand increases the cost of things.

How can you sum up if life is better in NZ rather than the UK? You can't as a general rule. Its up to the individual and what's important. Generally, I like my life in NZ. I struggle a little with the cost of things and the lack of disposable income and ability to take holidays. I'm adjusting to this though as in other ways - I am happier here than the UK.

One thing to think about though is your children. Moving will not necessarily solve all your problems. Bullying exists the world over. I don't have any experience of it in NZ but have heard others say their kids have been picked on for being english -but I think this is in very rural areas.

If your son is struggling to get the support he needs at his current school and this is a big issue for you, you need to look at what supports there are in NZ for this as I don't think there are the same support for kids with learning disabilities here.

I would also say, from a personal view, that I was bullied when I was at school. Primary was fine, it was when I went to secondary. I was miserable and I don't look back on my school days with fondness. It improved a little the older i got - but it was still there. BUT - i got through it and moved on to adult life. I left school and went to college, made a new set of friends, moved on. Those school years are tough for all, but I don't think moving countries is going to solve all your kids problems overnight.

wearegreens

Have you looked at democratic education in ChCh - there is not bullying there as far as I know, becaus echilddren are treated with immense respect, and therefore respect eachother. Who would ever have thought that modelling respect would lead to respect - wonder why most schools have it soooo wrong

HeatherGirl

Believe me the climate in the North of Scotland is a world away from Germany. If we were the type of people who sat indoors watching TV in Scotland, we would've have moved to NZ for the outdoor lifestyle. We were always outdoors in the UK, walking, biking and camping - but we were always cold!!!! It's Spring time here and the girls have been constantly outdoors since we've arrived.

I do take your point about missing access to the rest of Europe though.

Assanah

Do you really think that rivers and lakes in NZ are pristine? Waters here are heavily polluted. Why do you think that water borne diseases are so much more common in NZ than in the UK? Simple reason: NZ is a agricultural country, agriculture is known to be the main polluter (next to urban environments) of waters, and in NZ there is high number of farmers that allow their cattle to defecate into the waters and people here not thinking twice about swimming in rivers and lakes (although there good reason to think twice about it). That said there are of course a lot more pristine rivers and lakes in NZ than in the UK or Germany. These rivers are the ones where no city and no farm is nearby.

Assanah

Obviously the life in the UK must be very different from the life in Germany. A lot of kids in Germany are outside all the time. No bad sun to fear there though. I don't remember being constantly cold in Germany (winter being the exception of course) but I am constantly cold here (more to do with the housing than with the climate though). I hope that this summer will be better than the last because I am really deprived of long, hot, sunny times. I guess I will need to fly to Fiji soon to get my warm fix. Probably wouldn't be able to live in Northern Scotland, ever, because of the climate! But I most certainly do admire the nature in Scotland. Very beautiful.

waikatoguy

So, let me get this straight. The sun is too hot and it is too cold.
To be honest, if you come from Germany, I simply don't believe you are constantly cold living in Auckland, unless you have some sort of medical problem, regardless of the house you are living in.

Assanah

CHC was our first choice initially. But than the earthquakes happened shortly before we arrived and my partner found a good job in Auckland. That is why we end up in Auckland.

Assanah

I meant the UV radiation which is higher in NZ than in Europe, not that the sun is too hot. It is actually nice when the sun comes out and warms up the city. And yes, I have been constantly cold in Auckland because I don't consider 16° to be warm. For me that means winterly clothes are necessary. But I have noticed that Kiwis run around in shorts while most Germans would wear a jacket and long pants. I noticed the same pattern in the UK. I also met people from Brazil who lived in Germany and were bitterly complaining about the cold summer which I did consider to be nice and hot. I don't think that has anything to do with medical conditions on either side.

BEVS

The sun is different here to where I come from, which is the UK South Coast WM. Here the sun is far more dangerous in it's way . You need constant sunblock and sunglasses really if you are sensible. In the UK , you don't always need this . It's all about that ole ozone thing.

It's no more of an outdoors lifestyle here than it was for us in the UK. Just as here and the UK,we adapt our outdoors stuff to the weather conditions. What we can't do here is laze around in the sun like it is possible in the UK or the Med. Burn times make for shade seeking.

Both the UK and NZ are green. Plants grow. Why? Because of wain Does my head in a bit when I read the myth about 365 days a year of rain the UK because it isn't so. No more than it's true of here, although we certainly get plenty of rains to keep our tanks filled.

It can feel colder indoors here. That's because of the methods of heating. In the UK it's about ambient temperature throughout the building. Here one heats the room.

For me, coming from the UK South Coast it can feel colder here as the temperatures can drop to below what I would have been used to in the UK. Especially of an evening even in the warmer months. The sun drops quickly here. No long summer twilights.

I can quite see that people from North UK would find the assorted NZ climates 'better'. My husband finds the Nelson climate a cross between the UK south coast and to the Med .

conclusion: It's no better or worse here. It is simply different.

waikatoguy

But what about between about December and April when the temperature virtually averages constantly around the 22 to 24 degrees mark during the day and usually around 18 degrees at night? Are you saying that you are still constantly cold then?

Catchafire

There is the Taylor River, which runs right through Blenheim. I regularly see people fly fishing and kids swimming in the summer.

BEVS

As an aside Catchafire. Quinneys Bush is a family orientated camp ground with good safe river swimming & lots of fun for all the family.