my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

Just for 7 days during which time I travelled from Surrey to London to Manchester to Derby and inbetween, working. It has made me realise how homesick I am for New Zealand, how so very lucky I am to have NZ to go back to, and how much I don't want to live in the UK any more.

Apart from the obvious "10 years of pain and cuts" anounced this week by the new Tory PM ( a £60bn govt deficit has been revealed), I just found everyone so tired and fed up, weary of having their lives planned by goverment after government, and really worried about their own employment situations. Both my son and daughter in law are about to lose their jobs, her for the second time, and it must be so stressful for them, and everyone. My best friend was out of work for a year, found a job in the health service, and then was told there was no chance of it extending beyond December, due to cuts. She has been close to losing her home more than once, I bet she never imagined all this when she did her degree and worked in a high powered marketing and comms environment for years..........

A good pal of mine from Uni told me "Europe is f**ked" and we are better off elsewhere.

I agree.


I know there are loads of posts here about poor housing, low wages, and all sorts of things, but people are still smiling, on the whole, in NZ, they're not in the UK :( Nothing is perfect, but currently the UK is much much less perfect than the imperfect Land of the Long White Cloud.

Others may disagree, but I spoke to lots of people in different walks of life, and the above was the overall message.


Oh and the weather was rubbish :rofl: and pollution means the general visibilty is awful.


Jan (not looking forward to a 26 hour flight)

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

All of the above and more is what I found when I went back November before last.

I went back for a 3 week visit through no choice of my own to do what was needed. After about 3 HOURS I wanted to get on a plane back to NZ. :o

Don't get me wrong it was great catching up with friends again but on the flip side it was very depressing as they are all stuck in ruts about to loose jobs as of the screwed country.:(

New Zealand as you said does have it faults and I don't live with rose tinted glasses on but I love NZ and it is now my home I am very pleased to say.

Hope you have a very safe flight home. :)

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

Bloody marvelous.

I visit London for the first time in nearly 3.5 years at the end of August.

For 2 days!!!:lol:

And know I'll be homesick for NZ then!

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

Hello Jan & Neil,
My husand and I will emigrate to Christchurch via Auckland in February 2011. He is a kiwi and I've got a spouse visa. The only reason we go via Auckland is to recover from jet lag then say hello to his folks. You are one of the few people to have made it to the S.I. from Britain, as the N.I. seems to be the draw.
My husband used to live in Auckland and doesn't really want to go back there as he's kinda been there done that. What was it that attracted you to live in ChCh ? (We've been researching property prices and there's better value in ChCh)

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

I was offered a job in Christchurch. We hadn't planned to emigrate to NZ but I was headhunted for this post, and we decided to take the plunge.

It was only after we arrived that we really fell in love with NZ: we didn't know much about it before :o

Jan

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

Hi Jan and Neil,

we are new to Kaiapoi and would love to meet up sometime on your return to NZ just for you to tell us more about what we are (not) missing out on!! I cannot PM as we are new to the forum. hope to speak soon!

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

give us a bell

(snip)

we can sort something out,

Neil

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

You can call me any time flower :wub: Cant Pm them it,s 3 posts innit

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

Bugger. I missed the phone number.:sneaky:

They can email you via BE . You'll receive it via the email a/c you use for BE.

Re: my first trip to UK since emigrating
 

I have it stored in my phone.:sneaky: What's it worth ... ;)