new zealand scenery
 

I'm at a loss to understand why people rave about the New Zealand scenery. We've been here for 10 years and first visited 14 years ago so we've travelled to most areas of the country, north and south. There's no question that it's beautiful but as a Brit I've seen many european countries and much of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland and when I hear people here say that the scenery here is unparalleled I can only think they haven't had a good look at Europe and the British Isles. I find there's not much to see here other than scenery. No history or grand cathedrals, castles, beautiful little villages, ancient towns. village pubs. I miss all of that. The traffic is much worse than when we first came here . We used to wonder where all the cars were - not now though. My advice, don't come here for the scenery and the beaches, they can be found much closer to home if you're from Britain.

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It really depends where the people come from and you are probably right that those who just move for that specific reason don't know many other places back home. One factor is that many of these people wouldn't find it sexy to go kayaking in Wales or Ireland and they wouldn't be prepared to drive for 2 hours. When they move to NZ and kayak for the first time, maybe even post on social media, it's suddenly sexy and the 2 hour drive was worth it and scenery is amazing;). No doubt that NZ has beautiful scenery and you can definitely rave about it but as you say, it can be just as amazing in Europe or back home. I live close to Galway myself and I must say that we are blessed with scenery and history around us. Luckily I'm also a very good weather reader:lol:, so we seem to always make the right choices for day trips too. Last weekend we just drove out to one of the beaches near Clifden and it was another glorious day. Apart from a few people swimming, the beaches were empty and the water crystal clear. We walked back to the car and met a Dutch couple who were in Ireland for the first time and they said that they've been to many places, but this place had it all. Luckily many people don't see the beauty around them, otherwise it would be crowded:thumbsup:

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Never heard anyone say it's unparalleled ,but you'd have to have a huge bee in your bonnet or a be extremely bitter to say it's not got some beautiful and really quite stunning scenery. It's not really a, my countries prettier than your country competition is it. If you like somewhere else that's fine

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Try the phrase 'Best In The World' instead. Having said that the word 'Unparalleled' is used pretty often to describe the scenery thing here as ........ unparalleled.
Not surprising really as NZ relies on its scenery for the most part to attract its tourists.

I'd go along with JayandBill in a way. It can all become rather meh after a while. Still great scenery of course , myself and MrBEVS enjoy the view from our deck everyday , however variety and diversity is somewhat lacking and it is that which folk may find dull.

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Oh jayandbill. Wash your mouth out!!! :rofl:
You live in one of the most stunning places........period! The scenery here is gorgeous. What's not to like about looking out from the top of the Mount or the top of Papamoa Hills Regional Park (as I did this morning) plus many others around that I could name.
Yes I agree there's lots of other places with stunning scenery. I too have seen lots of it all over the UK and Europe. Spent a lot of my time in the Lake District from the mid 80's right through to coming here in 2012 as my mum lives there and lots of time in Scotland/Wales/Ireland golfing with the boys. The scenery here is equally as stunning. No better or worse, just different. I've never heard anyone say the scenery in NZ is unparalleled.
Impossible to have history when civilisation in this country only started around 200 years ago. We knew this before we came so don't let it bother us and means we may appreciate home more if and when we go back.
Yes the traffic here is getting worse but not a surprise. Tauranga is the fastest growing city in NZ and has been for years. There's more and more people coming to live here every day and the place is growing although the infrastructure is not. The roads and motorists will be at breaking point before anything is done about it which will be 10 years too late, but that's normal the world over. Has there ever been a government or local council that has ever spent $M's before the need for it.......Nope!
I'd still rather be here than in the UK just because, well it's NZ and not the UK.
Sounds like you may be ready to return.

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To be fair , the OP did not say they did not like it, just that it was all much of a muchness for them.

To be fair again, the OP is not in a position to 'return'. This is an older couple . Well into their 70's. They took a huge plunge & burnt their bridge to come here because their children and grandchildren are in NZ. They did that out of love. This is not the only set of older parents I know that have done this and found themselves torn between the love of their family and the love of a place they called home for more decades than some of us have been alive.

So lets not be quite so glib about other peoples feeling and perceptions for we do not walk in their everyday shoes. What they did was brave. Applaud them for that . Allow them to express themselves w for they may not be able to do so to their immediate family. There is no real need to defend the realm & suggest something is wrong with them. There is nothing wrong with them at all. They stepped late in life into an unknown really and now will spend their twilight years with that horrible feeling of not quite belonging anywhere, anymore.

Be. Kind.

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Jay and Bill, I have to agree with you. I miss the scenery in the UK and around Europe too, for me, things like drystone walls, old buildings, chalets etc just add to the ambience of the scenery. The history of much of the land just seems to make it far more interesting to me. This is something that I have only really started to appreciate more as I've reached middle-age. When my friends and I were running around the battlements of Beaumaris, Conwy or Caernarvon Castle or sat having our lunch next to the Roman walls of Chester on a school outing, it didn't cross my mind to think of the people who had built those walls or lived there all those years ago. Now I'm in awe of such things and feel a great sense of privilege to have been born into a world with such things.
Yes some of the scenery in NZ is equally stunning, I mean Milford Sound etc. is just awesome in the true sense of the word. Some days I feel very lucky to live in Whangaparaoa and I love the Auckland skyline on a sunny day. But there's always a 'but' there for me. I find the geology very interesting here with the geothermal and seismic activity but again it's not quite enough for me.
So I get were you are coming from. And of course NZ has only been inhabited for 800 years and is therefore short on history, I get that.
I was lucky enough to be taken to Cotehele in Cornwall by some friends a few weeks back, when I was home-home! The old house was fascinating and the history behind it. And then the gardens...I was in heaven, so beautiful and so much colour. Loved it. Driving through the narrow Cornish country lanes with the hedgerows full of cow parsley, bluebells and campions was idyllic....except with a car coming in the other direction of course :eek::rofl:

Doesn't help that it's winter here of course and there's nothing much to do that we haven't done a number of times in the 12+ years we've been here!

Re: new zealand scenery
 

First time back here in months- Jay and Bill, I agree with you that Aotearoa doesn't have the historical setting pf European countries nor the social setting of villages- but as it has been said above, it is illogical to think that you would find monuments such as 'castles" in a country which has a less than two centuries of European influence. To make comparisons between this country's natural environment and Europe's historical environment doesn't make sense. Surely those who immigrate from the UK for example, would be aware of this prior to actually coming out here.

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Whilst I was aware of the lack of history here, I personally didn't realise how much I would miss such things when we were first planning our "adventure". There were far more mundane things to consider, like work, housing, finances, selling up in the UK and so on. I don't remember looking up about the lack of a "Right to Roam" Law etc. before immigrating here. It was about doing something different. We've done and now I'm over it. It's not about one place being better than another, it's about how people feel personally after having lived here a while. Some love living here others don't. It's not a competition, it's just about how one feels and sometimes to reach out to others to see if they feel similarly. That can be reassuring, I find it to be.
When I came here we were in our early forties and whilst I enjoyed going to historic places, other things were more important to me back then and our personal situation was different. We've changed and we have become more accepting of our circumstances now and NZ is no longer a good fit for us. Hopefully we may get a chance to sample a few years in Australia (which feels more like home to me) before we head back to the UK or maybe we will be stuck here. Who knows what the future will hold.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

TBH I think it's just scraping the barrel for something new to complain about.
No wonder we get lumbered with the whinging pom tag

Re: new zealand scenery
 

They emigrated. They are immigrants.

Please read my post #6 . I find it hard to understand why some cannot understand how it is for this couple. Empathy should not be a dry well of incompassionate insensitivity .

They may well have underestimated just how samey NZ would be. After all they never lived here year on year before emigrating here. Their focus would have been on joining those they loved. They may well have felt there was enough here for them to see and do & to interest them. Their immediate family may have peddled that as the case. Ten years on they find it dull.

This couple are mourning the loss of diversity in their surroundings & interests. That's OK isn't it.
Many Kiwis leave NZ because they find it confining. That's OK too isn't it.

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:goodpost:

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A lot of it is a bit meh, but Kiwis do like to big it up and go on endlessly about the 'world class' beaches and stunning scenery as if it is a competition and talking to them you would think NZ has the monopoly.

I miss the fact that a lot of it simply is not accessible and often not worth the drive to have a look, as it usually requires effort to plan and cater for yourself and stay in some crappy motel or camp. We simply don't have the supporting infrastructure, affordable accommodation, the little villages, chalet / caravan parks and such like. NZ doesn't make use of rivers and canals in the way that we do in Europe and all those things that go towards making places all the more interesting with quaint shops and pretty little places to walk around or stay overnight. Who doesn't enjoy a walk along the river or through some woods, check out the local church, feed the ducks and swans, followed by a hearty lunch and a pint at the village inn or an afternoon tea in some nice chocolate box village. There's simply not that many places you can do that here and you mosey through much of small town NZ you'll receive a lot of the side-eye and be looked upon suspiciously if you're mooching around anywhere that's not on the well beaten tourist tracks.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I think that it is you scraping a barrel Col with that post. I know you understand feelings and love. Why deny them their feelings and thoughts. It costs nothing to allow after all.
I am personally not lumbered with any tag like that at all. Mind you I've had some mega nastiness from NZ rissoles for no good reason so maybe my ears are deaf these years.

Stop and have a think. Look back through their posts love. Look at their ages. Their reasons.

They are not complaining . They are just expressing a mourning and a longing & they are using BEto do that. BE is all about that in a way. It is about support care and share.

Plainly. You may be happy and content so you have a little to share with someone else who is struggling, in a caring way.

Note: I have PMd the OPs to come back to this topic with their own thoughts and feelings. It is all very well to start a conversation but it is better to reamin part of that conversation.

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I will assume they own a home, in which case they can afford to go to where all the lovely things they seem to prefer and miss are in abundance.

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Is there anything as...romantic and invigorating as sitting in an inch of water for two hours and trying to arrange the hood of your outdoors jacket in such a way as to keep out the rain seeping down down your collar while ducks give you a very bemused look? :wub:

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The Lake District is gorgeous but almost always full of too many people to appreciate it and hard to make a living from if you want to get away from people (as we do).

The Highlands are fantastic but facilities and services are, in my experience, harder to come by there than in the Southern Alps plus you have the SNP politics to contend with :banghead:

Everywhere has it's plusses and minuses but, on balance, NZ ticks more boxes for me. My mate in Owaka describes it thus: I can knock off early and be sea fishing in 10 minutes, hunting in the Catlins in 20 or skiiing in the Alps in an hour. What's not to like?

Re: new zealand scenery
 

Yeah but why is it then suddenly sexy in NZ if the same happens:lol: A bit of rain doesn't harm either, as your're in the water and will get wet anyway;)
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/british...3730ab6184.jpg

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I think the OP wasn't really referring to personal preferences but it was more about the fact that many people move to NZ for the scenery, although they might have it closer to home than they think. It's great for your mate in Owaka but most people wouldn't end up there either, as it would be just as hard to make a living. Even in NZ it can be hard to get away from people and especially for Expats. Most Expats would need a Visa and to get a Visa you'd need a job that qualifies. That means that most end up in the more densely populated areas where these jobs are. Due to the countries isolation in the past, I personally prefer the flora of NZ, as you have many ferns and evergreens we wouldn't see here. Apart from that, most people probably wouldn't know from a picture where the remote beach is, unless they were actually there or knew that the person was living there.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

When we first moved to Canada we felt the same way about ancient monuments.

Who got excited about a 100 year old wood house when I'd lived in a 150 year old stone one?

Who got excited about a "Gothic" cathedral built 90 years ago when we'd seen 1000 year old cathedrals?

But we learnt, and I think every immigrant into whichever country has to learn, to respect what is old for that country.

200 year old houses are old for Europeans in most parts of Canada, the US, Australia or NZ ................ but what about the 800 year old buildings of the First Nations?

We learnt to condense our sense of history from 1500 years to 100 or 200 years.

Now we really appreciate that 200 year old ranch house built of wood that has managed to survive all these years.

Yes, we have been to NZ, twice. OH and daughter lived there for 11 months and I stayed with them for 2 months. I do have some appreciation for what the OP are feeling .............. but look back on the various parts of NZ with a great deal of appreciation for what we saw. Just as I appreciate the new-old and old parts of the US, Australia and S. Africa, and of course all that I have learnt about Canadian history and pre-history.

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Nothing more romantic than a soggy bottom :lol:

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Never a truer word spoken.

I'm dreading the next 6 weeks of school holidays and the tourist traffic that goes with it.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I think I took alot for granted in the places I have lived and was brought up in as a kid over the years.
I was brought up in Scotland gazing at the ochil hills everyday with snow on them most of the winter beautiful scenery it just doesn't sink in at the time what your surroundings are.
Also was a gamekeeper for a year at loch Monar as a 16 year old. Scenery blows me away when I think about it now.
Spend so much time running up in down mountains in North of Scotland from Cape Wrath to Scarfell pike.
Spent so much time in Wales on Brecon beacons and Snowdonia.
Lived in the Citadel in Plymouth for 3 years was built in 1500s. Lived in Colchester for 5 years historic aswell.
Just didn't really appreciate it.

NZ is beautiful place.
All the places in the UK you dont get bush like you do out here. I think it's alot more greener out here.
Beaches are nicer and weather is alot warmer to enjoy more stuff.
I enjoy my city walks up mount eden and one tree hill and Devon port.
It's just a different country so its going be a different scenery and history.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

Interesting thread. I agree with the OP (yes I'm another 'moaning pom'). We've done decent amounts of travel in Europe but definitely didn't see enough of the UK before we moved to NZ nearly 2 years ago. New Zealand is certainly stunning - lakes, lovely beaches, mountains etc. But the UK has all of this too. Glencoe in Scotland, Isle of Skye, Lake District, South coast (where I'm from), Wales and Island also have everything you'd want. The difference for me is in NZ you get the better to weather to enjoy it. The benefit of the UK is certainly added to by the history and the proximity to Europe.

Swings and roundabouts really. Most countries have great scenery to be honest but living in a country does come down to more than scenery and beaches (NZ has a lot else going for it too).

We're simply enjoying it for what it is and trying to see as much as we can. We'll likely end up back in the UK at some point.

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Many of us don't fully appreciate our home country until we leave it. I agree, Ireland is a beautiful country. I've lived in Ulster and holidayed in Eire.
When we first visited NZ in 2004 it was because both of our children and 8 grandchildren - aged 3 to 14 years - had just immigrated here. We came every year for a month during the christmas period until 2009 and after each visit we went home and raved about NZ. We were granted Residency in 2011 as sponsored parents . 10 years on and we've seen much of New Zealand, both North and South. Some of the family have spread out and grown up and 2 have gone back to England . We still go back to UK every couple of years and explore some of the places we hadn't seen and had brilliant weather every time. and wondered why we raved about NZ as much as we did. I suppose because it was new . There is no question New Zealand is beautiful. I wouldn't deny it but for me it lacks the charm of the United Kingdom.

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I am ready to return but almost my entire family lives here and although some of them I rarely see, I would see even less of them if we were to return to UK. I've no need to 'wash my mouth out' because I don't believe I said anything detrimental about New Zealand. I admitted it is a beautiful country but for me there's something missing.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I am ready to return but almost my entire family lives here and although some of them I rarely see, I would see even less of them if we were to return to UK. I don't believe I said anything detrimental about New Zealand. I admitted it is a beautiful country but for me there's something missing. I've lived in several countries that have history and maybe that's why I miss it. I was born in Sussex where you can be on the South Downs in less than 15 minutes from the city and walk for miles. The same can be said of many British cities. It's not just a New Zealand thing.

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Traffic is getting a bit like that here in NZ though. in 2004 when we first came as visitors we wondered where all the cars were and beauty spots could be accessed without the crowds or parking fees. there are many more tourists now and the population has grown so getting around isn't as easy as it was . We did a bit of touring in UK last year in July and didn't find it too bad.

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As you say, scenery doesn't put food on your table but I think people should stop generalizing and every part of the country be it NZ or UK/Europe will be different. You often hear people mention the weather but then again both countries are not the Med either and I've seen people leave Wellington because it felt too windy and others thought Auckland was too wet, so moved back to Dunedin. Not everybody ends up Blenheim and others hate having to put on the factor 50, so it's really personal preference and life and climate in Jersey are completely different to the Isle of Skye. I have a Scottish friend who now lives in South-West Cork and he boasts about the scenery/micro climate there and spends most of his time outdoors (swimming, snorkeling, fishing). For him the nicer parts of Scotland were too cold in winter and the milder parts of England had too many people, so different people have different preferences.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

Then just stay in NZ and stop complaining.

Nobody said it was. You're making things up to justify your comments
Seems to me you're just feeling sorry for yourself because you want to go back but feel you cant. When I left the UK my parents supported my decision and wished me well. When my children left NZ I supported their decision and wished them well. You cant, or in my opinion would be stupid to, live your life somewhere you don't want to be because of someone else. If you want to stay, stay. If you want to leave, leave, but whatever you do don't complain about a situation that is entirely of your own making and is easily remedied

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I can fully understand what you mean and I get why some people rave about NZ as well:-). As you say, there is so much to explore and most people probably don't know what they have around the corner, so we all have to move away first (some stay, some return). For me personally Europe has it all and I appreciate it a lot more than I used to and there's so much I haven't seen or will never see. We can just take the car go on the overnight ferry and suddenly you are driving through Spain (different language/culture). A work colleague just went hiking around Picos de Europa and the scenery he showed me was stunning. Some poster mentioned bush. Unfortunately due to the long history of overgrazing many rain forests disappeared but we even have a temperate rainforest around the corner.

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NZ has a little way to go before it hits a population of 67 million though! And the Lake District (where I live) gets about 19 million tourists a year. Crowds and high parking fees (I'm looking at you National Trust) is all part of the life here.

Regardless, it's horses for courses. If you're unhappy and feel trapped over there my heart goes out to you. I hope you find a resolution soon.

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It is horses for course, the numbers are not the same but still problems exist because NZ doesn't have the infrastructure to cope with the numbers of visitors to tourist hotspots and the same issue prevail around peak school holiday times. The cities all but empty out and popular places like Coromandel, Bay of Islands and Waiheke become inundated. Places like Queenstown bursting at the seams and good luck trying to find accommodation and parking in any of our cities when there is a major event on (major event being an international sports game or concert of any description).

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I think a couple of folk need to read this lady's opening post again. They seem to have bypassed the words, point & meaning to just jump straight in with the rather unpleasant , very old and tired routines .

I read it & I did not get any sense at all of complain or unhappiness.

BTW - It is OK to post as she has done so maybe some could stop bitterly complaining about that. Thanks.

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The term "Wash your mouth out" is a jovial English expression when someone disagrees with a statement......well it is where I come from anyways and to back the funny side of it up I placed a ROFL emoji. Seems it was lost on you there and you appear to completely contradict yourself more than once in your original post.

Re: new zealand scenery
 

I think you can't have read my post properly. I said, "There's no question that New Zealand is beautiful." I then went on to suggest that there are many other countries that are equally beautiful and that the scenery and beaches shouldn't be a reason for coming to new Zealand to live before they've had a good look at their own back yard. I'm not bitter, I have a great family here but I know there are a lot of immigrants who miss their homeland and they're not all 'whingeing Poms.

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It was lost on me too. Where I come from it is not only used in jest. It is also used as a threat or to indicate when someone is being rude, offensive or abusive.

For example :- I could use that to you now for the "Eff Off" profile pic message which you now felt was OK for BE . It isn't . I have removed and archived it.

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Perhaps it just comes down to the fact that, like you, I've seen so much of the country several times and there's rarely anything new to discover. Or maybe it's just winter!

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The lack of history etc is something I was fully aware of but it's not until you leave behind the things you love most about your home country that you begin to realise how much you miss them and that also includes the diverse scenery. We are lucky in that we can go back and visit every couple of years but it's a very tedious flight and we're not getting any younger. Yes, we should have thought of that but being with our family meant more to us.

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I did get the expression 'wash your mouth out' . I've used myself many times in jest, but you might have missed my point in my original post. I said "there was no question that NZ is a beautiful country." I've done The Mount and the Papamoa Hills several times and the view is great but it's not the only place in the world with stunning scenery and views . I suggested it's not a good reason to move here. My reference to someone saying the scenery was 'unparalleled ' was something I saw on a letters page in a magazine written after they'd seen the very long video of the train journey from Auckland to the deep south . or as far as it goes. I could only think they'd never been outside of NZ