Hi
1. If you change your plans and live in the South Island , then send your kids to a ' private school ' and watch them thrive

2. Bullies - outnumbered by the exceptional Kiwi kids who make good eye contact with you, love sport, and are very interested about the out side World

3. Commute ? I would have thought you would want to get away from such a life ? Better places than Auckland.

Kiwi here- lived in the UK for a couple of years, my partner is moving to settle in NZ with me this year.

1. Education: entirely depends on the school. There are amazing schools and terrible ones.

2. I have never been bullied in a NZ workplace but found my UK workplace extremely sexist and uncomfortable. Again, I'm sure it depends on the workplace. I have never heard of NZ having a culture of workplace bullying though.

3. I wouldn't recommend anyone leaves the UK to move to Auckland with the current housing crisis. It's too expensive. Transport links are a nightmare. Not worth it. However, there is plenty to do outdoors in Auckland. Gorgeous parks and beaches.

Lastly- I think this trend of British people wanted to move to NZ because they feel they are being "pushed out" is seriously misguided. I had a few people in the UK tell me they'd heard NZ was "like the UK in the good old days" and did my best to set them straight. If you don't like the influence of other cultures in your own country, why would being a permanent outsider in someone else's culture be an improvement?

We do have one thing in common though- NZers also complain a lot about the unemployed ruining the country.

Thanks Pilottinker & thebrits.

Lots to think about.
I'm glad neither of you found bullying an issue in NZ. I'd read so many positive things about the culture & kiwi's - it was disappointing to find a thread (on here I think) with lots of comments about bullying culture.
Yes, thebrits, it is a shame to feel pushed out. I'm all for multi-culturism, on the most part it makes for a more interesting society. Sadly our current benefits system makes it too easy for people not to work and as a result we are surrounded by people (Brits & non-Brits) who have no respect for other people/ belongings / general standards. A feeling of entitlement is rife & seems to be spreading across young people so things likely to get worse. We are hardworking people & would look to contribute to NZ positively.

Lucyinthesky. I have sent you an email

unfortunately I have been bullied on the work place, I nearly went to tribunal but decided I actually couldn't be bothered. That was 2014 and I have yet to get another salaried job. You hear of "its who you know rather than what you know" to get a job which I have found is often true more often here than in the UK, and if you are a NZ'der you are more often than not likely to get the job even if you are not exactly right for it above an immigrant. Immigrants seem to have this idea that they must feel thankful for being employed and so often don't take task with it.

It's like my initial schooling experience, lots and I mean lots of people who had children at the school told me if possible do not send our kids there as it was awful. Me being me said if I experienced it I would speak to the principal and if no joy there take it to the Board of Trustees. I was warned this was a complete waste of time as nothing ever got done. Little did I know I would have to take it right the way to the Education minister.
On leaving the area many many parents thanked me for what I had done to get better measures in place, other parents had upped and left and not followed through with complaints. I don't know why parents would keep sending their kids to the school when they knew how awful it was and not try and change it.

As you may see from some of my post I am struggling badly with the "she'll be alright" way of doing things, it is for me very frustrating and the motto we quickly established in our household on arrival and still use now is "lower your expectations". And I know a fair few other on this forum have the same thoughts.

It's called assimilation and it is very easy to do for us poms, particularly here in Canterbury. I'm a kiwi now and have been accepted as such, albeit with recognition that I'm an import.

What annoys a lot of brits is the migrants to the UK that don't assimilate and want to impose their stone age ways in their new home, like the denigration of women and sharia law for example.

You jest surely? Bullying is rife in NZ!

http://www.cullenlaw.co.nz/includes/...aspx?ID=109364

wow - thanks for detailed reply Dannigirl. super-helpful :-) Thanks also Kotare, jmh.
Loving all the positive feedback.

Dannigirl's post is excellent.

I have experienced bullying here in two separate jobs. I think that the most frustrating aspect for me was that it wasn't taken seriously. All the right noises were made but the bullies are still working at their respective workplaces and the bullied have left.

Indeed and it doesn't take much searching to find the stats and numerous articles that put NZ at the top end of the list when it comes to international studies on workplace and school bullying. Many on this forum, myself included have experienced it first hand and often for the first time in their lives.

I think many people just turn a blind eye or put up and shut up, there's a lot of fear of speaking out and it doesn't seem to be the Kiwi way to stick up for other people. I have been caught up in the middle of a 'feud' that's brewing in my own office this week and there's no way on this earth am I standing back and watching whilst the new chick literally gets pecked to death. I am reporting in every detail to my manager and have let the person know that have their back and will be watching every move.

I think you've got some good advice here and only you can decide if a move makes sense. Not everything's great in the UK, but it can be the same in New Zealand and other things might annoy you. New Zealand is changing too and who knows how it will be in 20 years and Auckland is like any city. At the end of the day it's also budget, visas and as a European you have plenty of choices to live an outdoor life and don't have to worry about a visa. If you have plenty of cash and want an adventure, nothing wrong going, but if you have a limited budget, there are easier options in the UK/Europe.

Hi Lucy. I would concur with many of the points made by Dannigirl.
For us the education system here isn't a patch on the UK. There are many things I don't like about the UK system - the constant testing, teaching to the test, competiveness for me NZ is too much the other way and the curriculum is very light. My daughter is in year 9, her timetable finally looks like what I would expect for a secondary, it is what she would have had in the UK in year 7. That said there are options here to go to schools that do Cambridge and IB. At primary level the classroom support isn't there - classes of 30+ with one teacher and often not full-time support for SEN pupils.
Personally I don't enjoy living here. The cost (high) and general quality (poor) of food, the lack of product choice and poor customer service makes everyday living a bit of chore. Housing is ridiculously expensive for very poor quality. On the positive it is very outdoorsy however once you've done the beaches and bush walks there isn't much else, I actually feel the UK has a much more accessible varied landscape (I say this from the point of view of easily driving to places).
Many people will say about moving out of Auckland. For me there is little enough in Auckland, having driven through, seen and stayed in some of the other towns on the North Island there is absolutely nothing that appeals to me. Give me the South West of England any day.
If I had my time again I would still come here but with a view to it being for a couple of years only.

if you are moving to NZ because you don't like migrants and people on benefits you are in for a bit of a shock.

You can have an outdoor lifestyle in the UK, you just need better wet weather gear.

Don't uproot your whole family and move to the other side of the world because you feel pushed and you'd rather be outside when the sun is shining. You should go somewhere you feel pulled towards - explore other areas of the UK that has a higher social demographic and invest in some good outdoor kit - it will be a lot cheaper than emigrating to live in someone else's county because you don't like the type of migrant in your own.

Question: So are Kiwis open to folk telling them what they think i.e. the two-way dialogue?

and moving to NZ will make you the migrant.