Pom_Chch

I confess to stealing this from the Ozzy forum about Melbourne! Thought I would try and get it going here too...

Have you had a moment(s) that makes you think "yep, I love living in NZ"? It can be anything from an amazing trip within NZ or just a humdrum day-to-day thing that stands out as being different or special. I thought I would make it NZ wide rather than just one particular place in NZ so everyone can have a go. It can be just one thing or a whole list, s'up to you! Even add pictures if you like Mine would have to be:

- driving to the supermarket today seeing snow capped mountains in the background with bright blue sky. Really had to make myself focus on the road and not the scenery!

- going for a walk on the beach in shorts and t-shirt in winter

- popping out to go skiing for the day

- taking a road trip and realizing you haven't seen another car on the road for about an hour

- having to pull over on your way home from work to take a picture of the sunset over the mountains

- taking a stroll in the park an other people saying "gidday, how are ya?" and actually meaning it

That'll do for now!

j19fmm

Driving home from work and seeing the most amazing, huge rainbow up ahead.
Seeing Lorikeets flying over, they just make me happy!
Simple pleasures

LauraNotts

17 degrees in fake December

Security guard going 'ahh...well technically you should have ID but...meh' (I am 29)

Lovely, nutricious and cheap cafe food.

The man in Westpac taking 5 mins of his credit card interview with me to find me pictures of the Eel crossing the street.

Jan n Neil

Working nights in shorts and a tee shirt

Driving 3000K a week and never getting stuck in traffic

alan83

driving 2 mins down the road to be on the beach

working in 18 degree winter sunshine

Stormer999

Listening to cicadas in your home country....
Catching fresh local Pacific salmon without taking out a mortgage
Not needing a clothes drier
Picking fresh lemons off your own tree ...

TommyLuck

Did some volunteering on Friday just gone, planting trees on Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

What an experience. What and excellent day.

Thank you New Zealand.

Justcol

When things turned to custard with my ex I seriously considered going back the UK.
The day I met my new kiwi wife three and a half years ago I knew I would stay

Genie3

I miss the snow capped mountains and seeing the sun sparkle on the sea as you drive past.

Tomatoman65

To all those who have made the leap into the UNKNOWN I applaud you. Bizarrely I did everything in reverse. Yes I was born in the Netherlands (British Mum though ) and our family emmigrated in the early 70s so I grew up in NZ. Through career choices I became an eye surgeon and am currently residing in Bristol. There are many aspects of living in the UK and the EU which I love but I have to say it was no coincidence that I found my way here onto your website. I'm desperately homesick for a land that is like no other. Lets face it who would want to be living anywhere in the Nothern Hemisphere these days?

Blade Down Under

Yesterday, having a glass of Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc on the beach with a Hillsborough survivor

There's not many places in the world where you can have a drink on the beach with hardly anyone and reflect on the life changing experiences you both went through. One of those treasured moments, just hearing the sound of the waves whilst reflecting tunnels, hospitals and the trauma afterwards.

Thanks little NZ.

Pom_Chch

Lovin' the comments people, keep them coming!

Love hearing the cicadas in summer. Esp driving down Harper Ave next to Hagley Park - almost deafening in summer!

Hazelnut

Hope it's OK for me to join in as I'm not there (yet) but things that made us go, "We want to live here" were:

• Driving for hours through amazingly beautiful countryside and never getting stuck in traffic. Even in the Auckland Thursday night rush hour out of the city we never stopped moving. On South Island we did one drive along I85 where we had the whole road pretty much all to ourselves for over 150km.
  
• Being offered help and solutions to any problems we encountered and the sense of genuine empathy from people rather than false niceness.
  
• The food and coffee.
  
• The self build, self reliance, relaxed culture.

Obviously I'm generalising and it's not like that all the time, everywhere but we found this to be our experience more often than not.

DianaVB

Thanks for all those lovely positive messages! We're not in Auckland yet and are by no means expecting utopia. But our main reason for moving is to get a change from London and be near some beautiful empty countryside, so feeling very much encouraged!

Blade Down Under

I had another NZ moment

My car lights failed this morning and ended up driving with no lights on in the dark till I found somewhere safe to change the bulbs.

I've joined the large number of drivers in this country that seem the switch to turn your headlights on in the dark, isn't necessary. It was effin scary driving with no front headlights on Highway 1. I don't know how these drivers do it, especially the ones in 4 by 4s, done up 1984 cars and the truck van style vehicles

So that's another NZ moment.