Mrbiker

I think when you break any country down there is good and bad, find me a country in the world that doesn't have its issues or bad points.
I think these things are a minority, NZ comes up as one of the top places to live in the world so I think much of what is said here is just small potato's

Thnigs to do, well life is what you make it, if you sit around and wait for something to happen then nothing will... Ask some of these people to go and live in a 3rd world country and see what its like to have nothing to do !!!
NZ has some fantastic opportunities / activities so don't worry, jump on a plane and make the most of it...
My glass is always half full.. hows yours looking

hippychic23

I am 100% with Dannigirl - wouldn't swap my life here for anything - the kids with dirty feet made me laugh - mine also have a mom with dirty feet too - good excuse for us to go to the beach and get them clean again... I think if you want to make such a life changing decision such as if to move here from UK, then you need to step back and look at what is most important to you - I went from working part time to full time, but spend longer happier hours with my children and enjoy life so much more - money isn't everything - family happyness is - we certainly have that now more than ever - 2 1/2 years on I can tell you I have not felt homesick or feel I have made the wrong decision for either myself or my children....

Genesis

For all NZ's faults I have to admit it is a good place to live and raise kids..especially the latter. There are manifold problems here but ain't that true about everywhere. You pays your money you take your choice. I have been whinger numero uno of late but I still accept that NZ was a good choice for all of us adults and kids alike. We have been here 6 years and are likely to be here until (and if) all our kids 'do one'. Don't be terrified of life in NZ. Its an odd place, backward in many ways but for me those are attractive points. The only thing you need really to be concerened about is will your wages make ends meet and to be very careful when driving as kiwis are shockers behind the wheel.

sr71

Odd in a few ways, more quirky than anything. But backwards? I find it more advanced than many places in many ways.

Many people confuse backwards with the fact there isn't rampant consumerism or the fact it is smaller.

For example, would people descibe France, Belgium or Germany backwards because many shops close early and/or don't open on Sundays?

Genesis

Backwards in terms of things like broadband, all our food has so much junk in it, our roads, our buses and trains, attitude towards service (mind you apart form the US that is the world over), the idea that kiwis are ace at everything which is patently not true..I would draw your attention to and ad. for an opticians which states 'kiwi eyes are special, through them we can see anything we like....', aint that the truth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bullying appears to be thriving in the work place etc. All the aforementioned are 'backwards' in my eyes. As is an acceptance by society to tolerate drink drive, as is our financial world which saw 5 billion $ go down the gurgler because n o one could be arsed to regulate it. The dept that should have been on thier toes was the commerce commission. They sat idly by and let the shit hit inumerable fans. Need i go on?

sr71

Yes, but you could make similar statements about any country by using selective statements.

The Kiwis thinking they are ace at everything actually an admirable quality IMO, the Aussies are far worse as they have no humility and are far worse losers - but the British are pretty good at thinking they are the worlds best in many things too (How many times have they thought they were a sure thing to win football events?)

bcworld

There's a British football team now?

Charismatic

I’m prompted to write at length to at least fully attempt to describe some of New Zealand’s economic problems with some degree of detail.

We have an embarrassment of our smallness in New Zealand and are partially still in denial. For many goods there is only one supplier as only one could be sustained by the small population, this does tend to make some items more expensive than larger countries (less competition and longer transport chains).

We are still living in a post 1960’s wool boom era, it’s legacy of easy money in agriculture shadowing real industrial progress. Many New Zealanders hanker back to a time when a summer spent in a wool shed could buy you a shiny new Holden or Ford to fill with cheap petrol.

Overall the standard of living is not so much stagnant as in slight decline, under the facade many New Zealanders show when it comes to their personal wealth a defence against their meagre at best earnings. Few New Zealanders discuss matters of wealth, each perhaps assuming their neighbours earn more. A population too proud to confront the decline of their purchasing power (particularly prevalent amongst younger workers) that once made New Zealand rank amongst the highest standards of living in the industrialised world.

Perhaps this is why we suffer from a “tall poppy syndrome” when it comes to those who accumulate wealth. A strange paradox because we are happy to lord the successes of our sportsmen, scientists and great mountain climbers yet have always felt the victims of New Zealand’s great business people who are generally regarded as recidivist petty theives.

As much as innovation and #8 wire get mean New Zealand is often innovative successive governments of New Zealand have found it difficult to translate this creative talent into industrial output. Simply put there is not a sufficient level of industry to capitalise on big ideas and government in New Zealand has tended to follow international trends rather than be innovative, however it’s worth remembering governments are a product of their voters. This comes as somewhat unexpected to me given the character of many European immigrants who make up a significant proportion of New Zealand’s population tend to be well educated and travelled, now working in mess of pottage.

Education is a little strange in New Zealand, New Zealand’s population appears overeducated for its industry and internally many New Zealand businesses overlook academic qualifications. Indeed many deride a New Zealand education as inferior yet a brief look to our more industrial Australian neighbours confirms that New Zealand qualifications are at least equally valued (to the delight of many of the educated New Zealand emigrants, happy to be highly valued for their academic qualifications).

BEVS

Sadly I am moved to give you karma.

Charismatic

Only if you are sure you can afford it .

It’s good to keep some historical perspective (I see you roll your eyes and think “Ah, typical English and their love of love of history” ). A flick through an English history book reveals a myriad of revolts, plagues, foreign wars and occupations often themselves only occupying a page or two. It’s laughable to comment on changes in a countries character when the scale is described in years or decades if you are writing a history book. We are not fated, it’s our future to accept or decline.

luvwelly

How can you spend more time with your kids if you work longer hours? What happens in the school holidays?

hippychic23

I work nights - so they are in bed when i go to work, and I sleep while they go to school - yes it is tiring in school hols - but I get my hols to co-incide with them.
It is awfully hard to get in - and I wont pretend it is paradise, but I am glad I made the decision to come.

sr71

Too proud or too fat and lazy?

Immigrants have it harder in general, but many Kiwis are literally on the pigs back. If you have lived there for a few generations now, have property that has risen hugely in value, the bach, the boat etc, and I'm describing the huge swathes of the middle class here, why would you want to change anything. People are selfish with their 1/4 acre lots, far too many NIMBYs etc to allow for any real development (and lets face reality - 4 million people, or the greater metropolitan Birmingham area spread out in a country 20% larger than Great Britain). Then much of the rest of the population live off this dream, this halo effect.

And while it is in the Kiwi mentality to beg, borrow or scrounge things, do jobs for cash etc then many don't care or notice when the standards start to decline - and are they really declining for them anyway, or is it the new entrants like the immigrants and the kids who leave school without the property owning parents.

Charismatic

Regarding financial equality we have about the same Gini score as the UK. Could be better, could be worse.

ExKiwilass

People always say it's a great place to raise kids but as a formerly raised NZ kid, I call bs on that one. I remember being bored out of my mind from about 12 years old on. Any reasonably well run country is a good place to raise kids imo; nz is nothin' special in that regard.