Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

I'm really cheesed off with the posts of late, too much bitching and slagging off and negative posts, and bull pooh

New Zealand is a different country, things are different, there are positive and negative aspects of New Zealand. As expats we might find that we like some things about NZ and will dislike others, but we all need to remember that New Zealand is not the UK. Come here with an open mind, many post on here with negative unpleasant posts and they are still here, why???????? If its so bad do us all a favour and go home, go to Australia.

Yeah the houses might not have double galzing and are made of wood, yeah beans might not taste like heinz, yeah you may not get paid as much as the Uk, you might not be able to buy that new dress, or the latest pair of trainers,

Yeah so what, materialism is not big in New Zealand so dont bring it with you. If your considering coming to New Zealand then perhaps your lacking something in your current life, if thats truth whats the point of bringing your UK life with you.

Then there is the bull that some here spout and use against other forum posters for example debs70 recently said those who are ENGLISH and dont live in New Zealand shouldnt comment. Not even going to mention Skys posts, but the superior ive suffered thing just doesnt cut it with me.

I think people need to have an open mind and ignore this nonsense on the forum, there is a small group of dominant posters who seem to spend so much time on this forum that perhaps they are missing the real New Zealand. Maybe its time for them to go outside, breathe the fresh air, talk to a kiwi, go for lunch and sample some of the excellent food in great surroundings.


And finally......

New Zealand really isnt the UK, thats why i came here, I'm not planning on making a little Britain here, and in no way will i be living like i did in the UK. Im here to adopt a new way of life, thats the fun of experiencing a new country and its a rare privilege that many on here are squandering. When in Rome do as the Romans do. Wants the point in moving the other side of the world if you plan on living like your in England and then sulk and throw your toys out of the pram when you find that things here do not fit in with your ideals.


So anyone planning on moving here yeah read the posts but keep and open mind and be positive and prepare that if things dont fit into your ideals or expectations then have a get out plan.

My experience of New Zealand has been great, i didnt come here with much money at all and only had about 3 months planning before it was finalised. i havnt made any english friends here, all my new mates are Kiwis, and ive enjoyed living as a kiwi. The only things from the UK i have missed are family and friends and thats about it. Ive had a wonderful time trying new foods and drinks, seeing the lands and sea and meeting new people. To live here you need a positive pleasant outlook, you need to be willing to go the extra mile and you shouldnt expect thinks to be served to you on a silver plate.


New Zealand is a great country and i respect its individualism, its people and its safe way of life. If New Zealand became more like the UK then i doubt i would want to stay here, we should be celebrating the differences.

For the people on here who are relentless negative posters please carry on posting but realise that the way you post can often be seen as not just negative but downright un pleasant. Dont wear rose tinted glasses but try to remember when you were planning on coming here. When you find something negative how about trying to be helpful and find resolutions. Thats what this forum is about, try to act more kiwi and help not just whinge and wine and expect someone else to sort it out. Take responsibility for your posts.

All i have posted on here is truthful, i am in New Zealand and i am proud to be English. I hope that noone suffers not even debs70 and sky as i feel they already are which is very sad. Here is a challenge sky please post all the positive things about new zealand, all those wow moments you had. Im not taking the pi** or trying to start an argument i just want to see what you enjoyed when you came here, your obviosly courageous to move so far from the UK, so it will be interesting to find out.

thanks for having the patience to read my long post, just finished my first run of nights in New Zealand, my rose tinted contacts must really be in as i even found the drunks to be pleasant that graced our department. Had a Friday and saturday night where i didnt feel threatened or have to call security was great.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Hi,

I don't want to comment regarding posts which are seen as negative - I read all the posts that seem relevant to my situation and make up my own mind.

What I am posting to say is to Sugo - it really soundslike you are making a good go of it in NZ. We fly out in 6 weeks and to be honest I am really starting to poo my pants, while being really excited as well. Like you, this has all happened very quickly - Dave got his job offer early October I think and we are flying out on 8th of January. Because of such a short time frame, we will be leaving our house unsold in the UK and will really have a bad time financially to start with - paying rent in NZ, mortgage in UK and all this with one wage (all be it a decent one) and three under 4s.

I hope that we can embrace thekiwi lifestyle as well as you obviously have, Sugo. Thanks for showing me it can be done in such a short time. I feel like there is so much I ought to be doing to organise things, but we are sort of in that limbo stage at the moment - all the big things booked, cancelling things as we need to, etc, but somehow feel I've missed something and I should be running around like a headless chook (do they say that in NZ as well or just oz???)

Sorry for my ramble.

Kathryn

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Well said Sugo, what an excellent post, we go out in Feb 2006 and for me you have highlighted all the reasons why we are making such a big move. We plan to fit in. If people tried to fit in more in the UK maybe it wouldn't be such a s**t place to live. So things may be a bit more expensive and the TV is not very good, big deal!!! We plan to be outside enjoying the country, that doesn't cost anything. If we find that it is not for us then at least we can say we gave it a go.
Good Luck Everyone!!!!!!!

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

I'll second that. Everybody's different and we all have different expectations.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Yeah - I've been here since June and it's exactly as I knew it would be. Even when I was still back in Ireland and hearing that I couldn't know what it was like until I got here :rolleyes: I'm still the same person I was - I didn't suddenly have a personality transplant somewhere over Singapore :D So, the things that helped me to settle are the same things that have helped me settle in every other country I've lived in (3). Unless you get a life threatening illness or some other catastrophe occurs, it's really down to you and the decisions you make when you get here. We've all made bad ones from time to time and making them 12,000 miles from home is always going to be a bummer. I love my life now (ok - does anyone want a mother in law? :D ) - good luck to everyone on their way. I hope you're all as happy as I am this time next year.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

please note the bit about suffering refers to a post made by one of the posters that was removed by the moderators which was inflammatory and made remarks that the poster wanted people to suffer.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

A very good post and I wish you well but some of us came, lived in NZ, got good jobs, didn't struggle financially, made friends, and still didn't like the place. Are we allowed to post our reasons as to what we thought NZ was a big disappointment?

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Well I've been living here a while now and can see the good and the bad points of NZ and I try to paint an honest picture of things as I can.

No one is best served by hearing only one side of the story so I hope those who are altruistic enough to share their personal experiences of NZ life (good and bad) and have taken the time to share them on this forum are treated with equal respect and courtesy.

An attempt to censor someone so that their posts fit in with your own view of NZ is wrong. Let people post their honest accounts and we can make up our own minds.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Sugo - I think you make some very fair points and I agree with a lot of your sentiments. I would like to add my personal spin to the arguement - since i think some of the negative comments are very justified;

Re "Fitting In" -
I totally agree that when you leave one country, you go with the intention of fitting in and absorbing the new culture. I find the british expats that buy up farms in france and spain and expect everyone to speak English when they get there quite repulsive. The problem with New Zealand (and I suspect Australia and South Africa etc) is that it is already SO similar because of its roots and cultural youth. I am depressed at how similar Christchurch is to the old suburban England I managed to avoid for years. The only real differences are subtle and for me they are on the whole quite negative. The Maori culture is not really a big part of Cantabrian life, and even if it were the European New Zealanders don’t seem to have any feeling of ownership of it.


Re the Cost of Living -
I have been over there since August, living in Christchurch. I am very lucky in as much as I telework from home for my old employer in the UK so am still paid UK money in £s which translates very nicely. However, I am dreading the day this dries up .... I have seen the salaries for my line of work and i am looking at pay cut of 20%-30%.

On top of this there is the old cost of living chestnut;

When i lived in the UK I lived in walking distance from work and town, and since I didnt need one and since I dont particularly like them, I didnt own a car. In Christchurch, is it impossible to exist without a car. The city is just built that way. In fairness, petrol here is cheaper than in the UK. Nevertheless, a car and all that goes with it is now an unavoidable expense that I never had before.

I do not consider myself materialistic. I dont have a "big television" or any of those kinds of things. I am not interested in branded sportswear. My only vices are;
- Reading
- Good food and drink
- Cycling

Reading - Well we all know how much a book or magazine in NZ costs. Might as well forget it. This is not so bad for me, since I can get my family to come over with a suitcase full of the stuff when they visit but for the bread and butter stuff - like schoolbooks for kids.... that worries me.

I have said in previous posts with my tongue slightly in my cheek that it is cheaper to eat out that cook your own food. There is some truth in this. Food here is horrendously expensive.

Reading good books and eating good food are two things i dont consider to be materialistic or greedy - they are basic human pleasures that are not available to me now. I suspect the reason for food being more expensive is that in the UK it is artifically cheap thanks to the supermarkets screwing their suppliers on our behalf. I personally would prefer to pay more and know the whole chain was working but that wont be possible when my earnings enter kiwidollarland.

Cycling doest cost much apart from when i have to replace bits and bobs - unfortunately is works out significantly cheaper to import the gear from the uk and pay the postage than it does to buy it locally. that is sad but its all i can afford.

The lifestyle argument is one that is often used to counter the cost of living argument but I think a lot of people are struggling to make ends meet and the “great outdoors’ is out of reach so there is no net benefit.

For these reasons, my Wife and I are 90% sure we will be returning to the UK next year.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Good post Turkey Tickler.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Excellent post Turkey Tickler.

We stayed in NZ for three years and then left. Our reasons for leaving had nothing to do with money, jobs or homesickness. We left because we thought NZ was 'OK' but there were better places (including the UK) to live. I apprecaite that it is very hard for potential new arrivals to NZ to accept it but NZ may not be all you think it will be. Some of the more 'negative' posts on this forum at least make people aware of some of the downsides to living in NZ. And surely if you are forewarned you are less likely to be disappointed.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

the censor ship by the mods was necassary as the poster called everyone idiots and liars, which is not right on a forum like this,

also i value negative posts but some just moan and whinge but dont look for answers to get themselves out of the situations and they dont post helpful posts. If it was one sided and all pleasant and lovely then evryone will move here, i will be off at that point cos it will be england then.

All im really saying is that the posts need to be more helpful than negative, and that people who move to NZ need to really make sure its what they want and they need to prepare for difficult times and plan a way out if things dont go how they expect.

Some are just not ready for it, some jobs are paid less here than they do in the UK, so people might have high expectations that match theyre life in the UK.

For me life was crap in the UK, here i can live in my own home which has more than one room, for me thats a big deal, here i can feel safe at work, thats a big deal too. So my expectations would not match others.

Just remember New Zealand is not the UK, sounds stupid but its true.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Lol, if NZ were the UK we certainly wouldn't have come here.

I don't see it as moaning and whinging at all - just people being honest.

As for you saying that people "dont look for answers to get themselves out of the situation" - well it seems to me that the people you've mentioned have been very resourceful in dealing with problems they have been presented with in NZ, they are to be respected for that and not put down.

I sincerely hope that you do not encounter the hardship they have had to deal with, but if you do there will be people on this forum who will support you and not put the boot in. There is some humanity left.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

i think what im trying to say is being lost somewhere, oh well live and let live, its a sad sad world out there

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Is it being lost? perhaps, perhaps not. Please explain.

Are you saying that people find it diffcult here because they are unprepared for what they encounter and are then incapable of looking for a way out of their situation? You say you only had 3 months to prepare for your move - do you feel that you were prepared for what you found and did you prepare more than these people? To what do you attribute your success?

From what people have told me the real problems that are encountered aren't the lack of double glazing and houses made of wood, beans that don't taste of heinz, earning less than in the UK, not buying that new dress, or the latest pair of trainers.

It's finding yourself penniless because your husband's just lost his job through no fault of his own. It's surviving on a wage that is less than what was promised, having to decide whether to pay for your much needed visit to the doctor or buy food for the family; being unable to meet the mortgage payment for yet another month; having to steal wooden pallets and burn them to heat your house. It's not being able to get out and enjoy NZ because you can't afford the petrol for the trip, but you're probably having to sell the car to meet the mortgage payment anyway..

Give me an honest answer - if you were to loose your job tomorrow or unable to work for 6 months because of an injury or ill health how would you plan to survive, what contingency plan do you have?

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

im in the lucky position of being a health worker, i can unless im literally dying change jobs very easily, if i injur my back can work in clinics or become a health advisor, my life choice of becoming a nurse is my get out plan, if things go tits up im prepared to move to australia, canada or the US. But i believe that if the worst were to happen i could make the most of it, ive done it in the past and can do it again. I would say that if people have jobs or situations that mean they could potentially loose their jobs and they dont have a plan to protect themselves or their family then perhaps they should look at their reasons for leaving the UK for New Zealand and work out if it was the right choice for them.

I have much respect for those who move their entire families here, i think they are very brave.

Ive always believed you get out what you put in. Thats how i live, some have awful things happen and fail miserably, thats very sad and i feel for them, but for me i always live to strive and be succesful in what i do.

If your in the position where you cant heat the house or feed the family then its time to take drastic action and get out, ask for family help sell the mortgage, just do something. Its better than suffering. My family have lived on the poverty line and i can not remember when my mother and father didnt both work, my mother used to have 3 jobs when i was younger and we lived in a council house. I was lucky through their hard work they were able to send me and my brother to university, they were able to get a mortgage. Life for them had been hard and they made a great many sacrifices but they did what it took to make things better. That is where im coming from and thats why i feel my sentiment is lost somewhere in the lines im writing.

I dont want to start a to and fro of im better than thou and a hand bags at dawn routine, im just trying to allow readers to understand the reason of my post and that i dont want to cause trouble and silly arguments.

so respect to all, i hope things get better for all of us equal and all

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

like someone said before, people on here are just being honest about how they feel about nz, whether they like it or they dont.
i personally am not struck on nz nor would i advise anyone to move here. i have these feelings because of what i have experinced here, who i have met and what i have seen. others on here have seen nothing but rainbows and flowers in nz and so they would give nz a big thumbs-up.
people on here who are being honest are a lot better than others who try to paint a pretty picture all the time. isnt it better to have honest, truthful people than liars?

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Thanks! So, because I say I'm NOT having a rotten time here I'm a liar? I'm having a great time thanks very much. I have always said that just because I love it doesn't mean other people will so I am very careful not to be put in a position where someone could turn around and say 'but you said...' A pity someone like yourself wouldn't say the same :mad:

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

well youve outed me, i must be a massive filthy dirty liar cos im loving it here.

Im proud of it, and im not the only liar either, theyre are loads of happy peeps out there, kiwis and immigrants.

So thats it im out

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Shall we have a parade? :D The 'I'm a Liar and Proud' Parade :cool:

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

lol yeah perhaps we should, wonder what to wear, maybe rags and bare feet,

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Oh definitely bare feet. I can't afford shoes you know :rolleyes:

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Yay for you Sugo! :)

A lot of people on here have a great deal of trouble distinguishing between useful constructive criticism amd whining. Worse, should anyone dare post anything positive about NZ they are immediately accused of wearing 'rose tinted glasses'. Apparently you are supposed to be unhappy and poor.

Your post was a breath of fresh air. Thanks!

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

if you have no money what are you doing spending all your time like many others on this forum on the expensive new zealand internet!!!!

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

I lurk around in here now and then and dont agree with this.... it seems to me that should "anyone dare post anything negative about nz" they are immediately called a Doom and Gloom merchant.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Horse's for Course's i think.............lets keep the forum as it is, :( we are all grown ups and can see where posts apply to us and where they dont, lets not forget that this is a community here and what would a community be without a little humanity?

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

how old are you guys? you act so childish im surprised they even allowed u into the country. im not saying that ppl who are having a good time here are liars. im just saying, for those people who arent having such a fab time, its better for them to come out with the truth about how they feel about nz. and nz isnt an amazing god-given country so get over urselves. im glad u like it here, i couldnt give a flying f**k if u had the nz flag tattooed on ur forehead. as usual, people on forums have to go overboard and take everyones posts the wrong way.
and if u like nz so much, why are u constantly posting pointless things on here? shouldnt u be out playing rugby or having a barbie?

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Well, how inevitable was this.


Some like it. Some don't.



How about a little respect rather than 'I'm right, you're wrong'. :zzz:

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Lol, Where did I say I had no money? :D :D Bless ya.

Those who know me well know that our lives here are very good - even by UK standards, money is not something we lack. We are a testament to the fact that you can have a good standard of living in NZ.

However, that doesn't stop me from being able to see the reality of life for many other people, neither does it prevent me from wanting to make sure that people aren't misled.

Never did subscribe to the "I'm alright jack" club :) .

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Where's the hug smiley on here?

livewire you're one of the best forum posters on here, very level headed and unbiased :)

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Couldn't agree more. I'm not posting anywhere near as much as I was just because basically i'm fed up of being abused for shattering people's misconceptions about this country. Bizarrely, the abuse generally comes from people in the UK who don't want their dreams of Utopia shattered before they get here or by Kiwis who feel the need to stick up for how fabulous their country is, despite the fact that they live in Dubai or the US or the UK....in fact, anywhere but NZ... Hmmmm, interesting now I come to think about it.

And in response to the "I love NZ brigade", everywhere is different and if I hated this country, I wouldn't be living here. And contrary to what people have posted, I didn't come here because I hated the UK either, my partner and I came here because we fwanted to see the world and both of us had a hankering to work somewhere other than the UK. That sort of thing broadens the mind don't ya know...

And while i'm having a bit of a rant, as i'm perfectly entitled to do considering some of the bullshit that gets posted on this forum, i'd like to also point out that nothing i've ever posted has been speculation - it's all backed up by facts or clearly comes with the caveat "in my experience". Funnily enough, the only person that's had my experience is me so i'm uniquely qualified to give it. There's a lot of "I think that....blah blah blah" or "Please tell me all the fabulous things about NZ as i'm thinking of moving there". I don't think i've seen a single thread where the OP has said something along the lines of:

"Please give me the good and the bad about NZ so I can make an informed choice as to whether this country is going to be a good move for me and my family/kids/wife/dog/pet monkey."

There's a lot of people here that are persisting in maintaining the rose-coloured specs version of NZ and that's a ****ing bad idea if you ask me. I love living here but there are some things that drive me to distraction and that wasn't any different when i lived in the UK. HOWEVER, there are a lot of things said about this country to entice people to come here that are just plain lies. And that's not cool. It's false advertising.

So here's an open plea to any people involved in promoting NZ in any way shape or form and to all businesses that lie to get people here:

Front up, be honest and don't try to pull the wool over people's eyes. Don't tell it like it used to be; back in the good old days when you could own two houses, earn 20 grand and have a fantastic living in a smog-free, traffic-free environment where the sunsets are fantastic and the beach is just around the corner. Tell it like it is now; where the vast majority of the people that live in a major city do struggle to make ends meet and they don't have the best standard of living in the world and they all travel to work on the congested roads in the smog but in an environment where the sunsets are fantastic and the beach is just around the corner...

I will (until I get banned for not toeing the line in perpetuating the myth that is NZ presumably) continue to tell it like it is (in my experience of this country so far) and not beat around the bush and not ignore the negatives in favour of the positives. There are good things, bad things and indifferent things about this country. I came here to broaden my horizons and sometimes it's the best view i've seen in a long time and sometimes i can't see the view for the big steaming piles of BS in the way...

Oh and one last thing - if you are a Kiwi and you don't live here and you haven't lived here and earnt dollars in the last five years or so, you have absolutely no freaking idea what you are talking about, particularly in terms of cost of living and how hard it is to exist in this country because every single person i've talked to that's lived here for any length of time (Kiwi and Brit) has said that this country has changed immeasurably in that time and is simply not the country that it was 5 years ago. So, your info is no longer valid in many cases.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

That was a really good post!

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

And that was a really good post !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

K9

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Yes, it was!

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

love it, i plan on never getting old, dont wanna be a grown up ever, i see how we treat the elderly through work, why would i want to hurry the process of getting old.

i do agree with you though, people do take others posts the wrong way, this is obviously a common trate on this forum.

i agree with den some like it some dont, just respect that belief, this started cos some wassuck decided to call all of us who are succesful here and are enjoying it liars, now i respect thoughs who dont enjoy it here, and i expect them to respect that i am really enjoying it here, so deal with it.

If we all hated nz and slagged it off this forum would be very dull indeed.

just have a bit of respect, lol feel like we should all sit in a circle with a talking stick, lets get Dr Phil in and do some therapy. (tongue in cheek humour please dont get offended)

live let live, just dont say im a liar cos i enjoy it here and dont expect me to bitch about it, its not all great ive seen that through work, you should see how some treat the woman here. But anyway im happy here and feel chilled here, so geton wioth life im happy and hope through this forum to balance the views by letting people know that you can survive here and live here comfortably and enjoy it

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

jesus christ, i didnt say people who say they like it here are liars. in fact, i didint say anyone was. i meant that it is better for people to be honest about nz, whether they want to marry it or kill it, than for them to 'pull the wool' over everyones eyes (as someone else said) and only talk about the positive factors. if someone who was planning to move to nz and read all the positive posts because no one is allowed to say anything negative about this place, than they will certainly be shocked when the get here because not everything is what it is made out to be. it is good to see plus and negative sides to the whole story. therefore, u and ur lot like it here and some others, like me, are not too keen. but good luck to u, im pleased to that u like it here and ur kiwi dream is being fulfilled.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

silvermuse it wasnt you that called us liars it was a prevous poster of the dominant negative variety the message was delated my a mod, sorry if it sounded like i said it was you.

have some karma

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

WTF? You do a good post extolling the virtues of NZ and how you've had a great experience and that it's not all bad and then you come out with something that clearly showed you don't always engage your brain... No-one is expecting you to bitch about it, all most of us (well me anyway) are asking is for people to tell the good and the bad, not just the good or the bad. It's called HONESTY...

Couldn't agree more. Finally, someone who has actually worked out that honesty makes for the most informed decisions.

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

christ, the point is people seem to want bitching and saying how they hate NZ, those who state they like it here are called liars or rose tinted or delusional. SO WTF i have explained my positive experiences and havnt found anything to bitch about that has effected my experience.

If you read some of the other posts on here you will see the comments made that put down the postive folk like myself, now i dont jump down the throat of those who post negative remarks, this forum is just getting to silly for words, its very sad really,

Re: Ok New Zealand really is a different country
 

Well I am a kiwi and I do live here and I have earnt dollars, and I do have a "freaking idea" and I do not find it hard to exist, my cost of living is fine (not magnificent you understand) and of course the country has changed - for the better in my opinion.