Re: Is it really that bad??
 

They are not as nice as you remember them from childhood....sweet tasteless and full of chemicals.

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Things I disliked about NZ (and they were in IMHO bad):
[*]The weather - too much rain, not enough continuous hot sunny beach weather.[*]Shit public transport and a dependence on cars.[*]Expensive food and housing versus wages[*]Isolation coupled with expensive airfares mean few opportunities to travel or escape.[*]Kiwis inability to accept or offer any criticism on their country - the continuous 'bet you're glad you moved here from the UK' type comments when actually both my husband and i preferred the UK.[*]Constant one upmanship of Kiwis, yes be a proud nation but boastful is a nasty trait, and makes you look plain dumb when it is obviously not true!

We were there 3 years and we honestly needn't have bothered could have stayed just for a holiday.

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

They're not? :( But what happened to that ooey gooey sticky orangey delicio squidgy bit in the middle? Ooooh, and that dark chocolate over the orange and the spongey cake. I used to like to eat the layers off mine. First the orange and chocolate together, then a bit of orange on its own, and then the sponge bit with chocolate. Mmmmmmmm.

I need a childhood Jaffa Cake. :(

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

That's very true, actually. It got REALLY nasty when England won the Rugby World Cup. They were soooooo seething with jealousy they went demented with the green eyed monster.

I loved it that England won and I don't even like Rugby. lol. :rofl:

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Interesting thread and as usual here on BE it ends up a bun fight so I shall post my text and fire-up my bun shields ;)

Having just spent nearly the whole of January in Scotland, travelled a lot of the country and met up with lots of people, many of whom are self employed there. Here's my 5 cents worth.

Having lived in NZ for nearly three years now I am certainly far from settled.

NZ has the third highest priced housing in the world and crappy wages. The average wage in Auckland (the commercial capital of NZ) is around $38 K. should buy you a caravan if you live on bread & water.

The driving here is shocking. In the month we were in the UK if I used the hooter twice it was a lot. Drove back from Auckland airport and within ten minutes there was an idiot riding on my tail in a hurry to get nowhere fast. Personally you can tell a lot about a country by their courtesy (or lack of) on the road.

Our friend that picked us up tells us that there are gangs on the rampage on the North Shore that have been beating folk nearly to death and this is happening in very affluent areas, Milford & Takapuna. I believe aunty Helen’s response is to increase the school leaving age to 18. That speaks volumes.

There has been several people on this thread commenting on being self employed, being in the UK for several weeks has been a wake-up call for me as to how small the NZ market really is and in many instances Kiwis are very pro-Kiwi, just look at how many businesses are prefixed with Kiwi !

Being self employed and having exposure to many NZ companies and some of those are NZ iconics it is scary in terms of the lack of development. For example, in 2005 I did some work with a company that were doing very well and running Windows 3.1 on a 486. Scary stuff.

In my experience many NZ companies resist investing in themselves and putting money back into the companies to improve. Seem to be stuck with the she’ll be right thing.

One of my friends in Scotland recently bought a commercial property in Dundee for £45 K, two street level offices in a fairly good location and three bed roomed flat upstairs. It was certainly a fixer- upper (which he has) £45 is currently NZ $114, what you get for that in NZ as an investment or whatever?

Personally I think NZ is Mickey Mouse and it is marketed as otherwise.

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Como?:confused:

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Ahem

I think South Africa won the Rugby world cup ;)

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

You should get an Ozzie mate to send you some - they sell them in Coles.

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

I meant the one before. Remember when England won? All those many moons ago back in 2003?:D

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

You can be my Ozzie mate Nerine. Pweeze send me a box of Jaffa Cakes. :wub:

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

:D . Too many smashing organgey bits in the middle I think ;)

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

:D I'm sure you can find something much nicer made in NZ

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Yep, they're even stubbornly patriotic when it comes to cheese and wine. Seriously. Listen to this, I went to a fancy schmancy deli to put together a nice food hamper for someones birthday and they got all the cheeses out for me to try. Anyway, the very helpful assistant asked me sort of sheepishly "Would you like to try the Australian cheeses?"

huh?:unsure:

I was like "Of course!" and then she said "that's cool, it's just that most wont try them because they're Australian" - I was like "WUT?":blink: I couldn't believe how ridiculous that was and told her that I wanted the best cheese and couldn't care less if it came from tim-buk-tu, just bring me the best cheese please! (in my best dramatic Marie Antionette impersonation).:D

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Yep, in my own kitchen made by yours truly. I make a mean Louise Cake. :rofl:

Re: Is it really that bad??
 

Of course the Kiwis make better Cheese than the Swiss & better wine than the FRench, didn't you know that ?

They even make better Jaffa Cakes just ask any Kiwi, just make sure they understand that you mean a biscuit and not eating Aucklanders, not sure if that tradition is still practiced ;)