Is it really the differences?
 

There has been much bickering today, me included, and most of this animosity has been caused through the arguing over differences. Uk this / Nz that.

And there is the dichotomy. Part of the reason I never really gelled with New Zealand, was because it was so similar to the UK in so many ways. It was as if I had traveled 18,000km round the planet, and ended up back where I started.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I think that is exactly why so many Brits chose NZ.....they percieve NZ to be UK minus 50+ million others. Hence why a lot of plans go wrong.;)

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I can honesty say that I don't find it anything like the UK. There is a common language yes, but if you look out of the main centres it is a different world.
I often feel that because the language is the same that people feel they dont have to try as hard to become part of the country, and it's easy to settle into your own little world.
If we were all the same wouldn't life be dull.. :)

hākoakoa. peace.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I think it depends on what you are looking for and why you left the UK - these two parameters then determine what you 'find' in NZ.

If you want a small british community to slot yourself into then you can do it extremely easily (certainly in Auckland).... the same way that many south africans do - we joke in that you always know when your in a 'saffa' area due to the high walled gardens and security gates!

My in-laws always make me laugh when they visit as they have the opinion that NZ is "part of the british empire" therefore it should be just like a mini-england out here - they were disappointed and thought it very backward that they couldn't even get their usual brand of tea-bags.

Personally I think you are likely to 'find' more out here if you come with an open mind that you are here to have an adventure and experience a different culture. Having said that I do frequent the local british shops on a regular basis to buy my favorite brand of biccies and breakfast cereals! but I also go to the local asian hypermarkets to buy dumpling cases and asian spices...

NZ is not for everyone - neither is the UK !!

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Climate - temperate, about the same.
Scenery - Apart from the odd volcano, much the same. Scotland, Lake district, coastal areas.
People - same gene pool.
Education system - same content
Driving - from what people have argued, similar.
Food - Similar

Apart from all that - they are both small islands, and you are never really far from the coast. Both have busy parts, both have sparsely populated parts, but both 'feel' like an island.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Two cent's worth

Climate: many places in NZ experience almost twice as many sunshine hours as most of the UK. The average temperature (in the North Island, anyway) is many degrees higher. The NZ winters are not, generally, blighted by just a few hours of daylight.

Scenery: NZ is much more varied and dramatic than this "green and pleasant land". It is recognised as having an extraordinary amount of variety packed into a relatively small area.

People: hmmm, the 15% who claim Maori or Polynesian ancestry might disagree. Also, most immigrants to the UK come from very different places than immigrants to NZ.

Driving: I think the driving in NZ is much worse.

Education: I think better in Britain (big) IF you can afford it

Food: I think generally quite a bit better, more varied and (currently) more affordable in Britain

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Am I on another planet? NZ like the Uk minus 50 million people? NZ and the UK are as similar as the moon and a bar of chocolate. Anyone who comes here thinking it is a british outpost is either looney or deluded. NZ and the Uk similar my arse.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Climate..totally different. You don't get oranges growing on trees in Northampton in either winter or summer.

Educationin NZ? Better IMO than the UK

People..could not be more diffo if they tried

Driving over here utter shite and stupidly expensive, not so in the UK

Food here is crap, way better in the UK

Scenery in NZ very different compared to most of the UK

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Climate - They are both temperate - that is a fact.

Education - IMO ( As a teacher who has worked in both education systems at HOF level and above) Similar, but the UK has a far superior system for dealing with able and gifted pupils.

Driving - utter shite in both countries (from the perspective of a motorcyclist)

Food in Oz is crap, food in NZ is crap, food in UK is crap - compared to the south of Italy and France.

Scenery - you miss the point - If you want mountains - both countries have that - coastal - both countries - flat plains - yes again.

People - would you not say, in all honesty, that the difference between say, an Italian / French / German / African / Indian / Chinese / American etc and a Brit, is greater than the difference between a Kiwi and a Brit? Come on.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

If you want "mountains" of more than a few thousand feet, or thermal zones, or glaciers, or rainforest, or desert, or fiords, or hundreds of miles of sub-tropical beaches, or (as above) orange trees....

then you are going to be **** out of luck in the UK

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

It is like pulling teeth.

In comparison to many parts of the world, where mountain ranges are 25,000 feet and above - mountains in NZ and the UK are small.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

One part of the world (with mountains that high)

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Ok - this is going nowhere.

This is all about perspective. You need to look at both countries from the outside.

There was an episode of 'Hitchhikers guide' - went something like this - a vast alien army descended onto planet earth with the intention of wiping out the human race - when they arrived, the whole army was eaten by a rather small dog.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I thought the same actually until I had lived here for a while, I had Aussie friends in London and never had any difficulties with them, assumed Kiwis would be similar. They're not and I should have listened to those Aussie guys, cos they all laughed and thought I was mental coming here, as has every other Aussie I have met since.

If you asked all of those other nationalities; I bet most would have similar difficulties getting on with Kiwis. I talk to all nationalities German, Spanish, Indian, Philipino, African, South African, Serbian, Bosnian, Russian, you name it and the same negative themes come to the fore when discussing the pros and cons of this country and it's people. Other nationalities make the mistake of thinking us Brits are interchangeable with Kiwis also and expect us to just slot right in, they are often surprised to find that we're not very much alike and that we will actually talk to them.

There's an awful lot of sad and lonely expats out here and not all of them are Brits.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

It's this kind of bollocks actually, why so many Brits choose NZ, then they get here and find the every day reality is quite different to the travel brochure pictures.

When the reality is more like being an extra in an episode of Life on Mars, including the the added real life detail of bad clothing, mullets and large moustaches they've every right to be disappointed.