Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I think that choice of words is very unfortunate. Expats (and I am one) don't have the "right" to much, frankly

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I hear what you are saying - but you must have also heard the truism about warring family members 'They are too alike'. For example, regardless of nationality, many move to NZ for the lifestyle - Kiwis are pretty big on that - or financial reasons - Kiwis are definitely big on that.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

No I don't get it at all, birds of a feather usually flock together. I could for example go on holiday to Bali *some chance sigh* next week, meet some totally random English, Irish, Scots in a bar and likely become lifelong friends with them. I can see the same Kiwis week in and week out for the past five years and never get much past that nonsense; How's it going? 'conversation'.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Possibly the main thing I miss about the UK - fantastic TV. That series was just excellent (well the first two were). Some of DC Hunts one liners were just so un-pc, it was a delight.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I may be in a different position - I have Kiwi family. We get on really well and have shared some fantastic laughs and times - lovely people who I would happily spend the rest of time with. Then there are the others.

I could have written that about the UK.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Exactly what I inferred Genesis....

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

billingham, I understand perfectly what you mean! I just said to my other half last week, that at times I thought I was not thousands of miles from the UK, but in some wet, boring place in the UK. When I've lived overseas before, I've also got a buzz from being there - from the pure differences in climate, the scenery, the differences in culture. I've never got that buzz here in NZ. In fact, when we first arrived here and saw Auckland I thougt if looked very much like Greenock in Scotland! This might not be so strange as both have ports along the front by the river and both look quite industrial for a city. We also went running around trying to find the 'city centre' and were really disappointed that Auckland didn't indeed seem to have an exciting core. However, where things have really moved on in many places in the UK, I feel that NZ has been like this for ever. Another thing I remember from my childhood which I hadn't seen for some time are those grey, hard pavements which are everywhere here.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

or stuck in Groundhog Day but with better coffee :thumbsup:;)

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

FWIW

Climate - different more sunshine hours and I had high levels in UK.

Education - can't comment as use different sectors in both countries.

Driving - similar day to day for me in Wellington. Miss motorways though, never get over 60km here.

Food - supermarket food in UK is better than NZ choice wise. Otherwise if you can pay for it you can get excellent food/meals out in both countries. They really don't excel in cakes though the recipe must have been corrupted on the journey over in the 19th Century.

Scenery - more dramatic and wild here - only parts of Scotland in UK come close. I've driven all over North and South Island NZ and am still blown away by scenery.

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.

Yes I agree we are more similar to the Kiwis than the others - the language/original shared culture of Pakeha at least, makes it so.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

It is quite simple, you just have to imagine, for a minute, that you are somewhere else:

UK average yearly sunshine - 1700 hours

NZ average yearly sunshine - 2000 hours

Where I am now average - 3500 hours

Relative to where I am now, UK and NZ are very similar - pretty poor.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

I think the scenery is amazing in NZ I remember coming home (UK) from my first visit here and thinking I could never love the hills and moors again as they where so plain. It is breathtaking and the plants and flowers are vibrant.....But
I do think that NZ men are the teeniest tiniest bit chauvinistic and neanderthal I did fall in love with one but we where in the UK at the time and everything is different in the UK. My father in law is amazing (not in a good way) I thought he would need regular medical treatment when NZ had a woman for a PM.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

[QUOTE=billingham;9539058]
UK average yearly sunshine - 1700 hours
QUOTE]

Sunshine and cloud
A sunny spring dayThe average total annual sunshine in the United Kingdom is 1339.7 hours, which is just under 30% of the maximum possible.[17][18]

Just like the 25,000 feet mountains found in "many places in the world"

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

The men that you and I married are the ones who deigned to travel and realise that there is a world and life outside of NZ. Mr C seems far less chauvinistic than his friends who havn't left NZ.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

[QUOTE=DC10;9539124]"The counties of Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex and Kent have annual average totals of around 1,750 hours of sunshine per year" -Wikipedia. I have compared where I used to live in the uk, to where I lived in NZ (Auckland) to where I live now.

Still crap though, isn't it, compared to 3500 hours. Nz is crap, compared to 3500 hours - go on - admit it. You can't can you.

Re: Is it really the differences?
 

Yes, I'll admit that. And (as with the UK) the sunshine situation is much worse the further you go from the equator (Dunedin, Invercargill c. 1500hrs).

Rather tempted to move myself somewhere genuinely sunny. Morocco has some appeal...