bourbon-biscuit

Saw this, thought of you all

http://welcomehomekiwis.com/

Purrball

Noticeably light on sound reasons to return.

Looked into and considered it for a while some months ago, conscious of health care needs but the fundamentals of living for the large majority: housing, jobs, wages and salaries, prices of goods and services etc. just don't measure up, in my opinion. And that's before you get onto the isolation.

But to be honest, the problem isn't New Zealand. The problem lies with me, because I've changed over many years and no longer feel like a Kiwi. Back there last, it all felt terribly familiar but also quite foreign at times. The suburbs where we roamed as kids — picking blackberries, damming streams, riding our bikes — once full of young families, were quiet during the weekends: young families couldn't afford to live there anymore.

And there were many I couldn't connect with: no, I don't really give a toss about the rugby or the yachting, nor does much of the rest of the world... or whatever local B celebrity was doing what, or the crappy TV or parochial politics, or your backwards social and racist views... or house prices or how you heat your homes or the kind of car you drive.

Nice place to visit. Maybe a nice place to retire if you have a decent chunk of change and you're prepared to cut your current circle off, maybe a place to go if you're running away from something...

It's true. You can't go home again.

BEVS

Most often a topic on BE about Culture Shock and Reverse Culture Shock is aimed solely at ...wait for it....Brit Expats.

Here on BE we have a whole forum dedicated to those Brit Expats wishing to return to their homeland , the UK. So given that we have Kiwis on the NZ board that are wishing to return to their own homeland & also those that have made that return, it does seem a shame to waste a thread started with precisely them in mind. In any case, I think we can spare these folk one thread at least.

It should be perfectly possible to discuss the pros and cons of adjusting to a life back in one's own homeland, in this case New Zealand, as per this thread's intent.

It would be good to hear from those who have returned or whose return is soon.

If anyone wishes to open their own thread with the 20 million reasons for a Kiwi not to return to their country of birth - New Zealand - then please feel free. After all there are plenty of similar posts and threads on the MBTTUK forum .

Anyway. I have split the previous exchange away from this thread so the topic be given another chance to flourish.

Be kind people.

Bellasmum

I have been a Kiwi returning home after living in the UK twice in my life. The first time was as a single nurse and the second married with a Brit OH and three children and I could certainly relate to the majority of comments in the link.

Some of them I also recognized as good tips when living overseas myself both in the UK and elsewhere so I was somewhat gobsmacked to see others couldn't relate to them.

That reminded me of the notes in my travel book as a reminder when I went to Saudi for 12 months to live in a compound and work in an operating theatre. They were :-

Don't compare, generalise or have unrealistic expectations

Expect differences, including cultural and try to go with the flow

Give yourself time and accept that you will get homesick and have down times so prepare yourself with strategies

Make the most of your adventure

Make an effort to find and encompass the positives

lapsed kiwi

I did 22 years in the UK after leaving (NZ) school and moved back here 8 years ago. The one thing I wasn't enthusiastic about was living in Auckland, having grown up in Canterbury.
I wouldn't change a thing now, we're all very happy where we are and I far prefer Auckland to Canterbury. NZ is a great place to live with a family, although I don't regret the time and experiences overseas

marblep

That's a big stint! I did 8 years in the UK, loved it. But we also love living in NZ. I guess we're lucky enough to cruise and enjoy the best of both worlds.

ExKiwilass

I went back last year for 5 weeks. One of the reasons it was such a long trip was to seriously test whether I wanted to live there again.

The answer was no, for a lot of the reasons Purr mentioned, but additonally unlike ex-Kiwis that live in the UK I don't have the UK push factor, as I live somewhere with a lot of similar advantages to NZ (climate, beauty etc) but without the draw-backs (isolation, etc).

westie1234

I recently went back to NZ for 5 weeks I would go back in a heartbeat if I could. I wouldn't buy a house around central Auckland and its suburbs tho. Just love the outdoor lifestyle, lack of people the freedom that I feel.
A lot of my friends have moved back and are enjoying life in NZ.
No bitterness to the country :-)

Just a few more years left in the UK.

jmh

I must of missed this thread!!

I was away for 24 years and came back in 2011. When you've been away for that long you really do feel British and the experience is like being a British expat (I lived in Britain for half my life). The big advantage is having family here. Otherwise it's like starting from scratch.

One of the things that I found when I went to the UK was it took about 5 years to really settle. I expect the same in return, so I have a couple of years left.

Although I'm generally quite positive about NZ when I post here, I do moan and groan to people about things here in real life. They are all pretty minor things though. For me the pro/con lists for each country are a similar length. I'm often surprised at how many similarities there are - must be all those poms coming over and running things.

Snap Shot

shocked kiwi

My biggest regret in life - coming back to nz

livewiresparks

Why do you feel that way? Have you thought about Australia?
My partner is kiwi and returned home after 5 years in London. This is my first time here and I hate it. I had quite high expectations and things here have turned to custard. I have no family or friends or a job to keep occupied with.
I have noticed that it's easier to talk to the foreigners here than local kiwis. I don't know why they are rated as one of the friendliest people when my experience has been quite the opposite. I find them cliquey.
Everything is bit of a culture shock. The cost of living is ridiculous, the lack of available goods. It takes weeks for anything to get here. Even Basic things like unlimited high speed Internet - forget it. The country has only just started laying cables and only just going into freeview digital tv!
Partner and I are having more arguments and struggling to understand each other. Times are tough.

Purrball

Why? Looking back, how do you think those expectations came about?