justinthyme

We visited somewhere called New Zealand for three weeks (March/April)last year but it's obviously not the same New Zealand as talked about on this thread.

'cause we found that:

Auckland wasn't humid.
The homestays we stayed in weren't damp (and we stayed in the cheapest).
The Kiwis were friendly.
The food was fine - in fact some of the restaurants - cafes were great (and cheap).
Once outside Auckland traffic was almost non existant and even Auckland was fine when compared to the UKs M6/M62.
Never saw any gangs or felt threatened even late at night in Auckland centre.

I think our first run in with a Kiwi set the mood and represents what we found in NZ:
We drove away from the airport in a rental and, finding ourselves lost (in Massey I think) on the way to our homestay in Murawai Beach we pulled up about twenty yards from a bus stop to read the map - a repecatable young Kiwi lady at the stop walked over and said "You lost? Can I help?" - Can you imagine that happening in London? Or even Bridlington? Anyway it set the scene for the rest of the trip.

Poppy2

Yes, I met people like yourselves when we first got here - people who made the move after a holiday experience. 1 year later they were back in the UK.

We would be pretty silly to sit here and make this stuff up......or do you suspect we do so to keep the *others* away??? Maybe!

Rascal

I am laughing too Poppy, coz in 1999 we visited friends here who complained of the same things we now complain about!
Couldn't for the life of me figure out what the hell they were going on about, after all, I had been a 'tourist' to NZ 3 times! Lol
Oh dear.
Needless to say our friends moved to Melbourne after they did 3 yrs here.

Poppy2

What is that about?? Its a phenomena, but then maybe every country has that phenomena..............thats my defense for not taking a trip to NZ or Canada before moving there! But then as discussed before, what presses someone's buttons may not even concern someone else.

bro69

All I can think is there must be two New Zealands, I live in Christchurch New Zealand, it is wonderful. I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Please come to the New Zealnd I live in rather than the one that gets slagged off. It doesn't sound very good.

Don't get me wrong I did enjoy living in England and might like to return and live there one day but for now NZ is the only place for me.

soulflour

I really really REALLY hate being surrounded by happy, helpful, chilled out people and having to go to the beach ALL THE TIME - it's pants.



oh, and wait till i get my hands on the unknown person who left a box of homegrown veggies, fruit and herbs on my deck this morning - i'll kill'em grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Rascal

awe that was nice of them. Hope they didn't think you were too poor to buy though!
My neighbour gave me some grapefruits once, I hadn't the heart to tell him I cant stand grapefruit. Luckily my sis was here on holiday so she ate the lot!

Poppy2

Listen - free veg and herbs on your deck can only mean one thing! Someone is waiting in your bushes, expecting some free pie! Was there any free mince and cheese in there? A foil pie dish perhaps?

We have fejoa. tamarillos, grapefruit, plums and walnuts - all we make use of are the tamarillos and the plums for chutney and jam..........but even then, there are still loads left over! The other stuff falls off and rots, unless someone with more interest comes and asks for some - we tend to forget to pick any for other people! Though this year we are being better.

How's the pie coming along?

Rascal

Yuk Mince n Cheese pies.
Mind you, dont like pies much anyway.
I have got myself wondering now though, wonder if my neighbour gave me the grapefruits coz he thought we looked poor...or starved???

Poppy2

Nah, it was because the pig he was fattening up wasnt that much into them.

I didnt even know the flea bitten looking things on our tree were grapefruit, I thought they were disease ridden things of a citrus nature until a kiwi friend fell about hearing me say that. So she gets an armful whenever she comes over.

Its them fejoas - jeez are they grim. And smell!

Yes, the pies arent brill.............though I did once have the best pie ever. It was a chicken and veg one, hot out of a hot thingy in a petrol station. 3am, doing the 8 hour journey to Auckland with 2 kids in the car. Best pie ever. Of course all made out of chicken eye lids and lips, but good and tasty for it!

Rascal

If I liked chicken pie before, I dont now! Lol
I think he gave me the grapefruits as a peace offering coz he had come into my garden (without permission) and chopped my cherry tree to bits!
When i went beserk, he just said the usual "Wish all you Poms would f*** off back"...
Until I asked him where his parents came from! Lol
Germany and England!

wimsy

What? Are people not very friendly In London then, not even a few?? I can imagine it happening where I was from in the UK, without a doubt.
Luck of the draw, believe it or not Kiwi's can be arseholes too, I have met my fair share!!!!!

wimsy

I live in Christchurch too and its boring, we cant wait to leave

Poppy2

Rascal - really?? Chopped down your cherry tree and said that?? HAve you ever mentioned the word rascism to that kind of kiwi?? they think it is what people say about or to black people - I swear they do! They think it is about riots and stuff on the news about other places. Yet very happy they all are to claim a rusty old sporan when it suits them, don a kilt, talk about their Grandma's trip over from London in the war etc. Well..............if it werent for us foreign johnnies then where would this place be - talking as one of a couple who work in the health service here!

Wimsy - never been to Christchurch, everyone raves about the shopping and the buildings, but that isnt everything I guess. And yes, there are extremely kind people in the UK................most of us have moved here granted, but there must be one or two left behind!! Holding the door open for us

bro69

Maybe you're boring not Christchurch. I'm sure Christchurch won't miss you.