barnsleymat

My favourite thing is when you press the button to cross the road and it does that beep thingy. I'll never get bored of doing impressions of the beeps.

Hours of fun and all for free!

Beep beep beepy'd beep biddy biddy biddy biddy

You can keep your deserted beaches, wine and safe neighbourhoods, give me the beeps anyday.

love30stm

Still want to move on though, just trying to find something positive while I'm here

love30stm

What medication do you take? I think I need to get some

martyc

- My in-laws. Sincerely.

- Being a middle aged woman on the trampoline with out lots of neighbours
overlooking.

- Peoples contentment with their lot and not wanting to keep up with the
Jones's.

- A sushi bar in every mall.

- Tiri Tiri Martangi for bird watching.

Debbie2NZ

The pedestrian crossings in Wanganui are a mixed bag. They are either so quick the green man stops when I've taken about 4 steps across the road. Or, there's a very soft 'plunk' sound to let me know it's safe to cross but no beeps. I'll have to get lessons of Barnsley Matt so I can impersonate the beeps at the crossings that don't beep when I'm crossing the road.

I'll be visiting my NZ inlaws next weekend. It's one of the reasons we came here

Perry Groves

Morning tea

Tomsk

Definitely 2 of my favourite things about NZ
But, I'm not a fan of winter...given a choice I wouldn't "do" winter, but a winter's day such as our past few days here in Rotorua really make me feel glad to be alive. OK, so I have to light the fire come the evening...but the days are glorious. Give me this over a British winter any day, and that's with or without central heating.
I love the space, the greenery, the Redwoods here in Rotorua, the lakes & the beaches. I love it that last week my teenage daughter spent $49 dollars for ski equipment hire & lift passes at Ruapehu, and had a great day on the slopes with her friends. The following day she got in her car, drove an hour in the opposite direction & had a day at Papamoa beach in shorts & t-shirt.
I have a great job...it's been incredibly stressful recently, huge numbers of hours and some real difficult challenges, but that keeps me on my toes & keeps me learning...and through my work I have made some fabulous friends.
I love my home, and my garden. I love having lemons ripening on a tree on my patio....in fact I used one to stuff a chicken for tea tonight.
I'm never, ever bored...there's always something to do. Or if I'm at a loose end I have some amazing friends to call. It's rare I can't coerce someone into sharing a bottle of wine with me.
I love the fact that my children (aged 18 & 19) are so settled and happy with huge friendship circles, & I'm so very proud of their achievements over here. Daughter in particular is probably academically average. In the UK she struggled to keep up with the academic requirements, SATs, league tables etc. Here she's matured into a confident public speaker, gets involved in all manner of community service and is now incredibly positive about what she CAN do, not what she can't. OK, she'll never be a brain surgeon.....but she knows darn well that she will be a success in what she chooses. I love that positivity.
Anyone who thinks NZ will give them the dream lifestyle is either incredibly rich, or a little bit stupid. Nothing and nowhere is perfect. But, horses for courses. I surely do miss some aspects of the UK lifestyle that I traded to come here........but you know, overall....no regrets.
I love NZ, she's been good to me & mine

love30stm

Gin Wigmore

http://youtu.be/_mGVr4uCMCQ

Stormer999

A few years back Japanese motorbikes used to have fairly loud indicator bleepers fitted so that the riders could remember to cancel after turning. However when they stopped anywhere near a junction with a pedestrian cossing the guide dogs for the blind used to get confused... they were done away with.

hazeandsteve

I was warming the ute this morning to defrost the glass, and Bob, my next door neighbour, walked over to say hello. We stood about two feet apart, me in shorts and jandals, loading the board and skis, him heading off into the bush for work. Just chatting up close and personal about the weekend's plans was more than we did with our neighbours of ten years in UK. Bless ya Bob.
We're off to watch The Feelers in a country pub with a heap of people he's introduced us to, and all of whom have welcomed us, next weekend. It's this kind of neighbourhood friendliness that has been a bonus for us here.
Auckland, Wellywood, learn from your smaller bretheren.

fayemd

When my kids leave the house I don't get grey hair worrying they are okay as NZ is safe for kids for now.

Jan n Neil

no not being ironic........ if in a restaurant where nothing obvious on the menu, the chef will usually accomodate and be inventive. If something is on the menu, it's usually something quite interesting that I would maybe not have thought of, and I have been veggie 35 years. Chinese Indian and Thai usually have significant veggie menu sections. Better options than the UK, generally, IMHO

Jan

Debbie2NZ

Quite a few posts making NZ sound like a magical place. I can hear fairy bells ringing as I read some of the above posts, bless 'em.

love30stm

why are you here then??? you was telling me how exited you was at buying a house you on the booze or something and why so negative?

pricklykina

Flat Whites

The treaty of waitangi

MMP

Feijoas

Beaches

The ubiquitous banana cake

Student Loans

Coffee Group

Plunket

Playcentre

Lack of shops (yep I have become less materialistic)

Bush

Empty main roads

The way it shuts down for 6 weeks from Christmas

2 days off at New Year

Anzac day

Anzac biccies