whitesand

I knew it wouldn't happen because it would put all those crappy furniture shops out of business - they wouldn't last two minutes if folks had a choice!

MrCFD

Dump.

There are a few good reasons why we are staying for the time being, but really NZ is the best of crappy alternatives.

I have no gripes about our lifestyle. We have nice cars, house with amazing view, holidays, private education for our daughters, eat out all the time, a nanny and housekeeper, go on weekend trips, and I love my job and have an impressive payslip.

However, the blandness is getting to me (people, scenery, news, culture to name a few). I like to have colour in my life and to have the opportunity to experience something new. To be able to sit outside with a beer overlooking a main street/boulevard and watch the world go by, but this particular world never changes. In the UK at least it is cheap and easy to get across to Europe, or to Africa, or Asia, or even N.America. There is no where to go here for a cheap easy change of scenery and culture. This is the last stop, the end of the Earth.

NZ is not for me long term.

MrCFD

Still, could be worse...we could be in Australia!

CCGM.IN.NZ

I like being here at the end of the earth, sooooo far away from everything

LizaJane

certainly far away.....from life itself...bland, boring and basic.

NZGrl

Well its not the worse place Ive ever been to...But TBH if I think about being here for the rest of my life it scares the crap out of me...Im festering!!!!! Festering I say!!!!!!

We were looking at Canada but hubbie would struggle getting work over there. Australia is the easy option I suppose...But not back the UK...def not back to the UK

Browner_

I know what you mean, and I have to agree.
The scenery is fantastic, but I saw much more of it when I lived in UK and came here on holidays. Living in Wellington, its pretty hard to escape.

Culture is pretty dire, apart from the annual Rolling Stones or Elton John concert.

And as for sense of humour, well , all I can say is I miss the British conversation, so much broader and funnier than blinkered kiwi talk.

And if I hear once more how good Lord of the Rings was, or how clean and green NZ is (it isnt!) then P.LEASE!

LizaJane

I'll second that!

OneManAndHisDog

Those are my sentiments too. Life can seem a little monochrome here.

I'm enjoying the experience of living here and seeing such a beautiful place but it's not long term for me I'm afraid. The big negatives for me are:-

- Lack of choice, particularly in supermarkets at this time of year
- Poor housing and a general run-down feel this gives many areas
- Nice people but a limited world view unless they've done OE
- Cost of things relative to salary
- Very limited things to do when the weather's not good
- Distance from a change of scenery

Each to their own and it's all about trade-offs - nowhere's utopia and I can see the attraction of staying here, particularly if you are bringing up a young family.

Personally, I'm coming to the conclusion though that once I've seen what I want to there'll be little to keep me here.

OneManAndHisDog

Before people get the wrong idea - Dump in big block capitals in the previous posts was NOT INTENTIONAL. It seems to have been caused by me editing out some of the previous quote.

Woodlea

Jeez - you guys should work in my place - never had such a laugh in the office environment, certainly not in the serious, PC offices that I worked at in the UK. No bitchiness, excessive sarcasm, office politics or racism in these offices, unlike where I worked in the UK. Manage to get two or three games of pool in during smoko too, never had an office with a pool table in the UK!

simonmarkellis

I love this dump... you wouldn't see this in the UK for free... http://www.stuff.co.nz/4565261a11.html

cathyc

and that makes up for this?
If I wanted to see whales I could've taken the kids to a wildlife park back home or on a boat trip here but it doesn't put food on the table or pay the electricity bill.

Genesis

All the things noted in your copy of the quote above are personal. Life in NZ is not like that for everyone.

Irrespective of the weather in my town there are always things to do. The supermarkets are always full of good food with a good choice. We live in a lovely neighbourhood in a dream home. Its warm and dry and only cost £160,000 odd in 2005 (thus you dont have to be loaded to live somewhere great comparative to UK house prices). Where we live is certainly not run down, however like all over the world there are good and crap parts of town.

I never noted that my british counterparts when in the UK were particularly worldly....are survey showed a while back 33% of british people had never left the country!!!!!!

We manage way better here on way less wages than we did in the UK and as for change of scenery, I have mountains, valleys, a huge volcanoe, a huge lake, another island and the beach (always deserted) all within a few hours of my door step.

You see some people's glasses are half empty others are half full. It depends on your out look to a degree. Unless of course you only earn 5 bucks a week live in a cold shack on a rainy mountain far from anywhere, on a huge plain, surrounded by dullards with only a corner shop to buy from. If my life was like that I'd go back to where I came from too!!!!

spoonguy

Two things i find disappointing about NZ, I jave lots of Kiwi friends but they just dont have it in them to talk nonsense like the Brits do