Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
#61
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
I've been away from Britain for so long now that I'm begining to forget what it's like .
I think I know what you mean about "attitude" though. It's a subtle thing, people in the UK have to be more more pushy, assertive, "in your face" even. I felt a bit like that when I first got here and very quickly became a lot more relaxed and warmer with people.
Is that what they call taking-on the Kiwi's laid back attitude to life?
I think I know what you mean about "attitude" though. It's a subtle thing, people in the UK have to be more more pushy, assertive, "in your face" even. I felt a bit like that when I first got here and very quickly became a lot more relaxed and warmer with people.
Is that what they call taking-on the Kiwi's laid back attitude to life?
#62
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 576
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Lenmil, I hope it works out for you this time, but do you not think you are looking at the grass is greener syndrome the same as you did when in NZ about the UK.
We go through moments of missing NZ, especially the weather at this time of year, but we have to take a step back and think about the hard times, the cold mornings in the Winter, and all the wee niggly things.
You may be pissed at the Uk but the whole place aint like that...
TBH even if we wanted to go back we cant, no dosh so sometimes you have to look at your life and think can I change it or do I have to move countries to do that.
ps Lenmil remember you arent working this now plus its shity January things will look up once you start working and Spring arrives. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
We go through moments of missing NZ, especially the weather at this time of year, but we have to take a step back and think about the hard times, the cold mornings in the Winter, and all the wee niggly things.
You may be pissed at the Uk but the whole place aint like that...
TBH even if we wanted to go back we cant, no dosh so sometimes you have to look at your life and think can I change it or do I have to move countries to do that.
ps Lenmil remember you arent working this now plus its shity January things will look up once you start working and Spring arrives. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
Last edited by scottish; Jan 25th 2006 at 7:28 am.
#63
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by scottish
Lenmil, I hope it works out for you this time, but do you not think you are looking at the grass is greener syndrome the same as you did when in NZ about the UK.
We go through moments of missing NZ, especially the weather at this time of year, but we have to take a step back and think about the hard times, the cold mornings in the Winter, and all the wee niggly things.
You may be pissed at the Uk but the whole place aint like that...
TBH even if we wanted to go back we cant, no dosh so sometimes you have to look at your life and think can I change it or do I have to move countries to do that.
ps Lenmil remember you arent working this now plus its shity January things will look up once you start working and Spring arrives. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
We go through moments of missing NZ, especially the weather at this time of year, but we have to take a step back and think about the hard times, the cold mornings in the Winter, and all the wee niggly things.
You may be pissed at the Uk but the whole place aint like that...
TBH even if we wanted to go back we cant, no dosh so sometimes you have to look at your life and think can I change it or do I have to move countries to do that.
ps Lenmil remember you arent working this now plus its shity January things will look up once you start working and Spring arrives. Good luck whatever you decide to do.
#64
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 576
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Families eh!! Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Are you going back to CHCH or perhaps try somewhere different.
Are you going back to CHCH or perhaps try somewhere different.
#65
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by scottish
Families eh!! Good luck and let us know how you get on.
Are you going back to CHCH or perhaps try somewhere different.
Are you going back to CHCH or perhaps try somewhere different.
http://www.photodex.com/sharing/memberbrowsego.html and type in lenmil. You do need too have broad band though. Oh and have the sound on as the music is done by a mate who is a fantasic musician.
Last edited by Lenmil; Jan 26th 2006 at 9:48 am.
#66
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 576
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Hi Len, not had a chance to look at your link yet but wil have a look on Monday when I get back to work.
In answer to your question if we had the money would we go back......... The answer would be NO. We have thought about the what ifs etc and tbh what we miss we may never get back again. Also teh line of work I am in I would struggle to get into in NZ. i ended up packing shelves for a living just to make ends meet. Totally brain dead. Met some nice folk mind you.
I also wouldnt put my dog through the flight again and we wouldnt leave him.
NZ was never our first choice but it was easy to get into and we fell for the stories re cheap living etc. If I had to go back to 2 yrs ago, knowing what I know now, I would have went for Canada.
What we miss about NZ: Kiwi mates, living at the beach, ex social life and long hot summer days.
What I dont miss: poor wages, being short of money, hubby having to forget his skills adn work teh Kiwi way and we met alot of users. I think when you are so far away from home you will put yourself out more for people and unforuntaly some folks are only out for themselves.
In answer to your question if we had the money would we go back......... The answer would be NO. We have thought about the what ifs etc and tbh what we miss we may never get back again. Also teh line of work I am in I would struggle to get into in NZ. i ended up packing shelves for a living just to make ends meet. Totally brain dead. Met some nice folk mind you.
I also wouldnt put my dog through the flight again and we wouldnt leave him.
NZ was never our first choice but it was easy to get into and we fell for the stories re cheap living etc. If I had to go back to 2 yrs ago, knowing what I know now, I would have went for Canada.
What we miss about NZ: Kiwi mates, living at the beach, ex social life and long hot summer days.
What I dont miss: poor wages, being short of money, hubby having to forget his skills adn work teh Kiwi way and we met alot of users. I think when you are so far away from home you will put yourself out more for people and unforuntaly some folks are only out for themselves.
#67
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by scottish
Hi Len, not had a chance to look at your link yet but wil have a look on Monday when I get back to work.
In answer to your question if we had the money would we go back......... The answer would be NO. We have thought about the what ifs etc and tbh what we miss we may never get back again. Also teh line of work I am in I would struggle to get into in NZ. i ended up packing shelves for a living just to make ends meet. Totally brain dead. Met some nice folk mind you.
I also wouldnt put my dog through the flight again and we wouldnt leave him.
NZ was never our first choice but it was easy to get into and we fell for the stories re cheap living etc. If I had to go back to 2 yrs ago, knowing what I know now, I would have went for Canada.
What we miss about NZ: Kiwi mates, living at the beach, ex social life and long hot summer days.
What I dont miss: poor wages, being short of money, hubby having to forget his skills adn work teh Kiwi way and we met alot of users. I think when you are so far away from home you will put yourself out more for people and unforuntaly some folks are only out for themselves.
In answer to your question if we had the money would we go back......... The answer would be NO. We have thought about the what ifs etc and tbh what we miss we may never get back again. Also teh line of work I am in I would struggle to get into in NZ. i ended up packing shelves for a living just to make ends meet. Totally brain dead. Met some nice folk mind you.
I also wouldnt put my dog through the flight again and we wouldnt leave him.
NZ was never our first choice but it was easy to get into and we fell for the stories re cheap living etc. If I had to go back to 2 yrs ago, knowing what I know now, I would have went for Canada.
What we miss about NZ: Kiwi mates, living at the beach, ex social life and long hot summer days.
What I dont miss: poor wages, being short of money, hubby having to forget his skills adn work teh Kiwi way and we met alot of users. I think when you are so far away from home you will put yourself out more for people and unforuntaly some folks are only out for themselves.
I still like Canada though, and if i had the chance i may go for it, but that will be another day. On another note have you not considered Oz? All i heard at work was how good Oz is etc. People seem to struggle there but not as bad as NZ. Anyway thanks for taking the time to type. Best of luck to you all. Len.
#68
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 40
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by Albion
The roads are terrible in some places and road signing is pretty absymal.
Anyway, I love this country. It's still a land of opportunity. I arrived 4 months ago with nothing (actually, less than nothing if I count the student loan and credit cards). There's no way I could have opened a business and have a high street shop in the UK for a mere 2500 GBP.
With the exchange rate being abysmal and house prices yet to fall (I'm sure they will ) I guess it's not all rosy for ex-pats expecting to sell their council house in Essex for a 10 acre lifestyle block in Auckland overlooking the Pacific.
#69
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by scracha
Have you been back to the UK lately? I keep reading the kiwi motorcycle magazine's bleating about the condition of the roads out here. Yes there's gravel and overbanding but nothing like the pot-holed oil covered congested excuse for roads back in Britain.
Anyway, I love this country. It's still a land of opportunity. I arrived 4 months ago with nothing (actually, less than nothing if I count the student loan and credit cards). There's no way I could have opened a business and have a high street shop in the UK for a mere 2500 GBP.
With the exchange rate being abysmal and house prices yet to fall (I'm sure they will ) I guess it's not all rosy for ex-pats expecting to sell their council house in Essex for a 10 acre lifestyle block in Auckland overlooking the Pacific.
Anyway, I love this country. It's still a land of opportunity. I arrived 4 months ago with nothing (actually, less than nothing if I count the student loan and credit cards). There's no way I could have opened a business and have a high street shop in the UK for a mere 2500 GBP.
With the exchange rate being abysmal and house prices yet to fall (I'm sure they will ) I guess it's not all rosy for ex-pats expecting to sell their council house in Essex for a 10 acre lifestyle block in Auckland overlooking the Pacific.
#70
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by shortfatbloke
Firstly, let me explain that the following post is my own opinion (humble or otherwise) and follows a three week trip to New Zealand between the 25th December 2005 and 13th January this year.
I am a project manager and my wife is a health professional. We live with our two young sons in Gloucestershire and are comfortably off (but by no means well off). We visited NZ with the express purpose of seeing what NZ had to offer us and the boys with a view to getting away from our stressful lives in this country and creating a new life for ourselves.
We landed on Christmas day and spent the first two days in Akl and then toured over North Island in a motorhome for three weeks – we visited the Coromandel, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Wellington, Whangerei, Doubtless Bay, Paihia, Russell and Orewa pretty much in that order. As I went round I made some notes, kept the receipts and tried to keep and open mind.
Auckland
Thought we had a hotel in the Chinese quarter of Akl but discovered later that the whole of central Akl is like that. Hotel in the CBD (The New President) was scruffy but had all the amenities that we needed (kitchen c/w microwave and washing machine and tumble dryer) and was well located, 100m from the Sky Tower. Had the worst ever Caesar salad in the café at the base of the Sky Tower. Had quite a nice meal in the rotating restaurant but was faced with a $190 bill (including 15% surcharge for bank holidays). Did the tourist thing and went on the bus through Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell and did some shopping in the Boxing Day sales.
Cars and Roads
Roads in NZ at their best are the equivalent to a UK single lane A road. NZers love their cars, there are so many examples of souped up cars on the road, from lovingly done up Ford Anglias and Cortinas, complete with chrome wheels, to full blown WRC touring car replicas. NZ has probably cornered the market in 2” exhaust pipes as every other car has one. Given the road conditions and the powerful cars it is a sad but unsurprising statistic that 19 people died on NZ’s roads during the holiday period.
Campsites
The most disappointing thing for a country that relies so heavily on tourism was the standards of the campsites that we visited. Most of the sites seemed to be located in he worst areas of town – Napier had to be the worst example with one site advertised as for motorhomes only being no more than a set up in a field, another being between the main road and the railway line and the last one (where we had booked into as it was next to the ‘beach’) was just full of NZ’s answer to trailer trash. Consequently, we had filled up, dumped and left within a couple of hours and spent New Year 2006 in a picnic area on the 40th degree of latitude.
Countryside
Beautiful, absolutely stunning mountains, hills, coast, the works. The fields and meadows were absolutely lush and green. Varies from rolling Devon hills to moon surface to alpine mountains in a very short space.
Towns
Interior – The majority of the towns we passed through were 1950’s bible-belt USA in style and architecture - not particularly attractive but probably very functional.
Coast – Lots of fairly small lots with little or no garden built on top of each other. No consideration to planning, style or architecture.
Saw a few nice towns, Taupo, Cambridge and Russell spring to mind. Russell is very much Key West meets Cowes type of place and is very pretty. Although I did not expect all of NZ to look like Russell, I did expect some of it to.
Housing
A lot of the houses have a very temporary look to them. We did some price comparisons and decided that any idea of moving out to NZ and getting rid of the mortgage would be a pipe dream. House prices in NZ are getting close to those in the UK.
Cost of Living
Fuel (diesel) is very cheap (99c per litre). Didn’t find any supermarkets to match up to the UK ones (Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s etc.) for quality and range but New World and Woolworths were the closest. Cost of groceries is comparable to UK – which was a real disappointment. Meat and veg are cheaper but toiletries etc are more expensive.
Whilst New Zealand is an indescribably beautiful country, we both felt that there was not enough to tempt us away from the UK. The lack of decent restaurants and culture left us feeling that there is no real depth to the country and the state of the towns and inhabited areas left us feeling that is a great shame that things are in the shape they're in.
It was disappointing to leave the country with a feeling that we had spent an awful lot of money on a wasted trip but we came away knowing that NZ is not for us.
I am a project manager and my wife is a health professional. We live with our two young sons in Gloucestershire and are comfortably off (but by no means well off). We visited NZ with the express purpose of seeing what NZ had to offer us and the boys with a view to getting away from our stressful lives in this country and creating a new life for ourselves.
We landed on Christmas day and spent the first two days in Akl and then toured over North Island in a motorhome for three weeks – we visited the Coromandel, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Wellington, Whangerei, Doubtless Bay, Paihia, Russell and Orewa pretty much in that order. As I went round I made some notes, kept the receipts and tried to keep and open mind.
Auckland
Thought we had a hotel in the Chinese quarter of Akl but discovered later that the whole of central Akl is like that. Hotel in the CBD (The New President) was scruffy but had all the amenities that we needed (kitchen c/w microwave and washing machine and tumble dryer) and was well located, 100m from the Sky Tower. Had the worst ever Caesar salad in the café at the base of the Sky Tower. Had quite a nice meal in the rotating restaurant but was faced with a $190 bill (including 15% surcharge for bank holidays). Did the tourist thing and went on the bus through Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell and did some shopping in the Boxing Day sales.
Cars and Roads
Roads in NZ at their best are the equivalent to a UK single lane A road. NZers love their cars, there are so many examples of souped up cars on the road, from lovingly done up Ford Anglias and Cortinas, complete with chrome wheels, to full blown WRC touring car replicas. NZ has probably cornered the market in 2” exhaust pipes as every other car has one. Given the road conditions and the powerful cars it is a sad but unsurprising statistic that 19 people died on NZ’s roads during the holiday period.
Campsites
The most disappointing thing for a country that relies so heavily on tourism was the standards of the campsites that we visited. Most of the sites seemed to be located in he worst areas of town – Napier had to be the worst example with one site advertised as for motorhomes only being no more than a set up in a field, another being between the main road and the railway line and the last one (where we had booked into as it was next to the ‘beach’) was just full of NZ’s answer to trailer trash. Consequently, we had filled up, dumped and left within a couple of hours and spent New Year 2006 in a picnic area on the 40th degree of latitude.
Countryside
Beautiful, absolutely stunning mountains, hills, coast, the works. The fields and meadows were absolutely lush and green. Varies from rolling Devon hills to moon surface to alpine mountains in a very short space.
Towns
Interior – The majority of the towns we passed through were 1950’s bible-belt USA in style and architecture - not particularly attractive but probably very functional.
Coast – Lots of fairly small lots with little or no garden built on top of each other. No consideration to planning, style or architecture.
Saw a few nice towns, Taupo, Cambridge and Russell spring to mind. Russell is very much Key West meets Cowes type of place and is very pretty. Although I did not expect all of NZ to look like Russell, I did expect some of it to.
Housing
A lot of the houses have a very temporary look to them. We did some price comparisons and decided that any idea of moving out to NZ and getting rid of the mortgage would be a pipe dream. House prices in NZ are getting close to those in the UK.
Cost of Living
Fuel (diesel) is very cheap (99c per litre). Didn’t find any supermarkets to match up to the UK ones (Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s etc.) for quality and range but New World and Woolworths were the closest. Cost of groceries is comparable to UK – which was a real disappointment. Meat and veg are cheaper but toiletries etc are more expensive.
Whilst New Zealand is an indescribably beautiful country, we both felt that there was not enough to tempt us away from the UK. The lack of decent restaurants and culture left us feeling that there is no real depth to the country and the state of the towns and inhabited areas left us feeling that is a great shame that things are in the shape they're in.
It was disappointing to leave the country with a feeling that we had spent an awful lot of money on a wasted trip but we came away knowing that NZ is not for us.
Ive had 6 months in NZ and am now booking our flights back to the uk... i could never live in NZ again....for the same reasons you mentioned.
#71
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by scracha
Have you been back to the UK lately? I keep reading the kiwi motorcycle magazine's bleating about the condition of the roads out here. Yes there's gravel and overbanding but nothing like the pot-holed oil covered congested excuse for roads back in Britain.
Anyway, I love this country. It's still a land of opportunity. I arrived 4 months ago with nothing (actually, less than nothing if I count the student loan and credit cards). There's no way I could have opened a business and have a high street shop in the UK for a mere 2500 GBP.
With the exchange rate being abysmal and house prices yet to fall (I'm sure they will ) I guess it's not all rosy for ex-pats expecting to sell their council house in Essex for a 10 acre lifestyle block in Auckland overlooking the Pacific.
Anyway, I love this country. It's still a land of opportunity. I arrived 4 months ago with nothing (actually, less than nothing if I count the student loan and credit cards). There's no way I could have opened a business and have a high street shop in the UK for a mere 2500 GBP.
With the exchange rate being abysmal and house prices yet to fall (I'm sure they will ) I guess it's not all rosy for ex-pats expecting to sell their council house in Essex for a 10 acre lifestyle block in Auckland overlooking the Pacific.
#72
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 40
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Originally Posted by sky
What business have you got Scracha?
[1] They must be THE most pedantic bunch of @#nkers I've ever dealt with. NZIS are superb by comparison.
#73
From South Africa
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Joburg South africa
Posts: 4
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
I was interested in your observations as I am also a project manager currently in South Africa busy with the process of trying to get out of South Africa and gain entry into New Zealand due to the prevailing legal discrimation in SA . Having been abroad for sometime I think as a Brit you become actimatised to different standards and therefore become more tolerant of the differences. Any how I would be interested to know in what field of work you are in . My speciality is Information and communications Technology where I am both a Professional Engineer and project manager. Were you able to assess the job situation first hand or was it just a holiday? What was your impression of the PM opportunities?
Originally Posted by shortfatbloke
Firstly, let me explain that the following post is my own opinion (humble or otherwise) and follows a three week trip to New Zealand between the 25th December 2005 and 13th January this year.
I am a project manager and my wife is a health professional. We live with our two young sons in Gloucestershire and are comfortably off (but by no means well off). We visited NZ with the express purpose of seeing what NZ had to offer us and the boys with a view to getting away from our stressful lives in this country and creating a new life for ourselves.
We landed on Christmas day and spent the first two days in Akl and then toured over North Island in a motorhome for three weeks – we visited the Coromandel, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Wellington, Whangerei, Doubtless Bay, Paihia, Russell and Orewa pretty much in that order. As I went round I made some notes, kept the receipts and tried to keep and open mind.
Auckland
Thought we had a hotel in the Chinese quarter of Akl but discovered later that the whole of central Akl is like that. Hotel in the CBD (The New President) was scruffy but had all the amenities that we needed (kitchen c/w microwave and washing machine and tumble dryer) and was well located, 100m from the Sky Tower. Had the worst ever Caesar salad in the café at the base of the Sky Tower. Had quite a nice meal in the rotating restaurant but was faced with a $190 bill (including 15% surcharge for bank holidays). Did the tourist thing and went on the bus through Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell and did some shopping in the Boxing Day sales.
Cars and Roads
Roads in NZ at their best are the equivalent to a UK single lane A road. NZers love their cars, there are so many examples of souped up cars on the road, from lovingly done up Ford Anglias and Cortinas, complete with chrome wheels, to full blown WRC touring car replicas. NZ has probably cornered the market in 2” exhaust pipes as every other car has one. Given the road conditions and the powerful cars it is a sad but unsurprising statistic that 19 people died on NZ’s roads during the holiday period.
Campsites
The most disappointing thing for a country that relies so heavily on tourism was the standards of the campsites that we visited. Most of the sites seemed to be located in he worst areas of town – Napier had to be the worst example with one site advertised as for motorhomes only being no more than a set up in a field, another being between the main road and the railway line and the last one (where we had booked into as it was next to the ‘beach’) was just full of NZ’s answer to trailer trash. Consequently, we had filled up, dumped and left within a couple of hours and spent New Year 2006 in a picnic area on the 40th degree of latitude.
Countryside
Beautiful, absolutely stunning mountains, hills, coast, the works. The fields and meadows were absolutely lush and green. Varies from rolling Devon hills to moon surface to alpine mountains in a very short space.
Towns
Interior – The majority of the towns we passed through were 1950’s bible-belt USA in style and architecture - not particularly attractive but probably very functional.
Coast – Lots of fairly small lots with little or no garden built on top of each other. No consideration to planning, style or architecture.
Saw a few nice towns, Taupo, Cambridge and Russell spring to mind. Russell is very much Key West meets Cowes type of place and is very pretty. Although I did not expect all of NZ to look like Russell, I did expect some of it to.
Housing
A lot of the houses have a very temporary look to them. We did some price comparisons and decided that any idea of moving out to NZ and getting rid of the mortgage would be a pipe dream. House prices in NZ are getting close to those in the UK.
Cost of Living
Fuel (diesel) is very cheap (99c per litre). Didn’t find any supermarkets to match up to the UK ones (Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s etc.) for quality and range but New World and Woolworths were the closest. Cost of groceries is comparable to UK – which was a real disappointment. Meat and veg are cheaper but toiletries etc are more expensive.
Whilst New Zealand is an indescribably beautiful country, we both felt that there was not enough to tempt us away from the UK. The lack of decent restaurants and culture left us feeling that there is no real depth to the country and the state of the towns and inhabited areas left us feeling that is a great shame that things are in the shape they're in.
It was disappointing to leave the country with a feeling that we had spent an awful lot of money on a wasted trip but we came away knowing that NZ is not for us.
I am a project manager and my wife is a health professional. We live with our two young sons in Gloucestershire and are comfortably off (but by no means well off). We visited NZ with the express purpose of seeing what NZ had to offer us and the boys with a view to getting away from our stressful lives in this country and creating a new life for ourselves.
We landed on Christmas day and spent the first two days in Akl and then toured over North Island in a motorhome for three weeks – we visited the Coromandel, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier, Wellington, Whangerei, Doubtless Bay, Paihia, Russell and Orewa pretty much in that order. As I went round I made some notes, kept the receipts and tried to keep and open mind.
Auckland
Thought we had a hotel in the Chinese quarter of Akl but discovered later that the whole of central Akl is like that. Hotel in the CBD (The New President) was scruffy but had all the amenities that we needed (kitchen c/w microwave and washing machine and tumble dryer) and was well located, 100m from the Sky Tower. Had the worst ever Caesar salad in the café at the base of the Sky Tower. Had quite a nice meal in the rotating restaurant but was faced with a $190 bill (including 15% surcharge for bank holidays). Did the tourist thing and went on the bus through Ponsonby, Newmarket and Parnell and did some shopping in the Boxing Day sales.
Cars and Roads
Roads in NZ at their best are the equivalent to a UK single lane A road. NZers love their cars, there are so many examples of souped up cars on the road, from lovingly done up Ford Anglias and Cortinas, complete with chrome wheels, to full blown WRC touring car replicas. NZ has probably cornered the market in 2” exhaust pipes as every other car has one. Given the road conditions and the powerful cars it is a sad but unsurprising statistic that 19 people died on NZ’s roads during the holiday period.
Campsites
The most disappointing thing for a country that relies so heavily on tourism was the standards of the campsites that we visited. Most of the sites seemed to be located in he worst areas of town – Napier had to be the worst example with one site advertised as for motorhomes only being no more than a set up in a field, another being between the main road and the railway line and the last one (where we had booked into as it was next to the ‘beach’) was just full of NZ’s answer to trailer trash. Consequently, we had filled up, dumped and left within a couple of hours and spent New Year 2006 in a picnic area on the 40th degree of latitude.
Countryside
Beautiful, absolutely stunning mountains, hills, coast, the works. The fields and meadows were absolutely lush and green. Varies from rolling Devon hills to moon surface to alpine mountains in a very short space.
Towns
Interior – The majority of the towns we passed through were 1950’s bible-belt USA in style and architecture - not particularly attractive but probably very functional.
Coast – Lots of fairly small lots with little or no garden built on top of each other. No consideration to planning, style or architecture.
Saw a few nice towns, Taupo, Cambridge and Russell spring to mind. Russell is very much Key West meets Cowes type of place and is very pretty. Although I did not expect all of NZ to look like Russell, I did expect some of it to.
Housing
A lot of the houses have a very temporary look to them. We did some price comparisons and decided that any idea of moving out to NZ and getting rid of the mortgage would be a pipe dream. House prices in NZ are getting close to those in the UK.
Cost of Living
Fuel (diesel) is very cheap (99c per litre). Didn’t find any supermarkets to match up to the UK ones (Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s etc.) for quality and range but New World and Woolworths were the closest. Cost of groceries is comparable to UK – which was a real disappointment. Meat and veg are cheaper but toiletries etc are more expensive.
Whilst New Zealand is an indescribably beautiful country, we both felt that there was not enough to tempt us away from the UK. The lack of decent restaurants and culture left us feeling that there is no real depth to the country and the state of the towns and inhabited areas left us feeling that is a great shame that things are in the shape they're in.
It was disappointing to leave the country with a feeling that we had spent an awful lot of money on a wasted trip but we came away knowing that NZ is not for us.
#74
Forum Regular
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 40
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Was your question aimed at me or ShortFatBloke (whom you quoted at length again) ?
#75
From South Africa
Joined: Jan 2006
Location: Joburg South africa
Posts: 4
Re: Why we won't be emigrating to New Zealand
Mainly the original author but if you have any comments I would be interested to hear them
Originally Posted by scracha
Was your question aimed at me or ShortFatBloke (whom you quoted at length again) ?