Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

With a number of posts (myself included) of people thinking of moving back I thought it would be really interesting to see what people who have either moved back to the UK full time or gone back and forth between New Zealand and the UK recently have found to be positive and negative about going back.

Would be great to get some of this from people who have recently made the move back to the UK :thumbsup:

Here's a few things for me when I moved back to the uk some 12 years ago (I have been back in nz for 10 years since):

Worst: higher competition for jobs, people everywhere, dirty cities, civil unrest in your face, Bad coffee, bad weather, expensive car insurance, dark by 4 PM in the winter.

Best: better houses, beer, pubs, banter, open countryside for all to roam, europe close by, history, British music, House parties where men and women mixed, cold Christmases, double glazing, football, British tv, family close by.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Cons: Traffic, car insurance

Pros: Gigs and festivals, bustling cities, lots of things to see and do, everything is close by, great pubs, affordable beer, groceries less than half price, cheap utility bills, well built houses, affordable housing, warm housing, central heating, double glazing, 39p cucumbers, real news, great tv, cheap vehicles, better weather (Yorkshire v Dunedin), comedy gigs, proper sense of humour, 39p cucumbers, nightlife options, family days out, having money in my bank account, BBC6Music, London, holidays, cheap flights to Europe, budget hotels, noisy football matches, great clothes shops, being able to walk my dog wherever I want, fresh food, Aldi, motorways, facinating historic building and places, many job opportunities...... and 39p cucumbers.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Barnsleymat you forgot to mention about the price of cucumbers :confused:

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

I'm planning on making the move to NZ next year and it's interesting that 'being able to walk my dog wherever it want' and 'open countryside for all to roam' both crop up.
I've been on holiday to NZ 5 times (only North island) and never noticed any restrictions on dog walking or access to the countryside. Can someone please explain what I am missing?

Thanks

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Dogs are not allowed in areas administered by DOC. This includes campsites, conservation areas, wildlife refuges and walking tracks and trails.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

:huh: :blink:

Now I know you're just making it up and taking the piss. . . . :rofl:

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Whether you notice it or not I guess depends on where you've been, whether you had a dog with you and whether you looked for it or not. Many towns dont allow dogs into the CBD, national parks and some beaches also have restrictions. Bear in mind NZ doesnt have a right to roam or the public right of way footpaths that the uk has. You may find yourself in an area where all you can see is green pastures, paddocks, hills covered in native bush and you will not be allowed access to any of it as its all privately owned. Dogs that may worry livestock or chase / harm native species are a concern. You need to be careful of areas where 1080 drops have occurred as it can linger for months. That said, there are still plenty of places where dogs are welcome and people can wander where ever they want

This might help
(you need to zoom right in for all legend details)

https://www.wams.org.nz/wams_desktop/index.html

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

What's with the car insurance in NZ? On the Canadian forum, many decry the expensive Canadian car insurance vs the cheap insurance in Blighty.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

its not a legal requirement

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Any insurance or just comprehensive?

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

One of my nz mates just commented on one of my Facebook posts saying cauliflowers are $7.50 at Countdown. Trust me, i love Aldi. I take sandwiches :)

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Have to agree barnsleymat ... Aldi & Lidl are great!

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Any, no legal requirement to have any insurance in NZ - so its extra good to have it in case you are involved with an uninsured driver.

Apparently the take-up rate is comparable with countries having compulsory insurance (where cars/drivers still not 100% covered), but I don't have first hand info on that.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

So back to the original thread....

Best and Worst things about moving back to the UK from NZ :) Thanks so far BarnsleyMat :)

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Are you asking re UK as yours seems to be about the UK. Not NZ.

Shouldn't there be 4 lots.

Best/Worse UK : Best/worst NZ

I originally thought this was better placed in the UK forum but see you may have ping ponged?

When are you moving back then.


confused.com.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

You're asking people who live in nz what's the best thing about moving back to the UK...?!!?

For me...nothing at all
Too dirty
Too noisy
Too much traffic
Too many angry drivers
To many angry people
Too much rampant consumerism
House's too small
Neighbours too close
No one talking to anyone else

I go back to visit family, if they weren't there
I could happily never give it another thought

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

I've been back and forth

I think it's quite hard to compare as there are big differences in terms of locations, Living in London is vastly different from living in East Sussex or up in the North. Living in Auckland vastly different from living in Whanganui.

I lived in London and Hove, now in Auckland.

UK Pros
Proximity to Europe and east coast USA. Shopping is cheaper and more variety - for most things (but it's really not something I'm too bothered by). Football is not at ungodly hours. Cars are better value. More culture, bands, shows, museums, events, museums, historical sites etc.

UK Cons
Winters, Generally grottier overall, some places are just dismal. Delays on trains leaving you waiting for hours on cold winters evenings. Working and living in London every day can grind you down. Poor coffee and food (esp. outside London), Council tax, commuting costs, more stress, many people are arrogant and aggressive, drinking culture

TV is largely irrelevant now, I don't watch live to air and I have online access to all the British TV channels anyway, 90% of it is rubbish these days.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

NZ has one of the highest dog ownership rates in the world, think you just need to be aware of where they can be walked and whether allowed off a leash or not. No shortage of places.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Best: Traditions, London, Big Ben, Banter, BBC, Language, Travel, Holidays, Regional Accents, Shops, Public transport, Museums, Canals, Barges, National Trust, Squirrels, Foxes, Castles, National Health System, Villages, Country Pubs, Village Greens, Beer Gardens, Pub Grub, Christmas, Marks & Spencers, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, Tescos, Asda, Boots Chemist, Debenhams, John Lewis, Selfridges, Trains, Old Buildings, Architecture, Jam Doughnuts, Cornish Pasties, Smoked Haddock, Walking in the Woods, Bluebells, Markets, Piers, Theatres and ease of access to Europe and the rest of the world.

Worst: Wasps and Traffic

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Don't see how coffee can be on the list. Britain has more than its fair share of artisan coffee bars, not to mention all the major chains. I think coffee now exceeds even tea as a national beverage (by consumption).

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Most chains are rubbish, there are a few good coffee shops opening as Brits palates become more mature about coffee. Many of these were started by antipodeans. Also the whole cafe/brunch scene is not as good as Aus/NZ - maybe the weather has a big effect.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Sounds like a local myth. Plenty of good brunches in London and other larger centers.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Are people so shallow that now a place is deemed good or bad based on whether you can have brunch in a poncey, sorry, artisan coffee shop or not.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Apparently, a number of NZ people are, exactly why I pointed out it's a non issue.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Why not? It's an enjoyable part of a lifestyle, many Europeans have a similar culture.

No different from people who go on about pubs in the UK.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Thanks Justcol for your input but please read the original post, and I quote "With a number of posts (myself included) of people thinking of moving back I thought it would be really interesting to see what people who have either moved back to the UK full time or gone back and forth between New Zealand and the UK recently have found to be positive and negative about going back."

Not really that complex - just a list of pros and cons basically. I agree about the good coffee not defining a place but I do miss NZ coffee when I have been back. You can keep Starbucks and Costa as far as Im concerned - even the majority of small artisan coffee shops I have been to in the UK deliver a large bowl of boiling hot milk with a hint of burnt coffees taste. Its not a deal breaker but enough of a point for me to put on my worst things about UK.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

No people are just commenting on their best and worst parts about being in the UK - just hang fire on attacking people ("are people so shallow...") for posting their thoughts - its really not helpful.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

OK back to the topic in hand
It seems Aldi, cauliflower, Canadian car insurance and brunch all feature highly... :popcorn:

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Sadly in NZ there is very little alternative to the poncy $20 breakfast served with a slice of orange and a $5 trim soy, half strength, mochafrappacinno bollocks with sprinkles.

I can't imagine anyone would countenance paying ten whole quids for breakfast in a cafe in the UK. :rofl:

To think we used to find The Little Chef was expensive but still an inevitable must do on any long road trip. That now seems quite a bargain at only GBP6.89 for an Early Starter.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Well most trendy brunch styles cafes in the UK are charging 10-20 pounds for a standard breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, sausage, tomato, bread etc)

Decent traditional English breakfasts in a traditional cafe are about 5 pounds, including a hot drink.

You can get similar priced ones in NZ at more traditional or working class places - cafes in industrial areas etc. e.g. Penrose, Mt Wellington etc.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

:lol::rofl:

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

As others have said, I think it's very hard to compare and most people probably haven't moved back. I don't agree with some of your worst, as many people seem to pay far less for car insurance in the UK. Bad weather again depends on the area and how people feel about it. Dark by 4 pm will again depend on the area and some parts actually are still not dark by 4pm and in three weeks the days get longer again anyway.


It also doesn't make a difference if you're in New Zealand and working normal office hours, as it also gets dark at 5pm in most parts of New Zealand during winter. Some of the better things you mention about the UK can also be found in New Zealand. Even in New Zealand you can buy double glazing windows and it's not hard to watch British TV.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Dark at 4pm in November yes, how about light at 10pm in June, does that not even things out?

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

I forgot to add, the very very best thing about living in the UK.

You almost never hear about boring bloody Rugby.

......Plus the lack of pretentious cafes where theres some white bohemian called Angel or summat with a daft beard and dreads or man bun taking all day to make a cup of summat I can't pronounce with highly priced bullsh1t food served on second hand plates and used jars covered in sprigs and twigs with a tiny slice or artisan bread and fair trade salt with customers sat on uncycled furniture out of a skip surrounded with chalk boards advertising more bullsh1t food to the gullible patrons who are sat there blank faced tapping away on their Mac Book Pros pretending to be interior designers whilst waffling into their iPhone23 about their gap year in the african jungle and how they were on a journey of self discovery.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Crickey how inspiring (!). It's just a comparison for people to view their opinions based on there experiences that is all. Yes you CAN buy double glazing in nz but how common is it here - maybe 5% of houses have it at best and if you do ant it expect to pay 3x the price of uk which is why it's so uncommon. I could also say less sun is one of the worst things about the uk but then you could say parts of nz don't get much sun (Dunedin)- but it's a generalisation or personal experience.


So rather than argue people's points why don't you just list your own best and worst things???

I guess this has reminded me being British we love to moan about things - and even then people will moan about people moaning. Ahhhhh group hug...

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

I'm definitely with you on the rugby :thumbsup::thumbsup::

I kind of like the cafe scene here (as I type on my MacBook Pro sipping on my flat white) - gotta go my iphone23 is ringing...

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

You've been to Motueka then. :eek:

You forgot the minging bare feet bit.

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

NZ is way to expensive, I miss cheap vege in the uk :( - Expensive to be Vegetarian in NZ

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

So just on a work pov (nurse)

Uk
4% real time pay cut
Ambulance chasers
Extreme pressure on the system
Unions in the government pocket
Actually having to do courses snd training on things like acid attacks and how to spot radicalisation/fundamentalism
Jeramy Hunt
The looming spectre of a completly privatised system.

Pros

Tax free allowance
Better uniform (i miss my scrubs)
CSNP roll been around longer and more widely used

NZ

Taxed on every $
Loss of seniority as “no kiwi experience”
Obsession with doing post grad certificates....some of us barely made it though academia the first time
Some outmoded practices and ,frim what ive seen, no want to question them “weve always done it like this” culture


Pros

Better pay
Unions that activley engage with members and negotiate terms
Better shift times, work/life balance
Better staffing levels
An overload means your waiting room is full not 20 patients deep in the corridor

Re: Worst and Best things about moving back to Uk from NZ
 

Really not sure what else you want, just accept the responses people have posted If its not enough why not, as some have suggested, post it on the returning to the UK forum where I'm sure you will get a response.
Looks like your flogging a dead horse

I'll pass on the group hug