nero

Cannot believe we have been here seven years so much has happened (good and bad), but we are still here and no doubt will be here in another seven.

Negatives
Miss certain things about the UK and always will (family, friends, pubs, castles, the National Trust and the West End)
Poor housing rental stock - look very carefully before signing on the dotted line
The high price of dairy products even though we are one of the biggest producers of the stuff
Wotsits - they used to sell them here and now don't
Driving - why cant people drive round a roundabout, or stay on the right side of the road when going round a corner
Footpaths and bridleways and the right to roam
Being unemployed for 9 months and struggling to get a job
Not having kiwi experience (what's wrong with UK experience I ask)
The flight to the UK (cost and time it takes)
Poor health - Cancer for both me and my partner and 8 operations in 3 years and still not quite out of the woods. But fingers crossed


Positives
NZ Citizenship
Love where I live and that there is a beach at the bottom of the street
Climate - summer is actually summer
That I have gone back to a career I love - Nursing, which I didn't feel able to back in the UK
I have great employers and workmates and flexible hours
The fact that if I want to go to a concert or sports event, 9 times out of 10 I can get tickets and I can afford them. Plus it does not take me forever to get there or get back
Great tasting fruit and veg
The fact that I have flowers in my garden year round
That I can grow my own fruit and veg and have so much I can share it with friends
Great local parks and reserves and the ability to escape the madding crowd
The stunning South Island
Meeting some fantastic new people and friends
Doing things I would have never thought about doing before
The national health system, not always perfect but without it we would have been *******

Have to say no regrets but quite a few learning curves

bearskin

Some good bits in there. Thanks for sharing - always makes me smile when people list stuff like that, it's funny what makes the plus and minus.

ellenarosemary

Brilliant post, agree with almost everything, including the poor health (for me unfortunately).

Hope the next 7 years are as good.

nero

Cheers EllenaRosemary - hopefully our health will just be healthy from now on

nero

Thanks Bearskin I know I could have posted more but these are things that came to me first

Fooferfish

Congrats on 7 years , yes agree big roller coaster ride ay ? Nz is not for everyone ? But for some of us , we now call it home .

RobDon

Absolutely!

nero

Thanks Fooferfish and RobDon

A perfect Sunday and a fantastic beach to wander along and just one of the reasons why I love it here