Is it really that bad in nz?

[Sylvester58]

Originally Posted by Marianne2010

Ask everybody about his/her home country... there is always something they don't like... And if they are bold enough to make the move to another country or even other countries they will always compare what they gain with what they gave up. It's human nature.
Some things I don't like in France. Some I liked in NZ or USA or Canada or any other country I visited/stayed in/worked in. Even if you try to fit in, you will always think of the past... and how you dreamt of a future that cannot be filled by the reality. It's because that's it: a dream. A dream of escaping from what you live actually, a dream of a better life for you and your kids.
As I wrote before, nobody can tell you how you will like or not a country. And as countries are not where you live, because you live in a city, a neighborhood, and every one is different from the other in terms of climate, facilities, schools, crime rate, asking generally if "NZ is bad" "Canada is good" "Could I fit in France" has no meaning whatsoever. The answers either. Whatever the reasons you want to leave a country for another, don't investigate on the net... go there. You are not living in a computer!

Good mornin' Marianne, you cannot imagine how truthful I found what you've said, and that was the reason when I decided to move to Chch, NZ. The most difficult part was to convince my wife to do this step (tried lots of years ago when I worked in Israel, and we were much younger, and gloriously failed, so I was terrified I will fail again, but the general situation here, in Bucharest, helped me a lot to convince her). It's a huge step to start your life from scrap, like you're born again and have to learn to walk (think about a little baby !), to talk, to interact, and only after then the basic understanding will begin... So it's really not so easy... But my inner belief (and I experienced it all over the places I lived) is that: there will always be more people ready to help you and to interact and communicate with you than the others (dry woods are coming from the trees, but the forest will always be much bigger than some isolated mutants).
And yes, even if I'm reading hours and hours everyday lots of things related to NZ, the reality I will smell, touch, hear and taste when the airplane exits will open will be the important one, that will be the real life, everything else is only "what if".
And again, perfectly true, two different people, living at 15 km away one from each other, city center and suburbs, could have different perceptions and hate/love the same country because of those perceptions, separated by 15 km. Could sound like a joke, but it's real, I experimented in Tripoli, on two different people, living like I said.
But anyway, computer helps... even to say "Hy" to you...

[agurkas]

Originally Posted by Darla.R

It's a combination of a number of factors and there isn't one simple solution to it, such as raising the driving age or making kids take out insurance on their cars.

I agree with Anski, roads in New Zealand are atrocious in places and the routes between major towns and cities are appalling. I'm an experienced driver and I hated them - I've never had to drive so defensively in all my life.

This isn't just a matter of opinion either, you've only got to look at the KiwiRap survey to see that not a single road over 5k long got rated 5 stars for safety.

Only 4% of roads got four stars

With all due respect, and this comes from avid driver and auto sports competitor, I drove over 2000KM from Auckland down to Queenstown last November and found NZ roads incredibly good. I'd say only Germany or Switzerland have better, but they also have much larger tax base. I found Kiwis to be very courteous drivers with maybe a handful I saw act bit stupid (looked like teens in their poorly modified Subarus).

I clearly remember coming back home to Boston (US) and immediately seeing two drivers yelling at each other at a stop sign and then myself hitting about a hundred potholes and cracks on a 5 mile ride home.

It has been almost a year and I still dream about all the twisty mountain switchbacks Next time I am coming over, I am brining one of my "toys" so I can properly enjoy the roads.

[suslik]

Things I've noticed about New Zealand:

* green image goes only as far as recycling of domestic food packaging (multi-colored bins that get picked up by the council each fortnight, you know, one for plastic, one for glass, one for paper) and all sorts of solar panels on new expensive housing. When it comes to grass-level sustainability though, New Zealand doesn't do very well in my view. Collecting of rainwater (or using water sparingly in general), use of low-emission high-efficiency appliances, getting cars serviced so they don't leak oil, directing spills to where they don't enter waterways, insulation in houses - these are just some examples where I look at New Zealand and think: "Wtf?" The only reason New Zealand can bandy around that green image is, I think, because it is so sparsely populated and there is enough landmass to offset the damage.

* there is a lot of talk about the high cost of living, but to a point where I feel I want to vomit each time I hear it mentioned. For one, New Zealand has a LOT of unskilled jobs. Expecting a wage that's decent enough to buy a decent house in a decent area... whilst being employed in a job where a person can be trained up in a matter of weeks is silly. I know people who own their homes whilst working in unskilled positions (without inheriting anything) - it involves good budgeting and compromises and no yearly holidays to Fiji. And if someone really wants to earn more and live in a flash house, they can go study engineering. Just saying. It is NOT THAT BAD!

* crime is sensationalized to a point where case specifics get repeated in national news for days on end, so I can understand if someone has a perception there is a lot of crime in New Zealand. There isn't. There is a lot of incarcerated people, yes, but comparatively little crime. (Depends who you're comparing it to, yes, but the point still stands.)

* it struck me when I first came on my working holiday that Kiwis gripe and bicker as a national pastime. I learned quickly, though, that: one: a lot of it doesn't actually bother them, they just like a good moan every once in a while. British heritage maybe? And two: it isn't as bad as they make it out. So now when I hear the news on the radio, I filter it my head just as I filter when my neighbor goes on about the government.

* It amazes me to this day how much good quality, cheap stuff is available in second hand stores and occasionally on TradeMe, a Kiwi Craigslist. Especially in Christchurch region when it comes to second-hand building materials. I could literally build a house, no, a street full of houses, with that stuff (if I knew how to build a house). It is incredible.

* I hear people tell how in Europe, this is done better and that is done better, and I think: yes, it is. On the other hand, there are a lot of things really screwed up in Europe as well, just like there are here. For me the tradeoff is working out quite well, because I am outdoorsy and prefer a sparsely populated scenic high country to Autobahn and pavement any time. For someone who spends more time indoors and wants... well, something other than I do, I can see how the tradeoff might not be that enjoyable. But that's people wanting different things, which is only natural.

[agurkas]

Suslik,

I think your observations are spot on. Though my judgment is based on traveling both islands over two weeks and having been watching NZ TV for almost a year.

Yeah... I saw those Kiwi "gangs". Latin Kings, Gangster Discipline, MS13, etc. in the rest of the world makes those "gangs" look like bunch of toddlers.

I think you have also hit on the pattern I see here on the forum. Many people try to move to NZ and do low(er) skilled jobs expecting to live comfortably. Then they get pissed off, because in reality that does not work in any country, and leave. Nowhere in the world you can live comfortably doing many of those jobs, that is why people work 2-3 jobs just to make end meet. Such is life. Don't blame whole country for it.

And BTW, IKEA is coming to NZ, so that should have interesting effect on some of the household goods and furniture prices.

[bdl123]

Sorry guys I don't agree on the 'cost of living' being exaggerated. I live in Wellington after relocating from the UK...in the UK my husband earned £80k GBP per annum. His new job in NZ is actually more skilled (but in the same area of electricity control) but his wage is drastically reduced to $90k NZD per annum. The house we rent is on par with our property in UK (which we are also currently renting out) but the NZ house costs twice as much to rent than the amount we are receiving in rent for our UK property. In the UK I never really had to look at the cost of things but I have to be fully aware in NZ. In the UK during the cold winter months (much coldwr and longer than in NZ) we had the central heating on daily...I made the same mistake here in our first winter and ended up with a monthly fuel bill of over $1100....an expensive lesson. The cost of day to day living is far higher in NZ than UK but the 'bargains' are out there...it's just less convenient than in UK as in I now need to shop in numerous different places to get weekly shopping whereas in UK it's all in one place (the supermarket)
I am, believe it it not, not actually complaining about this...even with my British heritage...as I would prefer to live in a cleaner & safer country so, for me the advantages out way the disadvantages.

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[agurkas]

On the subject of cost of food. For those of us in US, quality of food I came across in NZ was more on par of what we buy in Whole Foods or other higher-end grocery stores.

Here are some examples:
Meats: how many feedlots are in NZ (here is a hint - NONE)? So don't be surprised beef or pork is that much more expensive. Compare it to free-range in US and then tell me the price is much hire (it is not, it is the same or lower). 1kg of mince (ground beef) at Whole Foods is equivalent of ~$15NZD.
Vegetables and fruit: again, methods used in NZ actually either would qualify for USDA organic or local small farm standards. When you compare, those are actually cheaper in NZ.
Poultry and eggs: you would get locked up in NZ for animal cruelty, if you raised chickens like we do in US. Eggs I ate in NZ had so much flavor!

No wonder Kiwis live longer and look so much healthier.

[Leighr]

Originally Posted by bdl123

Sorry guys I don't agree on the 'cost of living' being exaggerated. I live in Wellington after relocating from the UK...in the UK my husband earned £80k GBP per annum. His new job in NZ is actually more skilled (but in the same area of electricity control) but his wage is drastically reduced to $90k NZD per annum. The house we rent is on par with our property in UK (which we are also currently renting out) but the NZ house costs twice as much to rent than the amount we are receiving in rent for our UK property. In the UK I never really had to look at the cost of things but I have to be fully aware in NZ. In the UK during the cold winter months (much coldwr and longer than in NZ) we had the central heating on daily...I made the same mistake here in our first winter and ended up with a monthly fuel bill of over $1100....an expensive lesson. The cost of day to day living is far higher in NZ than UK but the 'bargains' are out there...it's just less convenient than in UK as in I now need to shop in numerous different places to get weekly shopping whereas in UK it's all in one place (the supermarket)
I am, believe it it not, not actually complaining about this...even with my British heritage...as I would prefer to live in a cleaner & safer country so, for me the advantages out way the disadvantages.

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Fully agree with these comments.

[kiwigser]

Originally Posted by bdl123

Sorry guys I don't agree on the 'cost of living' being exaggerated. I live in Wellington after relocating from the UK...in the UK my husband earned £80k GBP per annum. His new job in NZ is actually more skilled (but in the same area of electricity control) but his wage is drastically reduced to $90k NZD per annum.

Your husband was definitely one of the high earners in the UK, I believe the average UK salary to be in the thirties. You would really feel the pinch.

[dawnclaremaddox]

Originally Posted by bdl123

Sorry guys I don't agree on the 'cost of living' being exaggerated. I live in Wellington after relocating from the UK...in the UK my husband earned £80k GBP per annum. His new job in NZ is actually more skilled (but in the same area of electricity control) but his wage is drastically reduced to $90k NZD per annum. The house we rent is on par with our property in UK (which we are also currently renting out) but the NZ house costs twice as much to rent than the amount we are receiving in rent for our UK property. In the UK I never really had to look at the cost of things but I have to be fully aware in NZ. In the UK during the cold winter months (much coldwr and longer than in NZ) we had the central heating on daily...I made the same mistake here in our first winter and ended up with a monthly fuel bill of over $1100....an expensive lesson. The cost of day to day living is far higher in NZ than UK but the 'bargains' are out there...it's just less convenient than in UK as in I now need to shop in numerous different places to get weekly shopping whereas in UK it's all in one place (the supermarket)
I am, believe it it not, not actually complaining about this...even with my British heritage...as I would prefer to live in a cleaner & safer country so, for me the advantages out way the disadvantages.

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum

Hi there, my other half is paid better here in NZ than he was in the UK. He never has been in a high salary as yours, but we have always managed even in the UK. My salary as unskilled has always been minimum wage and I am happy.

Rent or buying depends on the house and area. We rented a room to get an idea what it was like to be in a villa in our desired area at the time, we changed our minds on what we started out wanting after 4 months, bought in a different area and a newer property. We have a woodburner in the lounge and underfloor heating in the bathrooms, we bought a couple of little fan heaters which we have used just a few times. I do have to travel 30km each way, a small price to pay and I am used to this as I was in the same situation in the UK. I also shop around, just the same as I did in the UK, so really, no difference. Car insurance is cheaper even after going up $40 this year. House and contents is a little bit more, but fuel is a bit cheaper. Refuse and recycling collection every week here, recycling was fornightly in the UK. Our verges here are cut much more regularly and the roads are better maintained than the UK also.

There are many, many more things to mention and not much to complain about, (if any!) we have been here just over a year now and still love it and we have just had a write up on our experiences here.
Swap Sides to Taranaki New Zealand - Taranaki - Like No Other
Hope this is ok with the modifiers.

[bdl123]

Originally Posted by dawnclaremaddox

Hi there, my other half is paid better here in NZ than he was in the UK. He never has been in a high salary as yours, but we have always managed even in the UK. My salary as unskilled has always been minimum wage and I am happy.

Rent or buying depends on the house and area. We rented a room to get an idea what it was like to be in a villa in our desired area at the time, we changed our minds on what we started out wanting after 4 months, bought in a different area and a newer property. We have a woodburner in the lounge and underfloor heating in the bathrooms, we bought a couple of little fan heaters which we have used just a few times. I do have to travel 30km each way, a small price to pay and I am used to this as I was in the same situation in the UK. I also shop around, just the same as I did in the UK, so really, no difference. Car insurance is cheaper even after going up $40 this year. House and contents is a little bit more, but fuel is a bit cheaper. Refuse and recycling collection every week here, recycling was fornightly in the UK. Our verges here are cut much more regularly and the roads are better maintained than the UK also.

There are many, many more things to mention and not much to complain about, (if any!) we have been here just over a year now and still love it and we have just had a write up on our experiences here.
Swap Sides to Taranaki New Zealand - Taranaki - Like No Other
Hope this is ok with the modifiers.

Hiya, I agree that in Taranaki rental properties or buying would probably cheaper than in but unfortunately here in Wellington rental prices are far higher than a similar property in similar vicinity to a major town/city in UK.

I am comparing the standard & cost of living we had in the UK compared to here...based on a career of significantly more responsibility in NZ. Prices of majority of things, especially branded items, are far higher in NZ but the salaries are generally less.
Some examples would be Sudafed Nasal Spray £2.75 GBP in NZ $18 (even 'home brand that is made in Auckland $14 & therefore isn't imported)
Simple Refreshing Face Wash in UK £2.99 in NZ $10.99
Homebrand Ibuprofen tablets in UK £0.26 in NZ $2.69
I agreed that the bargains are out there but they're not as easy to find as in UK.
Health care in UK is free....it's not in NZ
Waste disposal in UK is free..it's not in Welly
So even though petrol/diesel, insurance etc are cheaper I've found the 'weekly' spends for everyday necessities are more expensive.

I suppose everyone has different experiences depending on what they were used to before emigration and which part of NZ they ended up. Hey...if the UK was that good we'd have never left eh? ;-)
Look forward to reading ur blog

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