Hi, mel and all,

I, too, have been planning our move to NZ for quite awhile. My husband is a native and I myself went to visit in order to satisfy myself on the very point you raise. Goodness knows anti-American sentiment in NZ -- or anywhere -- would be quite understandable at the moment!

As Coulliette says, there isn't anything to worry about. New Zealanders take people as they find them, for the most part, and I did not encounter any overt dislike of Americans during my time there. In fact, quite the opposite -- NZers seemed very curious about our lifestyle and reasons for wishing to shift to NZ. While they (like me) are baffled at the behavior of our government, they take Americans on a case-by-case basis.

This is in contrast to Australia, where during a visit in August, 2002, I was unsettled by anti-American sentiment I encountered. Not much, but it did exist, and I was sad to be judged by my accent alone.

You will love it in NZ!

All the best, Rae