[roadie]

Hi - My wife, I and our two kids 4 and 7 months moved to the North Shore last Decemeber from the UK (Bristol/Bath area UK) as my wife got a teaching job here, and we'd become fed up with the UK and wanted a change of pace, and believed that NZ would offer more opportunities, and a safer enviroment for our kids to grow up in.

Since being here, we have become a little disalusioned with the place (North Shore), and hopefully not New Zealand. The list of 'complaints' we have is:

1) Nutty drivers - you don't feel safe on the road, and statistically they do suck, you are for example twice as likely to be killed on a NZ road, tail gating, no indicating, drunk - you name it we've seen it all since being here! I've been as far as Rotorua and Corremandel, it was certainly no better there!

2) Litter -we live in supposedly the nicest of the East Coast Bays, yet everywhere you go the pavements, hedges, verges are littered with broken glass, mostly beer bottles, thrown out of moving vehicles, and the bus stop next to our house has had the glass smashed 3 times in the last 6 months. Used condoms etc etc........ it's pretty disgusting!

3) Back to the driving - Boy racers using the local roads as a race track up until 5am most weekends.

Don't get me wrong, I love many aspects of New Zealand but am getting depressed with the idea that the people who live here have scant regard for anyone other than themselves, the way they treat others, and the way they treat the countryside - please please please tell me that not all of New Zealand is like this, i might as well of stayed in the UK - there is honestly way less litter, and most folk say thank you if you open a door for them!

I know i'm gripping maybe, but to be honest i'm getting fed up with the place, tell me where's a place i and the family should visit to change our minds Pleeeeeease!