Brits say NZ's a beauty but too quiet

Too quiet!!! I can't believe it! Why there is life in NZ cities to well after 10pm on Saturdays! And I bet they havn't heard the morning chorus of birds in the catlins, nothing quiet about them.

http://stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3147660a10,00.html

05 January 2005

By MIKE CREAN

New Zealand, the world's most beautiful country – but not the top place to live, says a new English survey.


Gather some young Brits at Base Backpackers in Cathedral Square and you will not find much argument with that.

Four independent travellers expressed no surprise at a survey by London's Daily Telegraph that rated New Zealand the world's most beautiful country, but down the ladder when it comes to places to live.

It is a great country to visit, for physical beauty, fun and friendliness, but it is too quiet and too dear, they said.

Jason Stray has been everywhere but is in New Zealand for the first time. Four years ago, Australia was the place to go and no-one talked about New Zealand. That has changed.

Steve Westgarth said everyone back home knew someone in New Zealand and they all talked about "what an awesome place it is".

"It's a cool place to be," he said. "No other country in the world has the tourist thing like this, where you can do everything and have the same bus driver the whole way and you experience Maori culture and wicked beaches and all – it's gorgeous."

Andy Roberts summed Canterbury up: "It's like a warm Wales." Stray agreed that much of New Zealand looked like parts of Britain, but said some of the landscape was the most beautiful anywhere.

"There is something for everyone – if you want to get p... ed or take a nice walk. It seems a lot more relaxed here. And it's easy to get around. It's such a doddle, though expensive."

"Transport links in New Zealand are pretty bad," Westgarth said. "But the hostels are great and the backpackers here seem a friendlier bunch than elsewhere."

Emily Jackson said the scenery was spectacular and the extreme sports a big draw. New Zealand's popularity was growing by word of mouth. But could she live here? No.

"It's the low population. It's very quiet. The cities are lively for visitors but people are always moving on. There's constant change – not a place to settle," she said.

Stray could live in Sydney, maybe Auckland, but not Christchurch.

Boring? "It's pretty quiet, yeah."

The survey found New Zealand to be the third most popular holiday destination and the fourth choice of country to live in.

It was also rated the third safest and fifth most democratic country. However, it failed to register among the top five countries for friendliness of its people.