Curious: peoples' reasons for leaving/picking NZ?

[Coxy]

Just wondering what it was that drives other people to want to emigrate, and why they picked NZ.

[Coxy]

Sorry,
I suppose I should have put my reasons on here first.

Reasons for wanting to leave:
1. Weather
2. Traffic
3. Class system
4. The fact that at the weekend people here go shopping instead of doing something more fulfilling/interesting
5. Pace of life
6. UK obsession with status symbols (I know you get this in NZ too, but not to the same degree)
7. Lack of strong family ties (I suppose this isn't really a reason to leave, more that there is no string pull to stay for).


Why NZ?
1. Lived there for a year before and loved it (why did we ever come back????)
2. Weather
3. Being able to walk in the supermarket/town without any shoes on and not getting funny looks (try it in the UK!)
4. Outdoor lifestyle
5. More positive/progressive outlook of most Kiwis
6. Landscape

[Glenda]

[quote:35f53f2783="Coxy"]Sorry,
I suppose I should have put my reasons on here first.

Reasons for wanting to leave:
1. Weather
2. Traffic
3. Class system
4. The fact that at the weekend people here go shopping instead of doing something more fulfilling/interesting
5. Pace of life
6. UK obsession with status symbols (I know you get this in NZ too, but not to the same degree)
7. Lack of strong family ties (I suppose this isn't really a reason to leave, more that there is no string pull to stay for).


Why NZ?
1. Lived there for a year before and loved it (why did we ever come back????)
2. Weather
3. Being able to walk in the supermarket/town without any shoes on and not getting funny looks (try it in the UK!)
4. Outdoor lifestyle
5. More positive/progressive outlook of most Kiwis
6. Landscape[/quote:35f53f2783]

Hi Coxy,

Similar to you really. ::):

Weather - yes, fed up with long cold grey winters in which my kids spend six months on the playstation. Traffic - yes, this really goes hand in hand with the over-population of the UK. Class - well, would not say class as in 'upper class', more like class as in chavs and those who like to decorate this country with rubbish, burnt cars and graffiti. Shopping - well, I guess that is a habit many can't break and there seems to be little more in life here than spend money. Pace of life - yes, definitely. UK obsession with status symbols - yes, because I don't want them but the kids are of an age that they are beginning to. Lack of strong family ties - yes, again, in fact it would be a relief to get away from some of our family members.

To this I would add

1. Increasing red tape ... it is becoming very difficult to run a business here any more.
2. Spiralling costs - NI, council tax, other taxes, petrol, etc.
3. Growing disregard for human life - there are so many of us that IMO we are becoming more expendable.

And why NZ?

The same as you really. I've lived there before, hubby has visited three times. Would add that in comparison with Australia and Canada, the weather in NZ has less extremes in temperature and does not have the dangerous wildlife. Would also add that we know NZ is great for kids. OK, NZ does have its problems ... e.g. giving driving licences to 15 year olds, cannabis and 'P', extremist Maoris, earthquakes and volcanoes ... but we can live with the novelty for a while. :icon_wink:

Threads like this sure makes one more determined to make the move. :icon_biggrin:

[netchicken]

My goodness!!!

Thats why people leave NZ for Australia!!

[quote:8c8bdbf438="Coxy"]Sorry,
I suppose I should have put my reasons on here first.

Reasons for wanting to leave:
1. Weather
2. Traffic
3. Class system
4. The fact that at the weekend people here go shopping instead of doing something more fulfilling/interesting
5. Pace of life
6. UK obsession with status symbols (I know you get this in NZ too, but not to the same degree)
7. Lack of strong family ties (I suppose this isn't really a reason to leave, more that there is no string pull to stay for).

[/quote:8c8bdbf438]

[Coxy]

Sorry netchicken, but I can't quite belive that Kiwis leave NZ for those 7 reasons too!

Weather??? Why would someone not like the weather (unless they live in Greymouth I suppose). And Traffic??? I drove from Christchurch to Wanaka once and saw about 5 other cars! (although in Napier, I do remember a traffic jam of 7 cars which lasted for about ten mintues made the front page of the paper)

I thought Kiwis just went to Oz because of jobs/money(?).
And I think it's a very particular type of Kiwi that prefers Oz to NZ culturally (and IMO NZ is probably better off without them)

Well, it has to be said that the weather isnt amazing in NZ, when you compare it to Oz, but Oz is just too darn hot! (North Island is certainly better than the UK though, rest assured!)

The traffic is pretty bad in the major cities, well, Auckland anyway! Not sure what its like in Welly, but here in Hamilton, come school kicking out time and rush hour, there are certainly a lot of cars on the road, but nothing like in the UK. I can only really vouch for Tauranga and Hamilton, but I would say on average a 10 minute drive becomes a 20 minute drive during peak times. Hardly worth leaving the country over, thats for sure!

[Coxy]

Well I lived in Hawke's bay before so maybe my opinion of the weather is biased, as it's always great there (although the Kiwis moan when there's a frost, which makes me laugh).

Traffic: I guess all cities have a traffic problem, but I still don't think Auckland or Welly are anywhere near as bad as Manchester or Leeds, let alone London.
The other thing is that you can't get away from it over here. Even in rural areas the roads are chocka. In NZ, once you're outside of the "cities" it's quiet. We used to drive from Napier to Auck quite regularly, and never got caught in a jam. Try an equivalent journey here!

When was the last time you were in the UK Taffy? It seems to have got a lot worse here over the past ten years. Having said that, I do remember moaning about Kiwi drivers when we were there. Nice people, but they're bloody awful at driving (no indicators, struggle at roundabouts, and a nightmare at overtaking on the "highways").
(I'm doing my whingeing pom bit now)

Coxy

We've only been in NZ for 6 months now, but we come from Wales so our biggest nightmare cities were Newport and Cardiff , with a max population of about 400,000 in Cardiff and 200,000 in Newport (and Swansea is pretty big if you were brave enough to venture down that way!)

Places like Manchester, Leeds and London have more people crammed in to them individually than the whole of NZ, so if you come from one of those cities, then NZ will be a breeze!

Even, as you said, living in the sticks gets jammed up with folks trying to escape to a leafy glade! (Take the New Forest for a prime example!)

I think one major problem encountered in places like the UK is the age of the towns/cities which were never designed to cater for more than the odd horse, and a serious lack of good planning and development!

Anyway.... enough waffling from me :icon_wink:

[netchicken]

Well without wanting to advertise aussie...
The climate on the Gold Coast / queenland is awesome, lowest temp in winter is 13 Degrees.
Warm seas, OK landscape,
Higher paying jobs,
Outdoor living,
Some leave to get away from the Maori /Pakeha fights (our class system)
More interesting cities
lack of strong family ties...

its nearly all there

[quote:1a738689b3="Coxy"]Sorry netchicken, but I can't quite belive that Kiwis leave NZ for those 7 reasons too!

Weather??? Why would someone not like the weather (unless they live in Greymouth I suppose). And Traffic??? I drove from Christchurch to Wanaka once and saw about 5 other cars! (although in Napier, I do remember a traffic jam of 7 cars which lasted for about ten mintues made the front page of the paper)

I thought Kiwis just went to Oz because of jobs/money(?).
And I think it's a very particular type of Kiwi that prefers Oz to NZ culturally (and IMO NZ is probably better off without them)[/quote:1a738689b3]

I guess this 'arguement' can only be based on where you come from. Coming from the UK, NZ is a haven, but living your whole life in NZ, Aussie is more exciting.

The weather in NZ is better than the UK and the pace of life much slower, which is what most people want.

The weather in Oz is much nicer than NZ, and the pace of life a little faster, which is something some Kiwis want!

I've spoke with a few people from NZ who made the leap across the ditch to Oz, and came back as the weather was just too much to handle.

So really, this topic could go around in circles as we've neglected to mention just how many Kiwis want to/have gone to the UK! Now why would anyone make a silly move like that?! :icon_lol: