"New Zealand – The Most Boring Place on Earth"
A few days ago Travel MSN UK published a list of the Most Boring Places on Earth.
It was based on feedback from users of the site’s message board, readers were asked which places they thought were the dullest on the planet. “Home” came first in the first 4 locations, understandable because afterall this is a travel site, Brits aren’t shy of saying what they think about their own backyards under such circumstances.
The readers’ first placed foreign destination, New Zealand, may come as a surprise to a few but not to others. The country has long aspired to be the premier destination for cashed-up adrenaline junkies, how can it be boring? Interestingly it’s not just travellers that responded to the survey but migrants living in New Zealand too.
“…And so to perhaps one of the most surprising entries on the world’s most boring places list. The filming of the Lord of the Rings in New Zealand must have roughly quadrupled the number of British people who fantasise about the country as a place of mystery and beauty to which they long to escape.
Should they do so, however, they may find they have underestimated the (large) extent to which sheep outnumber humans in the country.
“We moved to New Zealand for a change of lifestyle,” says Richard Fromage, one of several users disillusioned with the twin Antipodean islands. ”We certainly got it: we felt like we’d moved into semi-retirement.”Another user calls the country “dull“, with a “pompous” population who enjoy a “boring lifestyle“. Yet another observes: “All you ever get from the Kiwis is how beautiful it is.” So why are they all in the UK, he asks.
Yet Lalua is probably speaking for many when she says: “I lived in New Zealand for a year and thought it was very beautiful and the locals warm and friendly.”
But this is nothing new. Travel journalists have been taking their professional lives in their hands and saying New Zealand is boring for some years.
In 2002 Round the World Netjetter “Ellie” caused an absolute uproar when she described New Zealand in the Guardian newspaper as “One of the dullest places on earth.” It quickly earned her the title of “public enemy number one” within New Zealand and even prompted a rebuttal from the tourism minister of the day. This is what she said that caused so much offence to so many:
“Describing travelling in New Zealand, I feel like the woman who swallowed a thesaurus in an incident described as tragic, awful, calamitous, disastrous and lamentable. There are lots of ways to describe the country, but it all boils down to the same thing: it’s pretty. The Marlborough Sounds? Well, yes, they’re beautiful. Fjordland? Dramatic. The glaciers? Remarkable. The mountains? Impressive. Waterfalls? Sensational.
What about the landscape, surroundings, terrain and views? Oh yes, they’re all charming, dazzling, lovely, spectacular and striking. And they are. But nice hills and rivers don’t hide the fact that New Zealand is essentially one of the dullest places on earth.
Take the Tranzscenic railway which runs from Greymouth to Christchurch. It is touted as one of the world’s best train journeys. And while New Zealand remains as far away from most other countries as it is, Kiwis can probably convince themselves that this is true. But really, it’s no nicer than that scenic bit in Staffordshire that British trains go through when they head north.
While Helen Clark, the country’s prime minister, was in the UK trying to convince Britons that New Zealand is dynamic and ready for the 21st century, I was touring some of the cities here. Wellington, the capital city, has a population half the size of that of Luxembourg. Auckland, with over a million people, is supposed to be a cosmopolitan city. Nearly a third of the people in New Zealand live there. But a bustling city it certainly isn’t.
One of the most frequently heard compliments about the country is that the people are friendly. They are, actually, but alas, friendly doesn’t equal interesting. No wonder so many Kiwis spend years working for minimal wages in bars and pubs across the UK. I would too, if it was the only way to get away. The national bird is flightless and even the national fruit was brought here from somewhere else – China, in fact. Even New Zealand-born Russell Crowe has just applied for an Australian passport.
It’s not that New Zealand isn’t pleasant. As I’ve said, parts of it are very nice to look at indeed. It just lacks something. Personality, perhaps? The prettiest part of the country is the west coast of the South Island, which plays host to the Franz Josef and the Fox glaciers. I took a helicopter ride to a point on the Fox glacier where, kitted out with hobnailed boots, crampons and a walking stick, I hiked on the ice for a couple of hours. Because the glacier moves new paths and footholds have to be cut every day but, as this was the luxury helicopter hike, someone else did that for me.
The glacier can actually move up to 4m a day, surprisingly quick for New Zealand where “no worries” and “chill out” are regular refrains. “This hole is several hundred metres deep,” said Ricky, the guide, pointing to a crack in the ice. I promptly dropped my sunglasses down it. This was the second pair to go, the first having committed suicide off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Apart from the scenery, there are two things New Zealanders are proud of: Lord of the Rings, and being reigning champions of the America’s Cup. Actually, make that three. New Zealand is also proud of being a nuclear-free zone. But this is one of the things the London Borough of Hackney boasts about, and you wouldn’t want to spend three weeks touring Dalston, would you?
“I was in Lord of The Rings,” said Dave, my bus driver. “I was one of the army fighting the Orcs in part two.” We were driving through Twizel, a village on the South Island. “This here,” said Dave, “was part of Middle Earth.”
Ask a New Zealander to tell you something interesting about their country and after hesitating for several minutes, they’ll probably come up with the America’s Cup. For the uninitiated, this is a yacht race. As Team New Zealand are the reigning champions, a whole harbourside development in Auckland has been built on the America’s Cup theme. “Look, there are our boys out on the water, practising,” said the guide on my dolphin-spotting expedition. “Now all turn round and bow to them. They are our heroes.”
The country has been living off this piece of sporting success for years, and probably will continue to do so for years to come. Which would be rather like the Brits still basking in the glory of their 1966 World Cup victory. Something we’d never do, surely?”
Here are some fairly typical responses from the NZ public to her critique of “God Zone”
- “NZ lacks personality? You wouldn’t know “personality” if it bit you on the arse, I’m afraid. All I can say is that it’s high-and-mighty, jealous attitudes like yours which lost Britain its Empire!”
- “For sure, New Zealand is a very small country, but for such a small and dull country we still manage to beat you in the recent cricket test and we often beat you by large and memorable scores in the rugby. Sure, our native bird may be flightless but you are wrong about the kiwifruit. See – we New Zealanders are interesting people.”
- “It’s a pity that you felt so bored in “Godzone”. We certainly must be dull: we have no terrorists attacking us, no children being attacked by mobs and killed in front of housing estates and we enjoy a pretty fair amount of racial harmony for a country with such a diverse ethnic population. We also do not have to step over young men with dogs selling the Big Issue on the streets because they don’t have a home to go to, most of us don’t have to commute for ages just to get to work, and we don’t get frozen in our moderate winters. We may indeed be dull for loving a lifestyle that can be found nowhere else on earth. If so, good on us!”
We are wondering what will happen when the news of the Travel MSN UK survey gets out!
See also:
The History of the Kiwi Fruit – Wikipedia
See also blog posts New Zealand’s problems with:
Crime
Child Poverty
Homeless People
Tourist Attacks
Armed Robberies
Racism
And
That’s cold – exposing the myth about a sub tropical New Zealand
Migrants’ Tales: First hand accounts of migrant life in New Zealand.
Today’s posts – click here
Not all comments are published, please read our comments [E2nz.org/comments] page before hitting that enter button
Migrant Tales
1080 Poison, 100% Pure?
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http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/2007/12/emigrating-to-new-zealand.html
I feel quite sad reading this description of NZ and it’s people. I am not native but my partner is. This article did not mention the first people of this land. They uses to eat people for crying out loud is that boring? Did you know NZ was the first county for women to get the vote? They have a trans-gendered person in parliment? What about where the human sprit jumps from the north island before going to the afterlife? You my friend have only scratched the surface of an endless ocean. Open your mind.
Kiwis are still eating people. Cashed-up migrants are tender, fat and delicious, and the thrifty Kiwis will even suck the marrow from their bones to extract full nutritional value.
Georgina Beyer left the NZ parliament in 2007, is there another trans gender MP at present?
To some extent I think people are right – Nerw Zealand is a tad quiet and boring. But that is its great strength.
How in the world is quiet and boring a strength? Only a Kiwi would find boredom as a strength. I can’t imagine what a weakness would be!
Actually I am a Pom so have a sense of what I’m talking about having emigrated here from England a few years ago. NZ is a great place to bring up kids and instill some good old fashioned appreciation of what is important in life.
Sarah. 10 years and you still call yourself as a pom? Don’t you think after 10 years you’d have soaked up a little of the local mores, surely you should be calling yourself a Kiwi by now.
Some of our readers will take issue with your statement that NZ’s a great place to bring up kids, seeing that it has high levels of child abuse, preventable childhood deaths, youth suicide and youth unemployment. Perhaps that’s why so many children leave as soon as they are able to and go elsewhere to look for what is important in life?
She’s moved on to work in Australia. So much for raising kids in NZ.
That “it’s a pity” poster only lists the “bad exciting” aspects of other places. She doesn’t list the “good exciting”, which outnumber the “bad exciting”.
Your chances of being killed by some wacko outside of New Zealand are fairly low compared to your chances of having a good time going to a museum and cafe on an affordable, stimulating outing. Your chances of being killed by a wacko in New Zealand may be somewhat lower than in other places; however, your chances of having a good time going to a museum and cafe on an affordable, stimulating outing.are almost BLOODY NIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Frak New Zealand! The sheep can have it.
New Zealand is a great place to VISIT, not so great to LIVE and SETTLE in, that’s the confusion. When I visited I was amazed by the beauty, friendliness (from people in tourism business, tour guides, etc), and conveniences (ATMs, good roads), the exchange rate was favorable for my currency. Coming in from outside to try and live and work there was a completely different story. I fell for the skills shortage hype and made the move, spending thousands of dollars, but not getting hired except for part-time jobs. People were not as friendly the cost of living is very high. I would recommend it 100% as a tourist but not as an immigrant.
Hi Eve, many people say the same as you. Some places are best kept for holidays. ‘Camping’ may be fun for a week or two, but who wants to spend their whole life like that?
I presume some people don’t need more than pretty beaches. You will be criticised for calling New Zealand boring because that means of course that you crave glitter and big city crime and everything that’s bad. There is no inbetween for these sensitive Kiwis. If you don’t like New Zealand, you are a bad person who likes bad places. End of story.
Gossip is the hottest thing going in these tiny towns. There is nothing of interest to feed off of, and they all talk about one another with lurid speculation.
New Zealand is the place time forgot. Every time I go out on errands in town I have to dig around in my pocketbook and find my cellphone to see what time it is. NO STORE HAS CLOCKS UP ANYWHERE. The land time forgot – literally. Generally speaking, don’t count on anything being timely. Ultimately, time doesn’t matter.
Not so much Hobbiton, more Hamistagan?
Lealie:
The Corsican Republic of 1755 gave women universal suffrage, but was annexed by France in 1769. (Carrington, Dorothy, “The Corsican Constitution of Pasquale Paoli (1755-1769),” The English Historical Review, Vol 88, No 348 (July 1973), pp 481–503). Pitcairn Island gave women universal suffrage in 1838, but was not a self-governing country; nor was the Isle of Man which enfranchised female ratepayers in 1881, or the Cook Islands, which passed a women’s suffrage bill days after New Zealand but held their election over a month earlier. Various American states and territories also enfranchised women before 1893. (Atkinson, Neill (2003), Adventures in Democracy: A History of the Vote in New Zealand, pp 280–1). Franceville gave both native and European women the vote when it declared independence in 1889, but it came under French and British colonial rule soon after. (“Wee, Small Republics: A Few Examples of Popular Government,” Hawaiian Gazette, Nov 1, 1895, p1).
New Zealand wasn’t the first to grant women the vote. I’m tired of hearing that statement.
“This article did not mention the first people of this land. They uses to eat people for crying out loud is that boring?”
Eh, what book are you reading? The Maori are not the first people of the land – the Moriori are.
The Maori ate them!
Um, Were talking about New Zealand here! The Maori were the first in New Zealand, The Moriori are the indigenous people of the Chatham Islands. And yeah, Maori’s did eat the Pakeha. And yes New Zealand WAS the first country to grant women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. I’m only 13 and i know this stuff so get your facts right before you go correcting people.
I am proud to be a kiwi through and through and i wouldn’t change my nationality for the world.
Ella if this is something you care about please do your research fully and find out where women were first given the vote, and just as importantly where they were granted sufferage.
Why not turn to our Facts and Stat pages where you will find the following information
You don’t need to change your nationality.
‘Cause countries like the US and the UK … support dual-citizenship.
So you can go live there, while telling us how great things are in NZ.
supppeeeeer boring!
Shot-over Jet. Bungy Jump. Skydiving. Theme Parks. Zorb Ball. Swing bridge. Hiking glaciers. Canyon Swings. Kayaking. Surfing. White River Rafting. Abseiling. Canyoning. Spelunking. Rugby. Haka. Black Water Rafting. Agroventures. Skytrek. Heli-skiing. Amazing scenery.
And you said New Zealand was boring?
Too right, too right.
Dear iLOVEtheALLbLACKS. Thanks for the list.
Theme parks, in New Zealand? You’re not referring to the South Island are you.
Other than the Haka (which some Polynesian countries also have) what is so specific about any of this to New Zealand? Other countries offer the same and with a far better safety record.
Because we think that you probably do none of the things on your list, sit home most nights and watch Coro whilst dunking digestives in your tea, we decided to publish your self congratulatory post (see above) which you made under the name of iheartkiwis
You’re obviously no fan of cultural pursuits, the Arts or any form of intellectual endeavour. Not being bored is about exercising the mind, not the adrenal gland.
Enjoy that cuppa.
p.s. if you decide to make any more comments please don’t give them a thumbs up before they’re published, that’s just daft.
Adventure sports are fun when you are in your early 20s. You can do all those things then. But the prevalence of adventure sports opportunities is not a factor that most older settled people take into consideration. They will look at safety, cost, housing, crime, culture, professional and educational opportunities and all those practical factors that go into making a country or city livable.
Those are all activities for rich tourists from overseas. They all cost several hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, not considering the cost to travelling and staying at places like Queenstown.
Many, if not most, locals have never experienced what you are mentioning. They are too busy trying to pay outrageous prices for food and housing. Temporary residents may enjoy this in the first year, but after that these get stale, and not worth the cost.
And they are not unique to NZ, jet boating in Sydney harbour is waay better..
Yes all those activities are great for rich outdoor enthusiasts but for a person who much prefers the arts, there are no music venues, no museums, galleries, no nothing! And the ONE amusement park in the entire country is pathetic. Even tiny little towns in the US have larger, more exciting attractions at 1/3 the price! You can do all those activities in the US so why go that far? You have beauty and tranquility (and whale watching) in New England. New York City, WOW, you have EVERYTHING. Then you have the warm beaches of the Atlantic, cruises, Disneyworld, and swimming with the dolphins in Florida, tropical paradises much closer to the US than NZ to Tahiti and there’s the deserts and stunning beauty of the Grand Canyon.
We have Washington DC FULL of Smithsonian museums of every sort of history imaginable. There’s the hiking and camping beauty in the west and in Yosemite park. Then there’s surfing and just fabulousness of Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco where there is plenty of wine here too. Not to mention the diverse state of Texas. AND it’s all in the same country which costs a few hundred dollars for a flight anywhere with thousands of food and drink choices no matter where you go! It takes under 5 hours to fly coast to coast.
NZ is very overrated and only raved about by those who live there and have never seen what’s out in the world or those who are fooled into thinking it’s some sort of paradise which they have never experienced. I feel bad because I know the natives are offended but oh man if you’re not born and raised there you can’t do it unless you’re over the age of 70! Oh and bungey jumping? Seriously?? No one does that anymore for entertainment!
That’s right, Moonlight. Not to mention running out of money more and more the longer you stay here. Many of those bungee type activities are “luxury” activities for tourists or are not sustainable hobbies over a longer period for anyone but a pinhead adrenaline junkie. As are the goods in the shops, the restaurant meals – too expensive for residents and locals. Most Kiwis cannot afford a fraction of what visiting tourists have to spend. There is a reason for that.
You can do all these things 100 times intensified in the US. And you have ONE theme park in the entire country with only ONE roller coaster fit for an 8 year old!
If I could reach into this computer screen and choke you “Samantha” I would do it with pleasure, the reason why I would do it? is because us Kiwi’s have passion and love for our country and even though most of us move away it does not mean our heart has left, we would defend our country with honor.
If you could not just keep positive about New Zealand and judge it on the sense of lack of interest I suggest you stay in your own country before you get beaten into a pulp you ingrateful tart. New Zealand is majestic, pure and intriguing. Have fun shooting yourself up with heroin, and watching police get stabbed in night clubs. At least in New Zealand that does not happen! and if it does, it is ever so rarely!! Once in every 10 years!
Every country there is child abuse, although there is a high record of it being in New Zealand, it is most probably on the basis of New Zealand not having dramatic incidencts with terrorists etc whereas countries like US and England seem to be a big target for dramatic issues arising constantly… You know why? it is because you lot, have no compassion for many races whatsoever, and are extremely loud mouthed and over opinionated. Hence why those countries are the biggest targets for terrorist attacks and bombings. As in your opinion we may not be “interesting” but I guess maybe our non existent “interest” keeps us safe at night.
And just to quickly spot a comment somewhere along this blog about child abuse… I must say: Every country has records of child abuse, I’m sorry that, that can be the only extremely dramatic thing you can pick out of our country. At least our children don’t start drinking and having sex at the poor age of 10 and end up on Jeremy Kyle. Absolutely filth you lot are.
This was just one of five comments KiwiGirl made on this thread, the rest aren’t worthy of publication.
This one was let through because we’ve never before seen an attempt made to explain away the high child abuse statistics with a lack of terrorism! We thought that would be an interesting talking point for our readers.
Please note KiwiGirl is presently in Australia so New Zealand may look more appealing from afar.
So taking the points she makes about child abuse and risk taking behaviours (we refer readers back to our Facts and Stats pages for further information ) Here are some facts
Children as young as nine are among the hundreds of young people aged under 16 that are being treated for alcohol and drugs addiction – and that’s just in Auckland. The numbers of children receiving treatment is on the rise – there was a 20% increase last year (2010)
The Chief Coroner said he was “shocked and frustrated” by the high number of very young teens (some as young as 13) who drink themselves to death in New Zealand. It’s another symptom of the country’s hard drinking/binge drinking culture.
New Zealand is ranked joint third in the world by UNICEF for the highest number of child maltreatment deaths (1.2 per 100,000 children) only the US and Mexico have more.
New Zealand has the third highest rate per capita for teen pregnancy.
NZ teens had almost 4,000 abortions in 2009, 79 of them performed on children aged 11-14. “The high rate of teenage abortions showed the need for comprehensive sexuality education, and for parents to talk to their children about sex”.
The rate of teen sexually transmitted diseases is “going through the roof” in Taranaki because of younger teenagers engaging in regular sex. Approximately one third of year 9 and 10 New Zealand pupils – most under the age of 15 – are having sexual relationships, according to public health figures. Girls are more likely to start having sex younger than boys.
Well I can see that “KiwiGirl” isn’t setting a very good example as to what the Kiwi personality is like. All I see is a bunch of anger and frustration which seems pretty violent. Not how I’d imagine happy people to react. I’m in my late 30′s and as an American, I have never used any sort of drug nor do I even drink except on a rare occassion. Every Kiwi I know is miserable and drinks alot which tells me they have nothing much else to do and I think it’s very sad but they just do not know any better. I’ve been there and I was bored out of my mind but that’s only because I know a different way of life and they don’t.
I see this person as being violent, RUDE, and immature. I actually don’t know a single person on heroin nor have I ever seen any police officer (or anyone for that matter) stabbed or shot. I don’t own a gun and neither does anyone I know. I think she’s seen Cops in Detroit one too many times! lol. And if the statistics for all these things she stated are high in the US, well you’re looking at a country that’s about 90% more populated than NZ. We have as many people here as they have sheep! We are targets for terrorism because it’s a religious war that the middle easterns have created in their minds. They are jealous of a more “materialistic” and advanced nation than them. And I’m sure no one is going to bother flying halfway around the world to bomb some tiny little land with a bunch of innocent sheep in the name of God!
So if what I’m saying makes me a loudmouthed, opinionated tart, I have no idea what you would call KiwiGirl’s rant. I have my dignity and haven’t had to resort to calling strangers names. She isn’t setting a good example for the happy, peaceful nation she’s trying to say she lives in. I just feel sorry for her and realize she doesn’t know any better. As for the STD and teenage pregnancies in NZ, well I personally think if there was more to do maybe they’d have something to keep them entertained and occupied but since they don’t, they spend their time “bonking” and drinking. I mean what else do they have to do? Play with sheep?
That poster forms opinions of other countries based on the media she watches, I suspect. I have lived in a few countries for long periods of time, and can say with real-life experience that New Zealand is no safer than any other place. It is more expensive, more deluded about its specialness and inconveniently “out there” geographically, however.
If NZ is so great why are you not in NZ? you are, ma’am, a hypocrite!
The only reason you have no terrorism problems in NZ is because no one gives a **** about this country. It’s irrelevant in the world stage. Period.
As for suggesting that hard drug and violence in night clubs doesn’t happen here…LOL gimme a break, look at this link, it’s about the guy that was killed a few days ago in the Viaduct:
http://msn.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10759117&ref=rss
“Viaduct death: Deadly encounter at the bar
In 2009, a Law Commission report suggested a raft of changes to drinking laws to try and rein in New Zealand’s culture of binge drinking. These included more taxes on alcohol, bigger restrictions and powers around licensing, shorter opening hours for pubs and changes to the purchasing age.
As part of their research in compiling the report, commission president Sir Geoffrey Palmer visited pubs and clubs to get a first-hand glimpse of the late-night party scene. He was shocked.
“There were scenes of chaos and disorder. I was surprised by it. We all were. I did not realise the extent of the disorder and the burden on police resources.”
The scenes were not ones “any civilised society should relish” he said at the time….”
Isn’t it interesting how some of the most vociferous defenders of New Zealand can’t seem to live there? ;P
You are the typical kiwi; and the reason I am high tailing it out of here.
Just reading your text makes me want to puke; it reeks of Kiwi stench.
Well I LOVE L&P but in all honesty, and I am not saying this rudely, but I think that kiwis defend NZ and love it so very much because they don’t know any better. It’s their home, their comfort, and what they are used to. But going from a country where you have everything you want, 4 seasons; snow, crips falls, lush springs, and hot summers, plus all kinds of beauty in one place, it’s hard to take that away and stick someone on an island in the middle of nowhere esp when they have no family or friends. You can’t do anything but stare at pretty and even Halle Berry gets boring if she’s all you stare at your whole life. In the US you can ski, go to the mountains, go to a WARM beach etc amongst many other things NZ is lacking. It’s a nice place to visit or perhaps retire to but it’s not worth living your life being deprived. There is so much more in the world so get out and see it!!!!!!!! We have so much to offer that we are used to; the shopping, FOOD, FLAVORS, amusement parks out the wazoo, zoos, museums, RESTARANTS, STORES etc. We don’t have to order everything online and pay more to ship than the item actually costs.
Other than amazing scenery the rest costs big money. Besides which all of it can be found in other countries, there is nothing special about any of it that makes NZ more interesting because it has it too, even the Haka is not unique to New Zealand.
Other countries will also cater for intelluctual persuits and offer cultural experiences that are seriously lacking in New Zealand. There’s only so much that scenery and sheep can do to stimulate the mind.
@E2
ROFLMAO yep it’s Groundhog Day Again in Hamistagan!
We have a saying around our house when yet another typical Kiwi bullshit setback grinds us into the dirt: “Ki’Ora! Living the Dream…”
In the Winterless North shops have signs on their doors: “COME IN IT’S WARM INSIDE” What’s wrong with this picture?
I bought the round-the-world Air New Zealand ticket, so will be making a trip to Aukland in a few weeks. Not a place I wanted to go really; its just that the travel agents and the airline employees of [other alliance] couldnt understand their own software; and they charge Americans over twice what tickets purchased in New Zealand cost. The Air New Zealand ticket was no problem at all. Hmm..I wonder if this country is a maritime version of Jamaica. I am looking forward to it, but in Googling NZ nothing of interest to me came up.
Yes New Zealand is the boring place on earth, equalled only by the people who live here, and believe me i have lived here all my life.
There is no room for individuality here.o no, dont dare try anything different – our national catch phrase is ” ooo you cant do that!”
We have no imagination, no insight and no verve.
We spend a lot of time give each other bourgiuos pats on the back for average works.
We are arrogant, self centered and imcompassionate. in fact we have have no passion about anything at all.
Bland. Thats what it is. Apathetic.
I have only one word of advice – save yourself before the low wages and constant government fees and charges cut your financial independence off and get out while you can.
I went there. My boyfriend lives there. It was the most BORING & DULLEST place I have ever been. He’s wants me to move there and I want him to come to the US. I know going there I will be so depressed and probably end up committing suicide. Pretty scenery isn’t enough. Google NZ and all you get is that “It’s a great place to retire.” Well I’m ready to begin my life at 35, not end it.
You just can’t expect an American to give up their life and move to NZ. It felt like prison to me being stranded in the middle of the ocean with nothing to do. Even the small town in the US that I’m from is way more happening and exciting than their “most modern city, Auckland”.
Dump the Kiwi wanker! Nobody’s worth moving to this dump for.
I know I know but he is a great man who treats me well. We are still feuding over where to live. He has been to the US and loves it; San Fran, LA, NYC, DC, and even Pittsburgh and he’s amazed by all the food we have in the grocery stores and places to shop even in the suburbs yet he wants me to give this all up, even my large close knit family which they don’t seem to be very family oriented in NZ ~ maybe it’s just him ~ so I can live there in his house and be “taken care” of. I’d have to stay in the house because there is really NOTHING TO DO. We went to Sheepworld and Kelly Tarlton’s Penguin Palace. Our small zoos blow these lame places away. Kiwi’s are offended because they don’t get out. They are used to their dull lives and just do not know any better way of life. I have never seen so many colorless people as they all seem to wear black. It’s a very depressing place even with the sun shining alot. Oh and I have never met a Kiwi that moved away and anxiously went back to NZ. Ever!
I am a Kiwi..I live opposite the seashore and work from my own home, bush country is 10 mins away for hiking, fishing, photgraghy, and hunting game. I have all my digital needs about and with me, my friends are close nearby and my last two family people are overseas but have always said they will return to live full time in NZ somewhere. They’ like me, went on their big OE and loved the excitement and the rush of life about them, BUT…they have found that everybody around them there hasn’t any individual lifestyle or to that matter their own personality…go to work on a Monday and they hear the same old, same old verbal tripe of Pubs, Drugs, and TV garbage every day everywhere. the youngest is coming back far sooner than she wanted too, as she has found the KIWI way is stable, far cleaner, and reliable..she also said she was sick of the public smelliness when on public or in crowds..”they don’t wash much over here at all, they use deoderants by the gallon, dad”…so you have your likes, we have our fantastic lifestyle that you are not tuned too, do we actually care…no, far from it…just watch out for nuke problems then us ‘down’ here will be ‘flavour of the world’ for you lot to run to, if we allow you that is.
Thanks for your comments Alex.
With reference to “nuke problems”
We noted that there was a run on supplies of potassium iodide in New Zealand after the leaks at the Fukushima nuclear plant, it appears that a great many people in New Zealand were afraid that they may fall victim to the fallout from the plant.
We also noted that New Zealand was one of the first countries to be affected by the Swine flu epidemic and that it continues to have cases. When the epidemic started the country had insufficient stocks of Tamiflu and some DHBs were restricting supplies.
But New Zealand has far more dangerous hazards to worry about than nuclear fallout and pandemics.
The earthquakes in Canterbury and the disaster at Pike River Mine had the world ‘running’ (as you put it) to New Zealand’s assistance. Evidence that when disaster strikes, New Zealand needs every ounce of help it can muster.
Just keep hoping that the world is able to continue to provide that assistance and that you can continue to enjoy your lifestyle as food and petrol costs continue to rise beyond your control.
Yes it was a group of school students on a trip to Mexico. This is the problem with global travel though isn’t it – pandemics spread rapidly and some countries are better equipped than others at treating and controlling their spread.
“Lesser JBC”? not heard of that one, nor of “turkey and chicen disease”.
Perhaps if you want to rant about Britain (you do seem to have a chip on your shoulder about that country for some reason) you may find it more fruitful to establish your own blog to do so?
Have you anything useful to add?
Refuge from Nuclear War? Ever read On the Beach?
Kiwis are trapped down here with millions of other Kiwis – I can’t imagine a worse fate than that. Where’s my red pill?
If you don’t care, then why are you ranting?
Sadly it is all true. Beautiful country ,but pity about the people. Tired of listening about how they are world leaders in almost everything, which no one else knows about.
So you selectively take credit for Rutherford’s work on splitting the atom, but not its consequences?
Penicillan (sic) was first used in New Zealand in 1944 at Nelson Public Hospital. Its bacteriostatic effects were discovered by Alexander Flemming in 1928, although Penicillium fungi had been a folk remedy since the middle ages. Its development as a medicine is attributed to Australian Howard Florey.
How do you feel about concentrated Uranium Oxide (yellowcake) passing through New Zealand ports for decades without your knowledge. Take a look at our Hype, Spin and Restrictions on Freedom of Information page to find out more.
No doubt that made some sense to you, but we can’t decipher it.
Good luck with setting up your blog and with the continued enjoyment of your New Zealand lifestyle.
This bloke needs to go back on his thorazine. Right now.
Funny you lot must be talking about a different NZ.
I’ve spent years travelling to and from NZ. One thing I didn’t notice was pissed up, vomiting Brits “avin a larfff” like you see back here.
One thing I did notice was the pompous attitude of American tourists.
One thing I did notice is that the average Kiwi will take time to talk to complete strangers and be genuinely welcoming.
I never once had a bad time in NZ even after living there for several months at a time.
Quiet! For Pete’s sake go live in the US if you want false smarmy “have a nice day robots or overpriced rip off Britain with it’s sullen crap attitudes.
Never heard a Kiwi banging on about being world leaders in much, unlike the UK & US who seem to have the notion they are Gods gift to the world.
“I have only one word of advice – save yourself before the low wages and constant government fees and charges cut your financial independence off and get out while you can.”
Hahaha try living in the UK you’ll soon see the truth of Govt. taxation and low wages, and the weather isn’t even that good either.
It’s not that Americans have a pompous attitude toward NZ, it’s just that they are very disappointed when everyone tells us how great it is and we spend nearly 24 hours on a plane to see and do less than we can do at home. It’s disappointment, not pompousness.
LOL LOL LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!!!
What a joke, I heard that the first week I arrived here, and continue hearing this BS constantly. Don’t think that you can lie to us Mr DP Kiwi, your whole post is typical of the denial mentality of Kiwis, and just confirm what we already know about your people
Is this person about 12 years old?
Is NZ the most boring place on earth? I wouldn’t know about that, but I do know it’s the most boring place I’ve ever lived in. There’s very little of interest architecturally or culturally and the shabbiness, which is the defining look of the place, is ultimately deeply depressing. The scenery is nice in places, but like everywhere else, you have to travel a bit to see it. Very few people are surrounded by exceptional vistas as they go about their daily lives. Even the great outdoors is not what you’d expect. There’s very little wildlife, and the birds of the forest are disappearing fast. So even hiking is boring comparatively speaking, if you like animal spotting. There’s very little native bush left, despite the low population. Last I looked, the NZ Department of Conservation (est. relatively recently) claims NZ has 24% native bush remaining and this includes mangroves, which have increased dramatically in the last few decades. So the so called pristine NZ landscape is really in fact endless fields of dairy pasture, pine plantations, and polluted lakes and rivers. I suppose the abundant gorse covered hills and low mountain ranges filled with introduced, destructive species of pig, goat, deer, stoats, and feral cats are what most people mistake for an unspoiled landscape. I think beyond beyond boring, NZ is a sad little place that’s been devastated, and very few people seem to care or notice, or even worse they’ve been duped by an expensive ad campaign. The ghastly concept of “nation branding” taken to its most dishonest extreme.
Sounds like a great place to retire to Alex.
We liked your comment about being more in tune with the world and pollution and wondered what your opinion is on the aerial use of toxins such 1080 and broadificoum in New Zealand? And how you feel about the pollution caused by burning wood in the winter to keep warm?
The smell you love on a cold night is also responsible for the premature deaths of 1,100 New Zealanders every year and for the ill heath of many more.
Since you seem to know nothing about it we suggest you go away and research Brodifacoum and hope that none of it is dropped in the the places you frequent.
Thank you for these, and other comments, in which you shared with us what it is to be a New Zealander.
It is obviously not easy an easy path to tread as there are many conflicts – both internal and external – that need to be overcome, and we wish you well with that.
If you have anything worthwhile, or cogent, to add we’ll be happy to publish it, otherwise thank you and have a good day.
I concur that the beautiful scenery is not something you would be able to end up looking at every day. Only very rich people can afford a view like that. Tourists can, too, while they are visiting. Living here is not the same, but you can’t tell anyone that. They see the scenery and they won’t listen to anything you have to say about the reality. As many Kiwis enjoy telling you, “You don’t come to New Zealand to get rich”. But you don’t come here to relax either. You come to New Zealand to be poor and hope that you have enough money on the weekend not to have to work and to be able to drive out somewhere to enjoy those views you cannot afford to gaze on every day. Most of New Zealand is actually pasture type land for animals. “No Swimming/No Collecting Seafood” water contamination warning signs never show up in the tightly controlled imagery of New Zealand that most surfers see on the web.
You’re fixated on drugs for some reason, hardly surprising given the enormous problem New Zealand has with P and cannabis. You know its bad when primary school kids are bringing it to school and getting away with it.
What part of NZ do you live in? not the Manawatu perhaps?
I smell a bipolar troll in manic mode.
He probably just lost his job, or his wife left him for a gangsta, or his son was just beaten up, so he’s back telling us how great it feels in NZ getting rammed up the tushie. Like most Kiwis.
We think Alex needs to get out and enjoy the scenery.
To assist him with this all of his rambling and ill-conceived rants except for the first one have been deleted.
You probably should have left them up as a Troll Gallery. They were amusing enough as examples, and not personally poisonous enough to do your readers any direct damage. But good on ya, to keep your blog a safe place for the venting migrants!
Thank you for the feedback, we try our best
We have standards here.
There were more of his extreme rants but they were consigned to the trash bin, where they belonged.
Boring country, boring people with little intellect. The scenery is lovely but the novelty soon wears off and what’s left is boring. I had a holiday there in 2008 and couldn’t wait to leave.
I suppressed the urge the other day to compliment a certain male Kiwi by telling him that he was articulate. He was one of the swinging-d sorts, and his level of self-expression was better than you would have expected. I would have meant it as a sincere compliment, but had enough sense to bite my tongue, should he not see it that way.
I find the lack of intelligent conversation maddening, myself.
I have lived in some out-there areas in the world, but at least people have a go at understanding what you are talking about, and are polite. Here, they not only do not understand anything outside of a very narrow range of topics and certain ways to talk about these topics, but also they are frightened by anything outside their circle of prescribed conduct, a circle of indescribably tiny diameter, and will shy away from you as if your skin were green if they cannot figure out what to say to you.
Even the gene pool. It is so shallow that even a casual visitor can witness the rubber stamped features on the faces all over the country.
Their bland acceptance of anomie and amorality is depressing.
It feels like Idiocracy in the Tropics. Only it is not tropical in anything but its level of degeneracy.
The place is a hole, no more. Rant over!
We have a different lifestyle (better than most of your countrymen and women) to you mainly english denigraters something your smug, snobbish natures wouldn’t understand.
Friendly we are, you lot certainly aren’t, tucked up in your own little world, ride on the tube and see if you can get directions easily from your fellow traveller, no way. Isolated in your homes too because you are too stuck up to be pleasant to your neighbours.
Britain isn’t that great I have travelled down from Scotland and seen some of the worst slummy shabbiness I have ever seen anywhere. London is very interesting but you can’t compare it Auckland or Wellington it is like comparing apples and pears, so why would you?
It is absolute nonsense to expect NZ to be a little Britain, Spain, Italy or anywhere else you have imagined it to be. What is written in the in the brochures is true if you havn’t done your homework before you come here that’s your own stupid fault. It it too hard to study a map?
My parents use to say bloody poms, they critise every thing, ironic too because my Dad was english, how right they were.
By all means come for a holiday but don’t plan to stay until you have done a thorough examination of the place and everything about it completely.
To most NZers it is the best place in the world and it does depend on what you want out of life.
Also it was paradise back in the sixtys shame about the politicians who ruined it but you English would know very well all about that with your own country.
I’m an American and I agree with the English!
Thanks for the friendly message “Stay Away” would you say that you speak for most of your countryfolk, or are these just your own opinions?
Shame that it isn’t a paradise now, you blame the politicians but in a Democracy, the people get the government they deserve.
Mr Black, we have a zero tolerance policy towards racism in this blog and have deleted some of your more objectionable comments. Please try to be rational or your posts will not be published.
Please note that the unemployment rate in Britain isn’t too different from New Zealand’s – 7.9% v. 6.8%, neither have much to be proud of. But at least the people in Britain can still afford to buy milk and cheese so it can’t be all bad.
The unemployment rate in New Zealand is falsely low because of all the Kiwis who run to Australia. Australia is an economic buffer zone for Kiwis. If the Ozzies closed the doors, the NZ unemployment figure would be enormous.
It is well known that New Zealand exports much of its unemployment to Australia.
It’s funny, most of the migrants I know in “Godzone” have ended up on drugs – anti-depressants! Easily half of the ones I have met must be on them, and those are just the ones I have come to know well enough for them to admit to it!
It’s only then that they start “appreciating this nation’s charms”. Once they’re zombified into it, the poor sods!
If they aren’t taking those, then they’re either chugging kool-aid or alcohol, but I am sure some readers of this blog would agree–once the reality sets in, NZ is a pill that is hard to swallow without *something* to gag it down with.
Where else in the world is it possible to buy legal highs from your local corner shop along with your pint of milk and sweets for the children.
A Timaru retailer of “legal highs” warns people will go “underground” if the Government bans the sale of cannabis substitutes.
Dizzy Spells owner Megan DeVries said synthetic cannabinoid substances were a popular choice with customers.
Since introducing the products to their shelves about a year ago, they have had to restock twice a week – sometimes even three times.
Some of the legal highs on offer were Kronic, which had just sold out, Dust, Rasta Ganja, Dream, Lazy J and Magic Dragon.
“They fly out the door,” Ms DeVries said.
Fuk U faggot its because of u bastards why its fukn boring oh wots the matter no luxry hotels Limo an wot fukn not well Welcome to reality mutha FuKa……. Mateku on U
Thank you for your comment FuKU, we don’t usually allow rubbish talk like yours on the blog. But in this case we thought we’d make an exception because your comments say more about the reality of NZ than we ever could.
p.s. perhaps you should stay away from the local dairy?
Indeed. And k1Tchee kU 2 hIm 2….
The alternative legal herbal mixtures, such as damiana passionflower mixes, are not strong in the least. In fact, they are a rip-off and “serious” stoners know that. I doubt whether bog-standard kiwi stoners are actually using that stuff as a real marijuana substitute. One of the legal high mixtures is (I am serious) called “happy clappy”. As if you would need to smoke, drink, huff or swallow anything to be happy in Paradise, hmm?
There are laboratory-made synthetic chemicals, however, that do produce roughly the same effects as cannabis because they are kissin’ chemical cousins, and the manufacturers of these are always a step or two ahead of the pee-test manufacturers.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/4840223/Workers-using-legal-highs-to-avoid-dope-tests
Synthetic cannabis sold at Superette across from school, because their clientele is mostly adult and that’s a logical location, ay:
http://www.bayofplentytimes.co.nz/opinion/news/our-view-time-to-snuff-out-fake-cannabis/3946063/
“Mr Bird said a large number of his customers are 30- to 40-year olds with families, some former pot smokers. He said there was huge demand for herbal highs from workers in industries such as transport and the armed forces (aside: yes, those who drive and use weapons), where random mandatory drug testing makes after-hours social drug use such as smoking cannabis a risk to their livelihoods”. And if detected in a pee test, of course, they can simply point to having consumed a legal high and until the pee testers figure out how to test for the difference, they’ve made it through another pee test.
I don’t know why they bother continuing to chase all the dopers. There are so many of them here, and the attitude about altered consciousness while doing any given dangerous thing (operating heavy machinery for example) is such a big shrug, that they should just save their scarce resources, open the gates and let it all in.
They can do this AFTER I get the hell out, though!
A week is enough, a month too long for this Japanese visitor. A “polite take on the New Zealand lifestyle”. “Nothing to do, but you keep on spending money!”
You forgot getting drunk or stoned, making doughnuts and burnouts, and screaming from cars (also, throwing bottles from cars at walkers).
We live in a “wealthier civilised” part, and they still do this.
He must be too polite to mention the violence, as he would certainly have seen some after a month.
What the hell? NZ is a great place to live!Great beaches,long hot summers,mild winters,plenty of outdoor sports and activities,lots of living space thats affordable,(i live in the country on a few acres in a 7yr old house with brilliant views with a short 20 min commute to work and im on a average wage)plenty of activities for adrenaline junkies,some great destination cities like queenstown,the bay of islands,rotorua.Most kiwis i know that have been to england,europe etc all say how wonderful these places are but are happy to get home and comment on how clean and friendly nz is in comparison.Granted we are short on history but then nz is only roughly 170 years old!As for someone earlier saying we are boring people with a boring intellect well judging by a lot of immigrants that come here you sure arent any better.
Well I’m from the US and was never happier to get home then when I was in NZ. I didn’t say kiwis were boring with boring intellect but you did. Perhaps self defense against yourself? I actually think they’re delightful people which has me feeling sorry for their remoteness. But I’m guessing you were born and raised there your whole life and know no other or better way or views. Europe is much more diverse and I’m not talking about the UK which is boring too. NZ is very similar to Ireland but with more sun and probably more sheep.
Bevan there may be plenty of outdoor “sports and activities” but what does NZ have that other countries don’t?
We noted that you didn’t say you participated in any of those activities, is this because you’re on the average wage and can’t afford them?
Do you think you’d be able to access them in another country where the wages are higher?
It seems that your life revolves around commuting, work and home.
You also don’t talk about any cultural pursuits.
A lack of culture and intellectual activity is what causes many immigrants to feel bored with New Zealand. There is only so much that can be satisfied by scenery and open, empty spaces.
So because I don’t like NZ I’m poor? It’s not exactly cheap to fly there! I own my own business (started it age 28) and 10 years later I am the CEO therefore, I pay others to do my work for me but that’s because I’m poor, yes makes sense. Where do you get that my life revolves around work? Are you even talking to me????? There is everything to do in the US that there is to do in NZ so why would one go there to do it? I travel alot for work but often take extra days/weeks off to stay in the more interesting US cities. Life in the US revolves around commuting (flying), work (less the older I get), and enjoying my time. I’m rarely home though I’d prefer to stay there than go to NZ. I cannot wait for next year’s trip to Australia which I’m excited to return for the 3rd time.
Lillie, if you read it again you will see that comment was directed to Bevan not you.
Have fun in Australia.
Hi all, I grew up in New Zealand in the 70′s and 80′s. We lived in middle class Wellington and I have to say, I had a privileged childhood in a wonderful family. Since then I have lived in and worked in London for 13 years and 6 other countries around the globe including Switzerland and Beijing. I have travelled to 50 countries and met many people from many different nationalities. Currently I live in Paris with my fiance who is from Brazil. I am glad I grew up in New Zealand. Having been to India for the second time for work this year, I can assure you, life is what you make of it. If all the ex-patriate New Zealanders returned and lived there, and brought all their experiences and wealth, I think it would be on par with Norway and Denmark for economic independence. I think much of the youth dissatisfaction in New Zealand stems from the teachers and the media. Unfortunately, most kiwis who head off for their OE surround themselves only with other New Zealander/antipodeans so it can be a little one dimensional for getting other perspectives. By the way, Brazilian women are the greatest. I lived with 4 other nationalities in my lifetime and there are over 3,000 living in my Mum’s hometown now, Tauranga. Great attitude! It’s all about attitude
Lillie i never said you said that.It was said in an earlier post.If you were pleased to leave here thats fair enough,each to their own,everyones different.E2nz,you think my life revolves around work and commuting cause of one short post i wrote? I was making the point that with a little budgeting you can live in a modern home with a bit of land with some privacy with a average job.As for sports, i play tennis and squash but mainly golf and used to play rugby.What we do have here is a great standard of living,ranked 5th in the world last year,and many immigrants i know absolutely love the laid back outdoors orientated lifestyle here saying their quality of life here is far better and seem anything but bored.As thor said life is what you make it.
Life is what you make of it. To some yours will sound boring and not worth emigrating to achieve it, to others it will seem like heaven. But, you’re on a sticky wicket when you start to misquote quality of living surveys whilst ignoring the other indexes that New Zealand also scored highly in – such as teen suicide, child abuse and preventable child deaths etc.
I moved to New Zealand (Wellington) 4 months ago to be with my girlfriend who is a Kiwi. I’m lost for words, The wages here are half of what I recieved in England, yet food shopping, bills, internet I wont say too much about that other than 3rd world Countries have a better service, going out is so expensive, I popped into a bar in Newtown recently just for a quick pint in the worst bar i’ve ever being in it was a complete shit hole and was charged £4.50 for a pint of terrible beer (the beer here is terrible) you don’t pay that in nice bars in London. Now Kiwi’s I have to be honest but very uncultured, no music venues that overseas artists play in, rubbish theatre’s, average museums and galleries. like what has being said once you’ve travelled around lovely parts like taupo, Hawkes Bay, Napier – west of the south island that’s pretty much it, DONE. Wellington has shocked me absolutely crap and surrounded by shit holes like upper and lower hutt, newtown just to name a few. We are staying for the World Cup which I hope will bring some life to this Country whether or not they will be good hosts is debatable because kiwi’s I find are arrogant. The AB’s is there lives because they have nothing else to feel passionate about, we’ll do the summer here can’t do a third winter in a row but come April we are gone, and will be joined by many Kiwi’s who will be flying out to austrailia or England so they can get away from this place, expected so much and I can’t belive how bad it is, I’ve never felt depressed in my life but living here is the closest i’ve ever being to depression it’s an ongoing battle to stay mentally healthy.
Hi
Yes indeed i would have to say the same NZ is very boring
uncultured and very boring and dull, if you want to sell pills for depression this would be the place, nothing happens here
everyday , year in and out everything is the same period!
I have lived here for 10 years, and as a man told me years ago in the mens room on the airport, the best thing about NZ is the plane out of here…
Nice hey,
I have worked very hard in NZ to try and make a place under the sun, but sadly the NZ policy is the harder you work the less you will have .You get taxed to death here and what you get payed today you will use up tonight, wages is very low and the cost of living is now very high, so no wonder the younger generation just buy a one way ticket,the place also has a weard affect on you , somedays you will wake up and is just plainly not in the mood for nothing you dont want to see nobody and just want to sink down under your blankets
There is no culture in NZ ,Rugby is not a culture its a sport
So after my hard years of time waisting and 1835 days in bad crappy weather i think its time to leave, but if you are in your 70 s and have heaps of $$$$ then you can go to NZ with pleasure
As for a young person with plans and with a possitive attitude,stay away
Just waiting for the 2011 world cup and after that i am gone, and never want to hear from NZ Again
Kiwis cannot take constructive criticism.They are insecure and hate everyone from aussies to brits to americans,asians and islanders.Their “culture” consists of binge drinking,drug use,domestic violence and rugby.Kiwis delusionally think they live in paradise.
Geez people can be nasty. I am originally from Greece but have lived in New Zealand most of my life. My family try to make it back to Greece once a year to see our family etc. and we will often go on excursions around Europe. All I have to say as a well travelled adolescent is that I am always happy to get back to NZ. In fact, I have such a huge appreciation for NZ when I travel. Mostly for the friendliness and sincerity Kiwis have. I always have something to do here, am constantly surrounded by friends and family, and genuinely have a great quality life. Can I ask what is so special about your countries? Sure New Zealand may not be as “advanced” as someone pointed out, but that doesn’t mean your view on what should be deemed as “advanced” or “cultured” is right. That is what makes someone arrogant.
Well compared to Greece I can understand your point of view. I have friends there and I know the economy and government is really bad not to mention the horrific violence pouring into the country by surrounding middle eastern countries. So I can understand your viewing NZ as a relief but coming from more cultured countries, no, it’s not a refuge. Quite the opposite. I don’t see my point of view as arrogant but maybe a little more spoiled coming from a more free and YES advanced country, NZ is very hard to adjust to.
Can’t wait to go back to europe, feel such a sense of relief that i’m finally leaving nz after a few years being here,
I’ve been here for over 6 months, and from the first day, I immensely regretted my decision to come here. I expected it to be like Melbourne (which I had stayed at for a year), but there was just NOTHING here that would match up to it. Generally people were friendly and helpful but till today I haven’t made a single NZ friend. I felt miserable for a couple of months here before finding a part-time job paying minimal wage, despite holding a skill shortage degree and having some (albeit degree-irrelevant) work experience. This seems to be the case for many migrants who come here thinking they fit in the Skill Shortage list. I feel my ethnicity played a part as my white British boyfriend had no trouble securing a reasonably-paid position despite having less experience and qualifications than myself.
The internet is abysmal, as I am used to watching YouTube and heavy gaming, and having a data cap is just ridiculous! The internet speed is rubbish too. The food is expensive, twice the price I’m used to back home in Singapore, and the variety is nothing special. Basic bath and skincare items differ so much between pharmacies and supermarkets, and on that note, I find supermarkets to be inconveniently located. I hate how there are so many suprettes, you could probably find like 5 within 100m of pavement in the city. They charge double/triple the price; Sometimes they sell cookies removed from a regular packet individually, or hide the expiry date on expired food items to make more money. That’s just sneaky! I wish they had smaller Countdown supermarkets peppered around, like Coles does in Melbourne.
In my time here, I’ve also found that many administrative errors were made by support staff. For example, our bank application (with interviews and everything) took ages to go through and eventually we found that the staff who processed us had forgotten to send us our EFTPOS and Visa cards, which we only discovered after waiting and then calling up the bank. The internet setup (Orcon) took about a month or two. They would give us estimated dates of connection, and then send us e-mails saying it would be postponed again and again. It kept happening and after our many calls to the customer service and a very angry e-mail saying that we were going to cancel the contract and switch ISPs, they finally sent someone over. The bus services are never on time (sometimes too early or too late, sometimes they won’t come at all) and cost too much for a short ride. I was charged $5 for a $0.45 ride and pursued the matter (this happened twice, the former amount I was charged was $1.50 for a $0.45 ride, I did not ask them about it as I thought it was too insignificant an amount). If I had not been observant, the bus company would have gotten away with it; goodness knows how many other passengers have had this happen to them. Also I have spotted numerous spelling errors in advertisements and correspondence with Kiwi people, despite coming from a country that has Malay as a national language.
I do not feel confident in living in a country like this, where everyday necessities are expensive (I’m even holding off a dental appointment which I need, because of the price), errors are abundant and things are so uncertain. Half the time I expect things not to function here and have to always think up alternative decisions. Whilst I appreciate the cooler weather, the freedom for people to protest and the variety of races and cultures (all of these I cannot find in Singapore), I don’t think it is that big a step up from it. I will be looking to move either back home or to the UK with the boyfriend.
Most cities are fairly dull, as I am not a city lifestyle person, but If I were into a metropolitan lifestyle, I would definately not want to be in Auckland.
The most souless, dull place I have been, go outside Auckland and you will find agricultural land, and some beaches….birds and sheep.
As I have found out on several occasions, NZ is a great place if you like being robbed and having speeding tickets for going over the speed limit by half a mile per hour.
Would probably be too dangerous for the old wrecks of cars to go much faster than walking pace on these roads, otherwise they’d disintegrate from the vibrations.
If you like culture and music then don’t come here, however if you like reggae you will love it.
Also if you like eating nice food, friends, mental stimulation, then don’t come here either.
Some might argue the outdoors are beautiful here, but once you’ve seen one agriculturized field you’ve seen enough. Give me the english countryside any day.
Summary,
Come here if you like food poisoning, bird watching, melanoma, and reggae.
other places to consider if you like NZ: Syria, Iraq, SIberia – Probably more going on there to be honest.
“Come here if you like food poisoning, bird watching, melanoma, and reggae”
PERFECT, I couldn’t have said it better. If reggae in the grocery stores bothers you, if you don’t like watching new moles pop up and old ones morph into alien life forms, if you like to read books and buy them instead of wait months to “come up” on the library list, if you like warm affordable homes and high-quality affordable food, do not come here. , ,
If you are a rich Rasta with a boat, you’ll love it!
Ok nz might be a tad boring but theres tons of stuff to do here fishing waterskiing bungy canyon swing i know that you can do all that elsewhere but they all seem to be available by a couple hours drive (instead of a 5 hour plane) poms are arrogant people thats why the rest of the world cant stand u look at you lot your seen as a dirty boring country in itself whats there to do in london i meet a few poms when i was last in australia and they all agreed LONDON IS A SHITHOLE, police and politicans cant even stop the dogs that live there from rioting god u looked like a 3rd world country
It might come as a suprise but there are places outside London.
Waterskiing, bungee jumping… NZ has it all!
its funny to read these comments because kiwis hate poms with a passion regard them as a plain boring arrogant people and they dont seem to like us very much which is cool but take some advice from me WE DONT WANT UR KIND HERE U INBREED F*CKS
Interesting point of view but don’t migrants increase the variability of the gene pool?
I think the problem is that bungee jumping is the sort of physical thing that Kiwis find exciting. Some people prefer good conversation and books, salon type things which are very quiet and which would be boring to the sorts of people who like to get drunk and boogie board etc. I would have the same problem with someone from my country who had no mental life and just went for the physical highs, I would find a game of checkers with a lot of joking with a friend and a cup of coffee interesting and they would rather go for a jog. Different strokes for different folks, but don’t move to a place where most people would rather jog than talk if you arent a jogger
I’m a born and bred Kiwi living in the South Island. I think this is a very beautiful country, and not boring at all! It is definitely a slower pace than say London or N.Y., but that’s what makes us so special. There is nowhere else in the world I would raise my children. We can walk to school, we enjoy warm summers. A couple of hours in the car and you can be skiing in the mountains, and hour the other way and you can be walking along the beach, plus the Trans-Alpine train ride is amazing… Kaikoura is gorgeous. There are a whole host of small towns that overseas celebs can come and visit and not be pestered by 100′s of paps. There are so many english immigrants (and a heap of others) living here for a better lifestyle. So chill out, and crack open an L&P.
In essence you’re saying that the most interesting things to do in New Zealand are opening sugary soft drinks and looking at the scenery? Some would call that extremely boring.
As a matter of interest how much time do you actually spend “skiing in the mountains”? a two hour car journey would make that an undesirable option for many people: the cost of petrol, ski passes and a four hour round trip being good reasons for opting for the cheaper walk along the beach, which is still an hour away and you won’t even swim when you get there. Or maybe its the thought that you could do if you wanted to that you find enervating?
As for warm summers and walking to school that is not something special to New Zealand, there are plenty of places where that happens and where the roads are probably a lot safer to walk along. The flip side to those warm summers are the cold, wet and smokey winters, do your children still walk then?
What on earth do you do to stimulate or broaden your mind, or those of your children. Where’s the interest in anything other than the scenery?
We have lived here for some years and hope to leave soon. We found the cost of petrol, lodging, time off work, aging vehicle (only one we could afford), threat of rain, and so on prevented us from doing anything other than very local trips. And of course you soon run out of local trips. You can only go see a beach or mountain so many times before you want something more than that. Non-NZ residents who look at our photo album and see the tree ferns and sunsets wonder why we want to leave – they really do not get it. These people like Abbey’s Road talk like Alexander Selkirk working his buns off marketing for New Zealand Immigration in exchange for a ticket off the island! Having been here for awhile, arguments like this sound like modern spoofs of Robinson Crusoe. The trips to “see scenery” wore off fast in terms of appeal with everyone. We were very soon in rags with vitamin deficiencies and desperate to leave, even on a wooden raft, just as many real-life island misadventures end up! And we are a family who has always enjoyed nature, camping, animal study. Just not a 100% diet of it, especially with teens who need to be integrated with the broader world and launched into professions. Swiss Family Robinson is for people with young children. Kids start to want more after awhile. Warning – it is 10 times as difficult to leave here as it is to come here, because you have no money anymore.
You are kidding right? warm summers? LOL
Um actually the summers are very very warm.
And migrants can increase the skills that NZ totally needs by the looks of it. But they can’t accept that. Tall poppy syndrome. Hello.
And migrants can liven up the place. But Kiwis are too afraid of change. It reminds me of a movie about a boy who lives most of his life in a bubble.
Speaking of movies, I hate it when my friends overseas saw a great movie while it takes months for NZ to show it in their local cinemas. A good example on how late they are on about everything.
I am so bored in this country.. i am pulling my hair out bored, oh my god.. its the most boring place in the universe.. yet.. NZ born people don’t notice it.. they are happy staying at home renting DVDs.. only immigrants who come from bubbly active cities notice the boredom..I have everything i need in NZ .. except fun.
You can leave! Come to the US. You’ll LOVE it here! Get a job here after university. You can always go back to NZ to visit! We welcome you here with open arms
most of my family is in the US already and so are my cousins. Almost no racism they said and lots of shopping to do and so cheap! They still can’t believe that I’m still here and not in the US. (since my boyfriend is here). I would like to follow though soon! jealous!
This is true. Most places racism has diminished (though in the deep south it’s still an issue unfortunately). My husband is from Wellington. It was a battle where to live for years; the US or NZ. Although I’d go to NZ once a year I couldn’t see me living there. It was too remote and depressing even though the sun shined alot. And I did see a heck of alot more racism in NZ than I’ve ever seen in the US especially with the Maoris.
Does your boyfriend like the US? Is he from NZ? I think men have an easier time adjusting and coping than women do. One thing I hate about NZ is how expensive it is to shop yet your choices are SO limited. You have to order most everything online and it’s hard shopping for things you can’t try on or see in person. The shipping charges are sometimes as much as the merchandise and it’s even harder to return things.
Helen – I agree, it is excruciating.
I actually haunt the events pages of big cities on the Internet, kind of like porn.
Just to see what would be available to “do” in some other place – if I were not stuck here!
So people are surprised that a country with a population of 4million, which is in many senses the most geographically isolated place on earth, is boring??
Wow. Surely you knew this before you came? The country as a whole has fewer people than many of the cities that some of you would have come from. This fact didnt coss your mind before moving?
I lived in the USA for 3 and a half years. 2 of the those years were in Chicago, the other 1.5 in a city called Peoria, Illinois. Chicago has a population of 9-10million people. Chicago is a vibrant, exciting and lively city. Peoria, with a population of about half a million was a slower, quieter and some (including me) would say more boring place then Chicago.
But i knew that going in becuase it’s common sense that places with more people tend to have more to see and do. Whereas places with smaller populations, don’t. I didnt blame Peoria for enticing me there and then fooliong me.
What the hell were you guys expecting?? Even all the bullshit propoganda that the NZ government and toursim board produces focus on the natural aspect. You cant have come here expecting the glitz and liveliness of a London or Paris or New York. Or for that matter, Doncaster.
It is what it is. A small, isolated, agricultrally based, limited economy country. And in that aspect i dont think it has ever pretended to be anything else.
Some of the things that some of you people complain about do a disservice to the bigger issue (The problem with the governemnt enticing immigrants here and then shafting them) and come off sounding petulant and childish.
Is New Zealand boring and somewhat one-dimensional? Yes.
Are the people close minded and small? No more than any other country with a small population base.
Should anyone with half a brain known this before getting on a plane to come here? Most certainly.
Luddy re. “the bigger picture”
If you’re looking for the bigger picture why not try reading more of the site than the limited pages you’ve already looked at.
You could start with our Migrants Tales, our NZ Facts and Stats pages or the Welcome page for instance. Seek and you shall find. Its all there waiting for you
you may even find it mind expanding.
Examples of descriptors used to market New Zealand -
“The culture of New Zealand is vibrant and ever evolving and the natives are open to experimenting and innovations in every walk of life!” (I wouldn’t say natives are open to anything but the Kiwi Way)
“The mobile telecommunications industry in New Zealand is vibrant, dynamic and fast-paced”. (frankly, it isn’t – it SUCKS, read Lance Wiggs)
“Some of the best work is coming out of this part of the world at the moment,..” (re: marketing…now there I am not surprised ;P)
“With its dramatic landscape, cosmopolitan cities, ancient Maori traditions and active outdoor lifestyle, New Zealand is a wonderful place to learn English…” (cosmopolitan the cities are not, by international standards, they just have a few more Asians in them than the towns do)
“New Zealand is a dynamic first-world society with sophisticated cities and a vibrant arts and cultural scene…” (I would not call the place dynamic, first world or sophisticated)
This is only a small sampling of the kinds of marketing used to sell New Zealand as a destination for tourists, migrants and students. The only exciting thing about New Zealand is the ratcheting-up of your injury/loss risk probability due to the lack of care they take in matters of safety and quality control and their voracious craving for money to add oxygen to their land-rich cash-poor economy..
People – New Zealand is a boring backwater of a place that will chew a hole in your pocket.
that nz is boring not only means that it is an underdeveloped country, it also means the dynamic between the newcomer and the locals; boring comes also from the cold and unfriendly nature of kiwis, of being uptight people with a dog-eat-dog mentality. Apart from the scarcity of things and the high prices, it is the loneliness that makes nz such a boring place. I have been to poorer regions in other countries, really rural areas, but with people so warm and friendly that I didn’t feel bored at all, because although they didn’t have malls or concert halls, they had sincere smiles, friendly conversation and the desire to meet and befriend their neighbours.
nz has?????
I have read a good deal of the stuff around the site since a friend sent me a link a few weeks ago. Some of it strikes a chord with me and i think it would with most immigrants. I think you are providing a helpful resource here. (ed. flattery?! there must be a but coming)
But some of the comments are just a circle jerk of people trying to make themselves feel better by venting about things that really you could pin on any country.
To be honest i knew a lot of that information (at least in general terms) before i came here. I could never imagine moving to another country without first researching about the place I’m going to. It would be maddness not to.
I did the same thing with each of the five countries i’ve lived in.
I remember when the recruiting company that set me up with a job in Japan sent me my orientation and info pack. The nice glossy booklet presented me with images of Japan as i would see in a travel agency. However knowing as i did that Japan has a population of 130million in roughly the same area size as NZ, I had an inkling that the pristine images of Mt. Fuji, quaint fishing villages and wide spacious housing developments were probably not overly representitive of the true Japan. By doing a cursory check on google i found a few sites similar to this one, but about Japan, with expats giving “the real deal” about living in Japan. Actually a lot of what they said (and still say) is almost identitcal to this place (e.g. Japanese are the most racist people on earth. When you work at a Japanese company you will be treated as a slave. The people are two faced etc.The economy is on the verge of collapse, Corruption etc).
I took it with a grain of salt. Some of it turned out to be true, a lot of it was hot air from bitter expats.
My point is, that by focusing on the things that really are quite ridiculous and subjective (E.g. NZ is boring) the real valuable stuff maybe gets a bit lost.
I really do think some of the information you have here is excellent, well researched and of great value to anyone thinking of coming to NZ. You should be comended for taking the time to put it all together. (ed. More flattery, there must be another but coming!)
At the same time some of the stuff here detracts from the worthwhile things.
If you really think NZ people are stupid, racist or any of the other kind of vitriol i’ve seen, then you really need to get out and see the world. You will find these same kinds of people everywhere. NZ has no more or no less.
Who are we to decide what people want to focus on “Luddy”? if people want to comment on this thread that’s their prerogative and, after all, it is only one page out of hundreds on this blog.
There is no doubt that racism is a very big issue in New Zealand and that it divides the country into factions, sometimes with violent consequences. We’ve seen that in action today at Waitangi.
Racism in New Zealand is probably worse than in a lot of countries because 1. New Zealanders like to pretend it doesn’t exist and that other countries are worse, and 2. It is not very proactive in challenging it and its racism legislation is weak and scant. But you’d know that if you read the site, or heeded the comments we’ve made back to “Scott”
But why do you mention racism on a blog page that talks about boredom in NZ? is this something you’re obsessed with?
We suggest you try to read more of the site and that people like you and “Scott” keep off the pages that irritate you, you’d be far happier
I don’t think what you’re saying is bad but I do have to comment on your comment: “My point is, that by focusing on the things that really are quite ridiculous and subjective (E.g. NZ is boring) the real valuable stuff maybe gets a bit lost.” The post is about NZ being boring so yes that is what we’re talking about here be it ridiculous or not.
http://canterbury-nz.academia.edu/CMichaelHall/Papers/395425/Tourism_Destination_Branding_and_its_Affects_on_National_Branding_Strategies_Brand_New_Zealand_Clean_and_Green_But_is_it_Smart
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/6377136/More-immigrants-in-slave-labour-claims
The problem with New Zealand is New Zealanders,male Kiwi’s much more so then the women who I’ve found to be quite nice.
What I mean by that is they are the coldest most insular people I have ever met in my entire life, communication or lack of it with Kiwi’s at times really does make you feel that your from another planet,I’m English and it really offends me someone can’t even say hello or thank you without forcing it. What you also need to realise is the Kiwi’s who have a lot more about them have left or are looking to leave so what your left with are those who can’t communicate with anyone who’s not from there old school or small town or NZ.
I know a lot of Kiwi’s in London and they all say the same thing nice place to visit for a couple of weeks but that’s about it.
I’m currently here with work for 6 months in Wellington and man the place is so dull.
Oh and this amazing summer they tell you all about and how terrible the weather is in England makes me laugh, since Christmas I can count on 3 fingers the amout of hot sunny day’s so don’t let them lie to you about the weather.
NZ reminds me a lot of Scandinavia in the way it looks but unlike Scandinavia it is isolated, so my advice visit Scandinavia save yourself a long journey and high expense.
The only thing I can defend about what you said (because all of what you said is SO true) is that all of NZ is experiencing a really cold and wet summer which is not normal. (It never gets “hot” in NZ. The summers to me are mild staying about 80 degrees Farenheit.) It’s also not normal for us to be experiencing a virtually snowless winter in the northeastern US. (The temperatures here have been unbelievably mild all winter.) I’ve also heard that areas of Europe that rarely see any snow are being hammered with it right now. Something is definitely off this year with the climate everywhere in the world.
I’m going to NZ this fall (rolling my eyes) to spend time with family. I’m afraid this weather is going to make the trip even more miserable. I have no idea how to pack. I’m guessing what I’m wearing in the northeastern US right now is how I’ll be dressing there minus the heavy jacket. (I’ve only worn my heavy coat a handful of times this year.) It is saving on the heating bills though!
New Zealand is xenophobic.
With regards to emotion or lack of it female Kiwi’s tell me is that Kiwi men have no emotion for anything other than the All Blacks.
The Countries isolation has created an insular society and an extremely xenophobic one.
What you need to realise is NZ culture is about being a “man’s man” hunting/rugby/ barbecue’s and binge drinking and smoking weed is very big here, also how they view 3 words a day as a sign of strength it not it’s because other than the things I mentioned they have nothing else to talk about and they dislike none Kiwi’s, all this whilst the girlfriend does the laundry.
Very depressing place.
If the female Kiwis are only hanging around the jocks or entitled wunderkinds you’d be absolutely correct.
On the other hand the very high male suicide rate points towards the idea that even if Kiwi males have serious personal issues to discuss, they’re either mocked (saw this happen) or not given the correct assistance.
“also how they view 3 words a day as a sign of strength it not it’s because other than the things I mentioned they have nothing else to talk about and they dislike none Kiwi’s, all this whilst the girlfriend does the laundry.”
She can always choose to date someone else if she feels unappreciated. Otherwise it’s just a “get some sympathy from others while I stay with the guy I will complain is insensitive” issue.
I haven’t found anyone worth dating here after happily shedding my feckin useless Kiwi partner.
2 things:
1. What caused you to partner with him/her?
2. Change your dating criteria and maybe date an immigrant.
You’re not going to get things done right, if you hang around the wrong people.
I am amazed at how often “exposure” sites are forced to point out the fact that they are corrective and have no obligation to offer balance because their very existence is balancing out the marketing hype which is found elsewhere and which is google-weighted to come up as priority information in search returns. These corrective sites exist to point out the down side of living in New Zealand in one easy-to-find location. They don’t have to discuss positives because the other forums are sponsored by commercial interests and never state negatives, or allow them only with an unwarranted level of criticism.
The nature of these sites was pointed out recently by a poster on expatexposed. Exactly how they work, what their mission is, and why they are not balanced. They purport to help people move to New Zealand, when in fact they are a conglomeration of commercial interests using social networking to channel people to New Zealand.
The “corrective” sites like E2NZ and expatexposed only started in 2007 at the earliest. The marketing was on full gust long before that. The first wave of “fooled” migrants – they are the ones who started sites like these. The ones that were fooled by the nation branding cleverness and careful control of bad information about New Zealand that went along with it.
So posters who tell readers to do their research are not considering that
1 – some of the early fooled migrants could not find the information they needed before they came, it only hit the Net later once people had moved here and suffered great losses, and
2 – even these sites are not easy to find because they are not “for profit” and they do not google bomb.
3 – the marketing is still on, and it is becoming slicker and slicker.
I love it when Kiwi’s mouth off! something you need to realise we are sick to the back teeth of you lot in England too, swamping Hammersmith like flies (go home if NZ is so wonderful) Aussies just laugh at you but after speaking with many of them they are sick to the back teeth of you swamping Australia too.
NZ has one of the highest rates of child abuse in the World and domestic violence is rife.
Tell’s you all you need to know about Kiwi men (cowards)
I don’t get it, why move to New Zealand, I guessing the reasons are based on your love of trees- hills- and fish.
Surely a Country that has a massive brain drain is not an attractive proposition? That tells you everything
I don’t mind Kiwi’s the men are pretty thick but the women are OK.
When I visited the place every house looked like a shed and everyone smokes way too much weed, and what’s this lack of style all about? every man seems to wear cheap hoodies, cheap short, black t-shirts and flip flops.
Get some style lads.
I also heard it has the worst levels of child abuse and domestic violence per head in the Western world.
I thought it was supposed to be a happy smiley place?
I noticed a lot of plain boring black clothing on everyone. Black trousers, black shirts, and jeans. Even the way they dress is depressing and I think that shows alot of lack in desire whether it’s subconscious or not. I am a very vibrant person so I stand out like a sore thumb in NZ and everyone stares at me if I wear a dress or something with a bright color or pattern. It’s all sad really as they truly do not know any better nor do they know what they’re missing out on. I would like to rescue all the kiwis and sent them on a trip around the world.
The violence must come from frustration of not having any outlets to escape home life. I did not notice much for children to do only park after park with a swing and a slide. So sad.
It’s like the poster who was talking about the Chinese people’s offensive bling – in most countries bling is just bling, it isn’t a justification to treat people badly, even if it may be in poor taste. They may be rich or they may just be poor with bad spending choices.You can have poor taste and still perhaps be a nice person, most people recognise. In some places it is just a show-offy thing.
Here they react viciously to it because they have no money themselves. Their meagre wages all go into their unaffordable housing. They will pull you down for standing out in any way – that means suggesting improvements to established bad ways of doing things, using educated vocabulary, being outspoken or having flag on your house or bumper stickers or having an expensive car, taking a lot of care with your appearance.(bright colors and jewelry), expressing an opinion outside what they were told in school, etc.There is a very limited way you can act and look if you want to make any friends, because people will not associate themselves with those who stick out. Don’t attract attention in any way . It is their culture. Crabs in a barrel.
And Samantha, just because they dress in black doesn’t make them fun to talk to, either. They aren’t intellectuals, so let’s not be fooled. (joke)
Seems like even the poor schools will have a decent set of bright play equipment, however. It is easier than actually teaching the children.And makes it appear as if money is being spent on the school. Give them nets and balls to kick around and call it “natural child education” or “process-oriented learning” or some such bullsh** theory and you don’t have to sharpen original minds. That takes too much trouble. All you have to do is walk into a classroom and you see 25 versions of exactly the same bird, bug or flower. Conformity!
lmao FirstPounder! that is so true.
New Zealand owes me a year of my life.
My mother is a Kiwi and my father is English.
I decided to go live in New Zealand being half Kiwi straight after my Masters
My God what a place what a dull place.
I love the outdoors and enjoy a healthy lifestyle so the initial couple of months I enjoyed but like anything you soon become bored and you need roots make friend embrace culture and to earn money.
I moved to Wellington with it being the capital City but could not get work so ended up working for minimum wage.
I think someone mentioned how xenophobic NZ is that is certainly my experience of
NZ.
What stood out for me majority of the time is how dull and un-cultured the majority were.
It’s hard to put a finger on it but it reminded me of some of the depressing places in the North of England that are insular afraid of change and view outsiders as something to fear, but at least in these places you will find great music venues with bands from all over the world playing varied music, If I never hear NIN and reggae music again it will never be too soon (sorry Bob)have read Camus/Miller/Mailer, have read a poem in there life know nothing about artists or architecture, films other than they think Jackson wrote Lord Of The Rings , and conversation is basic at best (you get the idea)
I attended the same thing week in week out, barbecues even in winter, rugby talk (even though I told people a million times I don’t like rugby) whilst the girlfriends where in the kitchen making salad and endless joints, that shocked me how much weed people smoked in NZ also the attitudes towards girlfriend shocked me also but after hearing about it’s domestic violence record that does not surprise me.
I stuck it out for a year to spend time with my mums side of the family and because it’s my mothers place of birth and almost felt it was a sign of respect to my mum but I will never go back for anything other than a death in the family.
Considering how “beautiful” it is it is without doubt one of the least inspiring experience of my life, a year I will never forget but even what’s worse I will never get it back.
The only people that heard of Camus that I could exchange opinions with, were the Philosophy lecturers.
The average student (even those working towards a Philosophy degree) had no interest in the subject beyond getting the paper … after all, “reading is for wimps, and I’m only taking this subject for my degree because it’s an easy way to get my qualification”.
Lord of the Rings … sent me to sleep
We had to read Camus in high school, back in the States. If you want a decent conversation, you have to seek out tertiary academics (the primary and secondary ones won’t know anything) or book-loving fellow immigrants.
I agree that the weed abuse and attitudes towards women (as if they are farm animals or whiteware, even among “leftist/supposedly enlightened” men) are appalling. Because it has greenwashed marketing, and had a lady PM, you think that the society in general is enlightened. But it isn’t, at the street level.. It’s quite backward.
Check out the Kosovo nation branding campaign -
Looking at that, wouldn’t YOU want to be a part of post-Communist or post-war dynamism in Eastern Europe? I have had fellow Americans tell me they wanted to move to Czechoslovakia or Russia…because it’s freer than the States. Or Argentina, where they have learned how to barter and work outside the system and are “over their crash already”. Or XYZ country, where they leave you alone, or where they have free medical, or better weather some other feature people focus on as a “saving grace” that will make their life work. When actually they are moving from the frying pan into the fire.
Reading the migrant forums, you have to read between the lines because critical things come to light. An Eastern European forum started by someone with a business that profits off of having official documents translated had remarks about how nice it is to get fresh vegetables not packaged in plastic, year round (never mind about electrical and water supply to houses, which is sporadic – continuous supply is a luxury in some of those areas, like insulation is a luxury in NZ).
I saw a Buenos Aires expat forum. Just for expats to you know, hang out and talk and stuff, right? Owner? “WhoIs Guard protected” – in the States.
.
This one is more straight-up about its commercial nature:
http://www.expats.cz/content/about/
http://expatmarketing.com/news/social-media/5-steps-to-reach-expatriates-through-social-media
Pay attention! 99% of expat sites exist to sell.things to you. If you want to learn the downsides of a place straight up without a packet of kool-aid and a half cup of ice cubes added, visit websites like this,
Those Americans wanting to leave to go to a freer nation have probably never been outside of the USA. They all think the grass is greener on the other side. Though the grass per say may be literally greener, looks are deceiving. They have no idea how good they have it, the varieties of everything they have and the choices when shopping for food, clothing, everything… just the things to do are endless. They take it for granted. So I say please go and then see how you like it!
Very true, Samantha.
I’m not an American, and I came to live with my spouse in New Zealand, not for a better quality of life, or more freedom, but rather just to share a life with someone. I’m fortunate that I get to travel to the US every year (where I spent several decades of my life), and I can so clearly see the considerable advantages of life in the US. It’s not just the variety and quality of goods and housing, and the comparatively lower cost and higher salaries – there’s also a much greater variety of people, opinions, possibilities. It’s a splendid place for anyone who loves the great outdoors and wildlife (for better than New Zealand) and it’s also excellent for those looking for history and culture.
Americans are harshly critical of themselves, a trait they share with the British. People who have never lived in the US or are closed minded and biased, and cannot see what is in front of their eyes may think otherwise, but then again, that’s exactly the kind of person who would thrive in a place like NZ.
Anyway, the US is not begging people to go live and visit like NZ does. New Zealand has a serious stake in selling itself, so that explains a lot about the outrageous misrepresentations that get repeated.
If anyone is considering visiting the high southern latitudes, please go to Chile or Argentina instead – they have more open space, better scenery, and more important, they haven’t killed off all their wildlife. And the food is better.
Well my husband is from NZ. He tried to get me to move there for nearly 10 years and I just couldn’t do it. Every time we’d go to visit I’d get so depressed and really miss the little things at home that I took for granted. I was torn for the same reasons as you about going only I couldn’t bring myself to do it even to share my life with someone. I risked losing the best thing that ever happened to me because I couldn’t believe I’d be happy even with the most important thing in my life. He has no family there and I couldn’t bare to leave mine. Nor does he have alot of friends whereas I have so many throughout the entire USA. The food especially was something I couldn’t adjust to and I know it sounds “snobbish” of me because there are things much more important than food (but of course that’s only a small part of it). No Mexican food at all, just alot of Middle Eastern cuisine which I don’t particularly like. Even the pizza, Italian, and Chinese isn’t what I’m used to. Though change is good, it’s also hard to take away so much that you’re used to and never even think about until it’s gone. Oh and the cost of everything. WOW. Simple cheap things you get at WalMart cost a small fortune over there, what small variety you have to chose from even. (And to think I would actually miss a place to shop such as WalMart!)
But I have to ask, are you still living in NZ? How long have you been there? Was it very hard for you to adjust? Was it depressing? Will you ever move back to the USA? (I’m only asking because it’s my husband’s “dream” to go back although I think after being here a few years, I don’t even think he’d be able to adjust and take so much away from what he’s become accustomed to. )
All very good points. If there were a rep system, I’d rep you up for that one, William! The people in South America are nicer too.
I’ve just come back from a 3 week holiday to NZ and never felt so disappointed. Sure the place has great scenery and the locals are friendly, but there really isn’t much going on there. I was staying with some locals when someone phoned having dialled a wrong number and they ended up nattering randomly to each other for 10mins or so.
The place really embodies rural gossip and people there seem to have far too much time on their hands.
Also NZ’s much loved selling point of laid back lifestyle can easily be interpreted as a euphemism for “total f******* lack of ambition!”
To summarise, NZ is full of adrenaline types, hippies, busybodies and old retired couples and if you don’t fit any of these descriptions, prepare to feel incredibly left out! (I should probably note that Auckland was probably the only place I truly enjoyed over there)
“To summarise, NZ is full of adrenaline types, hippies, busybodies and old retired couples”
ROFLMAO that is perfect, and don’t forget the bogans and gangstas.
New Zealand is fantastic if you like Rugby Union and mud pools and it does have some lovely mountains and lakes.
Do not move to New Zealand full stop.
Poor housing, none competitive wages, poor infrastructure, poor internet service,over prices consumer goods clothes, poor music,no architecture,boring museums, no poetry,no literature,no art, dull conversation, lack feelings, no emotions, lack empathy, endless conversations about rugby, xenophobia, melanoma, minimum wage jobs even if you have 20 years experience in a certain field, they dislike the English, Australians like a jealous younger brother, average weather, child abuse (highest per head in the western world) domestic violence again one of the highest, everyone seems to either be a builder or a beauty therapist, rubbish festivals, ageing population,
etc etc etc etc the list is endless.
Spot on Thomas
First of all, I am not being pro New Zealand just because I live here, I am simply correcting some comments made by you smaller minded people. It’s amazing how many of you are passing judgement on New Zealand based on internet facts or on a short visit made by you or someone you know of. I grew up in Auckland and do not know one single child that was abused nor have I known anyone who was subject to domestic violence. Sure we have gray areas of our country that are poverty stricken where this behaviour happens, as does America and any other country. We are just small enough to notice and calculate this. Endless conversations about rugby? during the world cup maybe. I personally don’t like rugby, bet you’ve never heard a kiwi say that! but we arn’t all the same. I know of one builder and no beauty therapists, the majority of people I know are upping their skills in a good job or went to university, gained a degree and have either succeeded here or have gone overseas as they have often proved better applicants than the host country’s own people. Yes the pay starts off shit here, but because of this, I’ve been motivated to go to University and specialize. Yes America has everything, but when I visit America, I have something to look forward to. Material goods and large shopping malls/restaurants and entertainment are a novelty for me and I adore visiting them but they are not everything is life/I don’t require them not to “be bored”. We enjoy the simpler things in life and are not demanding and shallow as a result. We are more creative in finding entertainment and dont have to rely on manmade entertainment to keep us happy. We are not deprived here nor are we a nation riddled with obesity. Don’t get me wrong, I love visiting America, but for a large country, you people come across pretty small minded…
Thomas, how can you say we lack feelings and empathy? That’s a rather unintelligent generalisation don’t you thing?
And it is interesting to see that the majority of people on here are non New Zealanders and therefore give all the comments made by Kiwis thumbs down. Think about it/don’t dismiss it people.
LOL “I am not being pro New Zealand just because I live here, I am simply correcting some comments made by you smaller minded people.” Hmmm, because if you weren’t a kiwi you of course would’ve still called any non-kiwi simple minded right? Of course
As for “short visits”, I think many people have emigrated there and I myself have spent MONTHS at a time for YEARS there. My husband was abused by his father so I know of at least one incident of abuse myself. He seeks good counseling in America.
I understand you’re all proud about your rugby just as Americans are proud of their football and the UK about their soccer/football. Understandable though.
And of course everyone is well educated as NZ PAYS for students to go to university whereas (at least in the USA) you have to pay for your own university which will easily rack up alot of debt. The trade off is MUCH lower taxes. We’re talking 5% to 8% depending on which state you live in compared to 30%+ in NZ (not sure what the tax is now).
What we have in variety, entertainment, shopping, food, etc. IS VERY IMPORTANT when you are used to it. Take it all away and see how a person can thrive. Of course a kiwi wouldn’t understand as you cannot miss what you’ve never had. You see this as novelty, we see it as a way of life. Geez even TV shows, movies, and music thats released in the USA come out months up to a year ahead of NZ. It’s like going back in time a few decades before the USA was built up.
As for obesity, I love how all foreigners like to call Americans obese. I for one have never been overweight and for someone who will be 40 at the end of the year, I am still barely 100 lbs like I was in high school (granted I am tall and thin). So to stereotype every American as obese is just a way to lash out when you want to defend yourself. Not to mention I have seen my fair share of VERY large aka obese people in NZ! Mostly women!
Small minded are the ones who don’t know how to live large (not be large) outside of their little stranded Gilligans Island comfort zone. That is what NZ reminds me of. You think about it and don’t choose to tune out what people are saying.
Char I’m a Kiwi (Thomas), I’ve just come back from my OE and hate it.
What I do like about the English in particular they will say if something is shit and criticise without hesitation unlike NZ were if your not positive all the time about this place people want to birch you.
I forgot how defensive we are about this Country it’s ridiculous,
I also feel like I had stepped by 20 years in comparing to work practises I had experienced in London and Birmingham.
I will going back to London within next 6 months, the pay difference works out at £40,000 per year and yet Wellington is more expensive than where I was living in London (Clapham) insane.
I will always be a proud Kiwi but let’s for once be honest it’s really not good here and we just take it on the chin either leave or except how crap it is.
Your comments on child abuse and domestic violence are naive to the extreme, sorry bro.
To the Charwoman
I am a migrant who arrived in 2005. I hated it inside of a year and a half. Yes, I am trying to leave, I would leave tomorrow if I could.
I am not smaller-minded. I am several standard deviations above the average person here in terms of IQ.
Abuse goes on even if you don’t see it on your doorstep. People do not talk to one another much here. They are good at keeping secrets, better than any other place I have ever lived. That is one reason you do not know about it.
If they are not talking about rugby, they are talking about some other mindless outdoor sport. Conversation poverty is the norm for people who were not born here.
The reason Kiwis find jobs abroad is because they go abroad and often accept peanuts, which is still more than they get here in NZ. Not because they are such hot sh**. In fact, in Australia, they are known as notorious slackers.
Malls have more than clothing and shoes. They also have books, art supplies, equipment, and other materials for creative endeavours. America also has museums and a large population of intellectuals and artists. It is a well-rounded place with something for everyone, where art means more than painting tree ferns on scrap timber like some simpleton or make No. 8 wire sheepgarden statuary. There is no virtue in necessity. Sorry. There is no culture to speak of here.
I often thumb up Kiwis – if they have something intelligent to say.
“People do not talk to one another much here. They are good at keeping secrets, better than any other place I have ever lived. That is one reason you do not know about it.”
You have just described exclusion (which is not the same as not knowing somebody and hence not interacting with them)
– which manifests itself by “pretending” someone does not exist, e.g. being busy with the handphone when you have something to say, refusing to answer your questions (except with another question) and telling lies to you to your face (and possibly ABOUT you, to others)
Exclusion, is a form of RELATIONAL AGGRESSION, which NZ seems to be a pretty good source of.
Interesting post I actually agree with Thomas.
I don’t expect you will reply but what are your thoughts on the list he gave?
I work in the Public sector so I disagree wholeheartedly with your hiding your head reply regarding the horrendous child abuse and domestic violence record for the Country.
I’ve copy and pasted his post.
Poor housing, none competitive wages, poor infrastructure, poor internet service,over prices consumer goods clothes, poor music,no architecture,boring museums, no poetry,no literature,no art, dull conversation, lack feelings, no emotions, lack empathy, endless conversations about rugby, xenophobia, melanoma, minimum wage jobs even if you have 20 years experience in a certain field, dislike the English, Australians like a jealous younger brother, rubbish festivals, ageing population,
I have to say a tremendous amount of truths within his post.
One thing that stands out more than anything for me about NZ is how defensive people are in NZ and this is also coming from a native Kiwi (I moved away 10 years ago) but do visit every year.
NZ is not very good end of story that’s why a high percent of us who are able move away.
And how do you know who is giving a thumbs up or a thumbs down? How do you know kiwis are giving thumbs up and non-kiwis are giving thumbs down? I think you might be surprised.
Child abuse and domestic violence isn’t exactly a public matter Charlotte, many children and abused women suffer in silence. Don’t invalidate their misery just because you never personally encountered it or your acquaintances never spoke to you about it. There’s a lot that goes on behind closed doors. You’re being rather small minded and lacking empathy don’t you think?
Just before Christmas womens refuges around the country were averaging 230 women and children every night.
Hardly a day goes by when there isn’t a child abuse story in the news. The most prominent in recent days being the dysfunctional ‘Once were warriors’ upbringing of the 16 year old Turangi youth Raurangi Marino and the terrible crimes he inflicted on a 5 year old tourist and her family.
But this thread is supposed to be about New Zealand being boring. What makes it interesting for you, you forgot to mention that. Give something for people to think about.
I have stumbled across this site unaware it would seem.
I am now sat here on another grey day in Newtown (Wellington) and my Kiwi girlfriend is at work.
I have been looking for work now for around 9 months and absolutely nothing, either there is no jobs or my English degree and qualifications mean 99% of the time I don’t even get a reply.
I’ve gone out out many times with my girlfriend and have found it almost impossible to create bonds and friendships (nobody is interested) and this is coming from somebody who has never found it difficult to make friends, feeling lonely is not the word for how I feel.
I have never been so bored in my life living anywhere and I have lived in some small isloted places.
Nothing begins or happens here. Nobody talks about anything, certainly not about emotions and feelings, very cold hearted place.
Yes there is no architecture or cultural experiences to be had, I agree completely but for me people make a place and no wonder NZ is so dull and boring when you consider the people who live here are not remotely interested in new ideas, thoughts or expressions.
I’m not from here and feel lonely and judging by it’s high suicide rates those born here are feeling the same.
John, In all sincerity, what you posted is very sad. How long have you been there and can you leave? I’m assuming you’re from the UK? That must be so hard on you. Does your girlfriend see the loneliness you’re feeling? Perhaps she could leave? One thing I’ve noticed is that kiwis have so much fun out of NZ yet they don’t want to leave permanently. Are they scared of the excitement? (I mean that in a sincere way.) But it seems to me that once someone gets to NZ it is so expensive to leave they are stuck in misery
Thank you for your kind and caring post. The plan is to save hard then apply for a partner visa back to England, I can’t see any earlier than December/ Jan..
Dec/Jan will come faster than you realize. I’ve never been to England but my kiwi husband loves London and says he always wanted to live there. Just hang in there and try to find something to help pass the time
Just do not have children with your Kiwi partner. I have seen those situations end up tragically. Kiwi partner wants to stay in New Zealand, has a baby or (if a man stalls and will not budge) and avoids moving back to keep the other partner happy, pins the unhappy migrant partner down in New Zealand indefinitely, bound by love for the child, living in poverty for years and funding their lifestyle. You will be fodder for a machine. Do NOT knock her up, man.
They lack personality because of the lack of activity. There is nothing there to build character so they truly cannot help how dull and unanimated the people. They take offense to this and think the world seems to be against them. They do not get it and how can you expect them to really? With a lack of culture & arts, a lack of interesting personalities is expected. And the poor children there. What is there for them to do? In the north all I saw were parks after parks with swings and slides. That’s it. No good zoos, no amusement parks, no warm beaches, just nothing of stimulation. It’s all sad really.
I have wondered that, myself (why do they have this fear of the outer world). And it is true, the longer you stay the stucker you are, because your money gets sucked off you harder and harder!
Get OUT. Tell your girlfriend what is going on. Your relationship is something that has to be able to endure both people being honest with each other, and seeing each others’ strengths and weaknesses.
Trying to “hang in there” as some kind of “fitness test” is just masochism and “I’m a man brah, I can take any challenge”. A game where somebody else sets the rules … is stacked against you.
If you do want to pass the time until you leave, productively, speak with the Universities about jobs in student support. I enjoyed my work there and was sorry that I could not make a living off it as the job was available only 6 months in a year.
It really helped that both my administrators AND the students I worked with appreciated my work and took their work seriously.
I’m from New Zealand, and granted for those that don’t grow up living there, it may seem boring to you. I’m currently living in the US myself and enjoying the culture, and have travelled to other parts of the world also, and have loved all the different experiences with it. I agree in comparison NZ is not as busy and active as other parts of the world, but that doesn’t necessarily mean its better or worse.
What all these people commenting seem to be failing to realise – is the appreciation of the fact PEOPLE ENJOY DIFFERENT LIFESTYLES. It’s all about one’s preference and who they are. I thrive off the scenery and the solitude of NZ, while others would thrive off living in a big bustling city.
Everyone’s different, and failure to recognize that is naivety.
PK, We all know that everyone is different, even a small child is able to acknowledge that.
What is it about New Zealand that puts you in California right now? If New Zealand’s scenery and solitude is so appealing why do only 4.4 million people live there and over a million Kiwis live abroad, mostly in Australia?
Why isn’t it awash with migrants to get in, why is immigration negative, why is NZIS losing millions in visa revenue and why are so many Kiwis leaving – the largest exodus since 2001.
It would appear scenery and solitude doesn’t “do-it” for a great many people, including yourself.
You can have scenery and solitude many many other places in the world without the high cost of living and remoteness.
At least in places like Canada, it is not too expensive if you do want a bit of culture.
In New Zealand it is impossible, because you are stuck with a 24-hour diet of scenery and solitude, and no getting away from it without breaking the piggy bank if anything is left by the time you reach that state of desperation.
Get me out of here.
I’m a New Zealander and I admit our lifestyle is more relaxed than most other countries! we enjoy the simple life – we spend most our time in the outdoors, we enjoy bushwalks, bbq’s and camping by the beach with friends and family! If this appears to other countires as boring then thats fair enough!
People in many other countries also do those activities. For example, beach-side holidays have been popular in Britain ever since workers’ paid holidays were introduced.
In Europe common land, rights of way and public footpaths have been in use for hundreds/thousands of years. Some follow old Roman roads, walls and prehistoric trade routes, people use them to access and enjoy the countryside. That access and their right to enjoy the countryside is protected in law.
What else does New Zealand have to offer?
What else NZ has to offer? Shorter and milder winters and glorious summers, all the weathers and landscapes in one country, which means less time wasted traveling and ,more time for family and more personal time. Summer in Christmas, not freezing winter! Clean not genetically modified food, all the lamb,wine and really fresh fruits and veggies you want, ( and they taste like the real thing because have not traveled for weeks…hellooo! I am on board.
You’ve drunk the kool-aid.
Most of the produce, meat, etc. [good stuff] is exported. The rest [seconds that didn't make the grade] is flogged off on the locals, at export prices.
I’m still mystified at Christmas in summer. All those song that no longer apply, dashing through the snow, reindeer…
I’ve sat on the beach in Florida on Christmas Day, NZ ain’t Florida.
New Zealanders top five activities in descending order are sleeping, working, watching TV, eating and drinking, and socializing. Time spent in the outdoors is so small it doesn;t get measured. That’s according to Statistics New Zealand data. They should know.
http://www.expatexposed.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=46497
New Zealand does not corner the market on anything.
I’m visiting the folks at the moment in Wellington, I currently live in London.
Where to begin.
This idea that all us Kiwi’s do is spend a lot of time outside is ridiculous, most of us could barely afford to pay our bills let alone pay for expensive outdoor pursuits, so please don’t believe that rubbish.
Weather wise the top of the North Island isn’t too bad but the rest of the Country doesn’t have the weather to accommodate these outside activities that everyone lies to you about
Unless your into rugby YAWN.
The brain drain is killing this Country and yet nobody talks about it, just leaves like I did.
You have to be careful in NZ if your opinion of the place isn’t all positive people will want to have you hung.
I’m lucky I’ve done everything I can to avoid living amongst fellow Kiwi’s in NW London, and being asked to go to the walkabout pub and dress up in a Kiwi and do the hakka.
I’ve heard Kiwi’s talking in London about how amazing NZ and I just sit there cringing at the level of BS being sprouted.
I can’t stand rugby and the endless conversations about how amazing we are.
I just hope over time I lose my Kiwi accent.
And for those looking to move to NZ be very careful it’s a very xenophobic Country you’ve being warned.
Agreed with Michael who is brave and succeeded in rooting himself in London. True that the Kiwis hate it when you critcize their land and its failings.They don’t seem to like knowing the truth but just like what we learn in marketing, if you do not collect feedback from the customers, you cannot improve your products. So like it or not, NZ do not want anything to change. They should be the next Pacific ‘North Korea’ although with no nuclear weapons.
New Zealanders are what makes New Zealand so boring and without question it is.
Kiwi’s talk about there natural environment as there achievement like they carved the mountains and created the mud pools with there bare hands, you’d laugh if you didn’t have to live amongst them, NZ will eventually be the 8th state of Australia, let’s face it they are all moving there.
Basically what you all to know is most white NZers (Pakehas) do not have much idea about what their national identity is. Because of this, and added to the fact that there is no artistic and social achievement amongst the population, they invent all manner of self perpetuating myths about themselves. The basic reason for anyone who “blows their own trumpet” is because they have to because no other bugger will sing their praises cos they are such a useless bunch. This is why they seize upon the five minuets of fame achieved by third rate performers such as Dave Dobyn, for expamle. This is why during the Rugby World Cup (when the world came to play), at the opening ceremony in Auckland (where over 2,000 ticket holders couldn’t get to the opening game because of poor planning) an antiquated performer from the 1970′s was there to sing his mind-mumbingly bad songs to a crowd who revelled in the past glory of his fame.
In summary, Kiwi’s are smug unfriendly feral people but think they are so good,The reality is they aren’t.
NZ is isolated & that reflects in the insular & parochial attitude of the people. New Zealanders are generally polite, but definitely not friendly (as is often said, although I can’t understand why). New Zealanders are unbelievably tight with their money, which causes them problems. This is why they don’t tip waiters & their houses are cheap, cold & rotting & their wages are low etc. Scots, contrary to popular belief are a generous race of people. They are also welcoming & hospitable to visitors. New Zealanders have a misguided belief of their own self importance. Scots know they are not world players, but have over the years made major contributions to the world e.g. telephone, television, literature, engineering etc.
When I left Scotland, I was friendly & outgoing. After spending four years in New Zealand I found myself becoming angry & bitter & filled with hatred. Since moving to Sydney for the past year, that veil of negativity has mostly lifted. I can now look back on NZ & see the things I liked & the things that I hated.
I liked the fact that for such a small country, you only need to travel a short distance to see immense differences in the landscape e.g. bubbling/boiling ground in Rotorua &the mountains & volcanoes of Whakatane & Lake Taupo . The beaches around Auckland & further North e.g. Waipu & Tawharanui are lovely & generally safe, with nice warm water in the summer.
I hated the cliquish & unfriendly nature of the people. I found this to be much worse in the men than the women. I think there seems to be an insecurity running through them, which makes them this way. I hated their belief in their own misconceptions & myths e.g. NZ is sub-tropical, or that it’s “clean, green & innovative”. I hated the fact that they took themselves so seriously.
I remember having a conversation with an English mate (I’m an Aussie) and he said Kiwis reminded him a bit about his time he spent in the scandinavian countries,impossible to make friends with the locals and not much to do in evenings, especially in winter but get drunk,things are also very expensive but the big difference is that the houses, and cities in(Scandinavia) are well built and planned,people are well dressed and they dont have the she’ll be alright BS in other words they do things properly.
Lived in London for a very long time so observations coming back to New Zealand.
Negatives smallness and remoteness,conversation and views,apathetic and unambitious people,poor presentation standards,small kiwi frame of reference,lack of infrastructure,unindustriousness and naivety.(It has to be said you’ll find this in small towns and places all over the world)
Positives good being with family and friends,nice quiet house,Auckland has been OK actually,nice small towns and beaches.
Will be going back to London again however for obvious reasons.
Sadly a lot of the opinions and comments on here are true, our isolation combined with the NZ media’s obsession with blowing our trumpet as created an insular country with a MASSIVE chip on it’s shoulder. I’m from wellington (capital city) and nothing happens, same shit day in day out, this Country needs the sun otherwise it’s dead so that means it’s dead 11 months of the year. Kiwi’s do not like Aussie’s and the English in particular so be careful if you are thinking of moving here and you fit into that nationality.
Don’t forget the “Yanks”. Big anti-American thing going on down here.
Hmmm what about canucks? we are planning to move to NZ for a cultural experience with our teenager son.
Canucks are probably the least disliked. I think that NZers identify with them.
I am a born Kiwi and I now live in Australia, and I know where I would much rather live. I happen to agree with many of the immigrants who have posted on this page. No matter how often Kiwis try to deny it, it cannot be denied that New Zealand is a very boring place that lacks so much. I think New Zealand is a beautiful country and generally most of the people a friendly but as a whole it is a country that lacks character and life is a lot more slower there so it doesn’t take long to get bored. It is a drug fueled nation filled with people with no aspirations. The residents live a dull patterned life and this doesn’t seem to change, The weather is always damp and cold apart from perhaps a months worth of sunshine in the summer. I don’t know any kiwis who have ever bungy jumped or skiid at any of the mountains which surround the country, Instead they have to work 5 days a week on minimum wage trying to keep a living. That is those with jobs that is. The youth here re dying as they have no real sense of direction. Those that do progress have no other aspirations but to work overseas, particularly places like england and Australia.
I am so happy I have made the move to Australia. The weather here is so much warmer, the people are much happier and friendlier. There is a vast range of things to see and do. You can swim at the beach all day every day of the year in most parts. It is cheaper to live and it is almost impossible to get bored in such an interesting landscape. From its beatiful golden beaches to vast open desert plaines to snowy mountains to high-rise cities – Australia has it all.
If you like a slow paced, relaxed lifestyle, and a sense of isolation – New Zealand is the perfect destinatination.
Nothing to do eh? Boring huh? Yep, that will be the comment coming from all those who have spent their lives being “entertained” by others; those who lack the imagination and inspiration to go out and create their own enjoyment, and who feel soooo let down when others do not leap to their instant assistance in providing entertainment (or perhaps they can’t work out how to use the remote down here?).
Every place is what you make of it. If you can’t find something fun to do, if you can’t find people to have an intelligent discussion with, if you can’t appreciate a ripping band on a Friday night, if you fail to see some of the fantastic artists, then I suggest it is your attitude that is the issue, not the location.
I could make the same criticisms posted here about all the countries I have lived in if I sat on my arse and expected life to be fed to me on a spoon.
Nothing like travel to narrow the mind eh?
You get a “good on ya” for national pride.
But the truth is: NZ is boring.
Most folks do not have income that will aford them the freedom to be able to; travel, sightsee, do any of the touristy things, dine out, entertainment, or any of a multitude of other things.
Kind of like financial shackles.
The cold and wet could be overlooked/dealt with as is the case in many other colder and wetter climates, except that the housing is NOT built for the conditions.
So, you freeze in your uninsulated house, unable to go out and see/do any thing.
Not my idea of a “good time”.
When I use my imagination, I imagine I’m somewhere else.
What could be done to improve the experience for you? When I was a child if I complained I was bored I was promptly instructed to find something interesting to do. Probably not a parenting option for the last fifteen years. However, it’s clear that you’re not happy. As your default “hosts”, is it possible for us (New Zealanders) to do anything to help? Can we make it less boring? Would you like some assistance finding alternative accommodation? Or if a move isn’t possible perhaps there are affordable options to insulate that haven’t been explored yet? Taking on board the comment about accepting feedback: what is it that you’d like us to provide?
Well those are some good points you bring up and you are right that every place is what you make of it but every place is different and has its good points and not so good points. New Zealand is a spectacular country with undeniable beauty and the people are what make it so unique but it obvious that a place lacks in a few things if you have to use your imagination everywhere you go.
It has nothing to do with “nationalistic pride”. Having lived and done business in Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Thailand over the last 25 years, I can honestly say I have found (compared to NZ) far more racist countries (Japan especially, Australia a close second), far poorer wages and employee exploitation (Thailand and Indonesia), far worse housing standards (Japan again), far higher cost of living (Japan), much higher tax rates and business compliance costs (all of the above). I have come across just as many uneducated, willfully globally ignorant, unaware, totally unambitious numwits (both locals and ex-pats) in the above countries as I have in NZ (probably more-so in Australia and Japan especially!).
Yet I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in all the above locations. It’s not about having money, its about the effort you put in. It doesn’t cost anything to walk into an art gallery and converse with the owner or other patrons. It doesn’t cost much at all on a free Sunday to just get on to the next bus/train that arrives and see where it takes you. It doesn’t cost to head down the local sports grounds on a Saturday and just cheer on whatever teams are playing whatever sports, and its fun and you never know who you might meet.
Of course NZ can improve in all the above areas. We have our fair share of bigots, racists, misogynists, rip off artists, and any other ts you can think of. But if you think it’s boring here, or as Daniel said above “same shit day in day out”, then the issue is with you, because you choose to do the “same shit day in day out”. Nobody is forcing you to do “same shit day in day out”!! You choose to! The simple fact is that if you relocate elsewhere in order to escape yourself (“do a geographical”), you will soon find your boring attitude catching up with you.
As an Asian immigrant living in NZ for 25 years my response is that a lot of what she says about NZ is unfortunately true and kiwi’s should try to accept it and not get offended.
NZ is a hard place to live in in terms of working and earning money. A lot of daily goods are expensive and wages for most people apart from the few rich are low. Yet kiwi’s love to compare themselves to a “western or european” country. I think its a bit of a joke since NZ is so isolated in the pacific, has not much of a manufacturing industry and it survives on dairy products.
Also although it seems to think of itself as a diverse and multicultural country, the attitude of white people in NZ is disturbing at times as they show racism towards Asians and other groups but they seem to forget that without the trade with Asia they would be living in the 50′s.
There are close to 200,000 kiwi’s living in Australia because NZ’s economy is so hollow you can see the big frowning kiwi’s face on the otherside.
Also yes it is a nice place to raise up kids but its not the only place. There are a lot of gang’s in NZ and they threaten society and the justice system is at times disturbing with its sentencing. These are facts about NZ, end of the day the hills and nature were here long before white people came here.
I live in NZ for 1 year and a half and could not agree more. NZ is probably one of the few places on Earth that you can do surfing, climbing, and snowboarding in one day. However, there is not cultural activities going on. I’m not saying the country does no have culture, I’m saying that if you want to listen a concert during summer time (there isn’t). Good band’s going to NZ for tour (there isn’t). And the list goes on.
As a born and raised Kiwi, I can testify:
NZ is dull, boring, no drama no excitement no opportunites. Old people should come to retire and kids should go through schooling here but that’s about it. There is no grand life to be had here.
I agree with the writer. NZ is dull. It lacks history, and when i mean history, where are all your palaces, halls and castles? The weather might be mild but its bloody wet over there. I prefer more defined seasons. Rugby is the dullest sport on the planet. So if you like lazing on a beach, surfing and drinking beer its perfect. But if you want somewhere with more than just natural beauty, like history, cities, culture, more sport than just rugby, traditions then maybe GB isn’t that bad after all.
Be honest, most people today want everything handed to them on a plate. That includes entertainment. God forbid if you have to get off your bum and actually make an effort to be entertained like you do in NZ’s outdoors. Beats sitting inside half your life drinking, smoking and watching the telly
As a 20 year old born and raised Kiwi I have always been pretty frustrated at how there’s nothing to do here. Yes it’s true that people seem to have nothing better to do than get drunk, stoned and/or have sex, although I don’t think it’s much different in Britain. I’ve been looking for places to live, definitely not anywhere in Europe and especially not GB purely because my opinion of it is that it’s dirty, overcrowded and I’ve been told the people will snap at you if you merely ask them for directions.
I’d definitely love to live in America. Even the small towns seem to be more exciting than Auckland. The house prices here are rising, and I’ve heard even places in California are cheaper to rent than here. America is the place I’d want to raise my kids, I don’t want my kids doing drugs and screwing randoms like kids do here.
Australia is not a place I’d want to live…it’s droughts in one place floods in another. The racism is awful over there and I’d not want to be associated with racist people. The job sector isn’t great unless you want to live and work in a dull mining community. But it is close to NZ, and my family aren’t going anywhere, so if I was on the other side of the world I know they’d probably be unhappy about it.
I do appreciate NZ for my childhood, it was a great place to grow up. But it’s kind of like a large scale retirement village, it’s very safe – no dangerous animals, no guns, etc.
But in your 20′s till middle age you don’t really want safe. You want excitement, and adventure. NZ doesn’t have ENOUGH of it.
Well, I look forward to the day I can leave. I have lived here for over 3 years and they have been 3 of the most boring, depressing and lonely years of my life. I lived in Fort Lauderdale, USA for 4 years and then I went back to the ‘motherland’ South Africa to see if I could make it work and try and ‘brush’ off the crime issue, but my wife and I decided to leave SA for ‘greener’ pastures and so I headed to the clean, green & adventurous NZ…more like propaganda! Anyway, I fell for it. I was in Wellington for a year and as soon as we got our residency I had to leave because my partner was also suffering from a mild dose of depression and boredom and the worst weather that I have ever encountered in my life. We booked our first tickets out of the place back to my country lifestyle in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It felt wonderful to be back home, to be close to family, and to soak up the great weather…We just felt alive again! Well, we couldn’t stay there forever, so we decided to come back to not lose our residency and also the crime situation and job prospects for a young white male in South Africa are few and far between. If it wasn’t for the crime and political situation in South Africa, I highly doubt we would have ever left the place to come to NZ.
Another major disappointment for me is the lack of wildlife in New Zealand. Going for hikes or doing anything outdoors, I noticed that the forest(bush) had minimal birds and wildlife. It felt like a place that is completely devoid of any wildlife. I know that most native species are threatened, endangered and extinct because of the NZ people and government waking up a little to late to try and conserve what they had left. Their poor conservation efforts has resulted in the demise of most native species in NZ. What a shame! All they have now is a forest that is overrun with with invasive species of both fauna and flora.
NZ small towns are soulless and dead, it’s not pleasant walking around any town, there was nothing much to see or do. When my wife and I did a few road trips around the North island, I didn’t see any nice towns or villages compared to the towns in Italy and Brazil that were full of life and culture! It was cold, damp (most of the time wet), dreary, boring and so called ‘clean & green’ That’s must be the joke of the century. Cost of living in NZ is a complete rip off. Renting a decent one bedroom apartment in Auckland will set you back R400 a week which is insane compared to what I used to pay in the USA and SA. Food prices are way too high! The beaches are not that great and the weather in Auckland is terrible.
Don’t get me wrong, NZ has some nice places, but it is way oversold. I typically advise people that NZ has simply perfected their marketing. I might sound very negative and full of it, but remember this is just my opinion. New Zealand does have it’s + compared to South Africa in that the crime rate is low especially violent crime, minimal corruption within the government compared to the ANC, less materialistic and also no poverty stricken areas when compared to SA.
My wife is studying and after 2 years we will be leaving. There is no way we could ever live here. It is just a stepping stone even though the last 3 and half years feel like a complete waste of time. I’m getting older and with every year that goes by I keep asking myself why on earth I ever went through with it…The best answer I could come up with was the political and crime situation in SA pushed me to pack up and head overseas. If I had it my way I would of stayed in the USA. I felt alive and well there!
Anyway, it is what is for now. I must just be grateful!
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now was once among the things you only hoped for.”
― Epicurus
Another thing that I would like to mention is that NZ is also a very PC (politically correct) place where you actually can’t put the hard word on people when they have digressed and committed bad blunders.The culture of cringing political correctness drives me nuts. It is a horrible thing that is “dangerous,” as it hampers freedom of thought and expression. Proponents(mostly radical liberals) of political correctness turn the world into language and culture by controlling the words we use – by defining the limits of acceptability of the meanings of certain words and ideas that we use.
Binge drinking is a culture to them…The culture in general is barely existent.Go All Blacks…..and beer.They are generally passive-aggressive, superficially polite, drunk(binge drinking culture), and insular. Kiwis cannot stand criticism of any kind. Maori do receive preferential treatment to non-Maori. NZ also has one of the highest rates of domestic violence, youth suicide and child abuse for developed countries. The justice system is soft on criminals! I have heard of cases of murder where the perpetrator gets away with 10 years prison sentence and many other assault and robbery cases where the perpetrator does community service instead of a lengthy jail sentence. Unfortunately, the radical liberals are always jumping on the bandwagon to give violent criminals/thugs a second chance all because in the name of human rights…. I’m a staunch pro-death penalty advocate for murderers. Anyway, i don’t want to get into a political debate on that.
I live in Auckland and I cannot wait to leave. I am bored out of my mind and I hope the next 2 years race by…what a waste though! The best way for me to put it is that I felt alive and content in the USA and SA, and here in NZ I feel like a doormat!
Don’t get me wrong though…. NZ has some nice places and a few other nice things that I can’t think of right now, but it is way oversold!