“Observations About The Downside of New Zealand”

Continuing in our series of Migrants’ Tales – first hand accounts of the migrant experience of New Zealand, taken from locations around the net.

Today’s tale was taken from a commercialised emigration forum that still permits a degree of negativity about New Zealand to get through, although not as much as it used to.

Update:

We’ve recently taken a look at the forum where this post was first published and are dismayed to see that a lot of additional content has been removed from the thread and character assassinations to discredit the OP have been permitted. Unfortunately this is to be expected on commercial forums wishing to portray New Zealand in a good light (let’s face it – they’re there to make money from their advertisers) See our Welcome page to read more about Campaign Posters and how NZ is sold.

July 2010
We too fell for – foolishly/naively perhaps – the NZ government propaganda. Prop country – nicely put.

We too are professionals who were on the ‘long and short term skills shortage’. We came on an LTBV – with a view to hiring local ‘talent’ or training locals in an area of technology that NZ purports to encourage and promote. Hah! What a joke that turned out to be, albeit a bad one. Not only is this a third world country in terms of the knowledge and implementation of new technologies, the Nz’ers instantly despise you for knowing something they don’t! They don’t want to learn, embrace, encourage or participate. They will avoid using your services even if it means depriving themselves of something they actually desire to have – because you’re a ‘Brit’. Remind you of a saying about cutting off your nose . . . .? NZ government propaganda is breathtaking in the depth and depravity of its lies and deceit in this respect. As you so rightly said; DDR.

The NZ’ers (predominantly descendants of British migrants) also view altruism as a weakness and therefore an even faster method of taking your money from you. In fact since we arrived it has felt as though we’ve been mugged on a regular basis – I’d go so far as to say this is country populated by Vampires!

The nature-loving ‘green’ NZ’ers have systematically decimated the natural flora and fauna of the country and factory farmed vast tracts into barren wasteland. Though they are quick to blame their actions on anyone but themselves – rather like a five year old who claims, ‘It wasn’t my fault, he made me do it!’ And if you don’t continuously praise them for being clever, lovely, good little Kiwi’s they will throw an unholy tantrum! The NZ’ers have a Universal chip on their shoulders and seem to invoke the standard response to the slightest criticism- even things THEY complain about; ‘You are a whining Pom!’ Because of course NZ is a demi-paradise beyond reproach or criticism in any form! The Australian’s call Kiwi’s ‘bludgers’ – and given that hordes of them flock to the UK and seem to be expert at getting something for nothing from the British tax payer, I’d say they were bang on with their description.

Can’t wait to leave – tickets are booked and we shall escape with most of our cash intact, though this has been an expensive con. We shall spread the word to any intelligent, well-intentioned, good-hearted people naive enough to believe that they can look forward to a better life in this mirage the locals call ‘Gods own country‘. Being confessed atheists; that should have been warning enough! “

17 thoughts on ““Observations About The Downside of New Zealand””

  2. ….we too came to NZ on a LTBV after touring the country extensively beforehand. I can agree with almost all the points made. We find small town NZ to be quite uncultured and lacking in any sophistication. Other ExPats tell me that they find the Kiwi’s to be quite shallow, I can’t say that I have found this to be true simply because we have not yet many any Kiwi friends after 3 years of trying! On the whole, I wold not recommend NZ to anyone other than to those who have a desire to live in a poor quality house and be as self sufficient as they can be!

  3. There are so many websites enticing Britishers to bring their pensions over here. But before anyone does this,, read this immigrant warning site http://nzpensionabuse.org.s3-website-us-east-1.amazonaws.com/Welcome.html

    Here is the text of their Welcome page, which deserves a read and reprint here, in case their site comes down –

    “With stunning natural beauty, a clean and peaceful environment – and the promise of a full state pension on fulfilling a mere ten-year’s residency – New Zealand might seem the ideal place to live. Do not be deceived! A very nasty surprise lies in wait for immigrants and New Zealanders who have worked overseas when they reach retirement.

    New Zealand was one of the first countries in the world to provide a universal state pension for its citizens. Over time, bureaucrats and politicians have tampered with the system to the extent that, today, one in every four Kiwis discovers that the “Universal Pension” is a false promise.

    All New Zealand residents pay for the Universal Pension, known as “NZ Super” through general taxation.

    However, immigrants and New Zealanders who have put money aside in overseas government-administered retirement schemes before coming, or coming back, to New Zealand are forced to surrender those retirement savings to the NZ Government in return for NZ Super – thereby paying twice for a state pension.

    This website outlines the impossible task elderly people face in obtaining justice; it highlights the mechanisms in place to prevent challenges to the government on pension discrimination and how every avenue of appeal has been blocked. The case history is examined of Ruth, a born and bred New Zealander denied the “Universal Pension” because, in the eyes of the law, she married the wrong man.

    Deviousness, dishonesty and a culture of deception are exposed, pointing to malfeasance at high levels of government.

    In the face of bureaucratic stone-walling and political indifference, NZ Pension Abuse remains committed to publishing the truth about New Zealand’s retirement policies for the world to see, and to alert intending immigrants and Kiwis returning from working overseas of the dishonest and unfair treatment in store for them in this otherwise beautiful country.

    Under section 70 of the Social Security Act (the direct deduction policy), the NZ Government is currently appropriating the overseas retirement savings of 56,000 retirees.

    Section 70 provides the NZ Government income amounting to around $200 million a year. This income assists funding the pensions of New Zealand’s long-serving politicians and public servants.

    Because of its internationally unacceptable retirement policies, nations around the world have refused to consider social security arrangements with New Zealand. New Zealand has social security agreements with only 7 other countries, each agreement seriously flawed.

    Some nations (e.g. Canada) have repeatedly requested the NZ Government to cease applying section 70 to their second-tier contributory pensions. The attitude of NZ authorities in response has been “It’s an internal affair – mind your own business.”

    A major review of New Zealand’s retirement policies was submitted to Parliament, recommending urgent pension reforms. These recommendations had the support of all government departments.

    Cabinet Ministers however rejected the recommendations, falsified the review’s contents, then went to extreme lengths to conceal the recommendations from opposition parties and the public – claiming that releasing the material would seriously endanger the nation’s security.

    In January 2010, Parliament finally approved financial improvements for retired immigrants and New Zealanders with overseas pensions – provided they left New Zealand to live permanently elsewhere.

  6. Exactly what’s the point you’re trying to make here Andrea?

    You just mentioned Cabbage Patch in another one of your comments and lamented their falling quality, but they are a New Zealand company.

    Moonlight is correct, NZ consumers and tourists are getting ripped off.

    New Zealand’s largest exports are dairy products, but consumers in other countries pay less for them than New Zealanders do, even after shipping costs are added on.

    NZ Lamb costs less in a UK supermarket than it does in NZ, and it’s better quality too.

  7. Moonlight a lot of the companies we have here ARE Australian. A lot of their stuff is made in China too.

  8. Warehouse is much worse than Walmart or Kmart for the money. I have never had a Warehouse shirt hold its color for longer than 2 washes. The material is so flimsy that holes appear mysteriously, as if the washing machine is biting them. This does not happen to the ones I bought at Walmart before we moved here.

    The problem is that the “lifestyle” does not deliver for all the sacrifices you have to make to live here. People should know that. This site is great.

  9. Is it any wonder that electronics, cosmetics, clothes etc. are ‘expensive’ here? We are at the bottom of the world & have a population of just over 4 million. Do what Kiwis do & buy things on sale. That’s when you can find reasonably priced items – as for the quality, I have been overseas & don’t think quality is an issue – depending where you shop of course.

    • Just like milk and lamb, isn’t it??? yeah, right!! the truth is NZ businesses are a plain rip-off, Australia is expensive but you can get cheaper food and clothes, with better quality too…it’s no secret that quality is non-existent in NZ goods (and not only Warehouse stuff), clothes are ugly, cheaply-made (99.99% in China), using low quality fabric (doesn’t last a year) and very expensive, even when on “sale”…

  11. backpackers story
    http://www.newadventuresinbackpacking.com/travel-tips/things-i-wont-miss-about-new-zealand/

    “In New Zealand, while you sleep, the world lives”.
    “Living in New Zealand makes you think you may have just dropped off the end of the world”
    Wages are low in New Zealand. In my industry I could have expected to earn 30% less than I did doing the same job for the same company. It’s not just wages, “Costs of items like electronics, cosmetics, clothes are extremely expensive here. The latter is of very poor quality at high prices.”
    “New Zealand promotes itself as the adventure capital of the world, which is great if you’re a tourist, but when was the last time you came home from work and thought I might do a good old fashioned bungy jump to help me relax?”
    “Hills and rivers don’t hide the fact that New Zealand is essentially the dullest place I have ever lived – a guy in met in my hostel told me they came here for a change of lifestyle but felt like he had moved into semi retirement”.
    “Public transport and the lack of it after 6pm is a real pain as well”.
    “I have spent nights in houses where it is curiously colder in the house than it is outside”.
    “Rugby Culture – I am fed up of having it rammed down my throat by the Kiwi media and people in general about how much they love their Sport. The All Blacks symbolise everything I didn’t like about New Zealand: beer belching idiots, farm- and carboys idolising maniacal baboons undertaking homo-erotic acts…”

    AMEN! And I could add a few to that too!

  12. Good post! Kiwis are immature by nature, I suffer the fact I hear stupid conversations day by day, were it not for fellow foreigners, my mind would go numb hearing about their mundane stuff such as “what are you eating” “my hair is not good today” “X is boyfriend of Y OMG!!” “we went to the bach” “are u comin’ tonite” “gonna go fishin’ tomorrow” etc etc they have no brain power to talk about world affairs, politics, culture, or even the problems in their own country. Yuck!

  13. the poster saying that they view altruism as a weakness and faster method of taking your money from you is so right. they think migrants pick it off trees and so they can just take it right out of your pockets. it is a very childlike viewpoing but scary if you have to live with them. the minute they hear your accent, the lights go on in their eyes and their price for a good or service goes right up

  14. I have seen that thread on that forum. It was a long one over many pages and some very honest opinions, spot-on remarks. I did not read the whole thing but that poster “pic”, whoever he was, was eloquent, really on a roll there and I say good on him. for laying it out like that.

    • We have to remember that when people like Pic write about their experience of New Zealand that is deeply personal to THEM and they have taken time out to share that with other people, who has the right to challenge that? Some of the character assassinations that have been permitted on that thread are disgraceful.

      We think that the challenges and denigration aimed at Pic are symptoms of a deep seated insecurity caused by repressed doubts about New Zealand. Some people move to New Zealand based on conceptualized and idealized visions of what they want the country to be and they feel threatened when those visions are challenged.

      Others try to stay positive because they’re living their partner’s dream and
      have no option other than to fit-in. For them New Zealand really is the last
      chance saloon.

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