Leaving NZ? share your exit interviews here
My Name is Sam and I am a born Australian but have lived in New Zealand since being a child and have happily moved back to my home country.
Without a doubt New Zealand is a beautiful country that has a nice relaxed feel to the place but like most place it has its problem. I found that the country lacks in many opportunities, particularly for young people leaving school. With so few people, and so few jobs out there, what can they do. Young people are given no sense of direction or guidance and many feel stuck as there are so few opportunities. I’ve heard the government now wants to decrees youth wage to just over $10 an hour to supposedly provide them with jobs. That to me is slave labour. Wages are low, taxes are high (although they are in Australia too, but at least you earn what you work for).
The weather in New Zealand is depressing and it rains pretty much every day. Houses are damp and cold beacuse of poor insulation. A majority of children go to school hungry. A nhigh amount of people are bludging of the dole. There is domestic violence rates. High teenage suicide rates. High crime rates in cities. Its a country fueled by alcohol and drugs. The people are friendly yet not too easy to approach and at times can be a little unwelcoming and stand-offish which can make for some awkard conversations. There is also an incredible amount of stubborness in the area.
To me, nz lacks energy and it almost sucks the life out of you if you there to long. The towns and cities lack vibrance and life but the people make up for that. Its easy to get bored as you are o limited for options there. There is pleanty to do in terms of adventurous activities, if that; what your interested in but of course you need a good amount of money in your pockets to do these things.
I am very glad to get back home to my warm and friendly country of Australia. After a while the cold and bitterness of new zealand becomes a little bit unbearable.
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In regard to “The people are friendly yet not too easy to approach and at times can be a little unwelcoming and stand-offish which can make for some awkard conversations.”, I thought it was only me who was feeling this way. But here it is. Thanks for sharing your story. Let’s not go back to New Zealand, but let’s forgive the NZ locals who gave us bitter feelings.
Hi. Im originally from Melbourne. I lived in NZ & then moved back to Aus. It’s now been 6 years & Im going back to NZ because I find Aus unwelcoming, rude, over-commercialized, sexist, racist, expensive… I have tried for 6 years here & I just cannot near another moment of it. All there is to do here is go to the pub. It’s boring as hell. I had a beautiful life of art & culture in NZ. We DIY’d everything & had strong values beyond buying the next useless, superficial item. It’s far from perfect & wages are low & taxes are high but for artistic types and do-it-yourself types it’s a great place to live. I feel that I’m a kiwi at heart despite not having citizenship.
Boy, are you in for a disappointment! NZ is a hundred times worse than Australia on all of those points – try looking at some of the discussions here!! New Zealand is the most racist place I’ve ever visited… and people are beyond rude. There are fat men with jiggly man boobs trying to barge past you wherever you go. Ugh. If you are Asian they will say things like “Oooh, me want sucky-sucky” or “Me want you to love me long time”. Hilarious if you like ugly fat white men.
I am an artist too. I finally left New Zealand after some years there. The scenery is pretty, but art’s more than landscapes! Many artists, as elsewhere, were working other gigs. Many of them had incomes from pensions or partners that allowed them to do their art. Kiwis cannot afford art and are very practical. Suspicious of ideas-oriented creative types. I found New Zealand’s lack of materials and crazy-$$$$$ art supplies to be limiting. You can only gather so many natural materials! Not to mention the tedious focus on exclusively kiwi subjects, to be very uninspiring. It is not a place if you want to live “in the world”. To me, the world inspires my art. I can see that Kiwi artists might prefer it if you have grown up in that country. I do live in a more consumerist culture now, but you do not have to participate in it. You can live frugally and do DIY outside of New Zealand and you will be further ahead if you need funds for your bigger ideas. The plus side is that you have more materials to work with outside of New Zealand, in every sense of the word. I would probably have liked it better if I worked with wools.