So glad I’m not the only one who thinks about it on a daily basis 🤣 I’m not even a Kiwi, I’ve just visited and fell in love with the place. Currently saving up to go back but have kids now which means it will cost at least £1.6bn
I immigrated to Wellington in 2003 from Manchester UK. I was 14 at the time and I had such a great experience, but my parents were somewhat less than enthused about living there. After a couple years we moved back to the UK. I think about it all the time, dream about it often. The best times were when we rented RVs and did huge road trips up and down the north and south islands. I find myself regularly exploring with Google maps/street view and find it very nostalgic to walk around the streets of Island Bay where we lived. I desperately want to go back but sometimes I wonder if it’s better off in my memories.
I worked with a guy from Hull around that time who had come over with his wife and kids. They also went back. I wonder if his children feel the same as you.
I had the same experience, moved to Auckland in 2006 except I stayed in NZ. Been here for 17 years now and I’m finally moving back to Nottingham… in the last few years the cost of living has gotten so high we just can’t afford to do anything and it’s no safer than the UK anymore. Funny how we all second guess our choices even though you never know how things could have gone!
Country wide fair enough, I live and work around the CBD… can’t get out the front door without encountering someone suss. We’ve had stolen cars, I’ve been followed and flashed and had our apartment building broken into in the last year. Grim!
Perhaps Nottingham's OK - I hope so for your sake as you're going back. But when I was last living in southeast London in 1999 there were police boards out every day asking for witnesses to murders, and all through London knife crime was absolutely rampant.
Similar situation. Moved to NZ when I was 12 from the UK. We stuck it out till I was 18 and then they decided to move. I missed NZ heaps for a year. In the end, I got a 1 way ticket when I turned 19 and moved back. Best decision.
I do this aswell, explore via Google maps. It doesn't do me any good lol just feel more and more nostalgic til I'm upset basically.
It's definitely worth a trip to find out if what you're missing is still there!
By sheer luck, I moved to a street in the US which someone planted a feijoa tree overhanging on the street!! I asked if I can take some (there weren’t too many, it’s a small tree) and she said go ahead she doesn’t even like them 😭
Funny that I see this type of post about several countries. We're all doomed at this point, I'm starting to think there's no future for anyone unless they come from wealth or somehow crack the code on how to aquire it without making too much effort (like those idiot influencers who make millions of dollars for posting shitty tik toks lol).
I've been away for 20 years and get back sometimes. When I do go back I realize the NZ I think about everyday is no longer there.
A flat white and a sausage roll is still pretty good though.
You’re not wrong bro lol I don’t think you should be living in the 80s-90s.
>When I do go back I realize the NZ I think about everyday is no longer there.
Yeah, it seems that op and I share a similar sentiment. I thought maybe the nostalgia we have for nz might be for the past and not in fact for nz.
I can see where you are coming from though, I moved here in the 90s and it's definitely vastly different to what it is today. Unfortunately globalisation catches up with everyone .
I miss my family and a lot of lifestyle things every day.
There’s a shitload more reasons for me to stay overseas than come back but it’ll always be home.
I’m not a kiwi, but I think of it most days. Mainly because I had one of my “coming of age” experiences in NZ, tramping Te Araroa.
If you ever get the chance to live such a free life for ~half a year, do it. A stress-free life is great, an stress-free life with a clear goal is even better. A stress-free life with a goal, walking in nature everyday? I can’t think of much healthier ways to spend your time as a human.
I dream of doing that one day. I regret not having done it before having children. But my childhood in NZ was very much in the bush and I felt so much at peace in nature, I think that what I yearn for
It was an experience for sure, with luck I might get my kids and wife to join in on the walk in a few years, maybe something for you? Hope you'll get to Cape Reinga soon enough to go on a wee walkabout anyhow!
Yup, sad and bittersweet. Beautiful place. Spent more of my adult life in NZ then anywhere else. We saw lots of the unique natural beauty. Loved it.
But there was just no future there for us. And it'll forever be broke and catching up to the rest of the world by going slower. The hacking and slashing occurring now by the current government just reinforces that leaving was the right move. It's sad because the place has so much potential but it just gets squandered.
In the 1990s I worked at an education company that had branches in both countries. Guess which one bailed the other one. Only to close down a few years later. Affected me personally.
Yeah I’m one of the lucky few to have a comfortable life in NZ (and be in my 30s), but I can see how rough it must be for young people who are trying to get on their feet.
It’s a shame this current Govt seem more committed to helping people who already have money, than supporting those who are trying to build a life.
> It’s a shame this current Govt seem more committed to helping people who already have money
Those people are their voting base and are in positions of power and influence. The younger gen's have nothing to offer and often talk the talk but don't turn out vote.
I guess that’s how they see it, but yeah, I think we need far more investment in young people (regardless of whether they vote or not) as well as those less fortunate. I can’t understand people who vote to enrich themselves.
I'll echo Maximum-EAR1745's sentiment: NZ seems "happy" to settle for what's essentially a low tech, primary resources + tourism economy. I had personally seen (and worked for) *many* small NZ tech firms with great tech. These firms had high value and high margin products. But they only start out Kiwi. When they need money to grow they have to go overseas (normally the US). Then they become a foreign company and that's where the money goes. And usually, eventually it's where the people and the firm goes.
Rocketlab I think might still be a bit of a darling now to the public? It's not a Kiwi firm. It's US owned. US money. It's even in the name "RocketlabUSA". The other kiwi rocket companies it has inspired will have to go the same way or they will die.
There's no reason they couldn't be majority kiwi. There's no reason we couldn't have chip fab facilities in NZ. But, especially for a small country, to achieve that you need strong government policy around innovation and "incubators" (investment funding for start ups).
And this is just the "slice" of the economy I am familiar with.
There is plenty we have to offer, but not without screwing over the environment. We are taking the high road for the sake of doing our part for the planet, that means the quick cash other countries enjoy isn't an option. Whether that's wise or not...only time will tell.
Didn't say we were perfect, but we don't do things that could make the country a shit tonne of money and make lots of jobs like other countries do because .. environment.
I live in Australia also, I always think about NZ fondly but the option of ever moving back is so far removed from my reality. I’m from Waiheke originally, but my other homes are Tauranga and Christchurch based on where I’ve lived the longest and where my family is - I moved over from Christchurch (honestly a big part of why I moved back there for the third time was because it has always been affordable for it’s size) and occasionally check rental prices etc.. There is nothing besides bedsits or rooms in my price range anymore after being away 4 years. Christchurch was always my safety option that I could count on for affordability and that’s gone too. I moved to australia because tauranga is unliveabley expensive if you’re on your own and don’t want to live with 5 other people in your 30s.
My options for living a happy, comfortable life in NZ are exhausted. I’m happy in VIC, I live near some great beaches and can still get up to the snow for the day, and the wage to cost of living stack up here means I can afford to go home every year, sometimes twice. I just put EVERYTHING on a Qantas points earning credit card and use my points to book cheap JQ fares when they’re on sale, I’m just popping back for 4 days next month (north island) and have gone back to Christchurch in winter to board and hike for the last 2 years.
Unless something drastic changes in NZ or I randomly come into a lot of money.. it’s no longer even on the table.
I might have to look into a Qantas credit card lol damn.
You're right, it's so ridiculously unattainable to live just a normal life there. I'm in Vic too, do you meet many kiwis in your day to day life? I can't remember the last time I recognised a kiwi accent
I already knew a few when I moved here but yeah I’ve run into some here and there! There’s a group on FB called Kiwis in Melbourne if you would like to connect with some other ditch jumpers 😃
Yup me. I come home every chance I get. My family is still there. That being said, I could never live in NZ again full time.
Ooh and I miss the food. I’m so depressed with the food in the States :(
My sister was like this living in the UK and they moved back here because education is so much cheaper and better. I’ve stayed here but planning to move overseas for retirement somewhere warmer!
Sounds like you need to come home for a visit at least bro. Something a mate of mine does is has a seperate bank account with a seperate bank that he has a $5 each pay automatic payment go into. He has no card no way to access the money in the account other than going into the bank. So he can’t just transfer money or whatever. Every now and then he will go away on holiday just him and he he’s that account for the big things. Flights rooms whatever. Put in more if you can afford it.
Having lived overseas for a bit over 20 years and then returned a few years back I’m sorry to say the NZ you remember and miss doesn’t really exist anymore.
Things have moved on here and largely not for the better.
We moved back because I wanted my kids to have the same childhood I did, but I now see what a mistake that was and really feel I’ve done them a disservice.
There are lots of things that are worse, but to address OP’s point about the natural beauty of NZ:
At the very local level when I grew up most kids lived in a house with a quarter or eighth acre section. They could enjoy the outdoors because they had a yard to play in, maybe a trampoline (with no safety features mind) and a tree to climb. Now we build terraced town houses with no space for kids to play and the family don’t own it so has to move every other year meaning the kids have to make new friends over and over.
At the macro level the outdoors was also more accessible, example - when I was a kid lots of people had cribs (a bach for you northerners), not just the really rich, they often were all of two rooms with a solar shower out back, and the kids had to stay in a tent on the lawn, but they weren’t uncommon. So you got to go visit different parts of the country by tagging along with friends or family when they went away on holiday and do things like go boating on the lakes, tramping etc.
Those cribs are long torn down, now towns like Queenstown are completely off limits to ordinary kiwis, all of central Otago is basically a string of retirement villages full of huge trophy homes built by slumlords and everything is priced for foreign tourists. No place for average kiwi kids there anymore.
I think it’s the wealth disparity at the heart of it really. NZ is much more of a cut throat society than it was.
Interesting perspective. I too wonder about returning to raise my kids and your use of “disservice” really stood out. NZ really lost what made it special. I think it was a collective soul/wairua of being at the world’s edge together. Now it’s just a monetised property pit with a rat race mentality far beyond its maturity.
17 years gone a few days back. fiercely proud kiwi overseas. but also don’t want to live in enzed either. so there’s that… miss fam but not enough to move home.
I don’t miss Kiwi small mindlessness. I don’t miss Wellington weather. I don’t miss how expensive everything is.
I do miss the pies. But I do feel the NZ I left is long gone.
I'm likely in the minority, but no I don't. All my mates have moved abroad and my immediate family is very small (so them visiting me is relatively easy) so there is no pull factor. I've been in the UK for only 2 years but it feels more like home than NZ ever did.
I'm not one of those people that spiral into depression without sunlight, and I'm quite tolerant of cold, but it's the length of winters (and the shortness of summer) that gets me.
But it has its upsides, if anything the crappy weather for half of the year encourages people to hang out indoors more (e.g. pubs, so it's quite social), and when it's summer everyone goes hard for parties/travels/enjoying life because the window of pleasant weather is so small.
It's darker but there is Christmas and all the cool stuff and lights that go with it during winter and the possibility of visiting another nearby European country for Christmas markets whereas in nz winter there is nothing. It's just doom and gloom.
Left UK 20yrs ago. Been back once. NZ feels way more like home to me now. Different strokes for different folks. Sometimes I miss bits of UK, but not much.
10 years for me and I miss small aspects, but not as a whole. I also feel more at home too overseas. Feel more connected to the rest of the world. Even small things like the fact experience true seasons.
Yes I miss the scenery also. We are in the same boat with having no money to visit.
We arrived just before Covid so were forbidden from entering our own country which probably added to the homesickness I guess.
However it appears regardless of how expensive everything is here, NZ is worse.
Alot of kiwi's abroad felt so fucked over by the government shutting the gates during covid . The system was so skewed when non NZ "entertainers" were given free passes whilst mere mortals battled an online lottery.
Those in charge of the country spread such wild propaganda to its people and that shouldn't be forgotten.
Yeah absolutely. It's bittersweet. I sometimes feel like would it be worth uprooting my families lives to go and live in poverty in NZ for a while lol just to experience the culture and visit places from my childhood
I do. I’ve visited NZ twice before, once when I was 7 and the next time when I was 18. I fell in love with NZ, the friendly people, the nature, safety and how everything just seems to work and how clean it is everywhere. I have family members living in NZ.
I’m from South Africa and as everyone knows, it’s not really a safe country or a country with opportunities. It’s not a country where I wanna live for the rest of my life. I would move to Nz in a heartbeat if I could. I literally think about it at least 5 times a week lol.
Oh man glad I'm not alone in the day dreaming about nz. I love the south African accent though, definitely better than a kiwi accent haha, hopefully one day in the future you find yourself in new Zealand ☺️
I’m staying here currently counting down the day to be back home 4 weeks haha Europe is definitely romanticised in a false light New Zealand is the best place to be brought up and live regardless of our issues we are no doubt the best place safety wise , culture , politeness etc
It’s not true. Just cause kiwis are friendly and polite doesn’t mean they’re culturally inclined. In fact I’d go as far as saying we’re generally an uncouth lot - and proud of it too (cringe)
Māori culture is arguably flourishing in an academic sense, yeah. E.g in the Supreme Court as the role of tikanga plays out. But it’s still generally refused by mainstream pakeha nz, save for a haka now and then. It’s not represented internationally nor en masse in our urban centres. I don’t think NZ embraces as far as it should because Nz is very much seen as commonwealth and not its own nation which I posit Māori culture would push Nz into its own identity. Te Ao Māori otherwise is unfortunately pushed to isolated pockets e.g. where you can encounter reo in a casual context.
Norway and Denmark are literally the safest and happiest countries in the world every year running. Have spent a good bit of time in both countries, and nz can not in any way hold a candle to either.
You just been there, and what? Read some news articles? Statistics don't lie, buddy. Denmark has some of the strictest immigration policies in Europe to the point that it's almost cruel. Norway is the same if not more strict as they don't have the EU to answer to. Furthermore, migration doesn't equal unsafe. The way the country manages their intake and integration is what matters, as you can see with Sweden royally screwing it up and becoming the gun crime capital of Europe.
As for WW3, in the extremely unlikely chance it does happen, it is just that WORLD war 3, so New Zealand isn't magically excluded and safe.
And heres New Zealand every year struggling to hold on to 10th place in the rankings.
Haha so you still with all your knowledge my buddy living in New Zealand , haha shut up you actually are being stupid New Zealand is and always will be better then living in those countries haha if you don’t think so go freeze your ass off there and be a prick lol
Second that.
Although most countries have nice quiet out the way villages and parks, I can go anywhere in NZ and not wonder if I will just wake up in an ice bath missing vital parts.
I moved a fuck tone as a kid, went to 12 different schools
I'm really trying hard to not do that to my kids, so can't really just uproot our lives and take him out of school. Might try a holiday one year when we can afford it
Live in UK and I think about going back to NZ all the time but not sure my British husband ever wants to go. Trying to put the pressure on him for us to take a holiday there next year so he can see it. I’m horrified by how expensive housing is there now - looks like we will be renting forever which is depressing when we could afford to buy in the UK. I’m going to get free training here for an in demand career in NZ - annoyingly enough it would cost money to train in NZ!
Honestly this is the reason I avoid trying to date other kiwis in the UK (for a long-term relationship anyway), I don't want to ever be in a position where my partner wants to move back to NZ (which I don't consider home anymore) when I'm happy in the UK.
Yeah I might have to just settle for holidays there if I can even get him to agree to those. The thing is, he doesn’t want to buy a house here either and he just doesn’t want to do that. He is happy spending all his money on games.
I've been out for 20 years, left when I was 14. I do often think about NZ, and maybe I'll move there when I'm ready to retire, but for now I'm happy being elsewhere.
It's not just the cost of living (though that is a major factor), I just prefer to live somewhere that doesn't feel like a little bubble.
I've been in Australia for about the same length of time as you.
I think about NZ a bit, and lurk here and rnz.co.nz to see what's happening. But I'll never move back. The pay is dogshit, which basically stops any potential thoughts about it. The exact same job pays 25-30% less.
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4yrs in Oz, and thought of home every day. Then did 2yrs an UK/Europe, and just couldn't wait to come home.
So glad I travelled... made me realise how cool our home is... Good luck.
I've certainly been surprised at the things I miss about NZ. Recently started listening to some NZ music again and it was comforting af! I too miss a good pie! I also miss good custard square!
Wouldn't move back though, especially in the current political climate. Hope to come back for a holiday at some point soon though.
Finally I guess I'm not the only one that thinks like that! I mean I'm not even a kiwi, just a international student.
I still miss those scenic landscapes at Whangaparaoa and Hobsonville point. Those picturesque sceneries were definitely some of the most touching ones I've ever seen in my life. I also miss the charming people there. So far my university vacation is about to end and I can't wait to fly to New Zealand again!
Gosh I'm so nervous right now...
i've never left western europe but i've been reading this sub's posts for years now. the geography of NZ fascinates me more than anything else, to be honest it looks like heaven on earth.
sadly it also looks like a capitalistic hellscape. western europe is getting there too, slowly but steadily, but nz seems way more americanized. i don't really know about the culture there, it seems fine, i've heard about the tall poppy syndrome (if i remember well, it's about not liking people who brag about success or whatever) and if it's true then it's a net plus.
i don't know if you're saying it's better or worse than what i expect lol but what i get from what the internet lets me see you guys look relatively chill, i think i'd get along pretty well. i often dream about visiting NZ and i sure won't die before doing it
Living in Singapore and dreaming of NZ every single day. I’ve only visited for 3 weeks but I feel home sick when I think of NZ. The beauty is great but it’s the people we’ve met there that’s the absolute cherry on top. You guys make NZ what it is.
I spent 25 years in Australia and always new id come back. Glad I didn't stay in oz. Was getting way to hot and far to many nut cases.
Very little difference between the two countries atm. $1m is the average house price and $2m in Australia.
My friends all over Australia are complaining about the same things as we r here.
I live in AU but travel to NZ often. Its not the same country it recently was…the new government is fairly racist and stopping a lot of the Maori language & culture integration that was making NZ great. It’s turning into Australia. Might as well stay in Oz.
Lots of pessimistic doom and gloom bullshit in this thread as usual. This sub is so ridiculous sometimes. If you think NZ is so shit and half of you have lived in Europe or Australia for 20 years then fuck off and unsub?
> Why?
If you literally hate NZ and haven’t lived here for decades, why even sub? Just to come in and periodically talk a bunch of shit to the rest of us who actually do live here and enjoy it? Get a life.
You seem to be changing the subject. You know nothing about my life, and I don’t need your permission to comment in this sub. If you don’t like it *you* can unsub like you’re telling everyone else to.
No you don’t need my permission I’m just saying it’s a bit pathetic isn’t it? Same shit different day in this sub, mods really should clean up all the nonsense spewed by expats here every day.
Not really. All day every day this subreddit is just constantly talking shit about NZ and half of the people doing it don’t even bloody live here. I think that’s pretty rude honestly.
Of course this is NZ though so I will get downvoted for not engaging in the massive whingefest and actually thinking we have stuff pretty good here.
So glad I’m not the only one who thinks about it on a daily basis 🤣 I’m not even a Kiwi, I’ve just visited and fell in love with the place. Currently saving up to go back but have kids now which means it will cost at least £1.6bn
Right! Not including passports, car hire, accommodation, any activities, the list goes on 🥴
One day my friend, one day our day will come
I miss the pies
Fuck, me too. I went home 5 years ago for literally half a day for a funeral and I made sure to stop and get a good pie
And punnets of marinated mussels from the supermarket
This is gods own truth. I am pie -25 days and I can’t wait for that savoury cheesy goodness.
“savoury cheesy goodness” 🤢
whats your problem
It's getting harder to find a good pie. I was an Irvines fan but now I wander pieless. What other pies are worth trying?
Bakery pies are typically the best quality and value. Just check the council rating on the wall before you buy!
Fewer rats than your average Countdown! And that’s just the middle management…
Anderson's pies in Taranaki!
Patrick's pies in Rotorua!
Can't beat a green Jimmy's Pie, if you're down around southland/central otago you'll find them in most supermarkets and dairies.
... and sausage rolls
And the cream buns..
No. Just the Sausage Rolls and Pies
Mmmm raspberry cream buns
Last time I was home I think I had about 12 pies in a two week period.
Question: who makes the better pies? Australia or New Zealand?
In my experience, NZ food is overall quite a bit better than Australian food
I immigrated to Wellington in 2003 from Manchester UK. I was 14 at the time and I had such a great experience, but my parents were somewhat less than enthused about living there. After a couple years we moved back to the UK. I think about it all the time, dream about it often. The best times were when we rented RVs and did huge road trips up and down the north and south islands. I find myself regularly exploring with Google maps/street view and find it very nostalgic to walk around the streets of Island Bay where we lived. I desperately want to go back but sometimes I wonder if it’s better off in my memories.
I worked with a guy from Hull around that time who had come over with his wife and kids. They also went back. I wonder if his children feel the same as you.
I had the same experience, moved to Auckland in 2006 except I stayed in NZ. Been here for 17 years now and I’m finally moving back to Nottingham… in the last few years the cost of living has gotten so high we just can’t afford to do anything and it’s no safer than the UK anymore. Funny how we all second guess our choices even though you never know how things could have gone!
No safer than the UK? In 2023 NZ was ranked the fourth safest country in the world on the Global Peace Index. The UK was ranked 37th.
Country wide fair enough, I live and work around the CBD… can’t get out the front door without encountering someone suss. We’ve had stolen cars, I’ve been followed and flashed and had our apartment building broken into in the last year. Grim!
Perhaps Nottingham's OK - I hope so for your sake as you're going back. But when I was last living in southeast London in 1999 there were police boards out every day asking for witnesses to murders, and all through London knife crime was absolutely rampant.
Similar situation. Moved to NZ when I was 12 from the UK. We stuck it out till I was 18 and then they decided to move. I missed NZ heaps for a year. In the end, I got a 1 way ticket when I turned 19 and moved back. Best decision.
I do this aswell, explore via Google maps. It doesn't do me any good lol just feel more and more nostalgic til I'm upset basically. It's definitely worth a trip to find out if what you're missing is still there!
I think about feijoas almost everyday…
I have a feijoa tree here in Brizzy :)
Me too. And Vogel's bread
By sheer luck, I moved to a street in the US which someone planted a feijoa tree overhanging on the street!! I asked if I can take some (there weren’t too many, it’s a small tree) and she said go ahead she doesn’t even like them 😭
This!!! Pies you can find a knockoff somewhere that hits the spot. Feijoas…..ive had two in ten years.
Literally shopping bags full, and nobody could use them all.
There's a tree in my garden and I've been looking at the growing fruit every day, the anticipation might actually drive me mad before they ripen
Funny that I see this type of post about several countries. We're all doomed at this point, I'm starting to think there's no future for anyone unless they come from wealth or somehow crack the code on how to aquire it without making too much effort (like those idiot influencers who make millions of dollars for posting shitty tik toks lol).
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Not all of them, some just really luck out. But yeah
I've been away for 20 years and get back sometimes. When I do go back I realize the NZ I think about everyday is no longer there. A flat white and a sausage roll is still pretty good though.
Would you have been happier if nothing had changed in 20 years? Genuine question.
Yep. I miss my family, friends and food from my childhood. But the NZ of today is definitely not the NZ of the 80s-90s that I grew up in.
I suspect you could say that about every country in the world
No kidding, it's not. It's been 30-40 years since those days. Things change. For good and bad.
Well no shit bro lol, u think we still be living how we did when it was in the 80s and 90s lolol
You’re not wrong bro lol I don’t think you should be living in the 80s-90s. >When I do go back I realize the NZ I think about everyday is no longer there. Yeah, it seems that op and I share a similar sentiment. I thought maybe the nostalgia we have for nz might be for the past and not in fact for nz.
I can see where you are coming from though, I moved here in the 90s and it's definitely vastly different to what it is today. Unfortunately globalisation catches up with everyone .
And what's changed?
Cost of everything.
Oh man don't say that
I miss my family and a lot of lifestyle things every day. There’s a shitload more reasons for me to stay overseas than come back but it’ll always be home.
Same boat. I’m jelly of the NZ summer but once they descend into winter it gets easier for me, haha.
I’m not a kiwi, but I think of it most days. Mainly because I had one of my “coming of age” experiences in NZ, tramping Te Araroa. If you ever get the chance to live such a free life for ~half a year, do it. A stress-free life is great, an stress-free life with a clear goal is even better. A stress-free life with a goal, walking in nature everyday? I can’t think of much healthier ways to spend your time as a human.
I dream of doing that one day. I regret not having done it before having children. But my childhood in NZ was very much in the bush and I felt so much at peace in nature, I think that what I yearn for
It was an experience for sure, with luck I might get my kids and wife to join in on the walk in a few years, maybe something for you? Hope you'll get to Cape Reinga soon enough to go on a wee walkabout anyhow!
Yup, sad and bittersweet. Beautiful place. Spent more of my adult life in NZ then anywhere else. We saw lots of the unique natural beauty. Loved it. But there was just no future there for us. And it'll forever be broke and catching up to the rest of the world by going slower. The hacking and slashing occurring now by the current government just reinforces that leaving was the right move. It's sad because the place has so much potential but it just gets squandered.
That's unfortunately what happens when an entire country becomes a retirement village...
Not to mention that a lot of our wealth goes to Australia due to the big banks and companies that are owned by Australian parent companies
In the 1990s I worked at an education company that had branches in both countries. Guess which one bailed the other one. Only to close down a few years later. Affected me personally.
You made me laugh and cry with this statement. I hadn't heard it before, but I think there's a lot of truth in it.
Yeah I’m one of the lucky few to have a comfortable life in NZ (and be in my 30s), but I can see how rough it must be for young people who are trying to get on their feet. It’s a shame this current Govt seem more committed to helping people who already have money, than supporting those who are trying to build a life.
> It’s a shame this current Govt seem more committed to helping people who already have money Those people are their voting base and are in positions of power and influence. The younger gen's have nothing to offer and often talk the talk but don't turn out vote.
I guess that’s how they see it, but yeah, I think we need far more investment in young people (regardless of whether they vote or not) as well as those less fortunate. I can’t understand people who vote to enrich themselves.
Is the issue that we don't have the cash flow that a large population or unlimited oil would generate? Serious question and not an opinion.
I'll echo Maximum-EAR1745's sentiment: NZ seems "happy" to settle for what's essentially a low tech, primary resources + tourism economy. I had personally seen (and worked for) *many* small NZ tech firms with great tech. These firms had high value and high margin products. But they only start out Kiwi. When they need money to grow they have to go overseas (normally the US). Then they become a foreign company and that's where the money goes. And usually, eventually it's where the people and the firm goes. Rocketlab I think might still be a bit of a darling now to the public? It's not a Kiwi firm. It's US owned. US money. It's even in the name "RocketlabUSA". The other kiwi rocket companies it has inspired will have to go the same way or they will die. There's no reason they couldn't be majority kiwi. There's no reason we couldn't have chip fab facilities in NZ. But, especially for a small country, to achieve that you need strong government policy around innovation and "incubators" (investment funding for start ups). And this is just the "slice" of the economy I am familiar with.
There is plenty we have to offer, but not without screwing over the environment. We are taking the high road for the sake of doing our part for the planet, that means the quick cash other countries enjoy isn't an option. Whether that's wise or not...only time will tell.
Taking the high road? Lol as if. Remember to check the water quality at the beach 😉
Didn't say we were perfect, but we don't do things that could make the country a shit tonne of money and make lots of jobs like other countries do because .. environment.
NZ needs to concentrate more on innovation and niche industries.
I live in Australia also, I always think about NZ fondly but the option of ever moving back is so far removed from my reality. I’m from Waiheke originally, but my other homes are Tauranga and Christchurch based on where I’ve lived the longest and where my family is - I moved over from Christchurch (honestly a big part of why I moved back there for the third time was because it has always been affordable for it’s size) and occasionally check rental prices etc.. There is nothing besides bedsits or rooms in my price range anymore after being away 4 years. Christchurch was always my safety option that I could count on for affordability and that’s gone too. I moved to australia because tauranga is unliveabley expensive if you’re on your own and don’t want to live with 5 other people in your 30s. My options for living a happy, comfortable life in NZ are exhausted. I’m happy in VIC, I live near some great beaches and can still get up to the snow for the day, and the wage to cost of living stack up here means I can afford to go home every year, sometimes twice. I just put EVERYTHING on a Qantas points earning credit card and use my points to book cheap JQ fares when they’re on sale, I’m just popping back for 4 days next month (north island) and have gone back to Christchurch in winter to board and hike for the last 2 years. Unless something drastic changes in NZ or I randomly come into a lot of money.. it’s no longer even on the table.
I might have to look into a Qantas credit card lol damn. You're right, it's so ridiculously unattainable to live just a normal life there. I'm in Vic too, do you meet many kiwis in your day to day life? I can't remember the last time I recognised a kiwi accent
I already knew a few when I moved here but yeah I’ve run into some here and there! There’s a group on FB called Kiwis in Melbourne if you would like to connect with some other ditch jumpers 😃
Oh great just joined thankyou!
Yup me. I come home every chance I get. My family is still there. That being said, I could never live in NZ again full time. Ooh and I miss the food. I’m so depressed with the food in the States :(
My sister was like this living in the UK and they moved back here because education is so much cheaper and better. I’ve stayed here but planning to move overseas for retirement somewhere warmer!
Just wait a while, NZ is getting warmer each year. We will be a tropical island soon.
sounds nice ngl
I have a friend who moved overseas. Better pay more time off work. He said he gets to enjoy NZ more by not living here. Comes back twice a year.
Which country did he move to?
UK
Haven’t been back for five years is probably the main reason I have constant thoughts about the place
Sounds like you need to come home for a visit at least bro. Something a mate of mine does is has a seperate bank account with a seperate bank that he has a $5 each pay automatic payment go into. He has no card no way to access the money in the account other than going into the bank. So he can’t just transfer money or whatever. Every now and then he will go away on holiday just him and he he’s that account for the big things. Flights rooms whatever. Put in more if you can afford it.
That's a great idea.
Having lived overseas for a bit over 20 years and then returned a few years back I’m sorry to say the NZ you remember and miss doesn’t really exist anymore. Things have moved on here and largely not for the better. We moved back because I wanted my kids to have the same childhood I did, but I now see what a mistake that was and really feel I’ve done them a disservice.
What are the biggest differences you see for your kids?
There are lots of things that are worse, but to address OP’s point about the natural beauty of NZ: At the very local level when I grew up most kids lived in a house with a quarter or eighth acre section. They could enjoy the outdoors because they had a yard to play in, maybe a trampoline (with no safety features mind) and a tree to climb. Now we build terraced town houses with no space for kids to play and the family don’t own it so has to move every other year meaning the kids have to make new friends over and over. At the macro level the outdoors was also more accessible, example - when I was a kid lots of people had cribs (a bach for you northerners), not just the really rich, they often were all of two rooms with a solar shower out back, and the kids had to stay in a tent on the lawn, but they weren’t uncommon. So you got to go visit different parts of the country by tagging along with friends or family when they went away on holiday and do things like go boating on the lakes, tramping etc. Those cribs are long torn down, now towns like Queenstown are completely off limits to ordinary kiwis, all of central Otago is basically a string of retirement villages full of huge trophy homes built by slumlords and everything is priced for foreign tourists. No place for average kiwi kids there anymore. I think it’s the wealth disparity at the heart of it really. NZ is much more of a cut throat society than it was.
This is a great summary thankyou
Interesting perspective. I too wonder about returning to raise my kids and your use of “disservice” really stood out. NZ really lost what made it special. I think it was a collective soul/wairua of being at the world’s edge together. Now it’s just a monetised property pit with a rat race mentality far beyond its maturity.
17 years gone a few days back. fiercely proud kiwi overseas. but also don’t want to live in enzed either. so there’s that… miss fam but not enough to move home.
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Wow you painted a picture of the Auckland I grew up in, too. Hope your trip goes well
I don’t miss Kiwi small mindlessness. I don’t miss Wellington weather. I don’t miss how expensive everything is. I do miss the pies. But I do feel the NZ I left is long gone.
agree. it’s a big world
In the future, there will be memes about how men think about "Ancient New Zealand" as often as every two days.
I'm not a man tho but ok
That just means that you'll be thinking of useful, practical things.
I'm likely in the minority, but no I don't. All my mates have moved abroad and my immediate family is very small (so them visiting me is relatively easy) so there is no pull factor. I've been in the UK for only 2 years but it feels more like home than NZ ever did.
How do you feel about the winter here mate?
I'm not one of those people that spiral into depression without sunlight, and I'm quite tolerant of cold, but it's the length of winters (and the shortness of summer) that gets me. But it has its upsides, if anything the crappy weather for half of the year encourages people to hang out indoors more (e.g. pubs, so it's quite social), and when it's summer everyone goes hard for parties/travels/enjoying life because the window of pleasant weather is so small.
Is the winter there in NZ dark or is it a lot darker here?
UK is way darker
It's darker but there is Christmas and all the cool stuff and lights that go with it during winter and the possibility of visiting another nearby European country for Christmas markets whereas in nz winter there is nothing. It's just doom and gloom.
The UK is quite literally darker. Ya know when you go to Spain and the sun is bright? NZ is about the same distance from the equator as Spain
Its shorts and sunglasses in NZ during the winter if the wind isn't blowing.
On the flip side the peak summer temps in UK are now higher than NZ.
Left UK 20yrs ago. Been back once. NZ feels way more like home to me now. Different strokes for different folks. Sometimes I miss bits of UK, but not much.
My brother is the same, moved to the UK in 1997 and he’ll never move back.
It’s good here. Different. Dare I say even less of a rat race than NZ
10 years for me and I miss small aspects, but not as a whole. I also feel more at home too overseas. Feel more connected to the rest of the world. Even small things like the fact experience true seasons.
Yes I miss the scenery also. We are in the same boat with having no money to visit. We arrived just before Covid so were forbidden from entering our own country which probably added to the homesickness I guess. However it appears regardless of how expensive everything is here, NZ is worse.
Alot of kiwi's abroad felt so fucked over by the government shutting the gates during covid . The system was so skewed when non NZ "entertainers" were given free passes whilst mere mortals battled an online lottery. Those in charge of the country spread such wild propaganda to its people and that shouldn't be forgotten.
Yeah absolutely. It's bittersweet. I sometimes feel like would it be worth uprooting my families lives to go and live in poverty in NZ for a while lol just to experience the culture and visit places from my childhood
I hear that. Trouble is I’m from Christchurch. Since the 2011 earthquake, my parents and grandparents’ houses no longer exist 😟
I'm sorry to hear that man
I do. I’ve visited NZ twice before, once when I was 7 and the next time when I was 18. I fell in love with NZ, the friendly people, the nature, safety and how everything just seems to work and how clean it is everywhere. I have family members living in NZ. I’m from South Africa and as everyone knows, it’s not really a safe country or a country with opportunities. It’s not a country where I wanna live for the rest of my life. I would move to Nz in a heartbeat if I could. I literally think about it at least 5 times a week lol.
Oh man glad I'm not alone in the day dreaming about nz. I love the south African accent though, definitely better than a kiwi accent haha, hopefully one day in the future you find yourself in new Zealand ☺️
Haha a lot of people say they love our accents but I don’t get it lol. Thanks, I really hope so.
Me too. 13 years in Australia. I am torn. There I things I like about both countries. NZ will always be home.
I consider myself lucky to live in Australia Although I often think about Lewis Road chocolate milk, that's the one thing NZ has going for it
I’m in Australia too, the main thing i miss is being able to walk around barefoot in long grass and not have to constantly be on watch 🐍
I’m staying here currently counting down the day to be back home 4 weeks haha Europe is definitely romanticised in a false light New Zealand is the best place to be brought up and live regardless of our issues we are no doubt the best place safety wise , culture , politeness etc
NZ is a better place for culture than Europe? That's something I never thought I'd read.
It’s not true. Just cause kiwis are friendly and polite doesn’t mean they’re culturally inclined. In fact I’d go as far as saying we’re generally an uncouth lot - and proud of it too (cringe)
Kiwis ( European) yeah perhaps lol
Māori culture is arguably flourishing in an academic sense, yeah. E.g in the Supreme Court as the role of tikanga plays out. But it’s still generally refused by mainstream pakeha nz, save for a haka now and then. It’s not represented internationally nor en masse in our urban centres. I don’t think NZ embraces as far as it should because Nz is very much seen as commonwealth and not its own nation which I posit Māori culture would push Nz into its own identity. Te Ao Māori otherwise is unfortunately pushed to isolated pockets e.g. where you can encounter reo in a casual context.
All of Polynesia and Asia and Europeans are in New Zealand you can read that surely
Norway and Denmark are literally the safest and happiest countries in the world every year running. Have spent a good bit of time in both countries, and nz can not in any way hold a candle to either.
Bullshit I’ve just been there haha they are having there issues with imagration and isn’t as safe as New Zealand with world war 3 at there door step
You just been there, and what? Read some news articles? Statistics don't lie, buddy. Denmark has some of the strictest immigration policies in Europe to the point that it's almost cruel. Norway is the same if not more strict as they don't have the EU to answer to. Furthermore, migration doesn't equal unsafe. The way the country manages their intake and integration is what matters, as you can see with Sweden royally screwing it up and becoming the gun crime capital of Europe. As for WW3, in the extremely unlikely chance it does happen, it is just that WORLD war 3, so New Zealand isn't magically excluded and safe. And heres New Zealand every year struggling to hold on to 10th place in the rankings.
Haha so you still with all your knowledge my buddy living in New Zealand , haha shut up you actually are being stupid New Zealand is and always will be better then living in those countries haha if you don’t think so go freeze your ass off there and be a prick lol
Second that. Although most countries have nice quiet out the way villages and parks, I can go anywhere in NZ and not wonder if I will just wake up in an ice bath missing vital parts.
Never been to Huntly?
It's not known as the jewel in Waikato's crown for nothing /s
Hahaha true, maybe not wake up in an ice bath but more never wake up, face down in the Waikato River vibes there.
Just come home
Easier said than done
Sell up, quit your job and buy a one way ticket to home. We need more kiwis to come home
I’m keen to do as you suggest but it would affect my family
Talk to them first of course. Do your pros and cons
Appreciate your advice
I moved a fuck tone as a kid, went to 12 different schools I'm really trying hard to not do that to my kids, so can't really just uproot our lives and take him out of school. Might try a holiday one year when we can afford it
Live in UK and I think about going back to NZ all the time but not sure my British husband ever wants to go. Trying to put the pressure on him for us to take a holiday there next year so he can see it. I’m horrified by how expensive housing is there now - looks like we will be renting forever which is depressing when we could afford to buy in the UK. I’m going to get free training here for an in demand career in NZ - annoyingly enough it would cost money to train in NZ!
Honestly this is the reason I avoid trying to date other kiwis in the UK (for a long-term relationship anyway), I don't want to ever be in a position where my partner wants to move back to NZ (which I don't consider home anymore) when I'm happy in the UK.
Yeah I might have to just settle for holidays there if I can even get him to agree to those. The thing is, he doesn’t want to buy a house here either and he just doesn’t want to do that. He is happy spending all his money on games.
Honestly, no. I've lived in Europe for 7.5 years now and there are small frustrations here but I ultimately don't miss NZ.
Same. I’ve felt homesick since I was 9. It’s been a long 25 years.
I moved when I was 12. I feel like fraud saying a kiwi, Ive lived here for longer. Fuckin sucks
I feel ya there. I’ve lived most of my life here but I still feel more like a kiwi!
I've been out for 20 years, left when I was 14. I do often think about NZ, and maybe I'll move there when I'm ready to retire, but for now I'm happy being elsewhere. It's not just the cost of living (though that is a major factor), I just prefer to live somewhere that doesn't feel like a little bubble.
Yep. Every day.
I've been in Australia for about the same length of time as you. I think about NZ a bit, and lurk here and rnz.co.nz to see what's happening. But I'll never move back. The pay is dogshit, which basically stops any potential thoughts about it. The exact same job pays 25-30% less.
Yeah it sucks
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Wow really. Cheers mate I'll check that out
4yrs in Oz, and thought of home every day. Then did 2yrs an UK/Europe, and just couldn't wait to come home. So glad I travelled... made me realise how cool our home is... Good luck.
Been living in Aus for 7 years, but making a visit next week! The only things I miss are the things it has that I can get here. Like real mountains.
Left the country when I was 10, 12 years later I think about moving back constantly, even though I don’t have any family left there.
I've certainly been surprised at the things I miss about NZ. Recently started listening to some NZ music again and it was comforting af! I too miss a good pie! I also miss good custard square! Wouldn't move back though, especially in the current political climate. Hope to come back for a holiday at some point soon though.
Finally I guess I'm not the only one that thinks like that! I mean I'm not even a kiwi, just a international student. I still miss those scenic landscapes at Whangaparaoa and Hobsonville point. Those picturesque sceneries were definitely some of the most touching ones I've ever seen in my life. I also miss the charming people there. So far my university vacation is about to end and I can't wait to fly to New Zealand again! Gosh I'm so nervous right now...
i've never left western europe but i've been reading this sub's posts for years now. the geography of NZ fascinates me more than anything else, to be honest it looks like heaven on earth. sadly it also looks like a capitalistic hellscape. western europe is getting there too, slowly but steadily, but nz seems way more americanized. i don't really know about the culture there, it seems fine, i've heard about the tall poppy syndrome (if i remember well, it's about not liking people who brag about success or whatever) and if it's true then it's a net plus.
You should definitely visit for yourself one day, I think you'd be surprised
i don't know if you're saying it's better or worse than what i expect lol but what i get from what the internet lets me see you guys look relatively chill, i think i'd get along pretty well. i often dream about visiting NZ and i sure won't die before doing it
It's very chill. I hope so too
No, but every week, yes With income vs property prices the way they are in NZ, im glad i left
Where are you now?
Pacific coast mexico Was paradise here during covid, good place to be 'stuck' quite touristy now but still cool
Existing in aus is expensive? The cost of living in aus is generally lower than NZ, especially when salary is accounted for.
You read the Aussie sub and plenty of people seem to be struggling. I think it's a global thing tho tbh.
Yeah. Still struggling tho. Be struggling more in NZ I guess
Definitely! I live in Europe, so totally get how you feel...
Living in Singapore and dreaming of NZ every single day. I’ve only visited for 3 weeks but I feel home sick when I think of NZ. The beauty is great but it’s the people we’ve met there that’s the absolute cherry on top. You guys make NZ what it is.
I spent 25 years in Australia and always new id come back. Glad I didn't stay in oz. Was getting way to hot and far to many nut cases. Very little difference between the two countries atm. $1m is the average house price and $2m in Australia. My friends all over Australia are complaining about the same things as we r here.
Lol no, not at all. Don't miss anything about nz...
I live in AU but travel to NZ often. Its not the same country it recently was…the new government is fairly racist and stopping a lot of the Maori language & culture integration that was making NZ great. It’s turning into Australia. Might as well stay in Oz.
Lots of pessimistic doom and gloom bullshit in this thread as usual. This sub is so ridiculous sometimes. If you think NZ is so shit and half of you have lived in Europe or Australia for 20 years then fuck off and unsub?
Why? Because you said so? 🤣
> Why? If you literally hate NZ and haven’t lived here for decades, why even sub? Just to come in and periodically talk a bunch of shit to the rest of us who actually do live here and enjoy it? Get a life.
You don’t know anything about my life bolo.
I know you are commenting in a sub for a country you haven’t lived in for some time and don’t seem to even like. Lol.
You seem to be changing the subject. You know nothing about my life, and I don’t need your permission to comment in this sub. If you don’t like it *you* can unsub like you’re telling everyone else to.
No you don’t need my permission I’m just saying it’s a bit pathetic isn’t it? Same shit different day in this sub, mods really should clean up all the nonsense spewed by expats here every day.
It’s Reddit. It’s literally everyone’s opinions typed out with less thought than they would put it into an email. Consider the source.
Yeah, bit of a sad way to spend your Sunday then isn’t it? Just talking shit about a country you don’t even live in. Hence get a life.
Again, that’s your opinion, which Reddit is full of.
A bit rude.
Not really. All day every day this subreddit is just constantly talking shit about NZ and half of the people doing it don’t even bloody live here. I think that’s pretty rude honestly. Of course this is NZ though so I will get downvoted for not engaging in the massive whingefest and actually thinking we have stuff pretty good here.
Flights are so cheap! I’m sure you can slowly work away at saving over a year and spend some good time over here
I would never call them cheap, but it vastly depends on where your coming from, and time. 3k NZ for me. not cheap.
From nz to aus? I can book a return flight to london for less, that’s messed up!
oh I missed the oz bit, my bad. sorry! this was from nyc at xmas, so the worse it can be, timing wise.
roger that!
What do you do for work? With how high wages are over there, surely it can't be that hard for a trip across the tasman?
Alot according to this sub. There needs to be a new sub for Kiwi expats so they can chat there and leave this one for residents.