Is NZ a safe country ???

[Hannah-NL]

I sometimes read the NZ Herald, not too much, but here's a link to their "crime section":
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=30

[chips]

Singel-
Have you tried to set up home in Northland???
The same now could be said about Christchurch - what the hell's going on there ?,
And lovely Auckland.
A very unfair statement about Northland.

We nearly didn't come to the far north because of sweeping statements like yours, and so far we have found the to be totally untrue.
Great beaches , boss weather ,little traffic, and a great lifestyle. YES there is unempolyment, but it doesn't make you feel unsafe. It's a great Moari and Pakeha mix here.
Very glad to be here ,and not in big uncaring cities.
An angry Chips

[Diny]

Maybe there just not as pretencious and bitter as the UK lot are.

Abit of a sweeping statement there Dan old chap. I kind of gather from your postings that you're very happy to be out of the UK and away from the Brits - this is fine. Each to their own.

However - I would never class myself (or any of my family & friends) as pretentious and bitter. We all have our own reasons for moving on, you may have found the people who featured in your every day life in the UK as pretentious and bitter but that doen't mean to say everybody is. For some of us it's not that we want to leave UK, it's just that we want to live in NZ ..... where I'm sure we'll come across a few pretentious and bitter people. Not wanting to stir anything up, but like MB and his affection for his country and his fellow countrymen ....... some of us feel the same way about the UK and the folks that live here.

Diny

[Stu]

Zensamurai, mate, who-ever wrote that post you quoted must have lived in and known some pretty unpleasant parts of NZ. I have lived here for 43 years now (all my life).
I know no-one who has been raped.
I personally nor any of my family have ever experienced any personal violence apart from rugby games or the odd teenage scuffle after too much beer
My farm has been burgled a couple of times, no big deal though.
It is safe to walk around this town any time I think, either here in town or up at the beach.
I tihnk your poster you quoted may perhaps have been exaggerating just a little, or was raised in a gang/bikie house or something.
cheers, Stu.

[Timbo]

43??????? C`mon Stu.

[zensamurai]

Hi,

I hope nobody assumes that my post is a fake or something like that. It is from March, 2003 in a german NZ-forum and written by a female Kiwi, who married an Austrian and is now living in Vienna.

The link is: http://www.nzvillage.com/NZForum/viewtopic.php?t=506

Of course all other comments are in german language. There were also comments by immigrated people that there are many people (especially minorities) using drugs.

I want to point out that this is NOT my opinion, but of other people living in NZ. When I tend to move to NZ, I just want to know the lifestyle also from another point of view than boating, fishing, skiing a.s.o.

cheers

zensamurai

[veronica]

With crime, drugs and alcohol you get the same problems here as anywhere. The land is different, not the human race inhabiting it. The same old homosapiens with all the faults , goodnesses , weaknesses :? and strengths that they are associated with as everywhere else. The biggest difference is there are less of them.

[sweetpea]

Amen, Veronica.

I don't think its worth putting too much time into thinking about all the bad things that could happen. People are people, and one bad apple in even the "safest" neighborhood could do you harm. I'm not sure if that makes me an optimist or a fatalist.

My neighbors and I keep watch on the goings on on our street, which definitely is motivated by safety concerns (everyone except for me--knock wood--has been burgled). But then again, seeing who's out and about, and talking about what some fool just did is great fodder for gossip, and sometimes our streetscene is better than reality TV :P

Laura


Adding: I could write a long list of crimes--some heinous--that affected people I know, but I really don't think that that is a reflection on day-to-day life in the States.

[Moorf]

It's all relative - if you're living in the boonies then you're going to have a v. different experience from if you were living in a dodgy area of Auckland - simple as that!

This type of thread can be argued to death (and it has been) but each persons opinion will be based on SUCH different criteria (where you are from in the UK, where you now live in NZ, etc etc) that it's nigh on impossible to give a definitive answer on "how safe is NZ"!!!

Let common sense prevail - don't walk alone in parks / deserted areas at night, make sure you lock your car, keep your back door locked if you're out, don't leave desirable goods on display and keep your wits about you - the same advice would apply the world over !!!

Of course, there will be those who can say " I don't lock my backdoor, it's just like the UK 25 yrs ago" - that's great, I'm jealous, but not in the cities it isn't!!

[jo b]

I agree V crime is everywhere.

Although like I say perception is 99% realtiy so if you feel safer thats an awful bette than being scared.

Jo