I'm curious as to why many people on this forum, who are from the US or UK, want to move to NZ. In what way is NZ better?
I'm curious as to why many people on this forum, who are from the US or UK, want to move to NZ. In what way is NZ better?
depending upon what you are looking for....
NZ could be worse than USA & UK!!
So it depends upon what you want out of a country
- want to enjoy a high standard of luxuries?
- want to earn a big salary?
- want to get great online bargains?
- want to make a killing selling your house in your home country and get a mansion for the same price?
- want to live is a state of the art insulated house?
- want easy access to shops with all the top brands?
- want great TV with hundreds of great channels?
- want to have access to see the top bands in the world perform live?
- want to get rich quick?
- want to enjoy a warm climate all year round?
then don't choose NZ its a much worse place than USA or UK
but for what I'm looking for it's a much better place than the USA or UK
so it depends what you are looking for....?
I'm here .. what is it you are looking for in NZ?
i think this thread might give you a much better idea:
http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread....682#post405682
but some quick off the top of the head thoughts:
- natural unspoilt countryside
- not over crowded
- friendly people
- interest and commitment to outdoors
- brilliant natural beaches
- birds
- blue skies
- bright light and good sunshine hours
- fresh air
- good food
- not pre-occupied with materialism, TV, image, fashion etc
- not heavily wrapped up with 'western alliance' constructing a war on terror
- has natural resources to be self sufficient
- politically it feels much healthier than US & UK
- it's still run with the citizens in mind - UK feels like citizens are just pawns for multi nationals
We are moving to NZ because that is where my OH is from and the USA is just not working out so well for us now. The economy is a disaster (especially in our state), funding for education is continuously being cut, over the last 20 years the country has divided itself into two extremes...the far right and the far left...with very little middle ground leaving very little concern for the middle class, and there seems to be little evidence that the situation is going to turn around anytime in the near future. It's time for a change.
Fed up with being overtaxed for some benefit queen to sit on her lazy backside, pop kids out every week, and watch tv, eat breakfast at 10.00am at the same time whilst I go out to work - and work damn hard!
Our very last bit of tax relief has been taken away.
Petrol is £1.34 / litre, I pay £800 tax/ month, the weather is always crap, overcrowded, government want to build travellers' site everywhere & devalue our house that we have worked hard to pay for. Pensions won't exist for much longer, depsite putting in loads of my salary.
Don't want my daughter to grow up and be on contraceptives at the age of 15, sleeping with everyone who shows an interest!
There! I feel much better now!
P.S I live in the UK, if you hadn't worked it out, for now anyway!
It might be the same in nz? I don't know but I'm visiting first to find out. Sorry for the rant!
We lived in NZ for a while, came back to the US about a year ago and now we are actually thinking of going back to NZ.
We're thinking of going back basically
- to complete our permanent residency - I'll always be an American, but it might be good to have a back up plan for the future. We'll have two countries to find work in, etc. and not just one.
- I'm thinking we'll have a better work/life balance again. My partner only worked 8 hour days in NZ and 4-5 weeks vacation and now he's working 12 hour days again and hasn't taken any vacation yet
- thinking we can wait out the economic recession there - though the cost of living is high in NZ, we had an easier time living cheaply once we adjusted to the kiwi lifestyle - go camping for holidays and having people over to socialize instead of going out to dinner, etc.
- we're hoping to do a lot more hiking etc., which is a lot more convenient/accessible?/encouraged? there then it is for us now in the Northeast