Think the “British migrants fleeing” article refers specifically to Auckland. As a Brit awaiting a NZ Residence Visa and an Urban Planner, I can guarantee prospective migrants that on the whole traffic is worse in the UK than it is in New Zealand.. (on the whole). Also I can testify that housing affordability is better in NZ, with London prices matching Auckland.. UK housing affordability outside London is still much worse than in NZ. NZ does have a high dependence on private vehicle use and most cities other than Wellington are sub-par for public transport/connectivity by international standards. Auckland, Tauranga and Dunedin are the main culprits. I think the stuff article is a nice criticism of Auckland traffic, poor mass transit and housing affordability but does not apply to the whole country especially not the South Island.