From time to time, I get asked, “So why New Zealand?”
People are curious as to why I’m so passionate about this little South Pacific country. They want to know what it is about this place that I love so much. And while I can gush about it forever, I realize that I’ve never actually written about all the reasons I love New Zealand.
So let me count the ways…
But wait. While there is indeed a lot to love about New Zealand, it’s by no means perfect (though it certainly can appear that way!). Just like a spouse or significant other whom you love, New Zealand also has its faults, and I’ve gotten to know those over the years, too.
So while I could just focus on the good, I also want to acknowledge the not-so-good.
Here, then, are all the reasons I love — and hate — New Zealand:
I LOVE New Zealand’s breathtaking scenery. For such a small country, it really does pack a punch. Nearly every type of landscape is represented here, from beaches to rolling hills to volcanic deserts to mountains to temperate rainforests. You can hop in a car, drive for an hour or two, and feel like you’re on a completely different planet. Other countries around the world may have diverse landscapes, but I’ve yet to find one that takes my breath away quite like New Zealand.
I LOVE New Zealand’s great towns and cities. This country has great scenery, but it also has surprisingly great towns. There’s big, cosmopolitan Auckland, character-filled Wellington, resilient Christchurch, and beautiful Queenstown, just to name a few. And that’s not taking into account the great small towns like Taupo, Rotorua, Dunedin, Nelson…
I LOVE how eco-conscious New Zealand is. Electric trolley buses. Half-flush options on toilets. And more scenic preserves than you can shake a stick at. New Zealand is clearly aware of what is has to offer, and is also aware that steps need to be taken to preserve it for future generations.
Wellington buses
I HATE how far away New Zealand is from everything. While some might say that this is a good thing — that NZ is probably the least likely country to ever be targeted by a nuclear missile, for example — it’s not exactly easy to get to. Perhaps the country is so eco-friendly because they realize how huge the carbon footprint is of any visitor flying in from… well, anywhere. I love you, NZ, but I do not love that it takes me roughly 24 hours of travel time to get to you, and such a long haul flight.
I LOVE Air New Zealand. I suppose that if I’m going to be stuck on a 12-hour flight, there could be worse airlines to be stuck on. I’ve always found the flight crew on Air NZ flights to be friendly and helpful, and the airline certainly has a good sense of humor. They also are highly involved in social media, which I love.
LAX to AKL
I HATE New Zealand’s lack of good Internet. Perhaps this could just be chalked up to NZ being so far away from everything (Australia suffers from a similar plight), but good luck finding a strong, cheap Internet connection in this country. One would think that a modern, developed country like New Zealand would be up-to-date on things like wifi. But it’s not so. Internet here is often slow, and never free. The ridiculous prices for wifi in hotels and hostels might be my biggest pet peeve about New Zealand.
I LOVE how easy it is to travel in New Zealand. Crappy wifi aside, it’s really quite easy to travel around NZ. Domestic flights are cheap, you can score bus tickets for as little as $1, and the country has a great hostel system. Or, of course, you could rent/buy a campervan and see New Zealand on your own terms, too.
Ride the Magic Bus!
I LOVE New Zealand’s cool native fauna. Despite being close in proximity to Australia, the Land of Things That Can Nastily Kill You, New Zealand lucked out with its native animal life. Devoid of poisonous bugs, venomous snakes, or deadly jellyfish, New Zealand was gifted with mostly adorable flightless birds. The only mammal native to this country is actually a small bat, so many of the native bird species evolved without the ability to fly, since they had no natural predators. Unfortunately, many of these birds are now endangered (or even extinct), thanks to introduced mammals that the Europeans brought over — which I hate.
I LOVE the New Zealand accent. Some people find the Kiwi accent annoying. But this weird jumble of British, Scottish, Australian, and who knows what else is actually one of my favorite accents in the world.
I LOVE New Zealand’s Maori heritage. The South Pacific is full of interesting native cultures, and NZ is no different. The country largely embraces its Maori heritage, with cultural offerings all over the country, “Maori language week” once a year on TV, and an officially bicultural existence, with Maori being one of the country’s official languages. The NZ national rugby team, the All Blacks, even performs a Maori haka (war dance) before each match.
Kids learning a haka in Rotorua
I HATE the racism rampant in New Zealand. People don’t often like to talk about it, especially since the country makes such an effort to be bicultural, but there’s a lot of racism here. Maori are usually the ones who are unemployed and underrepresented, whether it’s in the government or in New Zealand television and film. And this is often coupled by not-so-subtle racism. As much as I would love to pretend not to notice it, the truth is that it’s still there, just like in every other country around the world.
I LOVE the people in New Zealand. Don’t let the above comment lead you to believe that I don’t love the people in NZ, though. Because I do. I really do. They are, overall, some of the warmest, friendliest people I have ever met, and they seem to truly enjoy chatting with travelers.
I LOVE the “no worries” attitude in New Zealand. Overall, Kiwis have a pretty good attitude. Here, people don’t obsess over working themselves to death in order to make a few extra dollars — they work enough so that they can enjoy their beautiful country and their families on the weekends. Life moves at a slower pace in this part of the world, and the “no worries” attitude that is so engrained in NZ society is one of my favorite things about this country. It’s what I think changed me the most after having lived there for a few months. Now, of course, if something urgently needs to be done, this could easily turn into a “hate”…
Sunset on Paraparaumu Beach
And, lastly…
I HATE the fact that I never want to leave New Zealand. Every time I visit this country, it gets harder and harder to leave. I actually cried last time I had to say goodbye. There’s just something about New Zealand that has taken hold of my heart. And I don’t think it’s ever going to let go.
——
Have you ever been to New Zealand? If so, what did you love and hate about the country?
Excellent post.
Funny.. having been there and a lot of other places I don’t find it to be far away. My house to the B&B in Auckland was 24 hours last time. About the same as a cheap ticket with annoying layovers to Europe, and not as bad as Thailand.
If you allocate about full day to get anywhere when traveling from home then it’s all good. No worries
The racism was clear to me too. I noticed it when I was out walking around and would stop and chat with people. The Maori not in tourism jobs were visibly surprised that I’d just stop and speak with them. They’re accustomed to being ignored.
For me the food was a mix between very good and very negative. Of course, as a vegetarian that’s true most places but it seemed a little worse in NZ this time. Other friends, carnivores, have also observed that NZ food is mostly so-so… Too much English heritage, I’m thinking. The ethnic (Thai, Indian, etc..) food can be pretty great, though.
The expensive and slow internet service drove me crazy. It was a lesson in how accustomed we’ve become to being always connected. To be fair, their mobile phone network is pretty great. I didn’t try using a smartphone so maybe the phone network is expensive too..
Thanks, Rob! And thanks for sharing your own input.
I was almost going to include the food in this, but, like you said, it’s really kind of hit or miss. I agree, though, that the ethnic food is often top-notch, especially in places like Wellington, where there’s lots of it.
I live here and we actually have free Internet now so…
Woah… the Maori people are “accustomed to being ingnored?” I’m sorry you saw it that way but, as a New Zealander, I find that really offensive. Most kiwis wouldn’t go to a Maori show because we are already accustomed to it. The people they would be ignored by would be tourists, not local New Zealanders. I admit that older generations still harbour racist tendencies (a throw-back from the late colonisation of New Zealand), however, the new generation is becoming a more tolerant and accepting culture. The recent legalisation of gay-marriage speaks to this. Sorry if this sounds angry but I am very passionate about race relations, being a teacher at a multicultural high school. The other thing about New Zealanders is that we are fiercely protective of our national identity
We hated the internet over there as well! So expensive.
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The Internet really is one of the worst things about NZ! Very frustrating for someone who runs a blog and is addicted to social media!
I love this post. Although I only have spent three weeks in New Zealand, I had a heavy heart when I had to leave. It’s not just one thing that’s great about New Zealand, it’s all the great things rolled into one. It makes looking past the few negatives pretty easy. I hope to go back within the next five years if not sooner. The best thing New Zealand gave me was the knowledge that places like that are real and not just in my imagination.
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You’ve clearly been just as enchanted by New Zealand as I was the first time, Leah! It’s a pretty easy country to fall in love with though, I think. I hope you make it back there soon!
Amanda, first of all – I’m sold.
Second, I can’t help but wonder if you’ve visited my hometown Vancouver – I think there are a few similarities, especially with the things you love, and it’s a wae bit closer than hopping across the big western pond. Third, the accent is all about the transposition of vowels: big sounds like ‘bug’, which of course brings up the whole issue of “Beached Az”. Finally, I’m not digging the lack of fast inexpensive reliable internet, but then again, it is a country of two very large islands all there on its own in the south Pacific, isn’t it? Thanks again for your post!
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Henry:
I too am originally Canadian and found the NZ accents fun and easy. The real trick is to dig out the hints of original accent in immigrant Kiwis. I was particularly pleased one day to find the Irish in the speech of a gal who’d been in NZ for years!
My brother lives on Quadra Island and if I had to compare BC and NZ I’d say they are similar in some ways but surprisingly different in others. I’d say NZ is gentler, even in the mountains. Much as my Colorado mountains differ so dramatically from the CDN rockies. The one good thing in NZ is the lack of things that want to eat you or kill you by accident.
I think you were sold long ago, Henry!
And I have actually visited Vancouver! But it was a very brief visit, and I didn’t see much beyond the inside of the Convention Center. I’m definitely planning to go back someday, though. From what I saw, I can definitely see some of the similarities to NZ! (Though I’m sure Vancouver has a much better Internet situation! Haha.)
The slow and expensive Internet drove me absolutely crazy! But the scenery & the people made up for it. Great post!
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Glad you liked the post, Angie! I agree that the good things about NZ definitely negate the bad!
Yay! I’m glad you love New Zealand so! I’ve lived here for 13 years now and can’t imagine myself anywhere else. Everything you’ve written is so justified and as a kiwi I agree with it all!
Another reason why I love New Zealand, and especially the North Island, is that you’re never too far away from the ocean or a lake. It’s extra great during summer!
Lucky you, calling NZ home! I’d love to move there myself someday.
And good point on being close to the water! That’s very true, especially in the north island, where there aren’t any mountains to worry about. I think that also partially fits into NZ being so easy to get around — you can get to a lot of great places in a relatively short amount of time!
I totally understand. I feel the same with the UK! There are some any things I hate about it, but somehow every time I have to leave it’s like I leave a little peace of my heart there.
Yup, that’s exactly how I feel about NZ! Though I definitely love more things about it than I hate. I already can’t wait to go back.
I keep on hearing about how great NZ is. It’s great to hear what’s not so great. I hear the public transportation systems within the cities aren’t that great either. For example no metro or anything like that because of the lack of population. I didn’t know about the racism. How do they feel about asians? :-\
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Every country has it’s faults, and I think it would be almost irresponsible of me to keep going on about how fantastic NZ is without also acknowledging some of its faults. (Though it still IS fantastic!)
But you’re right about the transportation – there are no metros or anything like that. Auckland and Wellington do at least have a nice bus system, though. But most cities just aren’t large enough to support anything more.
And, with NZ being so close to Asia, I think most Kiwis are perfectly used to seeing Asians there.
On the whole, people in NZ are incredibly friendly. So I wouldn’t worry!
You have impeccable timing.. We leave for NZ in 10 days! Planning to spend an entire month in NZ so I’m sure we’ll have our own love/hate relationship with NZ to write. Though I doubt you’ll ever get to see it if the internet is that shitty. Is it really that bad?! Bummer. Haha. Hoping more LOVE than HATE on this trip. =) Great post!
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Oh, I guarantee there will be more love than hate!!
And I’ll look forward to reading your posts on it!
And the Internet isn’t HORRIBLE… but it IS expensive, and often slow. But I suppose it’s best to know about it going in!
As a BROWN NZer, with a white father and Fijian mother, I can assure that this “racism” you speak of is not actually, racism at all. It is culturism, where the majority of New Zealanders, including many Maori, are sick of the culture prevalent in the Maori culture, which is one of entitlement. Many Maori work extremely hard to make a better life; however, as is always the case, it’s only the minority that have been the catalyst for what you see as “racism”. They feel that as the indigenous people (although in actual fact the Maoris are not indigenous to NZ, having cannabilised the original settlers) they are entitled to ownership of the sea, the foreshore, and the land with ALL the infrastructure brought here by the “Pakeha” (Maori term for the white man- Meaning WHITE PIG, who’s racist now??). This is the reason you see this “racism”.
As for the comment that we have retained too much of the English heritage, well that could possibly be due to the fact that we were settled by the English, a connection which is still very strong today. As a chef that has been around the world, I can assure that the variety of options in NZ is vast. We thank you for loving our country despite the things that irk you; however, I (and it’s only my opinion) think that a lot of what you have spoken about is true, when looking at the surface, but there are underlying causes for much of what you see or experience. as for the internet thing… 100% right hahaha, but hey we still get things done and keep up with the rest of the world.. Imagine what Kiwis could do if we had same internet capabilities as the rest of the world… Loved your article despite what I said, just wanted to enlighten people as to what they think is rampant racism… I love New Zealand and all its people… And we welcome you anytime, with our funny accent and flightless birds…
Thanks so so much for the insight, Kirk. I really do appreciate it. I realize that the “racism” issue is much more complex than I made it out to be, and I think you’ve done a much better job explaining it than I could. I’ve spent a total of about 6 months in NZ over the past few years, and that’s the only reason I felt comfortable writing this post — I don’t think I would have been able to put it together after only a few weeks there. But, as you’ve pointed out, there are underlying factors that influence a lot of things that are probably difficult to fully understand without living there for a long time. Though, it’s not really any different than some of the issues my own country faces, when you think about it.
Again, thanks! And I’m glad you enjoyed this post.
As a kiwi girl too I think your post is bang on about the culture!
And as for the slow internet, I’ve travelled the world and couldn’t tell you about the internet in most places because it wasn’t even in the top ten of complaints. If our bad internet is the biggest complaint I think that’s wonderful lol. Great post!
Haha, you’re so right! When the Internet speed is the thing the most people complain about, it clearly isn’t so bad!
I would like to hear more about your experience with rampant racism. Seems a bit odd to me, I lived there for 16 years and certainly didn’t feel this was the case.
The Maori are probably the best treated indigenous culture going around. Was there a certain experience or city that made you come to that conclusion?
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I’m not saying Maori aren’t treated well — I agree that they generally are, especially when it comes to the government. But, like in any other country, there are plenty of remarks that often seemed a bit off-color to me, especially by some of the younger students I was always around while living in Wellington. Nothing worse than what I grew up hearing living near an urban city in Ohio, but still there nonetheless. I’ve talked to a lot of other people who have traveled around NZ that have mentioned noticing this, too. Maybe it’s more prevalent in the younger generation, though.
I’m not saying it’s a huge issue, but I think it’s still worth noting that NZ has some social issues just like everywhere else in the world.
I am just starting to just barely tap into how awesome New Zealand is but I have had a blast so far, even though I have spent a couple weeks just in Auckland. The Northland was stunning and I can’t wait to head down south but I am here for a year and I have plenty of time. I do see your point about the racism though, and it is really unfortunate. I had a phenomenal time attending my first Hāngi and learning about the culture. Thanks for the post!
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So glad to hear you’re loving NZ so far, Ryan! I think the country only gets better (at least scenery-wise) the further south you go!
And I’m glad you attended a hangi! A great way to learn more about Maori culture. Pity though that you’ve noticed some of the not-so-nice bits about NZ too.
You & I were talking about the internet/wifi here the other day. It’s ridiculous. It finally started working decently in my hostel, but I still can’t believe how much I had to pay for it (here & in Oz). I was at a cafe the other day that gave out wifi passwords that were only good for a certain amount of data or whatever, lasted about an hour to an hour and a half of blogging, tweeting, emailing, etc. Although I have seen a network called CBD Free Wifi when I’m in the middle of Wellington but I haven’t tried it b/c you have to pick an advertisement thing that seemed weird.
Also, it feels like winter here! It’s crazy!
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Yeah, NZ Internet is plagued with that whole limited data thing. Even when you live there, you are allotted only so much usage per month, otherwise your Internet slows down and you are charged more. But go ahead and try that free wifi that you find downtown — Wellington (and some other NZ cities) are giving free wifi in well-trafficked areas a try. They installed free wifi all along the waterfront not too long ago.
And it feels like winter? That’s odd! It should be warming up by now. Then again, it doesn’t seem like winter at all here in Ohio yet, so who knows. The weather has been all messed up everywhere this year, it seems!
Oh! New Zealand is so so beautiful! I have heard so much about it and seen on the television. Would love to visit it one day.
Beautiful post, loved it.
New Zealand is one of the most beautiful countries I have ever visited. And the best part is that it’s 10 times better in person than it looks in photos.
I hope you do get to visit someday!
New Zealand sounds so exotic. I Hope one day I will visit it:) I like spending time being far form Europe and exploring other completely different cultures:)
Well, if you like being far from Europe, then New Zealand would be perfect for you! Haha.
“I HATE how far away New Zealand is from everything.”
That is main reason why l left NZ, otherwise I probably would stay there for ever
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Yes, it does make it hard to travel elsewhere – or to visit family if they aren’t also in NZ. I’d love to move to NZ someday, but I don’t think my parents would like it too much!
Like you with NZ, I hate how far Oz is from everything! Such a pitfall!
Great post/roundup!
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But somehow that still doesn’t keep us away!!
you seems to have a great time in NZ…one of my travel wishlist…nice post you shared here..
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Yes, I definitely always have a great time in NZ! Glad you liked the post.
Totally agree with the biggest suck factor on how far it is from everything!!
Totally disagree on the internet being a downside! These people have their priorities straight and it’s NOT with their head stuck in their phone or at work or on a computer:-). I love that the internet is shite, makes me want to use it less, which is a good thing.
I LOVE the fauna compared to Australia. You know, none of these places were ever attached to each other, hence such a difference. Even the North and South Islands have little in common as the South came up from Antarctica and the North floated down from Polynesia.
Love your comparisons posts:-)
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Well I definitely agree that kiwis have their priorities straight when it comes to work and disconnecting. But, as a travel blogger, the Internet situation there is most definitely a downside!
Though, I have a feeling if I ever moved there, I’d probably adapt quite quickly. The “no worries” attitude rubs off so easily!
And yes, it’s amazing how different the flora and fauna is in NZ as compared to Australia. Like you pointed out, though, it does make sense when you think about it. But I’ll take NZ’s furry and feathered inhabitants over the beasties that call OZ home any day!
Agree with all of these! The internet was crazy slow and expensive…Australia isn’t much better for that, of course.
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Nope, OZ and NZ are both plagued by the slow Internet monster!
Hi,
This blog worries me.. I’m an Indian girl and I will be traveling in New Zealand for a month in Feb ..
I understand that when you speak of racism you are referring to the maoris but I am going to face it too ? This s going to be my first solo trip abroad and that in itself is making me a little jittery.. And now the racism issue..
Hmmm…
I absolutely love your blog by the way.. !
Oh please don’t let this worry you, Deepika! I don’t think you’ll need to fret about this at all. New Zealanders are very friendly and welcoming, especially to visitors. You’ll have a great time!
[...] gives her loves and hates about New Zealand (short hint: the loves greatly outweigh the hates!) and does the [...]
My partner and I just spend the last year living and blogging about New Zealand! Such a great place…but ya… the internet thing definitely annoyed us! Its so hard to be a travelling blogger in NZ!
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SO true. If ever I move to NZ permanently, I have a feeling my travel blogging would suffer – both from lack of good Internet, and because there’s so many better things to be doing than sitting in front of a computer!
As a Kiwi, but currently living overseas I found your post really interesting. Have to admit I was a little shocked to see you write that racism is rampant in NZ; I would tend to disagree (with the word ‘rampant’) but on the other hand I know I base most of my experience with people in Auckland.
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Perhaps “rampant” wasn’t the right word; another Kiwi pointed it out as being perhaps a bit extreme. I think “widespread” is perhaps more of what I meant. But it’s by no means an all-consuming or huge issue. I was just trying to point out that it’s there, just like it is in just about every country around the world. It’s one flaw that is seemingly inescapable, no matter where you go.
I love Air New Zealand, too! I haven’t actually flown to New Zealand before, but my flight on that airline from LAX to London was phenomenal. The internet issue is the pits, though, and its mainly why we’ve avoided New Zealand thus far – working from the road does having its limitations. But it seems like a good place for an actual vacation when we can handle being unplugged for a few weeks.
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I wish AirNZ flew more places… I would definitely fly with them more often if I could!
And you don’t have to be completely unplugged in New Zealand… it’s just a little bit tougher (and more expensive) to be constantly plugged in. It is getting slightly better, but the improvements are kind of like the pace of life there — a bit slow.
I’m a naturalized Australian who’s lived in America & Australia and visited NZ. My favourite place in NZ is Bay of Islands. How did you write a whole article on NZ without a sheep joke?
I don’t think there is a significant race problem in NZ. There are about 3 full-blooded Maori’s left yet the Maori culture survived. Compare that to the American Indians or even the Aboriginal culture in Australia. One of the reasons for this is that Polynesians were far more advanced. They settled tiny islands all over the South Pacific in hollow log canoes. That always amazes me. Imagine loading up the canoe with the wife and kids and paddling off into the ocean to find a new island over the horizon that may or may not be there.
Oh, I’ve included plenty of sheep jokes in many of my other NZ posts.
And I’m not sure the racism problem is connected to the Maori culture surviving. It certainly has been well-preserved, but that’s not necessarily related to the types of off-color comments I would hear there. It’s not nearly as bad as in Australia or the U.S., though!
This post was so interesting, I have never been there (mostly because I HATE that it is so far away as well)! I’d be very interested to learn a bit more about the Maori culture, which I was introduced to by a really interesting poi spinner I met once, it sounded pretty amazing. Thanks for touching on the great and the not-so-great so I know what to expect!
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The Maori culture is really interesting, and there are plenty of places to learn more about it in NZ (Rotorua has some of the best cultural offerings). I’m glad you liked this post, and I hope it’s convinced you to look past how far away New Zealand is and start thinking about going there!
Did the long long haul flights back and forth. Ugh nasty and won’t be doing it that way again. And really the internet is truly awful. Ashamedly so. Though we were lucky and found a place in Dunedin as well as one in Auckland with free if a bit iffy WiFi.
It helped the anxiety I feel when being on an airplane.
The scenery is gorgeous but I really like the sense of humor. I went in to a shop to ask about a pharmacy. I asked if there was one around. He said “yes”. This would be where normal people would give directions, I had to ask again. And like you link the Air NZ sense of humor was great. One flight the flight attendant talked about the no smoking rule by saying if you want to smoke please step out on the wing, if you can light it you can smoke it there. And rows 13-20 will be getting full breakfast on a plane with only 11 rows.
We had a great trip and do not regret going. More stuff coming on GT soon.
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Glad to hear you guys had a great trip, despite the long flights and iffy wi-fi. In my opinion, a small price to pay for the amazingness of everything else in the country!
I agree that the sense of humor there is great. Goes hand-in-hand with the laid-back attitude, I think — they don’t take anything too too seriously.
[...] Transportation As noted by New Zealand addicted Amanda Williams over at A Dangerous Business travel blog, this country also rocks bio-diesel transportation and [...]
Great post! As a travelling Kiwi who has spent half his life overseas, there are three NZ secrets that shouldn’t be secret:
1. Best motorbike ride IN THE WORLD: Down the west coast of the South Island, across the Alps via Haast Pass and up to Queenstown. 3 days. But do it in summer!
2. Best RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: Hike at least one of the Great Walks. Or (just as good but different), do the 4-day Round the Mountain tramp round Mt Taranaki. Or (completely different because its tough) tramp the Northern Crossing of the rugged Tararuas (that will sort the men from the boys!)
There’s good & bad in every country. NZ is cold in winter and never really tropical, but you can still safely drink from virtually every river and hike for weeks through true untouched wilderness, a rare thing overseas.
There definitely is good and bad in every country. Though the good definitely outweighs the bad for me in NZ!
Hello, thank you for sharing all these!! I love too much NZ and I wish. I could go back there next year, I miss that beautiful country!!
Enjoy your travels!!
Cynthia
I know how you feel – I love and miss NZ, too!
Great post, I am a New Zealander that works overseas a lot. I have worked it Turkey, Australia, Greece, Africa and the Solomon’s and I have to say our internet was superior to those countries! just shows how bad theirs must be! Hope you all come back for a visit, sing out when you get here I will put the kettle on for a nice cup of tea.
But was the crappy Internet in those other countries free? Lol, that’s the real question!
Hi DangerousBiz,
Thank you for this article! My boyfriend and I went to NZ for 7 weeks recently and loved it. We stayed with my boyfriends Aunt and Uncle in Christchurch and took lots of road trips to different places on the south island. Since returning we have come to realise that we would love to live in NZ. After doing some research I came across a website that basically has all the reasons to hate NZ and why it’s such a horrible place to live. Then I came across your article that is much more balanced and has restored my faith in NZ! Time to crack on with the visas
And someone made a fair point. If the internet is on the list as being a draw back to NZ, I think I’ll cope!
Well I’m glad you found my post, Lou, and that you didn’t completely write NZ off after that negative website. Good luck with the visas!
Love your blog,
I’ve only found it in the last few days and have enjoyed the read. You are welcome back in New Zealand anytime
Let me know if you are in Europe anytime, I’d love to pick you brain about travel and photography
Graeme
Thanks so much, Graeme!
And I plan to be back in Europe this summer/fall!
By the way, the government are investing in a new internet system around the country that will drastically improve everyones coverage and speed, making us one of the best places for public access in the world. Just another thing to love.
g
Thumbs up! That sounds awesome!
What an awesome post!! Love it!
New Zealand is truly a great place, whether you are visiting or living. We immigrated to NZ 8 years ago and love every moment (yes, there are the negatives too but I think the positives outweigh the negatives by far). For those who would like free information on everything Middle-Earth, from immigration, cost of living, employment etc. have a look at http://www.sa2nz.com – I did it for family and friends who kept on asking for info and I kept repeating myself, so no need to anymore.
I agree that the positives BY FAR outweigh the negatives in New Zealand. I’d love to call it home for a while myself someday!
And thanks for the link – I’ll definitely check it out.
I can’t believe that when I first arrived in New Zealand I was so negative about the whole country. Having spent the previous 2 years living and travelling Australia I kind of begrudged coming to NZ but I was so, so wrong. Now, 9 months on, I absolutely love it here! The scenery, the people, how easy it is to get around, the fact that there always seems to be something going on…I just love it so much and I know when I have to leave I’m going to be the same – crying! Great post Amanda
Beverley | Pack Your Passport recently posted..That Time I Wasn’t Allowed Back On a Plane in Singapore
It really is a special country. No matter how many others I visit, NZ somehow still always remains at the top of my list.
Re “I LOVE how eco-conscious New Zealand is”, I’m not sure we are.
NZ being clean and green is a myth. We are just as dirty and polluting as everyone else, if not worse. FYI the tourism board claims the “100% Pure NZ” marketing campaign is not an environmental claim. See
http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/8397477/Eco-activist-slams-100-campaign
Perhaps it just feels like NZ is more eco-friendly because it’s less-populated than anywhere I’ve ever lived? I don’t know. Living there, I did definitely see plenty of things to make me think the country was more eco-conscious than where I’m from.