IS NEW ZEALAND BEHIND THE TIMES? 10 Inside Findings. 

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Trivial fact: NZ was the first country in the world to have EFTPOS or an Electronic Bankcard purchasing system. I recall going to the UK in the late 90s wondering why I could use my Bankcard🤔😁🤣 A noticeable difference in NZ to other western culture is the drinking culture, which is why I'm reluctant to move back is Sunday sesh's aren't that common in NZ. Kiwis tend to have a binge on a Friday or Sat. The rest of the week is normally set aside for work/sport&rec/relaxing. Kiwis love to drink on their own property. On the dining room table, in the kitchen, in the garage, in the backyard... We're flexible 😁🤙🏾🍻

Having this place as my home is a blessing! I never TRULY realised how we were as a culture until I started watching videos like yours about us in NZ! I've always been grateful for being here for so many reasons, but stuff like this makes me appreciate this land and being born here on another level!

You guys are so complimentary. Thank you. We’ll keep you. ♥️♥️♥️

NZ was the first country in the world to use ATM machine. We pay $18 here in Whangarei for doctors kids free. First country in the world to allow women the vote. We don't pay TV licences, not since the late 70's. Cheap medicines no matter what your income is. I pay $5 for my insulin thats for 3 months supply. You guys are great, thank you. Kea Kaha

I have a few thoughts and observations from my experience in NZ. It seems to me that there are still plenty of people smoking and lots of younger people who maybe didn't smoke cigarettes but have taken up vaping because it is not socially unacceptable, I can't believe how many vape shops there are around Christchurch. It was easy to open a Kiwi bank account, we were able to set it up from the UK before arrival, so on the first day here we went into the branch where we set passwords and were provided our Eftpos card. We are close to being a cashless society, recently some smaller stores, particularly dairies, have been charging to use paywave. The fees for visiting the doctor does seem to vary by practice, but access to your GP and other medical practitioners seems so much easier than the UK. Internet is so much better in NZ, and more so since we had fibre fitted before the covid lockdown. What was more impressive was that fibre was fitted free of charge. You talked about work life balance, it impressed me greatly that patents take their kids to sport on Saturday morning and then play their own sport in the afternoon, you can't do that if you have to work on Saturday. I did find it strange initially how early restaurants closed even at the weekend, I was told I couldn't get a table for 8pm because they would be closing soon after. Having been in NZ for 5 years before returning to the UK for a family event I was shocked on my return by how poor I found the coffee outlet and I can't believe how many good coffee shops and cafes there here. While Kiwis are ingenious in their ability to repair, recycle and repurpose items, in terms of vehicles this has the downside of keeping older vehicles on the road, that have less safety features and are less efficient and more polluting. To maintain our green credentials we should be replaced these older vehicles with new greener models. I'm not sure many of the vehicles here would pas an MOT emissions test in the UK. Irrespective of the differences or even because of the differences, I wouldn't want to leave NZ and certainly wouldn't head back to the UK.

Don't diss nurses! They are highly trained and very knowledgeable. My medical professional of choice is currently a nurse. She is right up there with any doctor and in a lot cases she is way better. She picked up a medical condition when I went for a smear. I'm patched up now and so appreciative.

My contribution is: the service industry in NZ as a blanket comment, shops, restaurants, in fact any interaction with the public - we are generally ultra polite comparing other countries around the world...

Don’t forget the Toy Libraries. Fantastic idea to get the kids a variety of great toys and to donate your own grown up children’s toys they no longer want.

Great video, big eye opener to all the things you mentioned 👍 👌 👏

Love your podcasts! Keep it up

Loving the vlogcasts!

It's easy to get a same-day doctors appointment in New Zealand and the service they provide is better than the NHS. The first time I went to the doctor here as I was about to leave he stopped me and asked me about something he had noticed which had been dismissed as nothing by doctors in the UK over many years, I explained that, he shook his head and said no, within 6 months it was treated surgically by a specialist. I would note that at $68 for your doctor's appointment you can't be registered, it does vary by area, with areas classed as lower socio-economic areas cheaper, I paid $18 last time, although my previous doctors were $50

Another great episode....

I feel like this is going to help me a lot. You guys are So Fun & informative & so nicely honest 🌸💗🌸💗🌸

I think you would find Auckland shopping hrs more extended than the rest of NZ. It’s a matter of population to support the need to be open bigger hrs.

Hi this is my first time watching you. Being a kiwi living in Sweden I am glad to see what you are doing.

In France we’re still using the old stirrups 🤭 As for banking … it’s from the ice age too. Have to wait a couple of days to see transactions appear. Chèques are the norm. Administrative procedures are unnecessarily complicated- well no surprise there. Also kid bank accounts aren’t simple/encouraged. Children can get accounts tied to their parents but when I was little (in NZ) I got my own bank account and was encouraged to use it; to save and to budget. I’m thoroughly enjoying your channel. Going through your old videos listening whilst doing housework. Thanks for keeping me company and giving me a laugh.

I gotta tell ya. Back when the Huntley power station was being built I was a profile cutter. We had an English engineer overseeing the cutting of steel plates. He told us we had the latest technology that he had bot seen in the UK. I think we feel away from the world and do everything to keep up with technology. And on the other side of the coin we really recycle, repair and or use the parts for something else

Dunedin(giga town), NZ internet fibre: 837mbps down and 431mbps up

Great channel guys! And what a nice video. I’m 🇮🇹 living in 🇬🇧 and together with my British/kiwi boyfriend we are planning our move to 🇳🇿. Your content helps me a lot! Oh and by the way the smear situation in Italy is the same as in the UK. Can’t wait to move to NZ 😂🤣

25% of UK population is 17,044,000 people, 20% of NZ population is 1,100,000, only 5% percent difference but way larger in real numbers. The payoff is less tobacco health care costs.

hi guys loving a good laugh watchn ya pods. the term smoke o or smoko was thought to have originated with the British merc navy around the late 1850s.. keep me laughing cheers Ian

this year we started self testing it’s so easy

When we were moving back to Scotland in the 90s from the US people asked my mum if they even had paved roads there🤦‍♀️ Lots of people asked us what language they spoke there. Those internet speeds are amazing. My siblings and I live in a rural area near Seattle now and my brother gets about 1-3 mbps download with kbps in upload and works from home on it. His wife can't use the internet while he is working. I get "really good" internet at 50 mbps and 2 mbps up. If my brother wanted better internet at his house (2 miles from mine) he would need to pay over $40,000usd. And yes, stirrups all across America.

I remember when the shops close at 5pm on a Saturday and Sunday the shops weren't open. But In Auckland now, the shops are close at 4.30pm-5pm and then we have our late nights where the malls close at 9pm on a Thursday otherwise they close at 5pm. And our supermarkets close at 9 or 10pm. Some supermarkets are 24/7 but there's only a few of them.

Always fun to see a new pod cast from you guys. Smoko is of course from days gone by when just about everyone smoked. The first thing that happened was smoking being banned in pubs and such then all public buildings. I think a lot of people just got sick of having to go outside in the rain for a smoke and then the tax kept increasing to make it more and more expensive. Along with that were incentives to quit with free quit smoking programmes including free, gums, patches and phone support. It seems to be working well :)

Banking is atrocious in the UK. Glad I signed up before I left NZ as I heard horror stories when I arrived in England. I hated the banks there but at least I had an advantage of an open account

I moved to Australia for 8 years ... came back home and went to open a bank account and still had my old account lol ... still had 70 bux in my savings lmao

NZ is NZ. Who cares if we're backward?

What NZ can be proud of is mostly its nature, in other word something made by nature while there’s not much about what is manmade. Actually, the latter has been destroying the former quite rapidly. “Clean Green NZ” was pretty much true only because of its small population, but it now sounds quite hollow. The land and water have been incessantly contaminated by one of NZ's primary industries, livestock farming. IMO, livestock farming is the root of so many evils happening in NZ. Actually, violence is rampant in NZ. It’s been statistically and scientifically proven that those who are capable of animal cruelty are way more likely to be violent to humans. And, while many of those who work in the livestock industry are just indifferent and insensitive to the cruelty inflicted on farm animals, others seem to know, consciously or unconsciously, that what they do to make money is cruel to animals. It means they experience trauma, and when people are tormented by trauma, they try to wash it away … in many cases by drinking or taking drugs. It all comes down to morality, which includes compassion for victims, respect for life and responsibility for one’s own actions. And this country has a low level of morality creating a bad chain reaction, which can be broken once the standard of morality is raised. One concrete and indispensable way is to stop killing innocent animals for our benefit. You are what you choose, especially when better alternatives are available.

The NHS definitely isn't "free" in the UK. All salary and wage earners pay an additional tax called National Insurance each year to fund the NHS which can be up to 12% extra tax.

I've noticed that too, that you don't see many ppl smoking in NZ. I think it's illegal for shops to openly display them, they have to be hidden or locked in a cupboard but it's been ages since I've seen someone smoking. I see lots of ppl vaping but not smoking

If you have a mortgage go to your account manager and tell them you don't want any monthly or transaction fees on any of your accounts. They really don't give a stuff about your account fees if they're making good profit on your mortgage loan.

Consider yourself lucky you don't have Amazon and Ikea in NZ. Both WILL destroy those charming little shops everywhere in nz. As soon as people can just click on stuff and have it delivered next day those shopping streets are over with. At least in the longer run... Seen it over here in europe where pretty much all of the city centers are dying a slow death :/

I live pretty rural (West Coast South Island) and yeah bugs are definitely a thing the further out you go! If you haven't done already you should look into getting the outside of your house sprayed, you can get the stuff yourself at bunnings. I do mine twice a year and it makes huge difference with flies and spiders in the house Regarding smoking, I wonder if it's a bit less common in your circles in particular? I find that very few people in NZ who are well off smoke, but most of the people on lower incomes smoke like trains.

Hey Brian. 943.5 down and 188.3 up today for me here on the Kapiti Coast. Eat your heart out ;^)

Prostitution is also legal in New Zealand. We just need recreational marijuana legalized now....

you two just make me laugh so much

Stirrups are not used for Pap smears in Australia ,still used for sewing up ep

Yes, smoko used to mean a smoke break. In the UK, I used to have an automatic payment to my checking account and sometimes it failed. Actually often. But because of that , I would get overdrawn on my checking account. And because of that they would have a 20 pound fee. But it was their fault in the first place, I can't remember how many times I had to go down to the branch to sort that out.

I am neurotically watching what ex uk people anout my country, telling myself i dont teally care, but i must do. I want everyone to like us. You are just about kiwis now, so glad you see what we see. We thinks its gods own country Your sound is great, keep up the good work. But dont tell too many.........

I remember withdrawing cash from a bank branch in the uk 1992 and them having to contact my home branch to confirm I had sufficient funds and charged me for the privilege. Something that ceased to be necessary in nz with the advent of eftpos in 1985.

When we were in Europe we left pubs as it was so horrible and made us end up smelling of smoke it was overwhelming.

yep US stirrups. US is the same shop shop shop, especially weekends, lets go to the mall, whereas NZ weekends you think where shall we go for a drive, lets go camping, lets go boating etc

haha lol love u guys ur stories n facts n questions n answers n os school up bringng s

No, it's not just you with the flies. I can assure you there's plenty in suburban Christchurch and most other places in the country.

Cafes in Perth here,don't do home made anymore, like a lot of our cafes back in NZ,I love that in a lot of small places still make their food in a homestyle way.

With the Eftpos card if they are lost or you tell them it broke when you went to use it they can check up how long ago you were issued that card. If it has been a few years since you got the card a replacement is often free

When I was living in New Zealand, the shops closing early like that was a problem because if I needed something, I'd have to leave work early and _literally_ run around the city like a madwoman in the half hour before everything closed up, in order to get my shopping done. It was actually really stressful and made things like getting customer service (example, when I bought a stereo and it was full of problems) extremely difficult.

Re: "smoko", its origin is Australian, going back to the depression era post world war 1. Many many servicemen returned home to a country in poor shape having been relied, like others, to contribute to the war effort & to Britain's own survival, not only that Australia had hardly emerged from colonial days when WW1 occurred. The men were faced with poverty, hunger & unemployment so many had to take to the road begging door to door for work just to stay alive. They would stop anywhere they could find a spot unroll their swag, their bedroll, & light a fire where they could boil the Billy can to make tea & have a smoke. That's why a break in a workday became known as 'smoko'. The man became known as 'swaggies' or 'swagmen'. It was a tragic time.

Smoking in the USA is like that. It’s not a rule in most places but it’s extremely rare to see anyone smoking unless you’re at a bar patio really late at night. Almost no one smokes in public

No flies at the mo, it's winter. While travelling overseas immigration and airport staff are curious about our passports, bankers were impressed with our bank cards. Getting a replacement card requires your pin number and signature which they have online.

NZ has had EFTPOS for over 30 years, about 36yrs about. Not sure how that helps lol. Westpac introduced it i think.

Also - where can I find that car window video 😂 Ours just broke haha!

we only have banks in the main centres now they have all closed in small towns and small cities such a shame

There was heaps of flies in Picton

Both your teeth look amazing for English people. You seem like a sweet couple and I’m glad you hone schooled your kids. I haven’t lived in NZ for 22 years but I will return one day

I used to be able to go into my bank back home in NZ,if I lost or damaged my card,they would get another for me within a few minutes, for around $15, Aussie banks don't do that.

UK was so backward that when my English flatmates found out I had a cheque account they thought I was trying to be posh! I asked them how they paid for things and I was told they got their money out of their Building Society account. The other backward thing is that I had to beg Barclays bank to open an account. Imagine that, begging for a bank to take your money. I couldn't bank my first pay cheque for a couple of weeks. I had to get the boss to go to the bank with me to vouch that I was a real.and honest person. Crazy system.

Repairing things in NZ was essential when the first Europeans arrived out from the UK. With sailing ships taking 2 - 3 months each way, ordering stuff from 'the homeland' was not practical. Later on, as ships sped up and decreased the shipping times if your tractor broke down you would fix it yourself or make a temporary repair while waiting for parts. Often these 'temporary repairs' would last a lifetime. They often say that necessity is the mother of invention and this is where NZ's became some of the most inventive folks on the planet. It is also said - 'give a kiwi a length of No 8 fencing wire and he can fix anything'. Enjoying your videos.

We have weekends so men can spend time with their families. As a child we had Friday nights open til 9pm. I worked 40 hours a week 12 hours on Fridays. Things have changed. I did not like food poisoning and bad restaurants in joburg. At least we have health inspectors here.

It probably already been mentioned, but anyway...EFTPOS = Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale.

Hello from Curitiba/brazil

EFTPOS = Electronic Fund Transfer Point Of Sale What it was originally called by the banks when it was introduced during the mid/late 1980s. Name of the service just stuck (and is what it says on the box).

you need all those Ids to open an account here if your a new customer now as well has been like that for quite awhile retired bnz staff member

and the "pay it forward" we have on local FB pages etc

EFTPOS = Electronic Funds Transfer at Point Of Sale When I moved from NZ to Aus 13 years ago it took me a while to get used to having to carry cash because not everyone had EFTPOS here back then.

I was in the UK 15 years ago and i noticed that the banking there was behind what we had here in NZ...

it was great in Ireland when we were there

You're incorrect with regard to New Zealand EFTPOS cards. Most have an inbuilt chip, four digit PIN and have Paywave. The magnetic strip is really just a back up payment method.

l was seconded to the uk some years ago about 1995 to work for the NHSS I felt like I was going back in time. I could not believe how backward the uk banking system was. Coming from New Zealand it was hopelessly backward.

Flies if little house flies good, but my mum would always chase the big Greenie blow flies away cause she said they tell U your getting visitors so she chase them out course she didn't want visitors that day.. not sure if but that's what she believed

Hey - just come across your channel. I’m from the UK living in NZ and I HATE the winter here!! I miss the better houses in the UK no central heating here! 😭

we pay $18 for a doctors appointment where we live in new zealand very lucky

Hello, you will find you living next to a farm, you will be swamped with flies. They quiet down in the cold months,. Love listening to you differences between NZ and England..

we pay $18 for the doctor in wairoa low decile area

Coffee in NZ is overwhelmingly excellent but Internet access seems more hit and miss. UK has widespread 4G coverage with 5G in many urban areas; broadband is frequently 100+Mbps download and 36Mbps upload. Many deals have unlimited data at prices way below NZ. As for banking, having spent 2 years in the USA, nineties Britain seemed fairly advanced but has improved significantly since; do all my banking online and, with contactless cards accepted everywhere, I can't remember when I last used cash. People are less obsessed with going to the shops since the pandemic, with more online shopping, including groceries for home delivery and, of course, Amazon being available here, unlike NZ. There are many positive attributes to NZ and, in fact, some of these are due to it being "behind the times", not least, more independent cafes etc. and much less traffic.

I remember when NZ shut down for thw weekend. Then they introduced Saturday morning shopping, then after some years, they allowed Sunday shopping. As for the Internet in Cornwall. I don't know exactly what it's like there, but to be fair, it might be the landscape, as in hills, etc, blocking signals. Then I could be, and probably am, wrong. Also, while you can get a good Flat White in London, I tend to think they are much better in NZ, and it's the thing I look forward to everytime I visit my family and friends in NZ. And yes smoko break was for smoking back in the day. I remeber a time when almost everyone smoked in NZ. I was shocked when I moved to the UK, and I think it's worse in places like France, for smoking.

I don’t know what it was 2 years ago but the current smoking rate in nz 2023 was 6.8%.

Yes smoko is smoko for smokers and non smokers but we all knew what it meant...and yes before all the smoking laws we all in the same cafe or lunch room with smokers non smokers

Flies? You have dairy cows at your backdoor!

Lol Briiii now there just going to wait for your car to come and pack all them kids at the crossing just for you...lol....

Like a lot of what you were saying about NZ, frankly if i were to emigrate thier i would enjoy the differences about 80 percent was in my view positive and a change for the better. I loved in particuler the make do and mend and recycle too approach in stark contrast to the very wasteful approach that so much of western society embraces, as i personally hate waste. I enjoyed your very personable description of life thier, you both come across as really lovely couple, many thanks.

It was always well known that when anyone arrived in new Zealand they were advised to turn their clock back 20 years. Thanks are a lot better now though.

Living in a country where everything's so expensive, and a lot of people have lower incomes, leads to a lot of reduce-reduce-recycle-repair-regift...and Kiwi ingenuity.

For the lady thing: In Canada you still put your legs up or when i was pregnant and they did checks down there you had to put your feet together and then let your knees fall open like a butterfly. I've got to say though: it was much nicer with midwives than with the OBGYN or Family Doctor. The midwives were much more caring, and it wasn't undignified. This is my experience in Canada. ~Jj

Twenty years ago I came home to AKL on hols and had to make a phone call. I found what looked like a small robot with no opening for coins. After 5 mins the lady behind me told me I had to purchase a phone card at the P.O. I felt like an alien in my own country! 😀😃😄😁😆🤣So to the people who fear NZ being backward - STAY HOME!

If you are in a lower social economic zone in NZ the doctors are only $15 or there abouts for a visit so they must go to a flash doctor $50, $60. No one uses cash or cheque books anymore payment over phone Apps.

Your GP is expensive!! Mines $17 (in Hawkes Bay)

Warehouse stays open to 12 in some sites.

EFTPOS is an acronym Electronic Fund Transfer at Point Of Sale… Personal banking is free 🤷‍♀️ NZ is a place where many companies and techs like to trial things before introducing them to other countries. As a result we are often well ahead of other countries And the doctor os $43 for high income earners

That was interesting...and fun..as usual. A small fact with a huge consequence coming up. When the 1st ships arrived from England, Ireland and Scotland there was NOTHING here. Not a sausage in the 1850s to 1890s.....Everything had to be built. Towns had to be thrown up to house the new arrivals and that is why we have an inbred can do it (no8 wire) hard wired attitude. They had to use and re-use and upcycle everything and nothing was wasted and that come from the 1st immigrants from the UK. They had to start the farming sector and butcheries so all other immigrants coming to Aotearoa...at least had a sausage!!! We are you but 5 generation on. Take care, stay safe, scan and dont sneeze and we will see you for Part 2.

Yes it does mean smoking room where you had your smoke and meals

The fly's they are just friendly...

Love New Zealand. Greener that Ireland, better snow than Switzerland and the locals nearly always speak English, or Is that the Netherlands? No must be New Zealand because they also have the most beautiful mountains. I was surprised about the charges for doctor visits over there however as the Americans immigrants are alway Banging on about how good it is in New Zealand for medical treatment yet you’re saying they charge a fee. I have lived in Australia for over four decades and over the last 10 years I don’t think I’ve paid for A doctor visit even though I also have private medical insurance, well used more for specialist services. Interesting NZ closing up mid Saturday afternoon that’s very similar to Australia but stopped in the early 80s, however I agree. Similar to Holland it creates a much better work life balance for employees and shoppers and you get used to it! NSW in Oz

Flies are bane of my existence

Eftpos stands for Electronic funds transfer at point of sale..I agree that the UK banking system is way behind the times..I was there for a few years and could not believe how difficult it was...I recall wanting to get 5 quid for lunch from a different branch to where my account was...it was that complex and complicated I cancelled the "attempted" transaction and stayed hungry..

Hang on. Hang on. Hang on. Back the milk tanker up. What happen to the road trip?? Thanks for upload.

We don’t care. When it happens it happens 🤗