We came here from ZA in 1961.I remember my dad saying.."Green green bloody green." He decided that we had to get out of ZA as the writing was on the wall for the eventual end of the "status quo".He went to work in Australia for six months.When he returned my mother said.."So we're going to Australia then"..to which my dad replied.."No we're going to NZ".My mother said "But we don't know anything about NZ because you never went there!"..to which my dad replied.."Well it can't possibly be any worse than Australia!" Looking back it must've been very hard to start all over again here at the age of forty,three kids and only a few Pounds left in savings.He missed the warm climate of Capetown.I'm old now but I like walking along the trail at Pukerua Beach on the Kapiti Coast because it reminds me a bit of St James,Cape Town where we lived at the end with the mountain behind the beach and the salt water natural swimming pool wherewe used to swim.
Did you just say New Zealand has a lack of variety of landscapes, lmao lady it's one of the most diverse countries in the world when it comes to nature from snow capped mountains, glaciers, fiords, sand dunes, volcanoes, braided rivers, mangrove forests, I could go on all day!!
I live in the USA Mojave desert, its beautiful. I know what she means. South Africa is like a mini USA with a great variety of landscapes. South Africans are spoiled with the diversity, beautiful beaches, amazing landscapes, long sandy beaches, amazing weather.
Im a proud New Zealander, very grateful to have been born here and I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else, however i also wouldn't choose to live in Wellington.
I suspect there will be other towns in New Zealand that may suit me better but sadly I am tied to Wellington for my work. Which are your favourite towns to live in NZ?
I think some of the comments are a bit nasty. You did say that it's just your view. Some people can't handle any criticism no matter how mild. Your still here and you are free to live where you want so you must like it🙂
Thanks! Appreciate your positive comment. NZ certainly has a lot of positives to offer. I would be keen to experience living somewhere else for a bit but can definitely see myself living here for the long-term.
I lived in Queenstown NZ for about 8 or so months, originally from Australia. (Not a lot of time). I love NZ for its nature. But my experience with working there was unsafe and extremely dodgy, and in Queenstown specifically was too expansive, so you kinda got stuck there once you are there. The people were okay. I found NZers to be very clicky with each other and I preferred to be with people from other countries. Because they seemed a bit more open and friendly. Just my short experience there. Anyway. Wouldn't live there, but I would visit again for the landscapes.
Very interesting to hear your experience. I wonder if you would have had a different experience in other towns/cities. I have definitely heard some places are more clicky than others.
@@curiousNZexplorer I went to wellington for the Australian embassy as my jacket got stolen, which had my passport in it. And I had a much better time with locals in the short time I was there! so I think you are correct. Everywhere is like that, and QT was a tourist heaven, so I could understand the why the locals would be that way.
Queenstown is super clicky … not a good representation of New Zealand as a whole. Over-developed for the benefit of the tourist dollar. The young ‘locals’ tend to be forced to live hand to mouth due to the ridiculous lack of affordable housing … and the older ‘locals’ tend to not appreciate their beautiful wee piece of paradise has been ruined by said development.
Sorry as an Australian I lived and worked in both South Africa and Mozambique for periods of around 1 year in 1995/6, 2003/4, 2019/20. Australia has all those things you said you missed in South Africa but on a much larger scale what both Australia and NZ dont have is the same level of crime, poverty or uncertainty . I was there for my first stint when Nelson Mandella took office, the Apartheid era was ending and there was a lot of hope in the rainbow nation. I went back 10 years later I saw some changes but people on the whole were getting pretty frustrated that their quality of life wasnt improving fast enough. My last time in that part of the world was in 2019/20 which was eventually cut short due to the covid pandemic. What I got then was a real feeling of discontent amongst both black and white due to government corruption and the way that the ANC had managed to move South Africa from being a relatively rich developed nation to something more akin to a poorer 3rd world country. The only real change that I saw over that 25 years was that the privileged class had probably changed colour and the less privileged had largley stayed where they were. I love South Africa and its people but they seriously need to get their act together because if they dont their most talented people are going to continue to leave. Based on my own personal experience of lving in South Africa I think that your parents probably made the right call but thats really up to you guys to decide.
I fully agree with you. I have no desire at all to live in South Africa again for all the reasons you outline. Australia certainly is tempting for me but every country has its negatives which need to be weighed up.
As a kiwi born I totally get your negatives they're all true especially the credit card notes I have often wondered how the rest of the planet travels and lives off their credit card points but in lil old NZ you here about it but you don't actually see that action happening, Im from Akl so our summers are pretty warm but theyre not long enough for sure, I agree you about the imports of tropical fruit we are starting to get more tropical farms in the far north where we are making coffee beans , banana farms, avocado farms and pineapple farms....but I wish someone would grow lychees and mangoes then we would truly be self sufficient I wouldn't hold my. breathe though, like every other food source it would probrably be packed and sent off to other places of the world so they can buy it cheaper than we do.enjoyed your share very positive
I’ve lived in 3 countries (NZ, Aus, Thailand), everywhere has its ups and downs, what I don’t like about NZ is the dollar is weak and salaries low, lastly not sure how to put this in a PC way, but I don’t like how the country is always being divided by Maori and non-Maori, instead of being one people… But it’s safe, clean, lots to do outdoors and I think our food/produces tastes great.
and you are thanking your parents for doing all the legwork in making that choice for you. How about you tell us about how hard it was for them and how many tears they cried and the sacrifices and struggles they made to make this move.
Believe me if I say it was the most difficult thing we ever did.😢😢😢 Lots of mixed emotions, but our kids are as happy as can be, and after 5 years, I'm only finding myself getting to the point where I don't miss home so much. I'm glad to be here, but it wasn't easy. It is difficult to relocate a big old tree 😂😂😂
That is a very valid point. I am 100% aware of the huge sacrifice my parents made to give me a better life. I am forever grateful to them and told them this many times while they were still alive.
landscape variety????????????????? its 3 days of the same thing on the train from Pretoria to C town, the Karoo is .......... nothing ness Kalahari is........... an empty nothingness Jo/Burg is Yukkville (Kruger isnt cheap either ) ps you can always return to RSA if NZ isnt to your liking or courtesy of us you get to live in OZ as NZ resident/citizen
Realy? You think it is appropriate to attack someone for their personal views? I came to NZ 20 years ago with my wife. No children and no family and I can absolutely empathise with @curiousNZexplorer I do love it here in NZ and I will never go back. Why? Crime! Sadly, quickly becoming a problem here too. You have no idea of the diversity of the South African landscape. Did you tramp the Blyde river canyon, the Transkei coast, the Cape Garden route, Hogsback, Golden gate, Madimbu, Augrabies, Cathedral peak or any of the countless other sites? Your vision of South Africa is a trip from Pretoria to the Karoo? Pathetic. Don't be so easily offended. You can do better. PS, I have travelled extensively in NZ and love it but still miss the nature of SA.
Thanks for stopping by and providing your view. I spent 6 weeks in South Africa in Dec/Jan and drove 5,300km through the country. I am fairly realistic of how the country has changed since I lived there. I even had the pleasure of visiting Homeland Affairs, which made me very grateful to live in NZ.
I'm as proud a Kiwi as you'll find but you must accept valid criticism which this was. Also, if you take offence at the "room for improvement" in this video then you have a wafer thin skin.
