Australia vs New Zealand

[frodo/maya]

Some interesting reading:


http://www.convictcreations.com/culture/newzealand.html

[Savayla]

Bl..dy interesting !!!  Hey, the Kiwis and the Aussies say it on TV !!!!!! 

Was a very good read.  I went on to the comparison between SA and Aus.  Also interesting. 

Good one Schalk !

[Tui]

Hi all!

My 2cents worth......if I may? And I have to add, that this is all personal - do not want to step on any toes.... after just joining this forum. We as a family have been blessed to have been given the chance to live in OZ, we are currently in Perth - which is soooooo different from Cape Town, being Capetonians one gets used to seeing Mountains and loads of green, I find Perth to be somewhat flat, dry and baron. I have meet THE most amazing SA families here in Perth, a lot of them very home-sick and verlaang baie. Yes, if you are in the mining business, you are very blessed, I need to see green open spaces, which I miss terribly, I have also been told by friends who have passed through NZ and by my hubby who has been twice for a LSD, that the Kiwi's have a more 'inviting' approach to immigrants....?? In the year and a half that we have been here in OZ, should I not make an effort to greet my neighbors, I will never get a wave or a smile - that is soul destroying, of course they can greet whom they want...and one should not take it personally, but there tends to be a lot of 'clickyness', I am sure that happens all over the world. Other States in OZ may be different, so I can not speak for them. NZ is so much smaller, so to me, a lot personal....more cozy so to speak, and of course the shear beauty of the place has won our hearts! that age old saying 'each for his own' is so true, we need to follow our hearts as too were we think our 'niche' in life may lie......we hope that our move to NZ is everything we hoped for......after all....it will be our LAST! The saddest thing about leaving SA and your beloved family and friends is our HISTORY......we have to start all over again....heck, wish I was 20 years younger now...... Will have a lot of catching up to do once there!

Kiwiwannabe family

[Savayla]

If you miss your mountain, like I always have, then you have to move to the South Island, near Nelson .      Need more Saffers here.  Although, already I have have spoken to one Saffer who works in the local school, and heard of a dentist. 

But, the kiwis we have met here have embraced us, and it has been wonderful.  Not clicky at all, although , being a Durbanite orginally, we found Capetonians very clicky !!!  I was actually told that I should feel honoured that I was invited to the local book club in Cape Town.  Jeez !!! 

Personally, I could not live in Perth (I have stepped on your toes I am sure as I have never been there ) .  I have done research and it is just too dry and too dry, and too dry .... Have friends and family there,  they love sending photos of the ... dryness..... 

[frodo/maya]

Hi kiwiwannabe- excellent post. The reasons that you mentioned as the exact reasons as to why we chose NZ over OZ and as savayla said it is sooooooo dry. We have friends in Gold Coast and she also complains about the clicks. So it seems as if it is a Oz thing 

 .

Ursula 

[Tui]

Hi Savayla and frodo/maya! Thnx for response, yes, I believe that the South Island has wonderful mountains ranges, we chose the North Is as we were told the weather is slightly better?? Also like I mentioned hubby was born in Auckland.....we have also SUNK ALL our life savings (money from sale of house in Cape Town) into a plot in Tauranga (Oh, boy) and I mean ALL our money, so intense are our plans for coming over there. The property prices here in OZ are OFF THE HOOK!! We as a family could never afford a home of our own, average starting at $450 000 - $500 000 WHAT!!!!?? So now we sit with a BEAUTIFUL piece of land in NZ and we are here.....I hope and pray we made the right decision to buy! Plots here in OZ, you are looking at about $200 000 for a mere 400sm. So yet ANOTHER thumbs up for NZ and property prices.....should we arrive and hubby has still not found work.......are we allowed to 'squat' on our piece of land? lol!

Kiwiwannabe

[alwyn]

Savayla, I would sign up for the Nelson area anytime, but I'm not sure how common good IT jobs are in those areas. 

Btw. I agree on Cape Town's clickyness, amongst both English and Afrikaans people. 

[Savayla]

Alwyn, we took a chance coming here.  Hubby is in IT.  But we decided that this is where we wanted to be.  Hubby was prepared to  commute to Christchurch or Wellington if it turned out that way.  Just until we got PR.  But he got a job offer, so we are extremely lucky.  There is a small IT business community here.  Don't know it really well though, as only been here a short while.

We are loving the weather.  Is not as cold as we expected.  Tonight the kids, with dads help, made a fire and cooked some soup outside.  It was really pleasant. 

[alwyn]

Ideally I would like to get a company or maybe customer or 2 that will allow me to work from home so that I can live in the middle of 'nowhere'

[Savayla]

I have heard that alot of Kiwi companies don't mind that, working from home.  Maybe ask yours ?  Maybe that is a dumb question I have just asked ?   

[LoveNZ]

found this really interesting article...

http://www.news24.com/MyNews24/YourStory/Is-the-grass-really-greener-in-Aus-20101012

[frodo/maya]

Very interesting Hannes, thanks! 

Since we arrived, I have also heard the stories of Saners being arrogant/ racist etc, this is so sad because people have this preconceived ideas about us which is not true and sometimes it is embarrassing. Hope I can change some of these perceptions when I start working.

I don't know where this man bought his groceries for R2000 per month tough, maybe they did not eat  I have not paid R2000 for groceries since 2001?

[zatexnz]

That last link gave a very nice realistic look at life in Oz.  I've read it to my hubby and he's now happier that we've settled in NZ (yes, he was getting itchy feet again!    )

The guy complains that he doesn't get a raise often enough in salary, but if you look at how much the company has to pay for superannuation (9%) that is a LOAD, and explains why companies are not keen to up your salary EVERY YEAR!!

[Wayne and Kath]

Interesting article but one has to say that the negatives, apart from possibly the cost of living, don't really sound so negative. Over policing - we would welcome that here.

[Tui]

Hi kiwiwannabe- excellent post. The reasons that you mentioned as the exact reasons as to why we chose NZ over OZ and as savayla said it is sooooooo dry. We have friends in Gold Coast and she also complains about the clicks. So it seems as if it is a Oz thing 

 .

Ursula 

Our lawn is brown and so dry is the grass, that is actually cracks underneath your feet... Give me RAIN, RAIN any day - one can always get warmer, but this Perth heat is something else.....extremely scary for the folk here with all the water restrictions still on despite the fact we have just had winter......and other parts of OZ are flooded....... have packed clothes for all the seasons, we land on the 1st of Nov - so although I generally do not like heat - hope it is around 23 deg......just ideal for me.... Looking so forward to walk on soft green grass kaalvoet.....