[CityBlue]

Me and my wife arrived in NZ in May 2007, we had every intention of going back to manchester for xmas to spend it with our families. It didnt happen like that cause we spent our flight funds towards getting married.

After 10 months here in NZ we were in a position to go back for a 3 week visit just to catch up with the family. We have just got back from that visit, and here are our thoughts:

Things we disliked:
1) It was freezing! it even snowed! (bear in mind its now supposed to be spring!)
2) It felt overcrowded particularly when we went shopping in manchester city center on a saturday
3) We took our nieces out to a childrens play center where we were busy taking pics of them playing. A member of staff came over and told us we weren't allowed to takes pics! (maybe I look like a pedo or maybe its just another example that the UK has gone too PC!)
4) Getting confused whilst driving and remembering the give way rule doesnt appy in the UK :laugh


Things we liked:
1) Family & freinds! seeing them all again was great! It was like we have never been away. It was like a time warp like time had stood still (not necessarily a good thing???)
2) Going to watch manchester city in the flesh! (and they won :clap )
3) Getting a good curry
4) Proper english pubs. Even better now you cant smoke in them!
5) Shopping (the wife couldnt wait to shop in next and primark and needless to say,, brought lots of new clothes back with her!)
6) Cheap books.
7) Chippy - mmm chips and gravy! or chips curry and rice
8) Looking forward to the flight back to NZ because it felt like we were coming home :clap

Although the things we loved about being back in the UK outweigh the things we disliked, going back made us realize more than ever that NZ is now our home, and we appreciate it even more than we did anyway.

We are now really looking forward to our friends and family coming over for a visit so we can show off our new home and all NZ has to offer. Its not paradise but for us right now, its home :D

[granger]

2) It felt overcrowded particularly when we went shopping in manchester city center on a saturday


I felt claustrophobic in Marks and Spencers in Edinburgh on a return visit and in Princes Street in general. The UK's suburban streets also feel really cramped compared with here. Thanks for the post.

[Tia Maria]

City Blue wrote:

3) We took our nieces out to a childrens play center where we were busy taking pics of them playing. A member of staff came over and told us we weren't allowed to takes pics! (maybe I look like a pedo or maybe its just another example that the UK has gone too PC!)

This has been going on for quite a few years in the UK, well at least since 2001 when I first had a reason to enter such a place with a camera!

I wanted to take a photo of my son at his swimming lesson in NZ, so I went to ask first, and they looked at me as though I was mad and said 'of course you can!'

Yep I miss pubs, shops and cheap books also. Although I'm torn on the chippy thing, I prefer the fish in NZ but prefer the chips in the UK ..... now if I only had a really fast plane .......

Its great you've got to the stage where you can enjoy things about both countries that way you'll know you'll have a good time wherever you are! :nice1

Cheers

Tia

[incredible hulse]

3) We took our nieces out to a childrens play center where we were busy taking pics of them playing. A member of staff came over and told us we weren't allowed to takes pics! (maybe I look like a pedo or maybe its just another example that the UK has gone too PC!)


Not disputing the fact that the UK is going that way but we had the same thing happen to us in Waikanae pools last year. World's going mad

[dharder]

A member of staff came over and told us we weren't allowed to takes pics! (maybe I look like a pedo or maybe its just another example that the UK has gone too PC!)

I was thinking about taking photos of the boys' school here to send back to the kids' friends to show them how they live here and how the school is different, and we were told we can't do that if there may be any children in them.

Nothing to do with the UK, just the way it is going, I think.

Daniela

[CityBlue]

Yep I miss pubs, shops and cheap books also. Although I'm torn on the chippy thing, I prefer the fish in NZ but prefer the chips in the UK ..... now if I only had a really fast plane .......



Tia

I agree! I love the NZ fish but also prefer the chips from the UK :laugh

[Sam B]

Ditto with the fish and chips for me. They've got the fish just right here, but the chips taste like oven chips - yuk.

I've found the whole photo thing more relaxed here, I have been able to take photos of the kids at school, and also some kindies at work to send back to my old work colleagues to prove to them that 3 year olds really do use full sized hammers and saws!

[CityBlue]

I've found the whole photo thing more relaxed here, I have been able to take photos of the kids at school, and also some kindies at work to send back to my old work colleagues to prove to them that 3 year olds really do use full sized hammers and saws!

:laugh when they are not sweeping chimneys out!

[napiers]

I felt claustrophobic in Marks and Spencers in Edinburgh on a return visit and in Princes Street in general. The UK's suburban streets also feel really cramped compared with here. Thanks for the post.

We haven't even made it to NZ permanently yet but after we've been for holidays over the years I hate the crowds and shopping in the UK for a while. I agree with the feeling of claustrophia and after 10 months in NZ years ago found the narrow roads horrendous for driving! Goodness knows how I'll feel once I live there for longer. Have to feel for OH though, he lived in Fiji for years before a brief return to NZ before coming to UK - now that was a shock!

Really interesting to see your views CityBlue - thanks. :clap

[nippa&pippa]

I wanted to take a photo of my son at his swimming lesson in NZ, so I went to ask first, and they looked at me as though I was mad and said 'of course you can!'



Me too! Last week, I want to take photos of my son finally can swim for our families in UK and I asked tutor for her permisson. She also looked at me if I was odd!!! I explained to her about UK's rule and she shake her head thinking UK is mad:laugh

[jubjub]

We are going back for a 2nd trip later this year, and if it wasnt for the Grandparents, I wouldn't be going back at all. I do feel a bit bad that I got pregnant and ran away to NZ, and they dont know their grandchild at all.

Cityblue your post reminds me of one i did, after our first trip back, yes its lovely to see everyone, but..... there are better places to actually live...

I would rather be in Fiji, or exploring Oz...

[Philip10]

Best Fish n Chips I had in NZ was in Nelson sitting with friends overlooking the bay :)

Philip

[Georgebulldog]

Wish we could find a decent fish & chip shop, exhausted all of Johnsonville & haven't found a decent one yet, the chips are not too bad but the batter :( It's all soggy, I have now told the OH to ask them to leave it in for a bit longer next time but I bet he wont, all else fails I've heard of a good one in Pertone but they will have to be nuked in the microwave to heat them by the time they get back home
Sorry meant to add great post CityBlue, it was nice to read your experiences, I'm talking of going back in about 2 years time but OH doesn't even want to plan for that

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

Man City won!

It's true miracles do happen :roll (says a jealous Chester City fan - 9 points from a possible 63!!!!!).

Good post, cheers for that.

[CityBlue]

....

Cityblue your post reminds me of one i did, after our first trip back, yes its lovely to see everyone, but..... there are better places to actually live...

I would rather be in Fiji, or exploring Oz...

Thats exactly it but we were really conscious of trying not to slip up (dont want to upset anyone) and tell family and friends that we now realise that there are better places to live than where they still live.

All in all I think going back "home" (wherever that is for people) for a visit is another part of the whole emigration process. Granted it isnt one that everybody can afford or an option that everybody will choose but for us it really clarified things for us.

[thezorbster]

Really glad it felt like 'home' to you coming back. That's a lovely positive thought for you.

[familyof5]

Hi, can't afford to visit the UK, but not bothered either. Family and friends have all booked tickets to come here over the next 12 months and can't wait to see them. No intentions of going back to the UK.

[Moorf]

We'll have been here 4 yrs in Sept and we haven't been back to the U.K. Neither of us really want to, although it's getting to the point where we'll have to return to see grandparents and family (although most of mine are moving out here!).

Whenever I suggest to my parents we come to U.K for a visit they usually reply, in unison, "what on earth FOR?" :D especially when they know we'll be payng the better part of $6k for the, ummm, "holiday". I can think of better places to spend $6k holidaying in this part of the world :yes

Mind you, I'm starting to feel a bit guilty so I suspect there'll be a trip home in the next few years... donations to my PayPal account much appreciated :laugh

[LesleyS]

Daren't make the trip back to the UK right now...way too risky, may not come back if I get to slip back into old ways and meet up with missed friends and aquaintances...sad I know, but honest too!! Can you tell I'm homesick?

[dharder]

Daren't make the trip back to the UK right now...way too risky, may not come back if I get to slip back into old ways and meet up with missed friends and aquaintances...sad I know, but honest too!! Can you tell I'm homesick?

I was going to post the same thing...

We are doing both the UK and Germany this year, well, half the family is doing the UK for a week, I really can't. We flew from Hamburg via London to Auckland last December, and it was so incredibly hard to get on the plane again in Heathrow. It was a 6 hour stopover, and I pretty much cried the whole time.

It's not going to be any easier this time, but I think it would be even worse if I actually left the airport...

Daniela

[StevieD]

Daren't make the trip back to the UK right now...way too risky, may not come back if I get to slip back into old ways and meet up with missed friends and aquaintances...sad I know, but honest too!! Can you tell I'm homesick?


Lesley, take heed from the many who have felt the same way only to find that once you got back, things would skip back to normal once the noverlty had worn off!

I for one am looking forward to seeing my family when we get back in June, but that will be tempered by the fact that we feel much more at "home" in NZ. As Moorf said, there is more I would rather be doing with the money that it will cost but, I get the impression that my mum will not be in any fit state in a few years time with her Alzheimers getting worse, so maybe this is the best time to visit.

[sirmamac]

I wish I was in position to make a comment on this ...coming back to the UK .
But I am not:wah .Still...
Still...