[Billy]

Hello folks. Just a light-hearted thread here.

We are doing great, been here nearly 9 months. I'm just wondering how it would feel to be back in the UK for a visit. We have no intentions of going for a while, but for those of you who have been back for a visit, what does it feel like? What aspects of life in NZ did you miss whilst in the UK? What things stood out for you in the UK that perhaps never bothered you much before?

Cheers
Billy

[Diny]

Hi Billy - good to know things are going well for you 9 months down the line.

I visited the UK (solo trip, hubby & kids stayed here) back in April. It was great, really enjoyed it. Nothing about the place bothered me - but there again very little about UK bothered me before I left.

I actually found the fact that everything was just as it was when I left a great comfort. Knowing that everything I hold dear still carries on helps me in my every day life over here.

I found my return to NZ was easy, the goodbyes at Manchester airport were still sad but nowhere near as heart wrenching as when we first came over.

I guess - like so many other threads/subjects on the forum - your desire to visit the UK and subsequent opinions largely depend on how happy/cheesed off you were there in the first place. I love the UK, have always been very happy there so relish the thought of future visits. We're going home for 7 weeks over Christmas and can't wait .......... but we're very happy here to boot.

Diny

[Avalon]

Billy - I wrote a post on this a few months ago. We had to head back to the UK after 18 months in NZ. Its a bit of a mixed bag - so I hope theres something in there you find useful:

http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=6484

[jubjub]

Hmm, cant find my post I did when we got back...

But in general we realised that UK no longer felt like home, probably cos we were house guests the whole time, and although we missed folks, there was no way we are moving back any time soon.

All the things we thought we missed turned out to not be half as good as we remembered (apart from curry & draught tennents Velvet!). On the other hand everything was familiar and comfortable, and it felt like we had only been away five minutes!

Bad things that stood out, during our scottish leg of the visit (If I remember right you came from there too?) we went during the world cup, and all through england all you saw was the St Georges cross everywhere, and I mean everywhere! However one bloke in Scotland decided to support England, had a flag on his property, next day, every one of his windows had been smashed in. Now I get the whole scottish/english rivalry thing but world cup is a once every four years event, and there was a push by some of the media and the politicians for Scotland to back the only UK team in the event. There was also a child (an NZ one actually!) walking down the street in Edinburgh wearing an England top, he was punched in the face by an adult walking down the street, when the parent dared to complain, he laughed and walked off... I guess I had forgotten that level of bitterness existed.

[Billy]

I dont know how I'd feel, but one of the reasons we came out here was for the weather. The west of Scotland is very wet and miserable, most of the year.

Many of the winter days here in Horowhenua feel like summer to me. But apparently its been the coldest June for 30 plus years, and the wettest July for 30 plus years. I cant get used to the fact that when the sun is out, which is often, you can actually feel the heat! In winter! We never wear coats, only when it is raining. The high school boys wear shorts, all year round!

Still, when a southerly is blowing, it can feel pretty chilly, without a coat on that is......

Cheers, Billy

[jubjub]

The west of Scotland is very wet and miserable, most of the year.


Amen to that! we have found that even a winter day here can rival a Scottish summer one.....

[jodieinchch]

I'm a bit unsure about going back, but I'm going home for my summer (NZ) holidays, so going back Mid-November and back here Mid-February. It's going to be strange, going back to the family house with my own room, etc. Just hoping that I don't fit straight back into everything and miss it more next year. We'll see then!

[Diny]

I dont know how I'd feel, but one of the reasons we came out here was for the weather.
Many of the winter days here in Horowhenua feel like summer to me.
Cheers, Billy


Well I guess there's an acception to every rule, about 30 mins ago we just got home from Levin and I'm frozen to the bone, has to be one of the coldest days I've experienced in this country - big black clouds rolling up from south too. Thank God there was one of those big padded shirts belonging to my hubby in the back of the truck - I had to put that on - on top of the jacket I was already wearing ...... blooming freeeeeeezing !!!!!

Nice place though Levin (apart from the traffic) - nice shops down there.

Diny

[Billy]

I've been working outside all day here in Levin, and that southerly is a bit nippy, but I was down to short sleeves earlier on...

I dont know much about the shops here, but the traffic is only busy at times down the main street, the rest of town is quiet, so I think it would only be noticeable to visitors. There is the occasional talk of a bypass for SH1, taking it round onto the existing SH57 which runs down from Shannon, but I dont think it is any more than that.

Cheers
Billy

[Diny]

There is the occasional talk of a bypass for SH1, taking it round onto the existing SH57 which runs down from Shannon, but I dont think it is any more than that.

Cheers
Billy

They should do that !!! We came down through Shannon (alot of roadworks between PN and Shannon on SH57). It's the huge cattle trucks and logging trucks going through the main st in Levin which spoils it, otherwise a really nice place to be.

[Billy]

It's the huge cattle trucks and logging trucks going through the main st in Levin which spoils it, otherwise a really nice place to be.

That's true. On the other hand, alot of the businesses depend on traffic passing through.

A gripe of mine is the railway line; these goods trains thunder through at times through the night, takes a bit of getting used to. We have moved down near the lake now so we dont hear them, but there are plenty houses right next to the line, must have their ornaments held down with blu-tak!

[Chiba]

I've lived outside the UK (in Japan, not NZ) for 9 years now. At first it just felt like kind of a long holiday. Then my wife came along, and now a couple of ankle biters. Now it's the UK that feels like the holiday! ;)