[scoobydoo]

Hi Guys,

What are the things that attract you to, or you value about New Zealand? Just a simple post but I hope there are lots of replies regarding this wonderful country..........

Fingers :yes

[Hannah]

Being able to pick my children up from school while wearing my slippers and no-one batting an eyelid (yes, I did that once!)

Walking past my children's school and seeing my son playing football in the playground "because the weather is nice this afternoon".

Having 30+ invites for dinner (and several offers of accommodation) when my partner went back to UK and I was left in hostel accommodation for a few weeks until I flew back and joined him.

Seeing teenagers getting out of their car, in their swimming 'togs' to buy something from the dairy.

People I've only met once before in a swimming pool inviting my family and I to join them on a camping holiday over christmas.

Sitting on the beach, looking out at the sea, and knowing I fit in here more than I do in my home country (England) despite my 'accent' and the fact that every other person I met asked me if I was 'here on holiday!!!!.

Priceless. Can't wait to get back there!!!!

[Avalon]

Peace, quiet and tranquility.

And the friends I have made here - without whom it would be lonely indeed!

[sarahw]

The quiet
- being able to go into a pub on a Fri/Sat night & choose the table you want to sit at!!
- being the only person on a beach
- being the only person on the inlet where I live out in the middle on a kayak on a dead flat sunny weekend morning

The friendliness
- having offers made to us of help etc., loan of things & hand-me downs for our baby from people we hardly know
- having more close friends here after 2 years than in the UK after 30-odd years
- service in shops - people who ask 'how's your day going?' and mean it.
- stopping for half an hour chat with people you don't know in the street, just because!

Accessibility
- not having to pay for fishing licenses, or have permits to go mountain biking etc, being able to just do stuff without all the faffing around & travelling to it that we had to do in UK (i.e fishing 5 mins away or 20 min walk, kayaking 2 mins at the end of our road) 5 mins to boating, sailing, diving, jetskiing, waterskiing, windsurfing etc.

Laid-back attitude
- Being able to wear shorts, t-shirt & jandals to a restaurant & still be the best dressed person there!
- Trust the people give to people they don't know - we drove out of a roof rack shop, with a new roof rack & bike rack (were waiting for a kayak carrier to come in - the guy took a mobile phone number (no address, no credit card number) & told us to pay when we came back a few weeks later!!) At the mo we have a very snazzy new DVD player that we've taken & not paid for in full pending the rest of a delivery of a sound system... people really are very trusting, something that has been lost elsewhere.
- Kids playing out without shoes on... actually kids playing out full stop!!

[jodieinchch]

Laid back attitude is a big one for me. Great points made sarahw :)

[Carol]

I think to put it in a nutshell it is the SIMPLICITY of life here.

You can easily fall back into the trap of consumerism gone mad - but if you dont - no-one actually cares.
I love not "needing" to buy a new carpet because I have a few threadbare patches - or making do with the paintwork until next year. And not having to buy "labelled" stuff or being judged about stuff like that.
In fact the opposite applies - the cheaper that you can get stuff the more you are respected! :laugh :laugh

[Diny]

For me it's the fact that we are currently living in the smallest, cheapest house we've ever owned - and finding it's all we need.

I also value being able to 'get ahead' ..... we've managed to invest in a rental property and a section at the beach ..... something we would NEVER have been able to do back in the UK.

Our actual 'way of life' is pretty much the same here as it was back in the UK, but if I had to pinpoint one difference it would be the 'it really doesn't matter' attitude over here in as much as ..... it really doesn't matter what car you drive'.

Diny

[SoCal Gal]

Every time we go to NZ, I refer to it as "Going over the rainbow", it's part of the magic about falling asleep on the plane 2 hours out of LA, and waking up for breakfast an hour before landing in Auckland. The people we've met here, undoubtedly the best, and just feeling like I am 'home'.
There have been so many awe-inspiring moments, from the simpliest unexpected gesture of kindness from a complete stranger to the jaw-dropping beauty of the intense blue waters....and I cannot think of any other place in the world I'd pack up our home, leaving loved ones and a good career, to just GO FOR IT....we don't have the blue stickers still...after many attempts, but we have the faith that this magic place is where we are supposed to be.
Hope to have my NZ address by the end of the year! :-)
SoCal Gal

[scoobydoo]

Thanks guys for these brilliant posts.

Fingers :cheers

[Smiler]

[QUOTE=Hannah]Sitting on the beach, looking out at the sea, and knowing I fit in here more than I do in my home country (England) despite my 'accent' and the fact that every other person I met asked me if I was 'here on holiday!!!!./QUOTE]

Got it in one Hannah (and Av, Carol and Sarah)

I also value my NZ friends, the life we're living here, despite it's present up's and down's. I really value the fact that OH and I are able to work together, from home, for us and our future plans. That's alongside many of NZ attributes mentioned by others below.

Like Hannah I feel I belong here, much more than I ever did in 44 years in UK. Please don't look on that as a general sweeping statement, it's hard to put a feeling like that into words. :)