[G&K]

... in the Guardian

Here (http://www.guardianabroad.co.uk/diaries/article/110)

without the rose tinted glasses...

[Carol]

... in the Guardian

Here (http://www.guardianabroad.co.uk/diaries/article/110)

without the rose tinted glasses...



It's bang on the mark.

[veronica]

Its a good concise view of that persons experience and there are certainly things there that ring true.

[spudulike]

What a wonderfully articulate explanation of life in NZ!

Thanks for posting that G&K!

Louise :)

[Island Jon]

Meningitis and pneumonia thrive: children need three meningitis jabs, and they hurt. Gang violence is rampant in some towns.

Now I'm scared. Exactly which towns is Steve talking about? :uhoh

[StevieD]

The mongrel mob and black power are the gangs, I think Porirua is the mongrel mob stronghold, seem pathetic bunches of people, something missing from their lives, like all these people. If they want to behave like this why don't they join the army?? Probably because the army don't want them either.

[StevieD]

Has one of our forum members been writing for the Guardian? Surely not..... :laugh

[ShakerMike]

I don't often post on here but just happened to be browsing whilst waiting for a phonecall and I read the article above.

Sure the article is bang on, there are problems here, the politics - if they weren't so serious - would make for a sitcom, meningitis is real, my kids have had the jabs - they hurt but they survived. There are gang/crime problems and poverty but equally I suspect for the most part you have to look for the crime or be unlucky enough to have to live in those poor areas (Anyone been to Celtic Park in Glasgow? The poverty there struck me far more than it ever has driving through Otara).

For those thinking of coming here, there is a danger you will swayed more by the negatives than the positives when you read up - we were and, for the most part I think it's human nature to be more scared of the bad than 'glammered' by the good. But in nearly a year here I have not been intimidated verbally or physically anyewhere I have been, I've not had my car broken into or stolen, I've felt safe walking through Auckland late at night through the night club queues with our kids (after a Blues game - we don't generally take the kids clubbing!). Hell, we've even woken up in the morning to find the front door wide open on more than one occasion (dodgy lock) and all our possessions/children still in situ - fair enough we live outside Auckland but nevertheless the stockbroker belt it's not. In fact the incomes and living standards in the Whangaparaoa area are extremely mixed.

Think of New Zealand the way the old joke goes :

You land at Auckland airport and the pilot announces..."Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Auckland, where the local time is 1957.....and I don't mean 3 minutes to 8pm!"

Apart from the technology, it is like stepping back in time - with all the good and all the bad that goes with it. And after 36 years of living in the North West of England I know I wouldn't swap it for one minute! My advice, for what it's worth, is to put the article into context against your current social climate, particularly in the UK

[willsken]

I liked reading the article and I thought your reply was great Shakermike. Thanks. I would like to see you post more often! :D

[Lisa&Andy]

Quote (Anyone been to Celtic Park in Glasgow? The poverty there struck me far more than it ever has driving through Otara).

Hi

We are from Glasgow (South-side) I would have to agree that you will find several areas in Glasgow where there is a high representation of the 'underclass' gang culture, drugs, violence, crime, unemployment and welfare dependency, notalby, in the east end. However, I am sure that in almost every area in the UK you will find 'pockets' of deprivation and poverty. I don't think that 'Perfect place or paradise' exists and where ever you have people and society there will be areas in every country where people experience social, economic and political problems. Perhaps the best thing to do is not to expect too much, keep a very open mind and keep researching and researching all of the positive and negative things about NZ ;)

Lisax

[smitjo]

Well said Lisa! Some very good points in this thread - thanks everyone!!

[beano_bill]

... in the Guardian

Here (http://www.guardianabroad.co.uk/diaries/article/110)

without the rose tinted glasses...

Ooooooo, lets hope the NZ press don't get hold of that after their article the other day.......

Nice to see a balanced report for a change - that and this forum help those of us making the move.

Beano

[suzer]

quite interesting, thanks for sharing