why leave the UK?

Newton · Testing The Water Joined: 15 Jul 2004 Posts: 1

i know UK is one of the migrant source to NZ. i wonder why so many people want to leave UK for NZ?

what attract you of NZ? lifestyle? bigger house? easy life?

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:28 am Post subject:

Wow - where do I start!

Bigger house and easy life are not what we're looking for.... we want more space, less stress, better quality of life (not necessarily more money either), beautiful clean un-Barratt-ised countryside, community spirit, outdoor facilities and jobs we want to get up for each morning!

Are we asking too much?

Why do we want to leave UK? Overcrowded everywhere, stressed-out miserable people (okay a bit generalistic there!), stupid property prices (at the moment!), equally stupid government, run down infrastructure, "housing estates" formerly known as "countryside", .. I am sure I could think of more...!! Laughing

Timbo · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:55 am Post subject:

I think you speak for about 99% of us there Moorf. Clapping

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:21 am Post subject:

Here's a typical example - just on the edge of our town..... disgusting...

http://www.protectourwoodland.fsnet.co.uk/titnore.htm

captainxmas · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:36 am Post subject: Easy topic, here we gooooooo

Reasons to go: Yes

It's the most beautiful awe inspiring landscape I've encountered, the people are genuinely friendly, the promise of outdoor experience and wide open spaces, unique houses, space to be alone, inventive and progressive culture/society (eftpos gives birth to chip and pin?), a sense of wellbeing, wonderful wine, true opportunities for living, reasonable cost of living, a majestic indigenous people, green lip mussels, bowls of coffee, home-cooked cafe food, a two hour drive along the coast will encounter less cars than my 4 mile drive/slog to work...

Reasons to leave:

Too many people, the division of the classes, high cost of living, working everyday just to chase the bills, the M25, no sense of wellbeing, if you're going to feel like an outsider - do it in a country you weren't born in, generally miserable people, driving anywhere, a government that finds a new way to grind you down everyday, the constant bad news, Aston Villa will never win the premiership, the 'English Pub' no longer exists, somewhere safe for my cats to grow up, knowing that however hard you try - it will always be taken off you by people that are richer, the lack of identity for the country we grew up in that has somehow slipped away, stamp duty, death duties, red-tape, people that win the lottery and don't do anything with it, celebrity fixated media, reality tv shows, road rage, air rage, trolley rage, price of fuel, antagonistic muslim clerics, spiralling crime, speed cameras for profit, congestion charges, the price of train travel, the lack of manners or courtesy, untouchable criminals aged 9 to 15, I could go on, and on, and on

I want to live in a house that I want to live in for a long time, and be able to pay for it before I die.
I want real friends that will bother to visit, even though you only live 90 miles away.
I want satisfaction knowing that my family can grow in one of the cleanest and healthy environments left on our planet.
I want to be on the far side of the world.

Now I can't wait for the January trip to come round. Sad

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:41 am Post subject:

Yep,., all that too!

Clapping

You also have the advantage of having BEEN there too - we haven't been yet so will be our first time and, hopefully, we'll like what we see!

Woz · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:51 am Post subject:

Yep, the UK is going to the dogs :)

captainxmas said everything I would have put down as a reason. :)

captainxmas · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:52 am Post subject:

Mrs and Mrs Moorf,

There will be no issue in that department, you will love what you see, hear, feel and breathe.

No regrets, eh?

CC

Timbo · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:53 am Post subject:

Just checked out the map. Discusting as you rightly say Moorf. Where are you in relation to new developement? We know highdown hill and Angmering in particular, having camped there a million times with our local cub group. It is indeed a lovely part of the world.
Unfortunately this country is growing so fast that area like that will become but a distant memory all too soon.

Hey Capt. You only mentioned th m25 once. Surely that monstrosity deserves at least 6 mentions in why we want out.

captainxmas · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:56 am Post subject:

I suppose I could have done motorways in detail and in particular problem junctions and times of day, but I think the M25 is a good enough summary. Laughing

Better get back to work now, eh?

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 2:57 am Post subject:

Capt - I sincerely hope no regrets... however, we are going through a tough period with parents who seem to be trying to find any little thing possible to "put us off" which has put us (well ME really, Woz is cool as my sea cucumbers!) into a bit of a tizzy.

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:00 am Post subject:

Timbo - we are down on Heene Terrace directly on the sea front of West Worthing... as I think I've said before we moved down from Perthshire in Scotland which, even though we were in an area of "Outstanding Natural Beauty" had the orange glow of a Barratt housing estate in the nearest town 20 miles away looming over the hills towards us - in the last 2 years over 2000 houses have been built around that one town... bloody awful.

Timbo · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:01 am Post subject:

Parents are bound to be a bit off about it even if they dont actually say as much. Plenty has already been said here about dealing with that and tying to overcome their trpidation.
I honestly believe that once you have physically been to Nz, you will become even more determined to make it happen. Dont get cold feet now.You could end up regretting it in your old age. That is what happened to my parents 35 years ago.

michelle · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:07 am Post subject:

PROS

Scenery
Beaches
Cheap petrol
Cheap insurance
Friendly people
Well behaved children
Outdoor concerts in the domain
Cheap to eat out
BYO's
Cheap to go the cinema and concerts
No M62 motorway
Blue skies, I still say you never see blue skies like that anywhere else
Lack of pollution
Night sky, millions of stars not spoilt by light pollution
Auckland harbour on a sunny day and the view of Rangitoto

CONS

Cereal is £4 a box
Shoes SO SO expensive
Books Expensive
Clothing Poor quality and expensive
Rain in Auckland it rained for 28 days after we arrived.
ANTS !
Rental accomodation was poor and damp
Poor TV
Insular news World news consisted of "across the Tasman" We used to tape BBC world during the night how sad is that ??
No central heating
No Branston pickle
Watties will NEVER EVER replace Heinz
No M and S food hall / underwear
15 year old Jap cars were expensive
C**p chinese take aways,
No football (if you can call Doncaster Rovers a football team !)

Just our humble opinion, if you start thinking about salaries etc you would never go. We go away 4 times a year and spend a huge amount of our disposable income trying to escape this country. You cannot go through life living for your next 2 weeks of escape from hell in England.

NZ doesn't suit everyone, its not perfect its just better !

WE CANNOT WAIT TO GET BACK

Michelle

Moorf · Posted: Thu Jul 15, 2004 3:08 am Post subject:

Yep, that's what happened to my parents too! They bottled it due to family pressure and say they regret it ever since - so why do same to us?!! Ah well, they won't deter us from trying, flights are booked and we are go go go!