5 Reasons I would NOT move to New Zealand (full honesty) | ft. The Oodie
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- Опубликовано: 4 авг 2023
- These are my top 5 reasons why I, personally, would not want to move to New Zealand long term. No country is perfect and it's important to me that I remain honest about my experiences living in New Zealand. There's far too much sugar coating about NZ and I am going to share my opinions despite the hate this will bring. This is still an AMAZING and incredible place to live and I'm truly fortunate to be able to call it my home, even for a short time.
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SOURCES:
www.statista.com/statistics/1...
www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-a...
simplenewzealand.com/salaries...
www.nzherald.co.nz/bay-of-ple...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
skillshortages.immigration.go...
www.immigration.govt.nz/new-z...
www.statista.com/statistics/2...
www.stuff.co.nz/business/1321...
www.transport.govt.nz/statist...
I’m a kiwi living abroad and you made great points. Most downsides of NZ are about money I think. New build houses (not cheap investment properties) have much better insulation.
I agree, the house prices are a bit nuts for what you get! We're in a new rental now with insulation and it's amazing, such a difference in the chilly nights!
As a Kiwi who had lived in Europe for 12yrs and travelled to the US, we moved back to NZ, it’s a beautiful safe place, house prices are crazy but you can build your own (not a Mc Mansion) if you learn how, forget fomo and your ego competing with your friends, and you can build reasonably priced, yeah you earn more in Aussie because they are natural resource rich but you don’t cook(to hot)in summer in NZ goldilocks climate, if you don’t like the outdoors don’t pick NZ move to Seoul, and don’t come here for work if you have no skills, but there’s a reason billionaires buy here and people raise there kids here because it’s safe, beautiful food, and you don’t live to work, when I come home every time after travelling abroad I sigh in relief and thank god I live here.
Exactly
Then stay there on you island and leave us alone
Nevertheless myopic view. You're in for drought and increasing import costs not to mention the hard-right asylum policies as horrifying as Texas but you never have to actually face it since you're surrounded by a thousand miles of ocean.
Very good video. You are so right about the driving problem here in New Zealand. I have lived in New Zealand most of my life and I can confirm it can be very dangerous driving in this country. Some New Zealanders become very impatient when they are driving and tend to close follow your vehicle. They try to put pressure on you to either speed up or get out of the way. As you point out, the safest thing you can do is to pull over to the side of the road when you can and let them pass. On long trips and in some rural areas you can find yourself very frequently having to pull over to avoid stressful driving where you feel it is becoming dangerous when you are driving.
Very true! What gets me is when they tailgate and act aggressive where there is nowhere safe to pull over. Very very frustrating.
Yeah its bad. Even with a fast bmw they still try and stay on your bumper
I was born in Auckland you are so right. New Zealand is crazy expensive it's simply not worth it anymore to live and just rent so many problems are getting worse like gangs and crime. So happy I'm out of there.
Insulation is compulsory for new builds here...older houses from the 1920's (victorian, colonial, bungalow homes) may not have had insulation but with so many people renovating older homes, they certainly are insulated including under floor heating and heat pumps etc. Rental properties need to be insulated to meet building codes now too.
The houses. Swiss Prices, Albanian Quality.
like australia
How is the house quality in Albania?
Very valid reasons, I live in the south and we only heat the living room and have electric blankets on the beds to take of the chill before going to bed. I guess we are used to the cold here as it does not seem to bother me.
We lived in a house that was heated that way and we eventually got used to it but it was definitely a shock coming from a country with central heating!
yes, also only having one heating source on saves a on the power bill as they are nor cheap either@@brittanymorgan09
Yep. Kiwi here. Only reason I'm still here is my kids (shared with ex wife) and parents who are getting older. I'd be gone otherwise. I hate driving here (I drive a lot for work, all over the Waikato and Bay of Plenty) due to the massive amount of trucks and the weather which combined are ripping our roads to pieces. I'm on a good salary here but I spend 50% of my income on rent, and live pay to pay. I'm looking to move to either Australia (more likely) or the States due to population size which means more opportunity and lower costs for food etc. NZ once was amazing, but now its a low wage, poor, isolated, high cost country. It might be beautiful, but unless you're wealthy you can't enjoy it. The aging population is draining NZ as well, so by the time I retire there might not even be a Superannuation.
That is a bleak outlook indeed. It's definitely a great place to live if you're wealthy.
Our value added production has declined over the decades. That is part of the reason why we are poorer now. We don't make our own paper and we produce a lot less furniture. Instead we export wood chips so paper can be mode overseas, (less paper needed everywhere now because of computers and smart phones). We used to make some electronic and appliance gear here but radio factory shutdown and Fisher & Paykel now make there appliances in USA. We don't make locomotives or a lot of railway equipment. It is manufactured overseas and I think assembled in New Zealand. We used to have car factory assembly here but now it is all done overseas. We have most of our economic investment in one basket: farming and horticulture. That makes less safety for us if a disease or natural disaster wipes out crops or milk/meat production. That is becoming more likely with climate change. One of the problems of production here is shipping for export because of our isolation. There are at least some industries where shipping would not be a concern. Industries like computer programming. That industry was crying out for government support but did not get it. If there is no prospect for anyone that might want to do a certain field they won't study for it. They will go overseas or do something else. Another thing affecting younger people more now, is that there is less of them than previous generations, (that affects many western countries). That means there are/will be less of working age compared to elderly. Part of the reason for that is women have to work for enough income, (also because of security because of higher divorce rates). Inflation has caused the cost of living to go to high for single family income. If there was enough income originally for single family income, that went away at least partly because women all suddenly wanted to work. If both men and women worked but still the general economic production of goods stay the same or near the same because of extra currency in the system inflation goes up. I realize that with technology there are a lot more opportunities for women than there use to be say in 1800's. Women wanted to get a better life the same as men with new technologies and also the new value of been independent. Things have not worked out terribly well because of these conflicting wants/necessities. Not worked out well not just in New Zealand but quite a lot of western countries.
NZ is not as bad as Australia. People here drive 20 to 30km/hr over the speed limit and expect you to do the same.
I’ve been verbally abused several times for driving at the speed limit in residential areas🤦🏻♀️
Hey I think you are out off touch mate, check the Canadian news, then you know what's going on in Canada. The house prices, food prices are out off control
I am in the States and I want to move to NZ! Haha....seriously, it's expensive in the US now and full of people super crowded. We always want the opposite of what we have. I will trade you Jacob. You can live in California for a bit it's nuts.
Weve been here for 20 years. By the time I fully realised how much I did not want to be here anymore, ( all the reasons you mention and more), it was too late as my kids have grown up here and now I have a granddaughter here too. They feel they belong here and want to stay while I would LOVE to go home. This is a problem for many people who immigrate to NZ who feel they dont belong but get trapped due to family and halso by ow hard and costly it is to emigrate again tback home or to another country. '
I'm so sorry, that is definitely a tough situation. I totally get what you mean by feeling like you don't belong. I've never felt like more of an outsider in my life! Thankfully, we've made a few great friends from here but it's the exception. I hope you get to return home one day 😊
Thanks me too ! @@brittanymorgan09
Same here, so desperate to go back home and can't afford it
@@tatp571try and find other ex pats or get in contact with some of the maori or islanders as tbey are pretty cool and friendly folks and they have a great laugh
go home where?
You have to remember that New Zealand is a tiny county with a tiny population compared to Canada. It doesn’t have the buying power for cheap goods.
Superficial
@@erickborling1302 ?
As a Kiwi lawyer / investment banker who has been living in London for almost 30 years - I think you really need to consider what it is that you seek in terms of work / life balance & decide if NZ is a fit for you. Growing-up in NZ I flew light aircraft in the Southern Alps, was a Ski-Patroller, keen sailor, loved off-roading, hiking & enjoyed solitude and getting away from the crowds.These things are more difficult to do in Europe. NZ is not for everyone, but if sports, nature & the outdoors are your priorities then it may make your shortlist. It's a difficult place in which to build financial independence as it's really an economy built around small businesses. If you have the skills to start your own business or are a highly skilled professional then it may suit you. In my experience our most skilled professionals either make their life in NZ or move to UK or the US. Australia is more of a draw for our trades people and semi-skilled workers because that economy can support higher pay for non-professionals.
Very interesting perspective! Thank you for sharing. Great point, if you're an outdoor enthusiast and want to work in that industry, this is a great country to be in.
I am from New Zealand I don't really know what it's like in Canada but what I do know as a rental property owner it has to be up to a very high standard and has to pass the healthy home standard to legally rent which includes insulation in the roof and walls and the floor if it is an older home without concrete floor it also needs a certain amount of kilowatts of heating depending on how big the houses
I have heard of this landlord minimum requirement thing, unfortunately I think a lot of people are still not following the law. It definitely isn't being applied to Airbnb's here.
It is Fucking cold in Canada - especially in Alberta where she comes from. Temps can down to -40 degrees celsius. Which is why insulation is her number reason to hate NZ!!!
@@francescathomas3502 I don't hate NZ. Living in a non-insulated home is an inconvenience coming from a country with central heating but we got used to it. It's a reason I wouldn't immigrate to NZ long term because the cost to buy and retrofit an older home to get it up to current code would be a nightmare. The alternative is buying a newer home or already well insulated one which will cost you $$$.
You're on to it. NZ has always built to a minimum standard and has the mis placed opinion of itself as being sud-tropical. Even new standards are too low, but your best bet is a new home. NZ never recovered from deregulation and Rogernomics = low wage economy@@brittanymorgan09
And you never will (know what it's like in Canada), since you cannot compete with the rich Chinese buying property there.
Thank you for the video, very informative
Insulation: we are a lot poorer than many other western nations, so for years, houses only had to keep the water out.
can you buy /rent homes in higher end areas of maybe cities with insulation? new developments!
@@klle3419 Yes, to some extent. But we are a warmer country than the UK and Germany, Netherlands, etc. Houses are gradually being retrofitted, as costs have come down somewhat, and as the country has become more wealthy.
2024 and you don't have standard insulation in homes!!!!???? Everything I've learned about NZ it looks worse and worse AND you're under the boot of China.
these issues seem very minor. nz rentals do legally need to have insulation, the north is much warmer than the south, it's all much milder than canada so nz homes don't need as much insulation. people are outside more, so most houses are built to have indoor/outdoor living. inflation is not different than anywhere else and is coming down. the cost of living is high but come on it's new zealand. craft beer price seriously affects your choice of which country to live in? for road safety nz is somewhere between canada and the us, not any kind of outlier. nz's immigration/entry is quite tightly controlled because lots of people want to move there. overall people can probably see that if these are the worst things about nz it's probably a great place to live :) if you like the warmth in winter, there are a ton of tropical islands just 3 hours' flight away.
Yes I'll sell my parent's house to be able to afford that flight. Fucking aristocrat.
Hi I was a bit skeptical about your video at first glance .
But glad I checked it out the drivers here are just as you described I thought I was getting old and paranoid, I don't like driving here and avoid it as much as possible and often I will pull over up to 3 times on a 6km suburban drive into work to stay safe.
The last few years I have started e biking which is a welcome relief useing the cycle lanes .
Thanks for the kind comment! This video wasn't meant to offend anyone, just giving my own personal reasons why I wouldn't go through the hassle of full immigration in NZ. I would also like to drive as little as possible, not just in NZ but everywhere. Road rage is very scary and driving is super stressful with crazy speeding drivers everywhere! Cycle lanes are fantastic.
Sach a really informative vedio
Thanks so much!!
Thank you for speaking about the cost of living being high. I have mentioned this a number of times. To so many people. We have a government who is unrealistic about this issue. Also, I invest and our tax laws suck. They make it hard for people who want to invest for their retirement. Because the reality is because of the cost of living here. I know the pension will not be enough for me. This is the thing to I feel sorry for people who are starting up a business the amount of tax you have to pay is ridiculous and if you are paying rent for your business, it makes it harder.(This is why our businesses are getting taken over by the Aussies) Plus, the council here in Wellington are pathetic they built cycle lanes taking up parking spaces both for Wellington Hospital and businesses operating shops. Are there cycle lanes taking up business's parks in other countries that anyone knows about? Here's something else you could do a segment on.
For people looking to move to new Zealand or kiwis still living in nz dont despair.....iv lived in the uk for 7+ years. Everything is relevant.....fuel in the uk is more expensive. Nz minimum wage is more than the uk.
Rent is cheaper in nz depending on location
Housing again cost all depends on location.
Nz has more going for it than the negatives
The beauty of New Zealand..is undeniable.
The system though is not good currently, i do fear for my children growing up here.
That is really unfortunate. I hope the system here changes for the better!
Same with all white nations, they are under attack.
USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, South Africa. They are going in hard to break us. Won't happen though.
New Zealand people are strong, you have warrior blood, unbreakable. Don't sit around waiting for them to make their next move, stop relying on these corrupt rulers to change, they won't.
Get organised, get local, change it from within. Big love from Ireland
how do you fear for your children? financially I understand, anything else?
Low education standards in public schools, woke agenda infiltrating with sexualization and LGBTQ+ being pushed, significant drugs exposure are amongst some of the challenges - although the current coalition gov't has 'committed' to addressing these🤷
@@bitsnz1837valid concerns for most parents. The current government won't be able to undo most of these things, the virus has infected all the organs unfortunately. And since they inherited a falling economy, they will be blamed for it and come next election, the sheeples Will vote in back Labour and Co and they will come with vengeance and undo any progress made. 😢
Finally, a lady who explains the reality of present day life in New Zealand and it is not "pretty" considering how far away and cut off it is. Unless you really want to immigrate, have at least, say, 250,000$ cash reserves, enough to buy a decent well constructed & insulated home of at least 700,000$ and a excellent paying secure job think twice or more before you embark on your journey.
I totally agree, the risk is pretty high if you don't have ample savings, a job here and a real reason to move.
I agree :( Been here for 4.5 years now and I do not like it still... I am originally from Mauritius and I miss my island everyday
After moving to this "developed country", I can say that my island is way more developed than NZ.
@@elisatravailleur4804 Interesting slant. Not sure many will agree including me. My month's visit to Mauritius in 2019 with the benefit of a car allowed me to travel quite extensively. The infrastructure was mostly 3rd World. Living conditions for many were below the West.
In other words a 💩🕳
In Auckland 700k will buy you maybe a townhouse, not a standalone home.
Historically the settlers to NZ came from UK. To them it was hot here, so they built homes to stay cool. And we had a massive supply of cheap wood and coal, so didn’t need worry about out heating.
As a Canadian, have you ever been to Vancouver. You want o talk about expensive house - check out Vancouver.
Yes, I've read some articles about the British influence on housing indeed. Vancouver & Toronto are just about as expensive as Auckland 🙂 I've been to Vancouver a few times and my partner lived there for 2 years. I would never be able to afford to live in either city!
Yes, New Zealand is one of the underpopulated western countries that started seeing the effect of the rapidly aging baby-boomer population. The economics of it just don't add up. I believe the same symptoms will soon be across all the western countries. New Zealand is at the front of it because of the small population and the distance from the rest of the world.
That makes sense - all the young' uns are moving away from NZ leaving the parents and grandparents behind. I'm one of those young 'uns who left NZ 20+ years ago. My folks still live in NZ.
Ironically i now live in Canada. I left NZ because I felt it to be too parochial. To slow. To far behind what I was seeing on TV with regards to what was happening elsewhere in the world. The variety of clothing and food products in NZ was not terribly wide. Every week when I went shopping it was often "same old, same old", every week. Movies took forever to arrive in NZ for their first runs.
I married a Canadian and moved to Canada. So much more variety. In scenery, in foods, in clothing, and in other products. Of course I did have to get used to the extreme cold winters and the extreme hot summers, but I think I am ok with them now. I promptly stopped driving when I moved to Canada. I did not think I could be safe while driving on the "wrong side" of the road. Not in the middle of a huge city (GTA). Now I just use Public Transit.
As for the outdoors. NZ is beautiful hence the Godzone attitude. The NZ economy is probably suited much better for Tourism and not necessarily for Permanency.
Aotearoa/NZ isn't underpopulated -it just has less people than some overpopulated countries. Part of what's great about living here is that there are fewer people. I would not want that to change- it's a major advantage. Yes its expensive so i have to live within a lower income, I'm Ok with that
@@grahambarnes7325Large proportion of young kiwis today cannot afford low income because of the high rent prices. Many leave for Australia because of that. Older generations os New Zealand will have to start paying with their overvalued assets for their care. In other words, to sell the land for food and a change of diapers.
Most boomers have no clue. I was chatting to one of those in Hamilton and he told me he hasn't noticed any difference over the last many years. 😂
Thank you for being honest about your views. Every country do have its pros and cons. For me, it will depend on how the country makes me feel and I find that any obstacles will tend to sort themselves out eventually.
Great point! All obstacles can be overcome if you really fall in love with a place.
So, here's the thing, whenever a country (any country) gets too expensive or hard to settle, crime can go up. Back then, we were pretty good, so that wasn't a problem. As of now, this is a global thing, not only nz.
Sad to hear about the crime. We haven't experienced any yet ourselves but have heard a few first hand accounts from locals. Scary stuff! The area we're from in Canada (Calgary) has really high crime since the pandemic too so you're right, it's a global issue for sure.
HOW COLD ? One winter morning we woke up with a layer of frost on top of 3 Duvets from my breath during the night. When we looked at the temp gauge it had been -2.5 C. Shitty houses and new ones are made of cheap poor materials so don't expect Quality just like the roads, they have started to erect permanent Road Works signs and never come back. Potholes will destroy a alloy rim and your wallet. CANADA is my new home and thinks @brittanymorgan09 will be back soon.
Oh wow that is horrible!! Yes, we'll be back to Canada in a few months and despite the crazy cold winters, I'm really looking forward to returning home!
When in Southland I solved the heat loss myself (through our ceilings & roof) by lining the ceilings (on top~) with fibreglass 'batts' (sold as 'ceiling insulators' ... how 'bout dat?).
AND if you really want to stay living in the home you bought, pick a good firm and get the walls insulated as well-from memory they drill wee holes and squirt an expanding insulting foam goop that bubbles up and sets. (I have no idea how effective though, so check around first.) Good luck.
(In one of our homes I had fluffy stuff fired about and it too seemed to work.)
"insulting"...? (Dammit, that was "insulating") (sheesh).
Driving? Just do what we kiwis do ... line up on a distant object, close both eyes and floor the pedal. But I must admit, driving in NZ is not for wimps. Now, wot's next? Back to the show and find out ...
... you've been out in the sun, Cutie ... please, never (NEVER~!!) underestimate the power thereof. Ouch.
(And when you do, you'll see what I mean.)
@@johnhough7738 thanks for the comments! We're finally in a well insulated home and it's life changing, barely need to have the heat pumps on as the place retains the heat inside really well. It makes a world of difference! Yes the sun is very powerful, I am a pale ginger so sunscreen is my best friend anyway but definitely more applications needed here.
In the old "word to the wise" department ... if I haven't mentioned it before, we came back to the UK because my wife said "With you, or without you ... I AM going home to England".
I flipped at that, and to her surprise instantly agreed. No catch, we'll do it. Instant.
So we did it.
She now bitterly (!) regrets it, but we can't keep commuting to England and back (did it before, England, then Scotland).
So we are now making our life here as best we can ... a lesson from this? Quite simply-DON'T commute!
Settle in one mistake or the other and make the best of it.
Personally I think you are doing the right (very very right) thing by snuggling in where you are, NZ.
(If ever we were to go back I'd head to the deep South, Winton ... a small town but I loved it there but Spouse still wants Auckland ... she can have my share, if it came to that. Brrrrr ... Auckland, yuk~!@@brittanymorgan09
As a little pure-white Pommegrant many years ago I got horribly sizzled by the sun. Straight out of a London winter into a kiwi summer. Not good. The secret is to do it in easy gentle increments, takes you a bit longer but worth it. You will doubtlessly have the English "peaches and cream" complexion that the case-hardened kiwi can only wish for ... so make the most of it! And-
-and never never NEVER (!) get it wrong. Sun burn can be not only very painful (and disfiguring), these days its recognised as a skin-cancer risk.@@brittanymorgan09
@@johnhough7738 I see! Well there's always the "what if" factor no matter which decisions we make in life. I totally agree with you, make the decision then just make the most of it and forget about regret. Yes for sure about the sun exposure, a little at a time with lots of sunscreen. That's been working for me here, I have a bit of a tan already!
Very educational video
Thank you 🙂
As a kiwi living in Toronto, I lived in a mid 1950's home with no insulation in the walls and single glazing. North Americans are used to central heating and A/C of their whole living space and so the per capita energy consumption and CO2 emissions is very high and kiwis might say wasteful. Petrol is cheaper as there's plenty of oil and vehicles on average are up to half the efficiency of NZ. Food and beer prices don't seem all that much better IMO. Driving behaviour is not safe, however most high speed driving is on divided highways so less deaths per km.
NZ used to treat skilled migrants a lot better. Most of them move out after a few years.
That's quite sad to hear. So many migrant workers do the "tough" jobs and work really hard. They definitely deserve better.
This video is absolutely spot on
Thank you ❤️❤️
Considering yourve been living there for 5 months you haven’t expencried it all I’ve lived 10+ years no problems at all.
Good for you. We all have different experiences 🙂
@@brittanymorgan09 💗💗 I guess it depends the place you stay at etc.
@@ItsIvy11 totally! And where you came from, what you enjoy, etc. I made a whole video about all the amazing reasons to move to NZ too ☺️
Any kiwis reading this.
Brittany comes from Alberta in Canada and she complains about the insulation because in Alberta they regularly get temps dropping down between -40 and -50 degrees celcius in the winter. Some of that can probably be blamed in climate change but this is why she is complaining so much about how the older houses in NZ dont have sufficient insulation!!
100+ years ago the climate in NZ was warmer and insulation was not needed, and it also was not available either. Older houses in NZ are cheaper to rent, because they dont have insulation and the renter has to pay the power bills. Now that the climate is changing, insulation is a neccesity and it takes time to insulate all the older houses around the country.
@@francescathomas3502 thanks for adding some context to this. We're now in our first insulated place and it's been amazing! Energy bills are insanely high though (nearly $300/mo) so I would be horrified to see an energy bill from a low-insulation home in the winter. I think a lot of people choose not to run heaters because of the price. Wild!
I have a bachelors in data science and am looking to transfer to the university of Otago for computer science, Do you think I'd be able to pick up work? I plan on living here permanently and getting the respective visa when I can.
I think your best bet would be to get a remote job for a company out of Auckland but live somewhere more affordable. The uni of Otago campus is super beautiful and Dunedin is actually quite nice. Most of the jobs I've seen here have been construction related jobs but if you search on TradeMe jobs or Seek you can search based on region and see what's open.
Hey, I studied at at Otago Uni and am working as a software Dev now in Dunedin. If you already have a degree, for the love of god don't do computer science at uni. Go to Polytech, they put a much bigger emphasis on practical coding skills. Uni will mostly teach the theory side will minimal practical/ Job ready skills.
If you already have a degree in data science, you don't need another degree at all. Just start studying at home and save yourself $40,000.
Also if you do have a degree in data science I would start working in that field straight away. In the software industry, practical experience trumps all and because data science is so closely related to being a developer, employers will hire you if you have some cool projects you have done. (if you need ideas or a simple road map just let me know in the reply).
Best of luck :)
@@liamfinlay2163Why don't I apply for a masters or postgrad diploma at otago? or any New Zealand university. Also I am worried about getting a job to maintain a living there due to lack of visa status (I don't want to be homeless).
i previously lived in Banff so i am familiar with high cost of living and i remember you comparing the cost to living in Calgary. i am looking into roommates and i’m just curious, what would your opinion be on the most you would personally pay per person on rent per week if only making minimum wage? thank you again for all your help!
Banff is so expensive! Did you enjoy living there? I've heard they're having issues with staffing in Banff now since none of the service/hospo staff can afford rent.
If you'll have roommates here, I personally wouldn't pay over $400/week (we're paying $550/week for a modern 1 bedroom furnished with laundry in unit).
@@brittanymorgan09room mates expect to pay around $150-250 per room in South Island.
One bedroom places are expensive even for us.
Brother lived in Christchurch in 90s think he was paying $75 for apartment beside Hagley Park. Small town 3 bedroom place was $90-150 so 30-50 per room.
I’m a kiwi immigrated to UK 2010. Yep I freezes my but off in nz as a kid . Sleep in thick clothes
It’s too dear for housing and food compared to UK
But electricity is cheaper in NZ because of water dams
Good to know! I imagine the UK is more expensive to live in too? At least London!
In the UK do people still only turn their hot water on when they need it (ie when they want to take a shower/bath)? That's what it was like in 1987.
@@kiwitrainguy You can if you want, I don't think most people do though, although I'm sure people are becoming more conscious to wastage especially because of the insane cost of energy and climate education now.
I live in the south island. But I really do think if your new to nz it's better to start in the north island where it's warmer if your not use to the cold. Cost of living does suck here .but maternity care ,midwifery is free within and that's for everyone even if your just visiting
Interesting secrets to how to live in NZ. From a Kiwi.
Everything you say is correct, from a Canadian point of view....
Rule 1: Full length thermal draps. (Curtains) Go to an OP Shop, Don't need to cost full price, but it sort's out draughts.
Rule 2: Don't have a house on clay, it will be cold and damp.
Rule 3: The place is cool, just enjoy where you are and get with the locals.
Rule 3.1:, Try Stoke Beer, seriously, check out their history....
Rule 4: Heat Pumps suck, waste of money and power, we use gas, our 1913 house with sash windows actually stays nicely warm so there you go.
Rule 5: At least, unlike Aust, all the wildlife doesn't want to kill you. Mind you, Kākāpō may want to be intimate in a slightly disturbing manner. (Google)
Thanks for all the info! We've now found a place that's properly insulated and don't have to use the heat pumps much! Our energy bill is quite reasonable too 👍 on Stoke beer, we've had it a few times now! We live in Nelson & have been to the McCashins brewery too, lots of interesting history indeed 😊🍻
Traffic in auckland is crazy.
We do have insulation in the roof and underneath, but you are right, no doubled glass windows and no wall insulation. You got to sleep dressed...lol. Our rent in Hamilton NZ is 510.00 per week plus heat and so. In our country Canada the rent and food prices are out off control too
As an expat Kiwi I always tell people how amazing NZ is however ..it is a place to spend money not make money!, hence why many Kiwis travel to Oz for higher wages and compulsory superannuation. Thankfully though many return to NZ to live out their older years and contribute to the economy 😁
That makes total sense! NZ is the perfect wealthy retirement country haha. So many things to do outdoors and a quieter lifestyle than most countries. Fantastic!
Would be hectic if they let us use the money earned in Aus transferred back to Kiwisaver towards a first house.
Thanks for sharing! I did not realize that NZ was that expensive!!
Thank you for watching! Yeah, the big thing is housing and groceries for us - so much more expensive than Calgary!
Has the cost of living in Europe and the UK come down since the 1980s? When I travelled over there in 1987 it was a lot costlier than here in New Zealand. It was a lot cheaper in the US although tipping is expected in restaurants so the cheap prices aren't quite as cheap when you factor that in.
@@kiwitrainguy I think there's many countries in Europe that are still quite cheap to live in. Obviously places like London are extremely expensive. It's hard to generalize the UK and Europe as there are so many different areas and currencies. Typically the more rural you live anywhere, the cheaper it is. I've only lived in Canada so that's all I have to compare to with actual experience.
@@kiwitrainguy I still find the US pretty cheap, even with the exchange rate from CAD to USD although NZD wouldn't go as far. The bigger cities like LA and NYC are crazy expensive but smaller city/rural houses are still pretty dirt cheap compared to NZ.
Thanks for your answers but I was really addressing my question to the OP. What you said is pretty much my experience from 1987. Sure Eastern Europe would be cheap, my experience was from travelling through West Germany (as it was then), France, Austria and Italy. I lived in the Greater London area for most of my time in the UK (about 4 months).@@brittanymorgan09
Here in the USA they are running constant ads and commercials begging to "move to New Zealand" they are linking the ads with listed career opportunities i. NZ.. The wages for some of theae skilled jobs are around 50k or 60k a year, which that is equal to what is happening in The USA, we have high costs of living but skilled wages are low. But it sounds like NZ costs are even higher, especially the food. Wow
Wow that's really interesting! I can see the appeal to move from the US to NZ for sure; a lot safer here, free healthcare and work/life balance is great. But yes, pay is low and the cost of living is high. It's a balance for sure!
Yeah New Zealand is pretty hyped up, its like when seeing a beautiful ad for a Big Mac sandwich and you see how delicious and juicy it is, then when you actually get it , its stale/old, expensive, cold and not as advertised. Dont be fooled 😅 by NZ governement and tourism.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I agree it's very overhyped here!
Is it really that bad. I mean the UK is so depressing and cold and rains all summer. Cost of living in the UK is ridiculous now and not going to get any cheaper. I am really thinking of moving my young family there
@@EBB505 have a go, but visit first. i've lived in the UK, NZ wins hands down. However, most poms that were disappointed were those that believed the 100% Pure tourist nonsense and expected the entire country to be one big advertisement. It's not, it's a modern country and the rubbish has to go somewhere. There's crap bits.
But it's empty. Bigger than the UK and only 5m people. Just by-pass Auckland and you'll find your slice of paradise somewhere. Maybe you'll end up owning and orchard, or milking goas, who knows? The best way to make it in NZ is to forget the idea of a "career" and embrace kiwi ingenuity. Do whatever you need to do to make it work
Speaking as a Brit, its a shame that NZ, Australia, Canada and the UK don't have better employment rules, allowing citizens to move between these countries. After all we have similar language and culture. Canada is not good at allowing other citizens from those other 3 countries (that share the same King and have similar constitutions) to move about freely either. Its called CANZUK and was a nice idea that never happened. Another empty Brexit promise; we should have stuck with the EU. The roads are actually more similar to those in the UK; well, northern England, Wales and Scotland, to those of Canada and the USA. But yes, because I wanted to see the stunning scenery in NZ I was always pulling over to let a farmer in a UTE overtake at 100+ kmh.
That would be so amazing, I would definitely be more open to living and travelling in Aussie, NZ & UK if some agreement was made between our countries. I'd love to experience life in London, even for a short time! Perhaps it will develop down the road 🤞
NZ has free movement in Australia and that’s the problem! We get their criminals their homeless and everyone who wants to leach of Australian job market. Stop the free boarder with NZ Bcse Australians have not got any thing from a free boarder with NZ. It’s a one way highway
depends on where you live in Canada. I live in Vancouver which is super expensive and i compared the NZ prices with Vancouver and it is cheaper in NZ while the minimum wage is $6 higher. So for anyone living in an expensive city in Vancouver can easily live in New Zealand.
Also Canada is seeing massive wildfires now whereas New Zealand is not and that clean air is very alluring.
For sure, Vancouver is far more expensive. NZ prices have calmed down a lot since I made this video though. Minimum wage is more but if you've got good experience it can be quite hard to find a salary that is comparable to Canada or places like the US & Australia. All depends on what you value in life too. This video is just my personal reasons why I wouldn't live here long term, not a basis for everyone considering moving here. I've just heard stories of heli pilots going to BC for the fire season to make a bunch of money before coming back here too!
You also live in the most climate variable part of New Zealand. Christchurch holds the record for hottest temperature recorded in NZ and also has very cold winters
We don't live in Christchurch anymore! We were there for about 2.5 months but are now in Nelson. Very, very windy but HOT in the sun, wow.
and if your accommodation is not up to "Healthy Home" legislation standands you can make a complaint, and the landlords will end up in Court for renting sub-standard lodgings. You are simply not allowed to rent out the old fashioned houses in NZ these days.... unless they have been bought up to standard
A working holiday visa is just that, youve primarily come here to holiday and you are allowed to do some casual work to fund your holiday for 12 or 24 months. The working holiday visa is not to give people the chance to take permanent work off locals and to settle permanently in NZ.
Correct. However lots of immigrants will give New Zealand a try through a working holiday visa before taking the necessary steps to settle permanently if they want to. My point was that it can be difficult to find a job on any visa if you aren't already in NZ and have the right to work or have residency.
Read on line "Boomerang Audults" in to day's UK The Guardian (2/9.23). Its a true picture of real life in NZ now and it's not plesant reading for potential immigrants. It applies also to the 18/30 Native born New Zealanders
Thank you for the recommendation, I'll look into that!
18/30 ... ?
You *obviously* don't live in Auckland, either! One thing that drives me mad here is getting round. On top of gas being so expensive (now around NZD 3 per litre), the traffic is terrible for a city of 1.5 million. Also, public transport is expensive and unreliable. The train line closest to where I live (and which I have a 20-minute drive to get to anyway) has been closed for months. There are constant road works, meaning, for example, that (as far as I can tell) there are no buses going up the main street downtown at the moment. AT (Auckland Transport), which is in charge of public transport, has a website that's hard to navigate and that's full of out-of-date information. I've lived in Paris and Montreal, and for a year I also split my time between Montreal and Kingston, ON. Those places aren't perfect, but at least there are functioning public-transport options available. Also, Kingston, ON, would have an excuse not to, since it's only a small town.
We lived in Auckland for 3 months and I worked in Kingsland. I relied on the bus network to get to and from work for a couple of months and only had issues once or twice (very, very lucky). When we lived in Red Beach though it was a BRUTAL drive in traffic OMG. I heard AT is better now but yeah, the roadworks are insane!!! Gas is over $3/litre where we live in Nelson and it sucks a lot lol.
This is absolutely a good video and please do not listen to any of the mean ignorant comments from people saying to "harden up".
Also our court system is terrible
Thank you. I was really taken aback by the "toughen up" attitude and tall poppy syndrome here. I would have never guessed NZ held those values. Such a shame for mental health in this country.
@@brittanymorgan09 there are such deep seated issues in our country that need uprooting.
And the toughen up attitude is not an encouraging attitude for our men and boys. They have been told in an abusive way to be tough. But I'm speaking up more now and encouraging others to do so and makes changes.. there is some hope
@@rahabredeemed1690 I hope more people here join you in speaking out!
@@brittanymorgan09 The criticisms in your video are all fair enough, but I don't understand what is meant by "tall poppy syndrome." NZ is a relatively egalitarian culture: this is one of its better qualities. Those poppies who imagine themselves better or smarter or even taller than the other flowers tend to get scythed quicker than you can say "what Tarquin the Proud said in his garden with the poppy blooms was understood by the son but not by the messenger."
@@SaintSwithinsDay I'm not sure if you mean you don't understand what tall poppy syndrome is or why I said it's part of the culture in NZ but if you do a quick Google search, there are lots of articles, videos and Reddit threads that address this issue in New Zealand. www.google.com/search?q=tall+poppy+syndrome+nz&client=ms-android-telus-ca-revc&sca_esv=569245889&sxsrf=AM9HkKkeEIcyddpgKQKsRC0SFnTnPpqTbw%3A1695930249394&ei=idcVZY_gF4un1e8PmIqkiAM&oq=tall+poppy+syndrome+nz&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIhZ0YWxsIHBvcHB5IHN5bmRyb21lIG56MgQQIxgnMggQABiKBRiRAjIGEAAYFhgeMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAFI4RhQlg1YtxVwAXgBkAEAmAHAAqABow6qAQUyLTYuMbgBA8gBAPgBAcICChAAGEcY1gQYsAPCAgcQIRigARgK4gMEGAAgQYgGAZAGBA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp
Nice sharing
It's actually a legal requirement for landlords to provide a heat pump in their rentals now... you should have looked into that, as it has been legally deemed an essential need for some time, due to, as you pointed out, the poor insulation in, particular, the older dwellings. However, we are used to it here and it is not considered problematic...
Not so. A landlord has to provide a form of heating (not necessarily a heat pump). My daughter has an enclosed log burner in her rental - perfectly legal. I am also a landlord and my rental property, while insulated, only has a wood burner (that heats the whole house).
I'm originally from the UK, and while I don't disagree that the cost of living is high in NZ, the minimum wage is higher than in the UK, there is not a hugely different, and from what I can gather speaking with friends and family in the UK the cost of living is roughly comparable. It seems that Canada must be a less expensive place to live by comparison.
Definitely depends on where in Canada you live (like all other countries ie. London in the UK). Toronto and Vancouver are comparable/more expensive but where we're from (Calgary) it's cheaper there. Prices in NZ have come down a LOT in the past few months though (specifically groceries) but it's the higher cost of living paired with low wages that really makes in difficult to live here. When I say low wages I'm not talking about minimum wage, I mean you would make $20-30K less/year doing the same job here than in Canada.
@@brittanymorgan09 my partner and I have (maybe we have been lucky) found that our salaries in NZ have been better than what we were able to achieve in the UK. But more importantly we have had more consistent periods of employment. Between 1999 and 2009 my partner found herself in 6 different roles, none of them lasting 2 years and within that time making the most of being unemployed to complete her masters degree. I also changed jobs 5 times and had to develop a side line in order to keep money coming in. That was a rough 10 years in the UK and I'm not sure things have improved in the past 14 years.
@@iallso1 I've read other comments that said the same thing about making more in NZ than the UK! I didn't know the UK pay was so bad. I know for sure the pay is a lot less than in Calgary at least for our roles. Comparisons are all about where you come from/relativity. I'm glad you are able to make a nice living here!
@@brittanymorgan09 I'm sure there are plenty of situations where Brits don't earn as much as in the UK, but I can only speak for my own experience.
Going by vids I have watched recently I can assure you almost everything in the UK is cheaper than in NZ, especially food and drink even Petrol is now cheaper here at $2.40 (£1.40) a litre.
Its said to be -6 / 7 times earnings to buy a home. In Austalia its even higher !
Wow!! That is a lifetime of savings for some, crazy.
Australia outside of the 3 big smokes, is more affordable than nz..
For 500k I can buy a relatively decent house in Perth or adelaide. In nz you will have to go to a place like invercargill near the south pole for the same house.. 😂
The best thing to do about NZ is don't do anything' go somewhere else,less expensive,warmer,and, easier to get to and from,
You hit the nails on their head. Move to NZ is you want to pay exorbitant costs for living in houses…where you spend majority of income to eat and keep yourself warm or cool. Its a country so far away from anything else in terms of travel so most just “suck it up”…guess it’s why kiwis are known for “kiwi ingenuity”…reason is we are so used to making do with what we have so we come up with ways to “work round things”. NZ is def hard to live in…and it’s price we pay to enjoy the lifestyle and care-free attitude and nature. Great great vlog Brittany! And I would be surprised if anyone was irritated by words you spoke..they were all Facts!
Thank you! I really appreciate comments like yours from people who actually live here. It's the realities of living in this country! There are many things I love about New Zealand and I really wish it was more affordable. No country can have it all though. Thanks again for the comment 🙂
@@brittanymorgan09
Just stumbled upon you, and for the first minute or less thought you were AMERICAN then suddenly I was corrected that you’re CANADIAN when first hearing you say “out!” Haha!!! Yep born and raised in Auckland Aug 1970 I’m 53 then set foot on AMERICAN soil on Halloween 1990 in Honolulu HAWAII as an immigrant, lived there for 8 months then moved to Chicago ILLINOIS , got Citizenship there on Dec 1998 so dual Citizenship since. Lastly escaped that communist state of ILLINOIS to move here to the promised land of beautiful Provo UTAH in Oct 2014 and I never plan to live outside of this beautiful free state of UTAH‼️
You are spot on pretty much about my beautiful beloved motherland!🇳🇿I miss her but not my communist micromanaging overbearing govt there! The great big CO(N)VID Psyop was taken beyond extreme in lockdowns back there and in AUSTRALIA worse than the worst states of NEW YORK and CALIFORNIA!!! Miss the people and the food especially meat pies and sausage rolls, the dairy and ice cream and bakery!! AMERICAN ice cream kinda sucks. But other AMERICAN food makes up for some losses!
Growing up in suburban Auckland and Hamilton in the winter which is mild by most AMERICAN standards yet inside homes it would always be cold without heat but those same temperatures here in UTAH or ILLINOIS houses mild and pleasant somewhat because of heavier insulation and windows all double glazed (paned).
I love your perspectives! You make a genuine effort to put good information out here! I truly desire to explore and road-trip in the near future all over ALBERTA, BC & SASKATCHEWAN. I’ve only driven to Windsor, Toronto and Ottawa in ONTARIO a few times from Chicago between 1997 to 2004 and 20 miles into QUEBEC when in Ottawa. Western CANADA looks much better than ONTARIO even though it’s nice, just flat. I think ALBERTA must be the best province in the Union! My fav even over BC!. UTAH is Heaven on earth! Come see me here one day‼️I’ve only been to 28 states & 2 provinces in my nearly 33 years in this beloved land of AMERICA that I truly love and appreciate as if I were born here. She is a special place!!!!
Cheers love!!
Dion Wood phone +1 (435) 599-9000 “New Zealand born & raised, AMERICAN by the grace of GOD‼️”🇺🇸🇺🇸🇳🇿
Linktr.ee/NewZealandAmerican
I think it is income that is main issue ,currency based on country
NZ ( 90K) - 22.8 %
Aus (82.8K) - 21.0%
Can (73.8K )- 16.5%)
This is aside from province sales tax Only Federal Income is the basis
I think it is Canada that has the advantage if NZ and Australia provinces do charge sales tax?
In New Zealand we have a standard Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 15% that is applied to everything. Originally it was 10% and would never go up - then we had a "one off" increase to 12.5% - and now it is 15%. I suppose the beauty of that is what you see is what you pay. No one is expected to tip anywhere including bars and restaurants as everyone is on at least minimum wage and don't have to rely on tips.
We love New Zealand, but completely agree about the working holiday visa problems. Even with Backpacker jobs we found we would apply and wouldn't hear back for 6 weeks or so, by which time we'd moved onto the next place.
Absolutely! I'm getting calls now from jobs I applied to 3 weeks ago which is crazy to me but maybe that's normal here? I have heard things can move a lot slower in NZ. It's very concerning when you need a job and somewhere to live though!
@brittanymorgan09 basically normal here. Island time and island priced.
My family ran a backpackers in 90s early days in tourism. Things gave changed.
These so many jobs.. you just have to walk In
We don't have anywhere near the cold weather like Canada or nth usa..there's no comparison.
I never feel cold at night ..
I think you need to go home . But Canada is not much better.
@@gissyb1 I like the cold in Canada believe it or not! Have you ever been to Canada? You seem to have some pretty strong opinions if you haven't been...no country is perfect 😭
Living anywhere different has its challenges. I lived in South Korea for a few years and it was a challenge, at least here we speak the same language. If you are thinking of moving here permanently there are others on RUclips that give great advice. Especially one English couple. Also think about moving to a smaller town or the South Island.
Thanks for the tips! We lived in Nelson for 7 months and quite enjoyed it but ultimately we are returning to Canada since moving here permanently would be such a hassle (and we'd miss friends/family of course!).
Petrol prices is now $3.40 per litre .
Yeah it's about $3.03 in Nelson where we live, wild!!
The insulation thing comes down to the age of the building. If it was built before 1970 then insulation would not have been included at the time of construction. The insulation of ceilings came in only at the end of the 1960s and I think it was voluntary at first. Insulating walls and then floors came in only about 1980 or so. My house was built just before WW1 so when I bought it in 1980 it had no insulation whatsoever. Starting in 1981 and finally finishing the job in 2008 it is now completely insulated-ceiling & walls but not the floor downstairs, I have to admit (although half of it is concrete and for the other half I had an extra layer of floorboards put down). The walls were insulated by having wool pumped in in 1995 and followed up by polyurethane foam pumped in in 2008.
Rental propertied are required by law (as I understand it) to be adequately insulated.
Insulating your home must have been quite the project eh! I imagine it was expensive if it took that long? We're in a pretty new building now and it's insulated but so much heat escapes through the thin windows (thick curtains are helping a lot), crazy that they can still get away with that in new construction.
The insulation of my house was done in several stages quite a few years apart: 1981, 1995, 2004 & 2008. It wasn't that expensive but I was getting all sorts of other things done to my house over the same period and I also went on a six month trip overseas in 1987 so the insulation took a back seat at times. The one thing about the insulation that I forgot to mention was the double glazing on my windows in 2004. Glad to hear that you are in a better insulated dwelling now.@@brittanymorgan09
Houses built since 1980s -2008 have been insulated in the roof ,under floor ,in the walls with single glaze aluminium window frames. Older homes it varies if owner has updated to Healthy home standards including insulation and double glazing that is required in THE BUILDING CODE CLAUSE H1 Energy efficiency requirement for windows changed between October 2007 and September 2008 to require double glazing for all new housing using the schedule, or table, method for compliance. This is recorded on your House LIM report at local council. Healthy homes also includes a heat pump to warm your home in winter run on electricity and NZ has a lot of hydropower /windpower and some people have solar power so you can sell your unused power back to the grid. These are SUSTAINABLE options for the environment unlike most Canadian homes heated with fossil fuels: in 2018, 52.5 percent of Canada's residential heating was produced by natural gas. Along with coal, propane, and heating oil, Canadians burn a lot of fossil fuels for heat. This is why we do not have central heating and its just not that cold unless you are up a mountain or live in South island in winter.
Lived here for 20 years and can say without any doubt that I do hate living here. Hated it the moment I landed as a 17 year old with my parents. I think what I detest the most is the idea that NZ is paradise and that you cannot have any frank and free discussions with a lot of Kiwis (my ex husband included) about what is wrong with this place. It’s like they are brainwashed from birth that this is Godzone - I almost feel like I’m talking with a bunch of cult members whenever I try to discuss the cons. In the UK, if someone starts talking about all the cons of the place, we don’t get all high and mighty about it. We most likely join in and list our cons. I have yet to meet one Kiwi who does the same about NZ. Instead of a mature and intelligent discussion, you just get the ever favourite “well bugger off back home then” thrown in your face. If that’s not turning a blind eye to your country’s problems, you deserve all the crap this country gives. It is bloody scary and I am terrified my children are being brainwashed into the “NZ is heaven on earth” crap. To anyone who also gets roped in to this cultish behaviour, please be careful. It is scary and disturbing.
Thank you for sharing this perspective! I honestly thought NZ was the best country on earth before I moved here because of all the positive feedback - seems like the negatives are shoved down and just not talked about. It was a huge shock to me moving here and while I don't hate it, I don't think I could ever live here long term. Definitely eye opening. I agree with what you said about discussing the issues here, back in Canada we are similar to the UK where we join in to discuss our country's problems and are happy to protest and vote our way to a better future.
@@brittanymorgan09 I think a lot of migrants have the same feelings, they’re just too scared to voice them for fear of being lynched! I know a lot of migrants who either have left or plan to leave to either their home country or elsewhere after feeling bitter disappointment at the realities of living here. I will say one thing about NZ, they sure know how to market themselves!!
I am a new zealander and I'm 41 now.
I've become so afraid of this country! I used to be brainwashed. I finally woke up in my 30's . Full of dark people who are sick minded
I'm sure that what you say about people thinking their own country is perfect applies to other countries as well. Have you tried saying to someone in the US that they are too obsessed with their military, and all this "Thank you for your service" BS? I am a New Zealander and our family get-togethers inevitably include discussions about how various aspects of our country could, and should, be improved. Maybe it's because we are all boomers lol.
@@kiwitrainguy interesting perspective! I don't think I've met an American who doesn't trash their own country haha and most Canadians I know are very open about the problems and politics. Generational and political thing I think, people who are stuck in their ways and don't like change are usually the brainwashed patriots.
come and live in South Africa New Zealand is an Haven
No thanks haha. I'm from Canada which is where my bias and comparisons come from. Obviously NZ is better than many countries in the world but it has its downsides just like everywhere else. If you think otherwise you are kidding yourself 😂
Brittany is Canadian. She's full of amazing insights and knowledge Haha...go back please. The roads are narrow! 😅
Great channel and very helpful videos. My wife and I are moving to Auckland this week with the work holiday visa. My wife found a job but I have found that a lot of places say they don’t want to hire visa applicants. Thanks for the insight
Thank you for watching! I'm sorry to hear you're having difficulty finding work in Auckland. Yeah, I was surprised by how many places straight up refuse to hire anyone who isn't a resident here, oh well! Their loss 🙂
@brittanymorgan09 the visual not really designed to work on. It's basically a tourist visa that let's you hustle on the side.
I xant go to USA for example and legally work without the right visa.
I'm so sorry you have to go to Auckland.
Do what I did, apply for a job online & at the end of your cover letter mention you're sitting outside the office in your car. Then call 15 minutes after sending. Do that & you'll get an interview. Dont & you're just another application in a stack of 50 probably for the HR person who also wears 4 other hats
I think most employers want a stable reliable workforce. Visa folks tend to come and go, and it's potluck.
Sadly, the main reason we have chosen for me to move to Canada instead of my partner moving here are the housing prices (and general cost of living). However on driving, I'm 46 and have never been in an accident and I drive a lot, but you're right on the pulling over bit - my father really drummed that into me when he was teaching me, and he was never in an accident either - keep to the speed limit and pull over to let idiots past. I also have to say I was surprised at the generally bad driving skills of Quebecois (I can't comment on the rest of Canada), especially lack of cornering ability! I find it easy to drive here really, and I enjoy it because it's interesting and you have to stay alert - there's no challenge on the wide, straight roads in Quebec, and I find it incredibly boring, yet at the same time, very scary when everyone does get to a corner (just a slight bend by NZ standards) and they all sort of 'bounce' around it instead of taking it smoothly - I was *terrified* on the big motorways - just another point of view 🙂 (but I 100% agree on speeding issues on back roads!). Really great video again and some very good points!
Thank you Trudi! I really appreciate your honest perspective 😊. The housing crisis in NZ is really unfortunate, not many places are left in cities that are affordable for families! I've heard Quebec is very affordable, though I haven't looked recently.
Canada certainly has its share of terrible drivers. Quebec drivers do have a bad reputation especially! I think driving in Canada is such a breeze, most highways are 2 lanes minimum which really helps. I hate driving here at night, people still speed like crazy at night in rainstorms too haha and why does everyone here always leave their brights on??
@@brittanymorgan09 I was born in Quebec with lived there until I was 30>. I still have family living there so make annual trips to visit. I now live in Alberta, along with driving all over Canada (worked as a long distance truck driver). Quebec drivers are the worst, with BC (mainly Vancouver area) being second. How some people get and KEEP their drivers license is amazing to me. Thanks for sharing your experiences living in another country.
@@deborahcabot3100 imagine Quebec drivers hopped up on cocaine and driving twice as fast - that's the worst drivers in NZ lol. The overtakes they pull are WILD. People here think they are F1 drivers 😂
@@brittanymorgan09 Lol, that sounds insane. I lived over in the middle east for several years, where a two lane street turns into 4 and traffic lights, especially when they turn red are a mere suggestion. I love seeing how the rest of the world operates compared to Canada.
Canada is far worse. Do your homework.
If you frame your house with aero gel it will remain toasty and it has a low environmental impact, much lower than standard insulation. Also as an Alaskan I understand the extreme high cost of living, food is astronomically expensive here, so is fuel, building materials, virtually everything, that's what happens when you live in a state the size of Western Europe lol. So as a result a lot of people here live off land, most of us fish, hunt, and have greenhouses, and a lot of people have chickens, it makes life much more affordable. Also our roads are almost non existant lol. Thank you for your video, I think it convinced me to move to Singapore instead of New Zealand.
this is strange. I'm also an Alaskan considering moving to New Zealand, but on top of that I have seen you on youtube before! I remember a long time ago seeing your homer tsunami warning video!
I 100 percent agree. I have lived in New Zealand for 90 percent of my life and honestly cannot wait to leave forever. Everything is so damn expensive, the education system is horrible and the public schools are just awful, theres been a housing crisis for over 20 years with no sign of improvement and theres barely anything fun to do outside home.
Sorry to hear it's been such a bad experience for you here! I hope you get to move abroad and experience life in another country, it can be very eye opening. I would love to live somewhere in Europe one day and try that part of the world out!
I am torn between buying a poor house here and keeping my deposit and rent until my kids are in college and gtfo here😂
In New Zealand, my home is fully insulated, heated, and equipped with solar panels, meaning I don't even pay for electricity. It's a 4-bedroom, 2-bathroom house built 12 years ago, purchased for $500,000 three years back. While groceries are pricey, my profession earns me more than my American and Canadian counterparts. Driving on the South Island is excellent. I was hired from the UK before moving here. Essentially, what you're saying is that if you lack a career in a sought-after field or financial stability, you'll face challenges. But isn't that true everywhere?
"12 years ago" yeah no wonder.
@@GumballEdits no the house was built 12 years ago ... I bought it in june 2022
NZ is wonderful for a holiday, Australia is the place to live.
Not at the moment. I moved back to NZ because of how cooked things are in aus
@@chrisheffernan3998 agree. am in aus at the moment and looking to head home. Got another year to go on a contract here and, unlike aussies, I honour my contracts but next year they won't see me for dust.
there are some pluses to australia of course, the weather is warmer, and.............nup, the weather is warmer. that's all I've got
Australias temperatures are much hotter than NZ's, like 45°C + in summer so you'd need to earn 30K more to make it worth putting up with the heat, lack of drinking water, and bush fires.
You seem to be a bright, intelligent and positive person. Why on earth would you live in NZ? Great place to visit, but definitely not a place to live in.
We're moving back to Canada in two months 🙂
I've lived here for over 50 years and this is my perspective. Everything is expensive, wages are low, houses are ridiculously expensive, there are lots of older poorly insulated houses which are cold and make u sick, driving is an issue (it's getting better !) however you need a car because public transport is terrible. I live in Auckland which has a pretty good climate although it definately rains too much. We have access to a beautiful harbour which I sail on all year around and some pretty decent beaches. The South Island where you live is much colder but no where near as cold as Canada and doesn't Vanouver have some of the highest rents in the world?
Some of these problems are world wide but NZ has a very small population (only 5 million) so we have a small market, we don't have money to build the infrastructure required and we're is a long way from everywhere so things are going to be expensive and we're a young country and just getting started really. However having a small population also has some benefits, once you're out of the city there's lots of space, the South Island is stunning and the skiing/boarding pretty good. Less people = less problems, compared to somewere like England which is slightly smaller than NZ but colder and more crowded and just depressing. Of course comparing to Canada is not really fair as it has lots of space and lots of amazing mountains and isn't it one of the best places in world to live? So what are you doing down here in the first place?
Australia is probably a better choice if you want a better wage and standard of living, a lot of Aussies come over here as tourists so we must have something worth looking at. Enjoy the rest of your stay!
Thank you for sharing your detailed perspective! I agree on a lot of points. The reason I came here is because I've always been enthralled with NZ and dreamed of living here since childhood. So I had a very "perfect" view of it before moving and really thought I'd never want to leave! Canada is one of the best places to live but so is NZ, I made a whole video about the reasons I would live here long term too.
This video is to help people who are on the fence about moving here. I touch on some of the negative points which are obvious to some but not so much to people who have never been. It's still an incredible country to live in!
Haven't been to Aussie yet but I'm excited to travel there and see the differences for myself. It's too hot and too many things that can kill you for me to ever consider it a long term home though.
@@brittanymorgan09Go to Western Australia...you will never look back on nz
@@neversayneveragain3748 no thanks! There are LOTS of far, far worse off places than NZ but that doesn't make this country perfect or without flaws.
Just a comment on the price of food: I’m a kiwi currently living in the States and I definitely pay more for groceries over here. The numerical value is higher to start with, eg I’ll pay $6 for a loaf of bread I’d spend $4 on in NZ) and then you factor in the exchange rate. It’s a shock doing the conversion into NZD on most food items over here.
Food prices definitely came waaaay down in NZ a few months after making this video. I found the deals for fresh produce especially were great at the farmers markets. Later into our move, we were paying about the same for groceries as we did in Canada.
A possible sixth reason, especially for feline aficionados, you might want to research, and then share your thoughts.
Is it about the feral cat problem?? I just recently read that Nelson is trying to get cats classified as pests so they can poison/kill them like they do possums to protect native birds. I'm glad I didn't bring my kitty here although she is indoor only!
Please correct me if I'm wrong,
is there also a bounty/reward for those inclined to "euthanize" by what ever legal means?
The same as the culling of deer, from helicopters, using
semiautomatic rifles really disappointing.
@@mikemontagne2703 I did a Google search and this came up i.stuff.co.nz/national/131791854/spca-looking-into-feral-cat-hunting-competition-for-children
Pretty disgusting in my opinion.
@@mikemontagne2703no bounty but feral cats are treated as pests.
We value our native species more they're endangered. Sone birds for example can't fly big problem with introduced mammals.
@@roryhebberd9766
Click on the blue link for yourself, the article is pretty clear.
There are no houses under a million bux and they are ugly, and not worth it, food prices are unbelievably high. Company's and businesses here are having a competition to see who's Best at ripping off
What's the difference between a Company and a Business?
@@kiwitrainguy they both rip people off
Im from nz but moved to aus 15 years ago. It works out better to just visit nz for a holidayt for family, xmas, a road trip etc.
As a 5th Generation Pakeha ( Non Māori) yes you are totally correct. Yes it can be tough here. I love Canadians and yes.
Here in New Zealand you have to be Innovative and that isn't easy for many people!
But:- we make some of the best all sorts of things! I could go on, its stuff that nobody knows about! It is stuff that is Hi Tech, very High Tech but nobody knows about it! It is all Hi Tech Stuff that is exported!
NZ is a great place for seriously smart people to live! Mountains, Skiing, Snow Boarding, Boating, Yachting, Hunting, Fishing, etc etc.
It isn't a great place to be if you are at the bottom of the pile!
New Zealand is definitely still an incredible place to live and one of the top countries in the world for sure!! Every place has it's downsides! Our last 11 months of living in New Zealand has been quite the adventure and we've learned a lot. I think it's a great place if you've got $$!
You forgot cows and sheep. ..and grapes... very High high tech.
If your rental house has no insulation then your landlord is breaking the law, all rental houses must be insulated in NZ. Every house buiilt since 1978 has insulation installed, so only houses older than that may not have any (though many have been retrofitted).
Christchurch is one of the coldest parts of NZ in the winter, I wouldn't want to be living there in a house with no insulation.
I can easily keep my home (on the the other side of the south island) at 20-22c during winter with a small log burner, it's an old house but it is now insulated.
I think the issue was with our Airbnbs, people must get away with not insulating their units because they're not long term rentals. Even though we stayed in some for over a month! Now we're in a proper rental apartment and it's lovely and insulated. It's made a huge difference to everyday life.
Hi Britt .
i would like to thank you for sharing pros & cons of new Zealand for the period you live there , it is always good to be honest with others and tell them the reality of the situations in any country.
my suggestion is to make a video on Why You Should Move To Canada , opposite of what we heard of New Zealand with a respect to our beloved Kiwis , i would love to visit NZ someday .
Thanks again .
Thank you! I have a video in the works comparing Canada and New Zealand which will be much more thorough 🙂
@@brittanymorgan09I will be looking forward to that comparison video. I need as many positives as I can for moving to Canada - tbh, I feel like it's better, overall, living in Canada, but it's hard to let go of the memory of the carefree, outdoor beach life we grew up with - running barefoot everywhere and going places on our own because there's next to no crime, no animals that will hurt you, and whole days spent at the beach with fish and chips or a bbq for dinner. Sadly, I feel like those days have passed for NZ, and it's not the idyllic life it used to be. I will always, always miss living near the sea, though.
@@trudimclaren4301 I've just been writing out another video showcasing all the reasons people SHOULD move to NZ and you hit some key points I had with children being allowed to be kids and the weather and beach access. I still think those things exist here but you have to go to the smaller cities and town to find them. Canada has many positives but winter weather is NOT one of them, nor is the crappy work/life balance. Stay tuned for that video, your comment has my creative juices flowing!
I am an old kiwi who travels a lot, so just to add my 2cents. We call Nelson $20hr paradise, everyone wants to live there and that keeps the wages low. Food, fresh food is expensive, frozen food is cheap. Chicken and Pork is cheap Lamb and Beef expensive. Eating out is expensive but going for a drink varies on where you drink, club and local bars are cheap but yuppie bars are expensive I pay $20 to $30 for a dozen of beer from the supermarket.
NZ is an outdoor persons paradise, but if you like nightclubs, fine dining etc go somewhere else. If you are white, you need to be careful where you go at nighttime, some areas of NZ can be quite violent, and the police are pretty useless except for giving out traffic fines. But you are right about our houses
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! We've found fresh produce to be quite inexpensive now that so much is in season and great deals at local farmers markets. It was crazy expensive when we first moved here at the beginning of 2023 though!
I lived in New Zealand (Auckland and Tauranga) for roughly 3 years and it's safe to say I didn't really like it at all. I agree with many of your points. People have this weird picture that NZ is a paradise utopia but NZ does a great job at hiding the problems while projecting to the world this "100% Pure" myth. Disclaimer - I left NZ just before Covid so I don't know if some of my points have changed or gotten worse.
- Housing quality is horrendous, Kiwis pay astronomical amounts of $$ for glorified shacks with little to no heating that gets damp and mouldy very easily. Think of it as paying Swiss prices for Bulgarian quality. For a country that knows it's mild, windy and rainy for a lot of the year this is unfathomable.
- This is connected to the first point. Quite often people take the easy way out and use band aid solutions for issues that need proper maintenance. When I told my Kiwi coworkers and friends about how cold the houses are a lot of them say "just rug up, use more blankets, wear thick clothing etc." You'd think they'd say build better homes but no.
- Public transport is unreliable. Trains to and from Britomart were often extremely late and infrequent. Coverage is also not extensive.
- Kiwis while overall friendly I found to be very small minded and take any criticism of their country as a personal attack.
- Food in NZ is good, but I missed the sheer variety of ethnic cuisines. There's plenty of Asian food but NZ really lacks in Continental European, Middle Eastern, Latin American and African food.
- NZ was a lot more racist than I was expecting, the casual racism towards Asian people in particular was shocking.
- I found there to be quite a toxic attitude towards Australia (where I'm now living), almost bordering an obsessive inferiority complex. I'm in Australia now and nobody here seems to say anything bad about NZ or most people don't really care at all. It's very one sided.
- New Zealand is not an ideal place if you want to go far in life. Career opportunities are limited.
- There is zero in the way of nightlife even in Auckland. It feels like one massive retirement village, whenever I mention this to Kiwis they say it's because they have a small population but similar sized and smaller cities in Asia and Europe have more going on than Auckland. It's dead when the sun goes down.
I'm currently in Australia now and it's definitely not perfect but I'm happier here than I was in NZ. I have two coworkers from Brazil and Thailand who like me moved to New Zealand first and didn't like it before moving on to Australia.
This is a great write up, thank you for sharing your thoughts. I agree with a lot of them and I'm really curious how Aussie compares. I'm looking forward to visiting to see for myself but there's definitely good reasons why so many Kiwis move there. The racism/closed minded thing still gets me. I had such an idealistic view of NZ before moving here that has been shattered. It's been a privilege and a real treat to live and travel here but I'm looking forward to going back to Canada.
@@biggiedii4889 Load of rubbish. Cities are cities the world over. NZ has many late night bars and dance clubs if that is your thing, especially in Auckland. You must have been living under a rock. Outside of the cities you have the wonder of nature second to none in the world. Australia? Give me a break. One of the most racist bigoted countries in the world full of wannabe Yanks. That is the main problem with Australia - it's full of Australians.
Pockets of Racism is in all ethnicities, and in all continents, I have experienced racism towards me in Arabic countries Asian countries, in the US from African Americans and not mild either full blown in your face and snarky behind your back, but if you were to compare countries just look at how Australia treats it’s original owners compared to the Maori in NZ, you don’t come to NZ with a very small population to get rich or nightlife
@chloeclout6897 I know that but New Zealand actively promotes itself as a racism free utopia when the reality is very different. A lot of my Kiwi acquaintances were quick to point out racism in other countries but then say racist things about Asians. It's the double standards for me.
Thanks. Don't mind if I ask- Did your Brazilian and Thai coworkers got citizenship first before moving?
We're considering on moving to new zealand and one of the things that we are curious about is the safety. We heard there are gangs in auckland and we're wondering if gangs are a real problem to new zealand.
there's lots of gangs but generally they keep their nonsense to themselves as harming innocent bystanders brings the cops down on them. Guns are getting restricted so you don't get shoot outs in the streets or anything.
It's also a North Island thing. Christchurch has a few in the South Is, but you don't really see them.
Safety is relative. On the whole it's low crime, but if you're the unlucky victim it's probably little comfort to know you're the only one.
Mostly its petty crime like theft, so don't look like a tourist and don't leave valuables in your car. Same rules as anywhere else in the world.
Having said that, I'm from the deep south and in some towns you can leave your house unlocked. I've even left my keys in the ute while I was in the pub and nobody stole it. On the other hand, another guy left his gumboots at the door of the pub and somebody stole them so he had to walk home in his socks lol
Kind of. Just look it up , this week a guy was shot by a gang member in Ponsonby, central Auckland. Not sure of motives
1000%percent correct!
Been here 5.5 years , and you have stated the facts correctly.
Thank you Brittany.
Cheer, thanks for the comment 😄😄
I guess it’s in perspective. I live in northern CA and currently gas is $4.89/gallon at an Arco and the median home price for the State is over $800k, I believe. 🤷🏽♂️
Yep, this video compares where I'm from (Calgary) and here since these are my own personal reasons I wouldn't move here. Tons of places in the world are much more expensive than NZ.
There you go keeping it all the way honest again, I'm a youtuber myself and I genuinely enjoy your content because of how candid and real you are. It's starting to look like Australia might be the move instead of NZ lol.
Thank you! I value honesty very highly and unfortunately this video will rub some people the wrong way. No country is perfect though (including Canada!).
@@brittanymorgan09 Yup same here honesty is extremely important to me, I guess I'll just visit and see how I feel once I get there, but keep up the awesome work I genuinely enjoy your videos.
@@brittanymorgan09 Oh and you're welcome lol.
@@RaceCarFriends thank so you much, I make content for people like you!! So glad my videos are helping 🙂
@@brittanymorgan09 You're welcome, and yeah I feel like the self thinkers aka the non sheep will be attracted to your content, and the people that are easily led or misled will reject it because it doesn't sound like the popular narratives, no worries though people like me will keep on tuning in.
I agree with you
New Zealand is the place to come too, if you have money to spend. It is not the place to come to if you have children and cannot afford to buy your first home and little to no savings. Dual income couples with no children or rich retirees will find this place amazing. Their are bonuses for New Zealand but again you must have the money, the job and the credentials to make your life situation work here. Food, Rent, Mortgages, Petrol are beyound expensive. Education unless private is sub par, violence is going through the roof - especially youth crime - ram raids, knife attacks on business owners, drug abuse and theft. The Police force are slow to react, Ambulance services are a user pay system, Healthcare waiting lists {public sector} are a joke and gang crime is everywhere. So yup New Zealand is the place to be if you can afford to live in a safe neighbourhood, have a decent paying job $80,000 a year and a partner who earns $90,000 a year, no kids and can move up the corporate ladder or work remotely.
Totally agree! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
New Zealand building laws are all over the place. New Zealand it self is all over the place. Nothing really makes sense here. We are a developed country but some things are so outdated
Like what?
Darwin cops a bad rap from many here in Oz - much of it deserved, courtesy of our crime rate - but tourists walking around in shorts and a t-shirt in June don't seem too phased. An NZ winter would kill me - too long in the tropics, here and in SE Asia, but as a Canadian I thought you would deal with with it. If Trump is elected in November, I suspect that any English-speaking country you land in will be besieged by 'refugees' from the lower 48 looking to move. FWIW, anyone with experience as a barista will get a job here - not everyone's dream gig but it pays the bills and allows foreigners to stay in Oz.
planning on moving to study marketing in NZ but anxious as hearing people talk about increasing cost of living and people moving to aussie please help if im making the right decision or should i look other another country
It really depends on what you value! NZ has no scary creepy crawlies like AUS, more temperate weather than a lot of countries and it's pretty safe. I haven't been to Australia so I can't speak to what it's like living there. If you like the outdoors New Zealand is awesome!
@@brittanymorgan09 so i have heard alot of positive things about nz which is why it is my choice but which increasing cost of living and watching the trend of ppl from nz moving to Oz makes me question will i be able to live there for next 5 years? will i be able to pay off my student debt and live comfortably. Coz ultimately who doesnt wanna have a comfort life?😊
@@jidnyasavetal2302 Very true! I think if money is your main priority, NZ isn't the best fit. Very low wages here and although cost of living is high everywhere, you can definitely make more in AU doing the same job (in most industries). You trade $$ for a more chill lifestyle in NZ.
@@jidnyasavetal2302I would not reccomend moving to nz!!!!!!! Middle class is struggling
I watched your vlogs because your from my hometown Calgary where I grew up, I moved to nz when I was 21 so I’ve been here 20yrs now & I love it here…..is nz over hyped? Maybe but there’s more pros living here than there are living in Canada…but haven’t got all day to list them….I just think when you landed here it came across like you had an agenda on what your talking about now in my opinion….5 months isnt long enough when your making judgement on a place to live in especially when your moving around and not settled in a particular area, I just think it’s nit picking…insulation in the buildings ? cmon….what you do is install it if you have a place or make do and find a way to stay warm with what you have which is one thing I learnt from kiwis when I first arrived. I Love Canada but I Love it here, would never go back to Canada.
Everyone has their own opinion and I'm not looking for others to agree with it. I came to New Zealand expecting to fall in love with it actually and was surprised when I didn't. There are downsides to emigrating to any country and the reasons I listed in this video are mine. You can assume whatever you want but that doesn't make it true. Insulation in New Zealand is a legitimate problem and extremely expensive to retrofit into a home that doesn't already have it. I'm glad you prefer New Zealand over Canada, I'm sure lots of people agree with you. I prefer Canada and I'm sure lots of people agree with me too.
Thanks for sharing your perspective.
Well said!! @@brittanymorgan09
Full honesty some kiwis wear Onesey in winter google them and beautiful finest NZ sheep merino underwear, outer wear and puffer coats with feathers lightweight and warm. Yes our pay may be lower or equivalent to Aussie but NZ families get working for family tax credits for $144 per week for the eldest child and from $117 a week for each subsequent child. NZ has world leading free maternity care , paid maternity leave , free well child care 11 visits under 5, free dental from age 3 to 18 years, free hospitalcare and ACC medical care /compensation 80% for loss of work if injured by accident. Our insurances, and car rego are cheaper than Australia. There are jobs in NZ agriculture on work visa work so picking kiwifruit in agriculture for 3 months then work visa extends 3 months in NZ. Lived in Sydney for a number of years on downside climate is harsh, a lot of racist undertones and ockerism, misogyny, and its expensive just like NZ with killer spiders and snakes and wildfires no thanks nice to visit ,nice to live in Aotearoa NZ
Shit if these are the negatives of New Zealand I’d live there asap… at least I don’t have to worry about being shot by a cop for driving 5 miles over the speed limit or being robbed at a gas station at night
Yeah, USA sucks. I would never live there for safety reasons alone.
@@brittanymorgan09 You so hypocrite. You just replied to one, who live's in California, That you said you like to live it there too. Waa haha. That's USA too.
@@pearl-rl1yt parts of California are VERYYYYY different from the rest of the USA. I'd love to live there if safety wasn't an issue and I could afford it but it's more of a pipe dream than anything. Not realistic.
Weird that you are reading through all my replies though, obsessed much?
@@brittanymorgan09 That's Why, You get caught up, your hypocrisy lol
I believe every country has good sides and bad sides. I lived in NZ for 1.5 years, but it's really not for me. I agree with all you said.
Yeah, I have no admit, this is all fair enough. Genuinely legit.
I'm sharing my honest opinions, I'm not the type of person to sugarcoat anything or pretend like everything is fun and perfect haha. So I appreciate that you respect that 👍
I really appreciate you mentioning the lack of insulation, heater, or aircon. So many videos of New Zealand/Australia fail to mention that. I know a young lady who graduated university here in Los Angeles and moved to Sydney Australia. The only dumpy apartment she could afford had no insulation, heat or aircon. Whatever the temp was outside, that is what it was in the apartment. She literally froze her ass off in the winter and roasted in summer, was difficult to get comfortable. She moved back to her home in Minnesota! @@brittanymorgan09
Yeah NZ made me feel like a total outsider and very lonely on the edge of the earth. Back in Europe now.
Hi. One thing that really concerns me, is my age. Does age matter, when it comes to getting jobs in New Zealand? I’m in my early 40’s. Please let me know. Thanks 👍
It might be tough to get a visa at that age, all working holidays are under age 35 so you'd have to get a seasonal/farm job or be on an expedited visa in a field that's needed in NZ. The NZ immigration website is a great source to go through all your options!
Now it’s a requirements from the government that all houses should be insulated
Houses are insulated in NZ, just not up to Canadian standards 😆
Some are, older ones sometimes aren't. We lived in a house in Roxburgh and it wasn't insulated, freezing cold at night!
@@brittanymorgan09if they are not insulated, then they will be breaching NZ healthy homes standards, which a lot landlords are a bit slummy and do breach the laws.