I lived in Auckland from 89-91 and lived in fear of domestic burglary. Every creek in the house would wake me up and left me wondering was that the sound of someone breaking. To get a good night's sleep I used to barricade my bedroom door. The small corner shop next to my house was also ram raided in the middle of the night. The house on the other side burnt down. It seems like things haven't got any better.
Auckland has gotten much worse and now Aucklanders keep moving to the South Island where crime and immigration were always lower. South Islanders hate Aucklanders moving here. The mainlanders (South Islanders) get riled up about Aucklanders driving up house prices.
I went to New Zealand in 2019, and stayed in Auckland a few days, but never rented a car. I just used Uber, and walked a lot, being right in town by the Maritime Museum. Also spent a few days in Queenstown, which was so beautiful, but again, used Uber for everything. Never saw any crime there either, even visiting the Skyline, most beautiful scenery view. Perhaps things have changed, but definitely would like to visit again.
NZ has amazing scenery the best sunsets I've ever seen. Everyone should visit NZ at least once in their lives. If you go back to Queenstown, there is a new holiday park called Driftaway Queenstown that has great views of the sunsets. The tourist holiday parks are normally safe - the problems only arise when there are long-term welfare beneficiaries living in the holiday parks.
Life in NZ got much worse during Jacinda's time in power, partly due to the poor decision to extend the lock-down to 2 years; our economy never recovered from that. Gross overspending and wastage, and money disappearing offshore also occurred during her time in power. But some factors, such as Australia deporting NZ criminals back home and NZ's rising meth use would have happened either way, and automation and AI taking jobs is happening regardless of who is in power.
😂 But seriously though, with meth usage doubling and Australia deporting NZ criminals and gang members back here, the freedom camps and parks are not the safe places that I played in as a small child in the 1980s.
Never ever had any problems with gangs. In fact use to live across the road from what i think was Gang members children. Every now and again things would get a bit out of control. It was always a patched member that turned up and sorted it out. They were always friendly, always felt like I was talking to a real Human.
Which region? Gangs generate their revenue mostly by selling drugs to people (often hooking them when they're still teens), and then the drug addicts break into cars and houses to steal to fund their habit, so it's more the druggies that commit crime against people in my experience. The gang members themselves don't typically attack members of the public much from what I've seen because that would bring unwanted police attention, so the gangs mostly attack each other, and they'll attack a druggie who hasn't paid their debt. When I lived in the Hutt Valley, a guy was murdered for not paying up. As long as you never buy or use drugs, I find there is no reason to cross paths with gangs, but indirectly, they're responsible for a lot of NZ's crime because they sell to addicts who commit crime.
Nelson isn't bad 🥰 When I lived in the Hutt Valley, the gangs caused all sorts of trouble for the locals and for the police. Auckland has been bad for years. Christchurch used to be considered safe when I was a child, but the recent meth-fuelled murder of the dog walker has woken Christchurch up to the fact that it's no long the safe city it was a few decades ago. The government's $9 million boost on crime prevention and ram raid prevention last year was a good move; it helped to install bollards in front of many shops.
I recommend trying out a motorhome rental (which you can drive on your car license) and staying in holiday parks. Hotels and motels in New Zealand are not that safe either because the government was housing welfare beneficiaries in motels and sometimes they use drugs and trash the place. A motel employee told me these types steal everything from the kettle, microwave and toaster to the sofas, towels and bedding. I'd rather be in an RV in a holiday park than staying in a motel room next to those types of people.
😊 Americans say "pick-up truck", but in NZ and Australia we think of a "truck" as a heavy vehicle, so we say "ute". Ute is short for "utility vehicle." Aussie and Kiwi men are obsessed with utes because you can use them for everything.
I lived in Auckland from 89-91 and lived in fear of domestic burglary. Every creek in the house would wake me up and left me wondering was that the sound of someone breaking. To get a good night's sleep I used to barricade my bedroom door. The small corner shop next to my house was also ram raided in the middle of the night. The house on the other side burnt down. It seems like things haven't got any better.
Auckland has gotten much worse and now Aucklanders keep moving to the South Island where crime and immigration were always lower. South Islanders hate Aucklanders moving here. The mainlanders (South Islanders) get riled up about Aucklanders driving up house prices.
Thanks for the heads-up, didn't realise the meth usage was escalating so quickly.
I went to New Zealand in 2019, and stayed in Auckland a few days, but never rented a car. I just used Uber, and walked a lot, being right in town by the Maritime Museum. Also spent a few days in Queenstown, which was so beautiful, but again, used Uber for everything. Never saw any crime there either, even visiting the Skyline, most beautiful scenery view.
Perhaps things have changed, but definitely would like to visit again.
NZ has amazing scenery the best sunsets I've ever seen. Everyone should visit NZ at least once in their lives. If you go back to Queenstown, there is a new holiday park called Driftaway Queenstown that has great views of the sunsets. The tourist holiday parks are normally safe - the problems only arise when there are long-term welfare beneficiaries living in the holiday parks.
@@caravanlifenz Thanks, will do.
So this is Jacinda's legacy?
Life in NZ got much worse during Jacinda's time in power, partly due to the poor decision to extend the lock-down to 2 years; our economy never recovered from that. Gross overspending and wastage, and money disappearing offshore also occurred during her time in power. But some factors, such as Australia deporting NZ criminals back home and NZ's rising meth use would have happened either way, and automation and AI taking jobs is happening regardless of who is in power.
Crickey babe, I bet the NZ Tourist Board love you!
😂 But seriously though, with meth usage doubling and Australia deporting NZ criminals and gang members back here, the freedom camps and parks are not the safe places that I played in as a small child in the 1980s.
Never ever had any problems with gangs. In fact use to live across the road from what i think was Gang members children. Every now and again things would get a bit out of control. It was always a patched member that turned up and sorted it out.
They were always friendly, always felt like I was talking to a real Human.
Which region? Gangs generate their revenue mostly by selling drugs to people (often hooking them when they're still teens), and then the drug addicts break into cars and houses to steal to fund their habit, so it's more the druggies that commit crime against people in my experience. The gang members themselves don't typically attack members of the public much from what I've seen because that would bring unwanted police attention, so the gangs mostly attack each other, and they'll attack a druggie who hasn't paid their debt. When I lived in the Hutt Valley, a guy was murdered for not paying up. As long as you never buy or use drugs, I find there is no reason to cross paths with gangs, but indirectly, they're responsible for a lot of NZ's crime because they sell to addicts who commit crime.
@@caravanlifenz Nelson
Nelson isn't bad 🥰 When I lived in the Hutt Valley, the gangs caused all sorts of trouble for the locals and for the police. Auckland has been bad for years. Christchurch used to be considered safe when I was a child, but the recent meth-fuelled murder of the dog walker has woken Christchurch up to the fact that it's no long the safe city it was a few decades ago.
The government's $9 million boost on crime prevention and ram raid prevention last year was a good move; it helped to install bollards in front of many shops.
I'm definitely hiring a car and staying in hotels now.
I recommend trying out a motorhome rental (which you can drive on your car license) and staying in holiday parks. Hotels and motels in New Zealand are not that safe either because the government was housing welfare beneficiaries in motels and sometimes they use drugs and trash the place. A motel employee told me these types steal everything from the kettle, microwave and toaster to the sofas, towels and bedding. I'd rather be in an RV in a holiday park than staying in a motel room next to those types of people.
UTEs. What's that in English? 🤣
😊 Americans say "pick-up truck", but in NZ and Australia we think of a "truck" as a heavy vehicle, so we say "ute". Ute is short for "utility vehicle." Aussie and Kiwi men are obsessed with utes because you can use them for everything.