Is your daily life different now than if you'd stayed home?

Crumble Froo

So despite costs and salaries and crap tea, most of us are here cos we love something about New Zealand that we don't have at home - a steady job, warmer weather, different culture - whatever.

It's about the lifestyle. I've said it, and I've seen it here, plenty.

So is your lifestyle different? What's so different about it? Is it something that New Zealand can offer that Ireland simply can't, or is it the motivation of being in a new and different place?

Rosy Posy

I'm a SAHM here. I don't think that would be possible for us back in Ireland. Also I have lots of friends who are SAHMs too which is definitely not the case with my mates in Ireland, pretty much everyone goes back to work and gives their kids to a creche or their mam.

The lifestyle is so much better for the kids- we live in a really safe area, have a massive section and the weather is good for them to be outside heaps. We have tonnes of fruit in the garden. Its such a different childhood to mine, growing up in Dublin, or to our friends and family's kids back home. Also I think that kids here need less stuff- they're not as conscious of whats cool or not, and its so much cheaper and easier to have a family day out- picnics, tramping or the beach or hours and hours at the playground as opposed to having to come home early because its freezing cold/p!ssing rain.

I find the maternity care a lot better here with independent midwifery- I'd hate to have a baby in Ireland. Also the medical system is better- my OH is a healthcare professional and finds that there are more resources here. He works less hours than he would have to if we were in Ireland too.

Things are a lot less formal here, which is a good and a bad thing. I do miss getting properly dressed up for a night out, but it is nice to be able to leave the house in 5mins too.

All in all I don't think we could go back now...if only it wasn't so far away!

justshane

Crumble Froo wrote: »

So despite costs and salaries and crap tea, most of us are here cos we love something about New Zealand that we don't have at home - a steady job, warmer weather, different culture - whatever.

It's about the lifestyle. I've said it, and I've seen it here, plenty.

So is your lifestyle different? What's so different about it? Is it something that New Zealand can offer that Ireland simply can't, or is it the motivation of being in a new and different place?

I think twinnings or tinnings in the red box is daecent tae. Similar to anything back home I reckon.

Rosy Posy

justshane wrote: »

I think twinnings or tinnings in the red box is daecent tae. Similar to anything back home I reckon.

My mammy posts/brings out Barry's. Otherwise the twinings Irish breakfast tea in the green box is ok.

MrCreosote

Another one getting Barry's posted out here!

I get to work parttime, and spend much more time with the kids. This would be very difficult for me to do in Ireland. I also get to cycle to work which is great, and again would be very hard to do in Ireland. I get paid less of course, but it's way more worthwhile.

Don't get to see as much of the extended family of course- I think it gets harder as times goes on, and the other major difference is the amount of time I spend bitching about the crappy drivers here! The standard of driving in NZ is the one thing that drives me insane- and I'm getting less tolerant of it, not more.

tom_ass19

You can get Barrys tea from the English Food shop on Riccarton Rd in Chch. It's on the same block as Westfield Mall.

They even have Digestives!!!!

spunkymunky

Who cares about the tea when you have the coffee here!! I can honestly say ive had about 5 cups of tea this year and i have a bag of lyons in the press!
Coffee machine in my house and i just go to roaster I like and buy the beans!!

Otherwise
I like the variety of thing you can do here.
Jump in a car for 30 mins and you could be sitting in a vineyard, cheese makers, microbrewery, beaching, surfing, hiking, kayaking, lazing etc.
Jump in a car for a few hours and you could be skiing snowboarding, hiking further, camping, caving, bungy, parachuting etc.
I suppose that’s the weather covered!!

The people, in my experience, are so friendly and welcoming. Also very encouraging and enthusiastic. Have you been here or there….try this place, its great. And no begrudgery.
Was in Waiheke last weekend with the missus and we were walking to a vineyard, it started to rain and a lady pulled over and offered us a lift to shelter…

You can go to the beach by yourself, chill out, leave your stuff and go for a swim and it will still be there when you get back.
I also feel totally safe here. Never seen problems at night (the papers say otherwise though).

With regards work and salaries…im doing better and earning more than I would back home.
Family, friends and some other home comforts aside…. I hate to say but New Zealand has Ireland beat for me!

shedweller

Lived in NZ a few years ago but left because we were desperately broke, despite both myself and my wife working in (what we thought and others) reasonably well paid jobs. We couldn't afford much of this lifestyle people kept talking about. It killed my photography hobby because it was so overwhelmingly expensive! The only time we bought clothes was in the sales in kathmandu!

Lovely place and i agree with most of what the above posters have said. It really is a lovely, safe, laid back place but by god it is hard to do anything when you're broke!

We found the twinings english breakfast tea was a very good substitute for barrys tea.
And there was a soy&linseed sliced pan we used to get in countdown that was delightful!

Rosy Posy

tom_ass19 wrote: »

You can get Barrys tea from the English Food shop on Riccarton Rd in Chch. It's on the same block as Westfield Mall.

They even have Digestives!!!!

Countdown has Digestives (plain and chocolate) and HobNobs (ditto). They're in with the normal biscuits and they're frequently on special.

The coffee here is great. I struggled to get a decent cup of coffee last time I was home.

spot_light

I lived and worked in new Zealand for a while fifteen years ago , bar the weather , Ireland is superior on every level IMO

TrueDub

spot_light wrote: »

I lived and worked in new Zealand for a while fifteen years ago , bar the weather , Ireland is superior on every level IMO

A very broad statement. Some context and a little elaboration is needed I think.

spot_light

TrueDub wrote: »

A very broad statement. Some context and a little elaboration is needed I think.

superior wages

superior service ( you cannot complain in new Zealand about anything )

warmer people ( kiwis are like scots )

better nightlife

properly built houses are the norm ( in new Zealand they are rare )

culture and arts ( new Zealanders have no interest in it )



il think of more later

shedweller

spot_light wrote: »

superior wages

superior service ( you cannot complain in new Zealand about anything )

warmer people ( kiwis are like scots )

better nightlife

properly built houses are the norm ( in new Zealand they are rare )

culture and arts ( new Zealanders have no interest in it )



il think of more later

Well, i'll partly give you the wages. There seems to be a huge wage gap.

Superior service? There are quite a few services in Ireland that leave an awful lot to be desired. I found businesses in NZ to be very helpful and intelligent about their product.

Kiwis are cold? Thats a bit harsh and mostly untrue. I found them very warm and welcoming. They really do look out for each other and newcomers. You could be dying on the side of the road here in Ireland and people would be afraid to help! I had a garage lend me a car for a week while i was waiting for my money to be wired over from Ireland to buy another car off them! No deposit, only a phone number and a passport number!

The nightlife was poor enough in fairness but it's not the be all and end all is it? (I hadn't the money for one anyway but thats beside the point)

Older houses in NZ were poor enough in terms of insulation etc but irish houses have been abysmal up until very recently!

Culture and arts. Plenty of it in NZ. It's just not as old as IRL.
I do love that whole polynesian thing and the fact that they sailed across the pacific all those years ago! It's a different kind of history to the type we are used to here in Europe and i suppose it takes a bit of getting the head around it to appreciate it more.
You'll find a lot of people might not be that into culture like going to see a play or buying art etc. but that costs money and as i pointed out above, it is in short supply for a lot of people so they just dont have it to spend on shows etc.

Rosy Posy

I have to say that the dearth of culture and nightlife here can get a bit depressing, but I also think I'm not comparing like with like- in Ireland I lived in Dublin, here we live semi-rurally. There seems to be plenty going on when we visit Auckland or Wellington.

I do find that it's very hard to get kiwis to do anything beyond drink beer in a shed. They're hardly ever up for going out for a meal or to the pub- I think they see it as a waste of money where as our Irish friends here and at home are more likely to say fcuk it and scrimp on something else for the sake of a night out.

spot_light

shedweller wrote: »

Well, i'll partly give you the wages. There seems to be a huge wage gap.

Superior service? There are quite a few services in Ireland that leave an awful lot to be desired. I found businesses in NZ to be very helpful and intelligent about their product.

Kiwis are cold? Thats a bit harsh and mostly untrue. I found them very warm and welcoming. They really do look out for each other and newcomers. You could be dying on the side of the road here in Ireland and people would be afraid to help! I had a garage lend me a car for a week while i was waiting for my money to be wired over from Ireland to buy another car off them! No deposit, only a phone number and a passport number!

The nightlife was poor enough in fairness but it's not the be all and end all is it? (I hadn't the money for one anyway but thats beside the point)

Older houses in NZ were poor enough in terms of insulation etc but irish houses have been abysmal up until very recently!

Culture and arts. Plenty of it in NZ. It's just not as old as IRL.
I do love that whole polynesian thing and the fact that they sailed across the pacific all those years ago! It's a different kind of history to the type we are used to here in Europe and i suppose it takes a bit of getting the head around it to appreciate it more.
You'll find a lot of people might not be that into culture like going to see a play or buying art etc. but that costs money and as i pointed out above, it is in short supply for a lot of people so they just dont have it to spend on shows etc.

I cannot believe you think kiwis are more neighbourly than irish people , I lived and worked in rural new Zealand and people barley knew their neighbours , irish people are incredibly nosey of course but that's the price you pay for friendliness

the kiwi response to anything remotely approaching a complaint is " stop whining or get over it "

spunkymunky

spot_light wrote: »

the kiwi response to anything remotely approaching a complaint is " stop whining or get over it "

Really....an opinion from 15 years ago? Things progress a little slower here but come on!
Ive lived here on and off, mainly on, for the last 3+ years and dont see this often at all. I find the service here very friendly and efficient. Overly attentive sometimes.

Your average mate might tell ya to get on with it but not when you're paying for a service.

Kiwi's are a little tougher to get to know and i would consider the Irish a little more open but like yo said, theres a little bit of being nosey in there...."what have they got that I haven't??...the bastards"

pclancy

Its obvious people have very different experiences of New Zealand based on their income and where they chose to settle. You can be lucky and get a lifestyle you've always wanted and have a great time, or somewhat unlucky and have a hard time financially or get a bad impression of the place and its people through you're own level of contact with kiwis and culture. I do think there is a ton of art and culture related stuff going on in Wellington but can totally understand how life out in the country could be very empty and revolve around beer and weddings. But thats just the same as the lifestyle I left behind living out near the bog in Laois, except here the farms are way bigger and they dont drink as much guinness as Irish farmers

This happens no matter what country people emigrate to, you'l always find some things are better or worse then back home. I've made some great kiwi mates, have a kiwi partner and soon a part kiwi child so I'm certain that the ones I know anyway are great people that stick up for each other and work very hard in life. I know some total losers as well but I can list plenty of losers from my home town in Ireland too.

Different strokes for different folks, life is what you make of it and NZ is a great place to live and have a family. Ireland has a lot of problems but will always be home no matter how long I live here. Its just really nice to be able to get back on a plane after a visit and come back down here to a country that isnt spoiled yet by years of bad management.

Cookie_Monster

I've taken up running and the ability go get out in the evenings in the heat and sun (not so much now of course) is such a big plus. I also try to get out cycling 8-10km at lunch instead of just sitting at my desk.

Get up earlier, not just during the week for work but get up to do something active before work and generally never sleep in weekends any more either.

Eat better; the cost of food and lower availability of handy but crap food like ready meals definitely has an impact here though. A negative turned to positive I suppose

Travel less, New Plymouth being pretty isolated and the cost & time of getting places, even within the North Island means even going away for a weekend is less frequent.

Crumble Froo

Interesting answers, some of what I'd expected and some not so much.

Yes, I still miss the tea, I miss my Lyons, AND the bloody English food shop on Riccarton Rd is gone now! There's two English food shops at the Riccarton Sunday markets though, but neither of them ever have Lyons (but do have Barry's).

My lifestyle has changed a lot from when I left - 6 years on there's some things I can say I'd definitely not be doing in Ireland, others, it seems somewhat inevitable I would have gotten into one way or another.

Safe to say my lifestyle changed all over again after the quakes, and I think it's taken me about two years now to admit that what my lifestyle was before the quakes, it hasn't been since. Love being able to bike everywhere though (despite the gnarly conditions at the mo), walking the dog on the beach or going to designated dogparks.

Most of the people I know here are big on the music/punk/metal scenes, and would live a lifestyle different from whatever the 'average' kiwi is, so they've had a big influence on my own - the combination of the kiwi and punk DIY ethos has seen me getting far more resourceful, creative, less consumerist and more likely to spend my free time actually *doing* something. Losing free tv has increased that, I'd say. If I was in Ireland, I'd be spending my time on messageboards with cheap internet and talking and thinking about stuff, rather than doing it.

Gotten into roller derby here too, which is something I was interested in in Ireland, but was looking at moving here when I had the chance to join up... I see now that in the south island alone there's 7 different leagues, with only 2-4 in all of Ireland - I suspect that will have had an impact too.

Vegetarian food is far far easier to do here than in Ireland, though I can't really compare food costs, considering the budget I was on before I left, haha.

Rosy Posy

Crumble Froo wrote: »

Gotten into roller derby here too, which is something I was interested in in Ireland, but was looking at moving here when I had the chance to join up... I see now that in the south island alone there's 7 different leagues, with only 2-4 in all of Ireland - I suspect that will have had an impact too.

Vegetarian food is far far easier to do here than in Ireland, though I can't really compare food costs, considering the budget I was on before I left, haha.

I play derby too! I think that even though there are more leagues here the ones over there seem to bout more regularly- the Dublin Rollergirls play teams from Britain and Europe quite frequently.

Also I find that there are less vegetarian options in restaurants here than there are here, although I live in the sticks here and lived in Dublin at home. You'll often find stuff in cafes like savoury muffins and scones that randomly have stuff like bacon in them without it being advertised as such.

pclancy

Curry is bloody excellent here. I love several of Wellington's Indian restaurants and never have a bad meal.

MrCreosote

pclancy wrote: »

Curry is bloody excellent here. I love several of Wellington's Indian restaurants and never have a bad meal.

Mm, Planet Spice in Newtown...it's out of this world!

pclancy

Yep, I practically paid their mortgage for them when I worked at the hospital

Curry Heaven is also excellent and the service is great from the lovely owner and his wife.

Temptations also good.

Newtown has a great selection of restaurants!

Crumble Froo

True, I don't really have the money to eat out, but find supermarkets much better for veg options. (Though if you like tofu, Kosco is totally the place).

I miss the Hare Krishna restaurant, used to be super cheap with delicious veg/vegan options, but as far as I know, they headed to Nelson after the quakes.

Wellington!!! Veg food!!! Anyone had the $2 tofu burgers from Basin Noodle House (or soemthing like that)... I know tofu has a bad rep, but honestly delicious - you know it's good when your meat-eating friends get excited about it and insist you try it.

Kiwi in IE

There is no good tea back home. Hated the stuff and never touched a drop before moving here. Drink about 6 cups a day now!

Kiwi in IE

Johnsons Grocery Store which used to be on Cashel St, but has now moved to the container mall near Ballantynes stock Barrys! We were back for 5 weeks in February and I was quickly reacquainted with how crap the tea is. Mum found me some Barrys in Johnsons.

Kiwi in IE

pclancy wrote: »

Curry is bloody excellent here. I love several of Wellington's Indian restaurants and never have a bad meal.

I so miss decent takeaway curry! A curry from anywhere in the town I live consists of chicken covered in McDonnells powder curry sauce! UGH! The whole point of getting a takeaway is lost when you have to make it yourself haha. And that is only if you can find the obscure 'exotic' ingredients like Tumeric, Garam Masala and Star Anise which are in every supermarket back home! Same goes for pizza. I miss Winnie Bagoes, Ruptured Duck and Memphis Belle pizza restaurants. Miss reduced cream and onion soup dip for 'CHIPS' . Oh, and boysenberry jam and ice cream. What is with boysenberries not existing here? And proper lamb souvlakis with tsisiki sauce. I assumed Kebabs here were a similar thing and nearly got sick! And nice coffee in nearly every cafe, that is very hit a miss here (mostly miss with a very occasional pleasant suprise).

I'll give you tea though!

MrCreosote

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

There is no good tea back home. Hated the stuff and never touched a drop before moving here. Drink about 6 cups a day now!

People only drink tea in Ireland because of the burnt crud or tasteless milky slop that passes for coffee there. The standards for coffee are so high in Wellington it's hard to get a bad cup. (Agree that the tea selection isn't the best)

Kiwi in IE

MrCreosote wrote: »

People only drink tea in Ireland because of the burnt crud or tasteless milky slop that passes for coffee there. The standards for coffee are so high in Wellington it's hard to get a bad cup. (Agree that the tea selection isn't the best)

The coffee here really is awful isn't it! Even if you ask for a double shot it often remains indistinguishable from hot milk. Then there are other times when you would prefer it was hot milk.

The thing I miss the most about NZ aside from friends and family, is the general lack of religion and religious influence. But that is a topic for the Atheism forum which I now frequent to keep me sane.

On the other hand, I find it almost impossible to believe anyone can be financially better off in New Zealand. I brought a home hair dye kit and 5 chicken thighs one day when I was back recently and it cost me $50. Now that is ridiculous! Roughly €30 for what would cost half that here. We earn the same amount of € here as we did NZ$, and the € goes a lot further.

Cookie_Monster

Kiwi in IE wrote: »

On the other hand, I find it almost impossible to believe anyone can be financially better off in New Zealand. I brought a home hair dye kit and 5 chicken thighs one day when I was back recently and it cost me $50. Now that is ridiculous! Roughly €30 for what would cost half that here. We earn the same amount of € here as we did NZ$, and the € goes a lot further.

Despite the greater expense of many things I can say, without a doubt, we are much better off financially here than in Ireland. Both are jobs pay considerably better than at home.

Kiwi in IE

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Despite the greater expense of many things I can say, without a doubt, we are much better off financially here than in Ireland. Both are jobs pay considerably better than at home.

We have found the exact opposite having moved from NZ to Ireland in 2010. Expenses here (taxes mostly) do seem to be continuously creeping up, but our disposable income is still a lot higher. It may be to do with the fact that we brought a house here for half the price a similar house would cost at home. Our current mortgage is half what our mortgage in NZ was before we sold up. I remember the week we came back after a few weeks in NZ and I was delighted doing the grocery shopping, as everything seemed so cheap after 5 weeks of NZ prices. We did move from CHCH to just outside of a small town in Ireland, so we are not quite comparing like with like.