New Zealand is a beautiful country to visit for a week at most. For those of you who are planning on relocating to NZ from a developed country, you should continue reading below.
1) New Zealanders (or Kiwis as they call themselves) can't take criticism.
If you are a foreigner living or visiting New Zealand, be careful what you say to the locals. They suffer from a serious case of small country syndrome and are in constant need for reassurance from others. They are obsessed with what the rest of the world thinks of them when in reality they are not even a blip on the international radar. Dare to mention anything negative about New Zealand and the Kiwis will get their backs up and verbally and even physically abuse you for it. Kiwis have the worst case of inferiority complex you will ever encounter. Be warned!
2) New Zealand Housing Quality is a Disaster.
Wet damp and drafty. The appallingly shoddy quality of housing and the ridiculous price that Kiwis pay. Unfortunately, it's not only until you enter a Kiwi home one realizes how bad the quality is. Fittings such as kitchens and bathrooms are extremely cheap. The carpet is crap and no one constructs anything with proper floors. Even worse is that the houses lack central heating, insulation or double-glazing, so it is often colder inside than outside. Many of the houses are not weather tight so one ends up with drafts or the inevitable mold that grows on walls etc. I have never seen such bad construction in my entire life. The Kiwi idea of central heating is wearing socks and a snow jacket inside. Asthma and respiratory illness is a way of life for Kiwi children.
3) New Zealand is Boring!
Ok, I'll say it right out, New Zealand is boring and dull as hell! The Kiwis have deluded themselves in believing they live in utopia when the truth of the matter is NZ is a depressing soul destroying country to live once the honeymoon period is over. Even the 'bustling metropolis' of Auckland is a ghost town with very little to do after 9pm. The main source of conversation here is sport 'Rugby' and the weather. Kiwis love talking about the weather! Most Kiwis end up leaving NZ for Australia or Europe when they realize there is nothing to do but go walking, or listen to crowded house records. There is no culture, jobs or excitement.
4) New Zealand Health Care.
The abysmal quality of medical care in NZ – it is really a false front. Of the over 100,000 complaints that the Health and Disability Commission receives each year, only TEN percent are ever investigated. Combine that disheartening statistic with the widespread inertia that most New Zealanders have towards making formal complaints (due to ignorance, acceptance, quiet despair, or fear that they will be targeted), and the significant difficulty inherent in making a formal complaint to begin with, and one realizes that the true size of the situation could be proportionately mind-boggling. Medical practitioners have crown immunity, and even if one could sue, it is most certain that the medical system’s twin, ugly sister the ‘justice system’ would intervene and protect all but the most heinous criminals. There is a workforce crisis in New Zealand’s hospitals. Specialist senior doctors are being lost and there is a shortage of cancer specialists. Staff are lost to Australia (where the salaries are 45% higher) and to private practice. The causes are: low pay by international standards, overwork and lack of resources to do the job.
5) Crime Poverty and Domestic Violence
New Zealand suffers from a high level of poverty, gang infestation, violence, endemic drug use, high crime rates, broken family structures, homelessness and poor education. Much of this is swept under the rug by New Zealand's Government. New Zealand has the highest youth suicide and domestic violence rates in the OECD.
6) Jobs and Salaries.
NZ is a low wage economy with many jobs demanding long work hours whilst employers tip toe around the edges of the employment laws and stringent Health & Safety requirements. If you can find a job in the first place, expect a salary to be 30-50% lower than countries such as the US UK and AU. Penny pinching becomes a way of Kiwi life, with many families living in borderline poverty, wearing second hand clothes and living friend's garages or even cars. Work place bullying is also reported to be rampant and tolerated in New Zealand. Kiwis are renown for nepotism towards fellow Kiwis, rejecting a more qualified job applicant due to 'not enough work experience in New Zealand'. If you do decide to migrate to New Zealand, be sure to have plenty of savings to fall back on.
7) High Cost of Living.
The low-wage/high cost of living is very disappointing. Everything from house prices, rent to entertainment clothes and groceries are a huge rip off in New Zealand. And considering the poor quality you receive for such high prices, this makes living in New Zealand almost impossible. Get used to paying up to 200% more than you do in the US or Europe. This low wage to high cost ratio has created a society of stingy penny pinching Kiwis. It is not unusual for Kiwis to be seen wearing second hand clothes, driving old clapped out cars, and even wearing snow jackets inside their home to save on heating bills.
8) Tall Poppy (Small Country Syndrome)
If there is one thing the Kiwis love doing the most, it is shit bagging people from other countries. It is a national sport to bash people from America, UK, South Africa and especially Australia. They also have a general hatred for Asians who are supposedly taking all their jobs. In the beginning I thought it was all just friendly rivalry, but many Kiwis have a tremendous amount of animosity especially towards Australians and Brits. Initially I thought it was all sport related, but all you need to do is read stuff.co.nz or get a bunch of Kiwis alone and listen to the relentless hatred and jealousy Kiwis have toward Aussies. Potential expats, you have been warned! Not many of us survive more than 12 months in this backwater.
1) New Zealanders (or Kiwis as they call themselves) can't take criticism.
If you are a foreigner living or visiting New Zealand, be careful what you say to the locals. They suffer from a serious case of small country syndrome and are in constant need for reassurance from others. They are obsessed with what the rest of the world thinks of them when in reality they are not even a blip on the international radar. Dare to mention anything negative about New Zealand and the Kiwis will get their backs up and verbally and even physically abuse you for it. Kiwis have the worst case of inferiority complex you will ever encounter. Be warned!
2) New Zealand Housing Quality is a Disaster.
Wet damp and drafty. The appallingly shoddy quality of housing and the ridiculous price that Kiwis pay. Unfortunately, it's not only until you enter a Kiwi home one realizes how bad the quality is. Fittings such as kitchens and bathrooms are extremely cheap. The carpet is crap and no one constructs anything with proper floors. Even worse is that the houses lack central heating, insulation or double-glazing, so it is often colder inside than outside. Many of the houses are not weather tight so one ends up with drafts or the inevitable mold that grows on walls etc. I have never seen such bad construction in my entire life. The Kiwi idea of central heating is wearing socks and a snow jacket inside. Asthma and respiratory illness is a way of life for Kiwi children.
3) New Zealand is Boring!
Ok, I'll say it right out, New Zealand is boring and dull as hell! The Kiwis have deluded themselves in believing they live in utopia when the truth of the matter is NZ is a depressing soul destroying country to live once the honeymoon period is over. Even the 'bustling metropolis' of Auckland is a ghost town with very little to do after 9pm. The main source of conversation here is sport 'Rugby' and the weather. Kiwis love talking about the weather! Most Kiwis end up leaving NZ for Australia or Europe when they realize there is nothing to do but go walking, or listen to crowded house records. There is no culture, jobs or excitement.
4) New Zealand Health Care.
The abysmal quality of medical care in NZ – it is really a false front. Of the over 100,000 complaints that the Health and Disability Commission receives each year, only TEN percent are ever investigated. Combine that disheartening statistic with the widespread inertia that most New Zealanders have towards making formal complaints (due to ignorance, acceptance, quiet despair, or fear that they will be targeted), and the significant difficulty inherent in making a formal complaint to begin with, and one realizes that the true size of the situation could be proportionately mind-boggling. Medical practitioners have crown immunity, and even if one could sue, it is most certain that the medical system’s twin, ugly sister the ‘justice system’ would intervene and protect all but the most heinous criminals. There is a workforce crisis in New Zealand’s hospitals. Specialist senior doctors are being lost and there is a shortage of cancer specialists. Staff are lost to Australia (where the salaries are 45% higher) and to private practice. The causes are: low pay by international standards, overwork and lack of resources to do the job.
5) Crime Poverty and Domestic Violence
New Zealand suffers from a high level of poverty, gang infestation, violence, endemic drug use, high crime rates, broken family structures, homelessness and poor education. Much of this is swept under the rug by New Zealand's Government. New Zealand has the highest youth suicide and domestic violence rates in the OECD.
6) Jobs and Salaries.
NZ is a low wage economy with many jobs demanding long work hours whilst employers tip toe around the edges of the employment laws and stringent Health & Safety requirements. If you can find a job in the first place, expect a salary to be 30-50% lower than countries such as the US UK and AU. Penny pinching becomes a way of Kiwi life, with many families living in borderline poverty, wearing second hand clothes and living friend's garages or even cars. Work place bullying is also reported to be rampant and tolerated in New Zealand. Kiwis are renown for nepotism towards fellow Kiwis, rejecting a more qualified job applicant due to 'not enough work experience in New Zealand'. If you do decide to migrate to New Zealand, be sure to have plenty of savings to fall back on.
7) High Cost of Living.
The low-wage/high cost of living is very disappointing. Everything from house prices, rent to entertainment clothes and groceries are a huge rip off in New Zealand. And considering the poor quality you receive for such high prices, this makes living in New Zealand almost impossible. Get used to paying up to 200% more than you do in the US or Europe. This low wage to high cost ratio has created a society of stingy penny pinching Kiwis. It is not unusual for Kiwis to be seen wearing second hand clothes, driving old clapped out cars, and even wearing snow jackets inside their home to save on heating bills.
8) Tall Poppy (Small Country Syndrome)
If there is one thing the Kiwis love doing the most, it is shit bagging people from other countries. It is a national sport to bash people from America, UK, South Africa and especially Australia. They also have a general hatred for Asians who are supposedly taking all their jobs. In the beginning I thought it was all just friendly rivalry, but many Kiwis have a tremendous amount of animosity especially towards Australians and Brits. Initially I thought it was all sport related, but all you need to do is read stuff.co.nz or get a bunch of Kiwis alone and listen to the relentless hatred and jealousy Kiwis have toward Aussies. Potential expats, you have been warned! Not many of us survive more than 12 months in this backwater.