This place is the pits - a holiday and nothing more

With all the continuous reports of young educated Kiwis leaving permanently for Australia, UK or the US, you might want to question why. Brain Drain has been a hot topic here since the 70s, an abundant lack of opportunities for young people.

But still, if you really want to come here for the countryside, beaches, the sea, quiet then this is the place for you.

Other things you'll need to get used to: Broadband really sucks, it's expensive and bandwith is on a par with developing countries...you've been warned. And things move very slowly here...people are no friendlier here than they are in Australia.

Develop a thick skin too - some maoris are blatantly racist towards pakeha (white people) and other non indigenous new zealanders, nothing gets done about it so lump it while you're here.

I'm leaving NZ in a month so I don't feel too bad about the place right now but if I found out tomorrow that I could never leave, I think i'd have to kill myself.

K 10 Mar 2009, 06:09 - Report