Hi,
As a tourist in a foreign country, very often, we are enchanted with what we discover.
Living abroad is different. It's a rich experience but there are also some difficulties to face.
When people ask me for advice on living abroad, I then tend to say that one should also look at both sides of the postcard.
As an expat in New Zealand, how would you describe the two sides of your New Zealander postcard?
Thank you for sharing your experience,
Julien
The other side of the New Zealander postcard
Julien
21 February 2014 13:16:51
52413
morepork
24 February 2014 08:02:30
4
hello,
The two sides of the Nz postcard are not different from elsewhere. The really positive thing about Nz if you choose carefully where to settle down is that you quickly feel a nice home feeling... it is really easy to feel at home because people are so friendly. and nothing beats the beautiful NZ scenery. The real downside . in my opinion . about NZ is that if you leave behind dear ones in Europe, it is going to be challenging trying to catch up with family. Everything else, money, health, jobs, holidays, housing, culture, etc. is debatable and comes down to personal choice.... the choice about your personal emotions is going to be hard.
anyway, this is how I feel
king regards and good luck
veronique
kimilena
24 February 2014 08:23:06
6
NZ is a very easy country to live in. We moved here in 1995, were here for 13 years, went off for 5 years, then came back last year. We still find it a lovely country with many appealing aspects - lots of space, better weather than the UK :-) , friendly, accepting, open to new ventures, and much more.
For us the main downside is being so far from family who are all based in the UK - it means expensive trips home that take a long time and so can't be done on a regular basis. And the mail can take around 11 days!
And it's hard to find smoky bacon crisps...
abrax
25 February 2014 06:07:10
5
such a beautiful country so scenic and unique practically crime free.A tough one though finding and acquiring the decent jobs as foreigners even with being over qualified.
neddrick98
02 March 2014 03:32:58
11
I'd say the main thing is that as a tourist, you're only exposed to the fun stuff, but as an immigrant you have to do the boring stuff too - find work, find a house, struggle, interviews, wash dishes, buy food, pay parking fines etc. etc.
It's a little bit like going from dating to a live-in partnership...: it's easy to forget the fun stuff when you're bogged down with the boring stuff, but you have to try and remember why you moved.
I'd say family is a difficult thing, what with time differences (very frustrating) you can spend a good month without talking properly to family.
I also miss certain British foods, like prawn cocktail crisps! I still stand by my statement that even Heinz ketchup tastes different here 
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