Moving to New Zealand - What Nobody Tells You! 2019 Part 4
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ต.ค. 2024
- #newzealand #workvisa #skilledmigrantvisa
New Zealand is paradise to me, and yet as a Black British woman, who grew up in the cultural melting pot and fashion capital of London (but also lived deep in the British countryside for 12 years), it is not without it's challenges - things that no one, and no source of information, warned me about before emigrating.
In this - Part 4 of a 4 part series, I offer some no holds barred insights, into a few of the secret joys and agonies of living in New Zealand, from the unique perspective of a Brit, of African heritage.
This series was originally conceptualised as one video, but it ended up being broken down into parts, so I hope it's more digestible for you. When I say, "the points I've mentioned today" I am actually referring to areas I've touched on across the entire 4-part series.
I recommend that you watch all four parts of the series before you pass judgement, and please be mindful that there is ZERO tolerance for racist or cruel comments on this channel.
If you are thinking about emigrating to this wonderland, but are searching for the REAL TEA on important aspects of life here - such as the cost of living, in real terms (for normal, non-Bill-Gates-types), the climate-crisis-reality weather patterns for North Island in 2019, and a glimpse into the heart-bursting magic, that no images on the internet, or blog can accurately describe - then you've come to the right place!
Grab yourself a cuppa, get ready to be surprised, delighted - and yes, maybe a little disappointed too, as I perhaps burst a few of your fantasy bubbles about this land. But most of all, get ready to have a giggle with me, as I dissect the things make me scratch my head, or laugh out loud about New Zealand life.
Life is truly beautiful - ESPECIALLY, in Aotearoa (New Zealand)!
Want more? Me too! :)
Get my free e-book, for even more great tips and little-discussed truths about living here, from a British perspective: The (Almost) Deal-Breaker about Real Life in New Zealand that No one Talks About. For your free copy, email: ngozichione@gmail.com
Listen anytime - to my amazing radio show ;) Access Soul Food, sponsored by Govett Quilliam, legal specialists: www.accessradi...
See you in the next vlog! Thank you SO much for watching, and for being awesome. x
Thank goodness for this none paid broadcasted realism. This is your just realism! Thank you Ms for these parts of info! Love the content.
This is the honest perspective I've been looking for, thank you so much for sharing! 💛
You’re so welcome Cassandra Reece and welcome to the Soul Food whānau! 💜 I hope the other parts of this video are useful to you as well.
Is there no ride shares like Uber or Lyft?
Kia Ora Gwen. Thanks for your response. I certainly will check out the interview. I find your videos really fresh and so honest. Thanks again for sharing.
You are so welcome Sunita!
So, I know this is like a year old, but I just wanted to say thank you so much for posting about your experience in New Zealand!
My fiancé and I are looking to move in a year or so from America. I’m also a therapist and I’m so thankful to hear your thoughts! ❤️ I’ll slowly just binge your videos, don’t mind me!
Aw, thank you Lauren! 😄✨💕 It’s wonderful how so many are drawn to this content. Welcome to the Soul Food Whānau 🥳 you’re very welcome! I hope you enjoy what you find on my channel. I hope to see you in the comments again! 😃 From your warm energy I have a feeling that you will love Aotearoa.❤️ Kia Ora!
We are a very young country. Considered the youngest on the planet (which is what it means to be conquered by the British.) however Maori have been here hundreds of years longer. As an indigenous culture we are the most recognised and respected by any government in comparison to the rest of the world but there are still a lot of short comings and hurt felt by the Maori as it’s only a little more than 150 or so years ago that we signed the treaty of waitangi. The British immigrants that did eventually migrate here once this was signed by all tribes and the crown, were poor and middle class that did not want to go to Australia as it was a penile colony. And being ships coming to the bottom of the world, it was a live from the land, build your own situation. I can remember the very little variety we had here as recent as the 80’s and 90’s. So the amount of choice and variety we have now is huge in the cities, but not comparable to some places. The cost of living in New Zealand has always been high as we want to try and keep up with the rest of the world and majority of our good quality food is exported. Back in the 80’s and 90’s that was to the UK but now most goes to China. I can’t speak for a tiny place like the naki as I’m from Welly but we have farmers markets that we use and this is the only way to get quality for money. Or during lockdown when we actually got to taste true kiwi lamb again that didn’t go overseas. Also don’t buy meat or seafood from supermarkets if u actually want any quality. Again in the 80’s we still went to a butcher, bakers, fruit shop and fish mongers. But embracing modern malls killed the locals and we have only started last decade getting our farmer’s markets back.
So moral of the story I think is if u r a tiny baby country at the bottom of the world who want the same things we see on our screens, we have to pay more for it all! But our environment, friendless and can do attitude (like shown during COVID-19) more than makes up for it.
But it does suck being poor I will say that!
Yes our mental health system sucks and must be even worse in small places like the naki with the No8 wire, gum boot mentality. You are brave being in the middle of the cattle farming region, coming from London.
BTW most cabs here are driven by foreigners lol.
Let me know if this makes sense or if I need to clarify anything. Or just if u have any questions at all about Nz or Welly.
Tú Meke on ur pronunciation.
Enjoyed ur rant 👍🏻
Thank you Michelle wyatt 💜 This info will be even more invaluable to those wanting to move here in 2020 and beyond, than to me. You’re right, that it is brave move for anyone to emigrate here, as we’re so isolated, (especially having never set foot on the land beforehand). 😂 I also agree with you that the heavenly and magnificent beauty of the country, make up for many of its shortcomings. It’s a pity I don’t sense that you watched the other parts to this series? You’d hear the balance of my overall view, at that time - a few months in (of course it’s since changed *again* There’s now a mini, updated version of this series). I am indeed from London 🇬🇧 born and raised, but I came via (a decade in) the Devon countryside, to Taranaki - so it’s not much of a shock to me, in terms of being a semi rural, beef farming land. East Devon is much the same! Thanks again for stopping by. Your comment will help many.
gwendolinechione I did watch the others and I really like them a lot.
I just want you’re viewers to know that we are still a baby and while our stores lack in comparison to other places, we are all fortunate enough to now have internet shopping. But I appreciate not wanting to buy foundation online unless u have the brand and name already. I do know though if u go to the right pharmacy, they will be more than happy to accommodate u. We have a large African refugee population down here in Wellington, so I’m sure there would be places who would have that beautiful skin colour u have on hand. Hope ur finally at home here now.
I so agree with everything you say here. As an Australian who moved to NZ a few years ago, have found this to be the case. Michelle Wyatt is correct about supermarkets having poor quality fruit, veg and meat because all of the good stuff is exported. Also housing and buying a house in a major city in NZ is a major issue for most people as you are looking at poor quality housing and for 3 or 4 times the cost as in the UK. It's just no feasible and difficult to say that NZ will become your forever home when you cant afford to buy a house. If the housing situation changed it would definitely encourage more people to settle for good in NZ rather thanmoving to Australia or the UK
More! What about creepy crawlies, and how would you compare Oatearoa to Australia?
Or even to Ulimaroa, to keep language references consistent.
We don’t have any deadly wildlife here. Our native spider that is scary to see is a weta.
I have lived in Australia and New Zealand and I'm a New Zealander, so I'm definitely biaised, there are some similarities between the two countries but also a lot of differences. Something I noticed in Australia was the more outward racism. I was shocked by the way people spoke there about people with dark skin or anyone who wasn't white. It seems to be part of there culture to point out differences and tease people to their face. Often I don't think they know they're being offensive or even meaning to offend, it's just something they do without thinking. It can feel like they are in your face or rude if you're not used to it. But on the flipside, they can be very warm, open and welcoming.
New Zealanders are much more reserved and won't necessarily be honest about what they think as they worry a lot about offending people. You will hear the word "sorry" a lot in NZ even when there's nothing to be sorry about, or you were the one at fault. New Zealanders are almost desperate to show foreigners how kind we are - we care a lot about what the outside world thinks of us, sometimes to a fault. I think it comes from a sort of lack of self confidence. In the case of Maori, it's is a cultural thing to be very welcoming to guests, so you will be very well looked after by those communities.
It's much hotter in Australia and the weather is more consistent. Obviously it depends on what part of Australia you are in.
You don't need to worry about poisonous insects or dangerous animals in NZ. No snakes. Australia has poisonous spiders and snakes. I didn't come across any in my time there though, except a fabulous, and huge, spider I saw in a web once. I don't know if it was poisonous or not.
New Zealand is a lot smaller, so the choice when you go to the supermarket etc is a lot more limited. Australia, in the big cities is more like other international cities.
The variety of restaurants and takeaways in Australia is far superior to NZ and the price of food is much cheaper. You can get a lot more authentic ethnic food in Australia. In New Zealand often the ethic restaurants aren't very authentic and cater more to NZ tastes.
Australia has beautiful, manicured beaches and warm water, but watch out for sharks! NZ beaches are beautiful too, but more wild/rugged and the water can be icy. We get sharks occasionally, but it's usually too cold for them to be a problem.
Apologies to any Aussies I've offended. These were just my observations after living there for 1 year.
There is one poisonous spider in NZ but no snakes or any creatures that cam hurt you like in Australia. You can camp here without fear of an animal attacking you. There are many beautiful birds in NZ
@@kathyheath9168 I agree Kathy, it's why I moved from Australia to New Zealand, the casual racism there against Aboriginal people there it breaks my heart
The 4 part videos have been a real eye opener as you rightfully say, the setbacks you have mentioned are definitely things not mentioned enough. Concerning to know that crime is so frequent as well as the unbelievably high cost of living.
Kia Ora Sunita, thank you for watching. It was a shock to me for sure. Some of the Kiwi commenters have argued that the crime issue is a known one, specific to Taranaki (and I've come to believe that there might be some validity to that - I've not looked at crime stat variations across the country). The high cost of living is accepted, but it does feed back into the former problem! There is, in my view - a *significant* wealth gap (though the same could be said of many countries now). This is partly - *because* of high food/fuel/home costs. That said - in my view, the crime is significantly fuelled by the ongoing mental health crisis, and post-colonial scarring of the nation. If you have seriously been considering a move here, you might also find my interview with MP Marama Davidson, enlightening too: www.accessradiotaranaki.com/player?ShowID=4890
The taxi industry was deregulated years ago. Part of the problem.
Kiwi's are natural ppl just like our country.
I am from New Zealand. I don't think our crime rates are particularly high. worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/crime-rate-by-country check this link out. Our crime index suggests that our crime rate is below the international average and indeed below the UK.
Crime rates in the U.K. are, I’m sure, much worse overall. Whereas, here in Aotearoa, I think there are ‘pockets’ of higher crime areas, where the intersection of the mental health crisis, meets the wealth gap, and the results are predictably challenging. Add to that mix, a walkable area (don’t need a car to live in area) and it’s a good recipe for those who have, to be sitting ducks for those who have much less and need things many of us throw away. My husband’s jacket was stolen out of our porch the other day (I went to replace it and it’s about $600). It’s the price of privilege and inequality that comes with a colonial legacy and systemic racism. So my account was all true ...whether we want to hear it or not. I never called the cops so much as in that first year. Despite the jacket theft, it’s calmed down this year, thanks to Rona and cops keeping us at home for a big chunk of time, earlier this year. Still *adore* my area. 🙏🏾Kia Ora.
Hi Gwendoline love your channel have subscribed, you seem like a lovely woman. As a fellow expat in NZ I wish you well xx
Aw, I'm honoured. Thank you so much DaytripDaisy and welcome to the Soul Food Whānau! I hope to see you in the comments section again soon! Ngā mihi my lovely.
uber has kinda solved this for me in wellington i no longer have to drunkenly tell the taxi how to get home but yer 8/10 times i would have to doll out directions
That’s awesome! 😃 Yeah, I only realise how *epic* London Black Taxi drivers are NOW I live abroad. These men and women actually have different brains 🧠 than the rest of us because having to do The Knowledge and learn every single street in the city literally changes their brain structure. 😃 Kia Ora from Taranaki 👋🏾
Food prices are a national scandal. The main problem is the food supply chain being controlled by two large retailers, Countdown and Foodstuffs. Breaking this duopoly up is a must, but the NZ political parties are cowards and won't touch it. Someone will point out various reports have been issued, but all that ever amounts to is kicking the can down the road.
Food quality is an ongoing issue. If we travel back in time, NZ food production was for export. So the best apples, pears, kiwifruit etc were exported and the locals got all the rejects. Believe it or not, Aotearoa can grow anything, but early planners decided against certain crops as NZ could not compete in terms of quantity. So, bananas tend to come from the Philippines, Ecuador or Mexico (as an example), even though there are commercial growers in Gisborne. You're right in that NZ cannot have the choice the UK does as it sits on the doorstep of two large continents all large producers of anything.
Racism: I think most racism in NZ stems from ignorance. There is institutional and structural racism, an example being banks not considering Maori land suitable for lending, consequently Maori houses on this land are often dilapidated. It's an absolute disgrace. Also, the criminal justice system operates a two-tier system, Pakeha (whites) get an easier ride through the system compared to brown skinned folk (Maori and Pacific Islanders). Consequently, a large majority of the prison population is from the latter group.
I grew up in Nelson at the top of the South Island. While I knew what an African looked like (I had read books), I had not actually set eyes on one until the live broadcast of the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch. NZ brought in colour TV for the first time and I recall my father going to town to buy a Philips K9 to watch the games with. Then after watching those events, some of the athletes turned up in Nelson to run in post-games events (NZ 1500m runner Rod Dixon lived in Nelson). This is when I saw my first black person in the flesh. I remember my father commenting as we watched them, some of them are sooty, while others are shiny. Fascinating.
Thanks for the vids it nice to have someone of Black-British perspective on New Zealand. Planning on holidaying new year there.
Thank you so much for watching and commenting!
You & hubby wd be best suited living in Mission Bay, AKL. And you will even have beautiful Rangitoto Island to look at every morning. Everything at yr finger tips. Bit pricey...always has been but moving from the UK to Taranaki NZ is abs bonkers. Kia Kaha 😂😍😂
Sounds beautiful! 😃😂❤️
@@ArchangelArchetypeOracle I wd really like yr take on the drug issues affecting rural NZ.
Great idea 💡 I will add this to my content list ✌🏾✨💛
Yes taxis and public transport are not as good as the UK by a long way. That comes down to density of population in the most part. Even Auckland is spread out , along with generational under investment in infrastructure accounts for this deficit.
I find the people in NZ is they are too layed back !! Cost of living in lieu with the 'Standards' is very hard to comprehend - and the fact mental health is not discussed, almost swept 'Under the Carpet', it does go hand-in-hand with crime, shame really !! Is it the fact , folks are in denial about such things/situations. I just turned 50, hoping to come to NZ North Island for a birthday-holiday, I was warned there is not much public transport. Your videos are great, insightful, and refreshing perspective on real life in NZ - Thank You Gwendoline
Thank you Catherine! I appreciate your kind comment. I agree with you that we have a loooong way to go, regarding mental health. And that is a huge part of why I am here - to help chip away at this difficult issue, blighting our nation (for anyone interested, see our stats for suicide, compared to the rest of the world). My particular, exceptional, specialist skills as a psychotherapist - are in rare supply. Unless one is an asylum seeker, that is pretty much the only way to get into Aotearoa - you have to be exceptional. And it's an honour to be part of the solution, which is saving lives and increasing the quality of life for all of us.
yeah well since Indian ppl move here they taken most of job's and brought out so many of our business i.e taxis.gas station . Dairy shops . takeaways.most of them I don't understand ..and all our best produce are exported.
As a Kiwi living in the UK,I was surprised at how cheap food is....and I mean toooo cheap! I often wonder what producers and workers in the supply chain are getting paid,I know Tesco are screwing farmers and putting them out of business,so it really is a double edged sword. Personally I'd be happy paying more for basic items in the knowledge that the people who produce them are living a decent life,I'm not sure that is the case currently. I do agree that food prices in NZ are a bit shocking.
I think I find the food prices shocking (well I did when I made this content ... used to it now), because we *could* grow virtually all our own! But the best produce goes abroad, and then we get leftovers and e.g. oranges 🍊 from America. 🤦🏾♀️ It’s why I grow my own and encourage all of us to do the same until good sense prevails. Kia Ora.
I appreciate your honesty in the good and bad! I've been doing quite a bit of research but hadn't yet come across someone using this degree of honesty! Thank you and I hope you're well!
Thank you so much for watching Emily 🙏🏾💕 I’m really glad that this has been useful to you. I have a 2020 update here: th-cam.com/video/C2jA6fgEtZY/w-d-xo.html 💕 Honesty has to be number 1 for me. In one of these vlogs (I forget which 😂) I give my email and invite anyone who would like it - to order my free e book on this same theme. That’s up to you. I’m just updating the e book, as we speak. The video workbook that’s coming will be the most comprehensive guide that I can offer, and there’ll be a charge for this. Discounted if ordered at the same time as the free ebook. 💕❤️💕 We’re super happy here, thank you 😊 If it’s your dream to come here-I hope you find a way too! 💫
Oops 🤦🏾♀️ this is the link updated vlog for 2020, which I meant to offer you Emily:
th-cam.com/video/m8rRRNP6zvk/w-d-xo.html
where is part 2 and 3
Kia Ora Chlorophant! I hope you might have found them since leaving this comment? Just use the same key words in a search with my name: Gwendoline Chione Moving New Zealand - you'll find them all, the updated vlog for 2020 and more! Enjoy and thank you for watching.
gwendolinechione thanks! I will take another look later tonight. Me and my wife are considering leaving the west coast of the USA for NZ. Trying to figure out if we would be happy! We can’t take the insane us politics anymore.
Of course ... I’m amazed you’re not all chartering private jets to get here. That will come in November. 😂 Feel welcome to get in touch with my sponsors - GQ Law, who have a great immigration department here: thelawyers.nz/ContactUs If you’re interested in the e course I’ve created which goes into even more detail than my free content here on TH-cam about my story of moving here and what we wish we’d known before moving, let me know. Tag me specifically @gwendolinechione as I don’t swim through the racist bull 💩 comments many leave here. And I probably won’t see your reply otherwise as it’s not easy to find in thread replies on TH-cam. Good luck, whatever you decide! If you subscribe I hope to see you in the comments of my other content too! Kia kaha 💕
I would say we have great fruit and veggies, you just need to know where to look and be willing to spend a bit more
That being said, my family are part of the top 15% of the county so take that with a grain of salt
Hi, where do you live in New Zealand? I worry about the racialism. Could you please make a video for this?
Kia Ora Emma, thank you for watching! Do subscribe and hit the notifications bell 🔔 so you don’t miss anything on this often asked question. You might also enjoy my Friday series: Brave Exploration of Te Reo Māori and Māori Culture.
Hi Gwendoline, loving your videos but just wanted to make a comment. Please be careful of making generalisations ... whether its about the weather, taxis, drivers, cold houses etc etc .... NZ is a very diverse country from top to bottom and what is normal for one area is completely different to another. Unless you have explored every area of NZ you can only really comment on the areas you know including Taranaki.
Kia Ora P S 👋🏾 thanks for watching and commenting respectfully. You’re absolutely right. Likewise, without following all my content across platforms and my work and commentary, on life here as a black woman, please do continue to be slow to judge what I’m saying here. Keeping in mind the time limited framework and intended audience (skilled workers and those wanting to make a real - not fantasy life here, coming from far away). I think some of those folks are hungry for something beyond the, “pure paradise” marketing, that reaches much of the world about our nation. I call Aotearoa, our imperfect paradise. If you stick around long enough or join the Soul Food Whānau you’ll get an even more balanced picture of my love for my new home. ✌🏾✨
gwendolinechione Why do Kiwis watch videos by Brits aimed at other Brits thinking of coming to NZ? Seems almost a bit nosey or voyeuristic. Are they feeling the need to monitor you in case you say something they don’t like? The great thing about this series is it is all about YOUR experiences. People can find out facts and figures about NZ from a hundred other sources if that’s what they are looking for. It’s the subjectivity that makes these videos unique and highly watchable.
🤷🏾♀️Mark the Demystifier & Retroactive Jealousy Support that’s one thing I can honestly say I *never* ever did..in all my years- born and raised in Great Britain 🇬🇧 never did I ever go to TH-cam and search or watch “Move to U.K.” videos from a foreign person directed at others wanting to emigrate to the U.K. Like, why would I do that? As a psychotherapist, my sense is that the defensiveness this series and my other move to Aotearoa content seem to generate, do belie a kind of insecurity. In my view, any such insecurity is wholly *unwarranted*
Small is beautiful and this year has shown us what an asset it is to be a more isolated nation, with a small population. Maybe it’s the opposite of (stereotypical) British arrogance. I don’t know, but I do find it interesting. All the extra comments have helped make this content, my most popular on TH-cam. 🙌🏾 Ultimately it’s all good! 😄I *truly* appreciate all the sensible comments! 💕 My new content is already monetised, through sponsorship 🙏🏾 But soon even the trolls will indirectly be paying me, thanks to expediting my TH-cam partnership.✌🏾
Yeah taxis right
Lol