Aw Glen and Mado! You really are the first TH-camrs/travel bloggers that have been so interested and learnt so much about the CHCH earthquakes. I feel like (New Zealander's included) come here and kinda of go "oh yep, there was an earthquake. That's a bummer. Cool, what's next?". I can understand that as when you travel it can be hard/overhwelming to emotionally tune into your empathy for the history of where you are but you have both done that and it's so validating and refreshing to see. Thank you so much for talking to the locals and having real conversations, it would be so validating for them and us as there is still so many ongoing struggles for so many even a decade on. You're like wee gonzo journalists too hehe. Your kind and genuinly interested attitudes and empathy for the people and locals you meet here is so appreciated. Thanks for being gorgeous. Safe travels down south over the summer X
Awh you’re an absolute gem 💎 we do our best to document our trip and keep it interesting! It’s not easy but we keep trying 🙂 we always want to see an insight of what’s really going on in each city and town too! Love a good chat with the locals as that’s we’re you get your information from 🙂
Wellington is built on the harbour on recovered land and Auckland is built on numerous volcanoes .. what is your point? The whole of New Zealand is a geologically active site. Have you told Venice your advice as well?
I drive around all of the Red Zone every time I'm there. My only grandchildren live down there. I love to park down by the Avon in the Red Zone in the shade of the trees, wander along the old streets. But, my first visits were just disbelief, sadness.
Great vid.. but one correction.. you were no where neear the "Rich" as you call it of Chirstchurch. THe real ( old) money is in Fendalton, Merivale , and the outlying Canterbury Plains.
Clearwater is more rich than merivale and fendalton combined Clearwater building has massive restrictions like you have to spend a minimum amount on each part of the house
It's a blessing in disguise for the city. A huge green space for all to enjoy in the middle of suburbia. Will be great once they've completed it and planted more trees and plants. Plans for parks, cycleways, community gardens etc
Thank you for exploring some of the places away from the normal tourist tracks, Im loving your genuine reactions and interest. You may have already been told that there are bigger and more expensive houses in the hills out towards Sumner and Taylor's mistake (a very nice little surf beach). Christchurch is a tale of two cities, many people lost everything, while many others have done well out of it. The city experienced an internal migration from the east to west and south which is why some areas like Rolleston and Lincoln have seen massive growth in recent years.
Great episode. There’s still a lot of people in Christchurch, like myself, still trying to get their homes shorted out with EQC and insurance companies. EQC has paid us out, but our insurance company not complying. Been to court with the Disputes Tribunal and had a win. But all that means is another engineering reports on the property. But with say that, and living through a major earthquakes sequence, as there was thousands of aftershocks, for some reasons makes you even more graceful in life. Life can change in a split second, and you must live for today, as tomorrow is not a given. New Zealand may shake, be volcanic, but the majesty of its beauty is breathtaking. If it wasn’t for its earthquakes, and volcano’s, we wouldn’t have the most amazing scenery to show off to the world. If your back up in Canterbury and around the Amberly area. Check out the Amberley pie shop. My husband’s bit of a pie connoisseur and reckon they’re amazing and the best. I know you’re loving the pies in New Zealand so give them a go.
ive only just started the video so i dont know if she’s mentioned this, but they cant start building because of the ground after the earthquakes, atleast thats what my dad told me. so it could take like 10+ years for the rebuild (if this comment is about the empty plot)
I remember the day of the earthquake like it was yesterday. That day, I had so much fear for my life it was absolutely terrifying. I was at college in the middle of town, getting out was intense, but at the end of the day, I was one of the lucky ones who got out and didn't lose any loved ones. The only good thing to come from this was seeing just how beautiful the people of canterbury are in a time of need. So many volunteers helping to clean up liquifaction, everyday people digging people out of rubble, transporting them to hospital in their cars as emergency services were stretched.
You must be the first tourists to cover the red zone areas. We all know friends/families that were red-stickered from their homes due to severe damage to the land their homes were built on. Thanks guys.
When you were looking at the rose bush at the empty driveway, I teared up - as a lifelong Christchurch resident, it feels like a large part of the history and character of the city just died with the earthquakes. I live on the port hills, and I remember waking up and looking out my window in the middle of the night when the first quake hit, and I could see lightning-like flashes flare up all across the plains below - possibly earthquake lights, which would be a pretty rare sight. We didn't realise then that the bigger quake was still going to hit some months later. The city center used to have real charm and character - the old Victoria Square was a wonderful place on a sunny day, and I fondly remember walking through chancery lane through to the public library, under the shade of chestnut trees. Now the new city center feels soulless to me, with all this newly built, modernly-generic looking stuff that completely fails to capture anything of what was lost. (The new town library gives me major vertigo, it's such a strange internally tall design). It's easy to forget the scale of what we lived through - some of the quakes were very sharp and destructive, and yes, they went on for many years.
Nga Mihi Glen and Mado so happy that youve enjoyed your time in Aotearoa New Zealand the land of the long white cloud, Thankyou you for sharing,whish you well and safe travels 😁
Thank you for showing what happened. My mum lived by herself there when it happened, at the time she was 85 years old. Very frightening for her as her roof moved… ..thank you once again…
Hi Glen and Mado, Thanks for this great vlog. I lived in Chech during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. I left NZ in 2016 but I still think of myself as a kiwi and I hope I can retire there. Now I’m wondering, does it still get earthquakes and aftershocks? I was an international student in Canterbury university at the time of the earthquakes and it was really thoughtful that they’ve offered international/domestic students free psychotherapy sessions to help them recover.
I live in Christchurch. We have not had any significant aftershocks for years. However the geological experts warn that as NZ is on the edge of two earth plates, at some point the 'alpine faultline' (running down the spine of the country,) will 'go' and we will have an even more significant earthquake - that the country is unlikely to recover from. Live your best today... this moment...now, ...because your time is not forever on this plane. Experience your dreams.❤
If the so called red zone is as bad as they think, why dont they scatter kilo's and kilo's of wild flowers for instance and try and bring back at least pollinator species. Who wants a million dollar house when you have to get some one else to mow the lawns all the time, why not plants trees, we sure are short of a couple of million in my opinion..
Prior to European settlement, most of the area covered by the city today would have been tussock and native brush covered. Now some of that likely caused by the "Moa hunter' forest burning period of early Polynesian/Maori settlement, but it still is true that Christchurch is more forested today than it was for 500 years ago. . What problematic about you proposal is what type of trees do you plant - a lot of the existing trees species are introduced - mainly from Europe and North America (whose pines are prone to wild fires in the region hot, dry summers) so aren't good matches to the remaining damaged native ecology.. Even if you plant natives, it hard to match the right kind of native species to specific ecological niches within the region with out an amount of extensive detailed ecology management. And thats not even taking account of possible irrigation limits large scale tree planting requires. The Canterbury region already suffers over used water resources, having to water thousands upon thousands of seedlings to survive hot dry summers would be very problematic. In fact its arguable if it would be better from ecological, sustainable point of view that replanting be back to tussock/native brush that exist prior to the City and region being setup in the 1850s. I share you frustration at the 'English Garden' aesthetic Christchurch has, but your proposed solution is more difficult than I think you know.
5:33 No, it is NOT the "same terrain". It's about the geology. It has always been marginal for building on, and all the more so given the types of buildings that were put on that land. It simply isn't currently possible to build a stable residential house at a price that people could afford. So what options did the government have? Let people rebuild on unstable land and/or with buildings they know will simply be damaged the next time an earthquake of that size rolls through? Or buy the land from the owners and remove that land from the residential building zones. The geological plats are all available online if you wanted to actually see what the land is and isn't. You can see what has been red zoned and what hasn't, and you can see the discussion papers on why. No, none of it is perfect. They made mistakes. But overall they did a reasonable job given the resources they had available. The rebuild, however - THAT *is* an example of the City Council and government cocking it up on a massive scale for how long it's taken and how inept and grossly wasteful it's been handled overall.
Christchurch Earthquake was devastating it was 4 incredibly powerful earthquakes and there were over 11000 aftershocks for over a year the Earthquakes are recognized as one of the World's worst disaster there has been.
some of the richest homes are out in the Canterbury plains, search "farms for sale Canterbury NZ" and look at the difference, also Merivale and Fendalton. but yeah these houses in the video are around 1.5M and not the "richest"
Hi Glen and Mado! I have not returned to Christchurch since my Mother's funeral in 2008, but all my life Christchurch was in the Eastern suburbs, not far from the Red Zones. I used to live on Woodham Road and bike to Shirley Boys High School. Streetview shows me that half of my route to school is gone, as is the school itself. I believe SBHS and Marian College are still open somewhere on the grounds of QE2 Park. I have to say, I am not a fan of the new developments in former Red Zones, the new houses do not seem to have the same character as the old neighbourhoods. Another great video, thank you!
I live in New Brighton. Just to correct a little your post... yes Shirley Boys High and ... Avonside Girls High Schools... rebulit and moved to a 'shared site but separate with schools' within the old QE2 sports grounds. Sorry I am not aware of Marian Colleges' status.
@@sandrabeltman9418 Thanks for the correction! SBHS and Marian used to be literally across the road from each other (and shared a few classes) and I had heard they shared a campus at QE2 but no. Of course you are correct! Out of curiosity I looked up Marian's website and their address is listed as being on Lydia Road in Northcote (not far from Pak'N'Save.)
You might find it interesting to look at some of the ChCh earthquake videos and maybe do a reaction to them. And you may not realise that there wasn't just one earthquake -- there were _lots_ of them, going on for months. We got good at estimating magnitudes...
Hi just subscribed to your channel and I live in Christchurch , and found your content very interesting you got some good drone footage, of the no houses,etc and Pegasus is where you were driving around the expensive houses, that is like a maze when you get in there, its hard to find your way out, loverly propertys, only the rich live there.💕
I'm glad the Council keep most of it mowed and tidy it's a real fire hazard in the Summer. The land should never be rebuilt on as it's not safe. My sister had liquifaction up to the windows and the driveway sank with a massive pot hole. Luckily they'd already moved out and now live in Rolleston with the rest of the Eastern suburbs 😊
Those northern areas like Brooklands and Kaiapoi are sacrificial flood zones to save Christchurch. It’s future pragmatism. Some of the areas should never have been developed (and many weren’t until later and developers twisted council hands, or incentivised them, or good old nepotism). Not a problem if it’s few farm houses, that’s easy to deal with in the event of a flood, but making a decision to sacrifice 10 thousand people to save 300 thousand is a harder decision to make even though you know what the answer is. As a life time Chch resident, I thought our big disaster was going to be floods before earthquakes (and I’m married to a geologist). And because this is flood plain areas, the land is shit, and liquefaction prone so building higher the ground level is asking for issues in the event of the next serious earthquakes, and there will be more serious earthquakes in the future given our geology. I live near the Avon Red Zone, it’s really quite lovely to walk across the street and suddenly have a country estate along a river to ramble. And walk a block in the opposite direction. And we’ve got a supermarket and a pile of takeaway shops etc. and within walking distance to the Central City. The devastation is a memory, and this Red Zone is an asset. It’s a lifestyle outside of our income bracket.
If you are not too far away by Sat 6th, consider the Kumara races. Because of your Irish connections l'm sure day or more in Westland will certainly not disappoint. Allow 3.5 hours CCH - KUA/HKA
I'm pretty sure their are council & ex-council members their families and friends who are already invested in the red zone, so when it comes out of the red they can make a killing on property lots.
Pretty sure. sure you are? Very few of the red zone residential properties remain in private ownership, most are now a form of public land in one shape or other. Hence why alll the extensive public recreation development has happened. Also a lot of this wasn't done just a local authority level but at national central government level, with law and regulation changes done at this national level. Even if at some future date these area where again for some mad reason sold off for private development, it the local authority, crown which gain the funds, not "council & ex-council members their families and friends". Stop the insane conspiracy crap - you look like a complete muppet.
Most, 115 people died, were swashed in one building. The CTV collapse. Red zone complainers be damed! Fully support those with 10 year plus insurance resolutions though. Insurance needs to be 12 months or less regardless of scale of the event.
Yeah, It sucks for the red-zone communities but acting like decisions taken about red-zoning was based on any other than science and fact is crazy. Spencerville is just down the road from Brooklands, but the land quality is way different. As seen by how each way impacted by the quakes. Its just not feasible for the govt to support a community like that, it costs way too much. And insurance companies would want no part of it because the risks are just too high.
I wouldn't call those the rich and elite areas. No. Wealthy certainly. Those houses in the empty spaces? Included homes I used to duck into for a cuppa. Where we'd cook a meal for friends and hug and chat and sing. If you'd told us it would all shortly disappear entirely? Well, assuming we believed you our jaws would have been on the floor. It felt like it'd all be there forever. Feelings of permanence deceive you. Change is the only thing you're guaranteed
This is now Crown land as it was bought cheaply as a buy out. What is also not known is that they are sitting on this land for when memories fade a little bit more! Around Avonhead and indeed some of the other locations have seen improved infrastructure installed since, why do you think they would do that 😂😂 eventually this land will be redeveloped of tgat there is no doubt whatsoever. I can see the adverts now... "Sections for sale close to city etc...." The crown will cash out in time to come, no two ways about it... Watch this space, give it another 20 years and revisit, developers will be all over it and it will be suddenly no problem and all to code....
I'm a Wellingtonian, a NZ capital city built over fault lines, daily experiencing shakes, often bigger ones that cause concern but you get used to it and prepare for the big one. Christchurch was a complete surprise, Wellington was built to survive a big quake, Christchurch was not, the liquification of the ground. Where I lived in Wellington, the evidence of plate shifting was evident, my house was on a former beach that had lifted 2 metres in the 1870 quake, I seriously feared a tsunami if a quake created a underwater landslide in the deep Cook Strait trench so I built a deck and steps to access the high cliff behind my house. Where I worked in the city centre, it was not unusual to have the multi storey tower block sway and ripple, ceiling panels come down. You'd stay by your desk, ready to duck, knowing the stairwells were close and the strongest part of the building but the building was built to survive and it was a long way down from the 12th floor or to the 7th where the firefighters ladders could reach, you just waited and hoped!
Wellington isn't built to survive a big quake. It got quite damaged from the Kaikoura Earthquake which was very far away. Lower Hutt hospital had to be closed temporarily because it only met 20% of the earthquake building standards. If Wellington gets hit by a big one it could be very bad.
I was in Wellington when the kaikoura earthquake struck, if that amount of energy was released much closer to Wellington it would be game over, now safely in the gold coast with the snakes and spiders!
In a support industry of the construction industry and bit of student of geology and bit of mistaken info in post and replies. Tsunami risks in wellington are from 2 main sources,: A large local fault line quake will produce a 'slopping effect' in the wellington harbour, - think a basin of water (which essentially is what Wellington harbour is) being shook from side to side - the water comes up the sides of the basin. The underwater landslide which will be problematic isn't in Cook Strait (which is a trench like the ones off Kaikoura, which though had landslides in 2016 on it didn't produce much to any noticeable tsunami wave) but much further north east of the north-island where the Hikurangi trench lies. This will have a 2011 Japanese type event on it at sometime - a very large 9+ Richter scale quake causing a monster under ocean landslide which will devastate large sections of NZ coasts. Finally bit of comment in replies about the local effects of the 2016 Kaikoura quake in Wellington. What lay people don't understand about the complex physics behind earthquake is that different motion waves (two main ones - called S and P waves, standing for Shear and Propagation in the science) produce different shake effects in different locations depending of local geology, construction and height of buildings. The Kaikoura quake produced motion waves in Wellington region which created resonance effects (another concept in movement physics- should have stayed in school people) with certain large, higher buildings in Wellington, ie they moved a lot more than was designed for. I might add no building had a large life loss type of CTV building collapse - yes they had damage - some a lot, but not one was at risk of suffering a complete structure failure which kill a lot of people. Thats actually a success to the decades of design and regulation work done in NZ and Wellington - not a failure. If we wanted to have structures which suffer little damage from large quakes we be living in tents in the wellington region.
Not the elite part of town at all but more upper middle class retirees. Lovely area but the Airport is Close so noisy. I lived in the red zone in Avondale and was required to move out. Sad and very hard on the elderly having to uproot. I don’t want to live through that again
Last year my sister and brother in law finally received the insurance offer after fighting for a better deal when an independent assessor put the rectification work on their home at $66,000 and they were originally offered around $30,000. They moved to Christchurch from Queensland, Australia in 2000 and my sister was retiring at 67 years of age. They decided to move back to Australia because of the poor handling of the aftermath of the earthquake. I still have family there while I live in Sydney and visited them last month. I have enjoyed following your travels through the land of my birth. Believe me when I say there's some great places to come. When you're at Wanaka investigate the story of Ruby Island (it's probably known by its Maori name now). On the road to Queenstown there's also a great old hotel at Cadrona. Cheers guys, enjoy your travels.
Some people did very well from the earthquakes, while others lost out. $66,000 of damage in 2023 money is actually not a lot when you consider it takes NZ$350K to build an average new home excluding land. Life is about the journey not the destination, hope they found happiness :P
These were retired people on a limited income. That's 5 years of a couple's income from the pension.... and it was probably under what it would really cost once the rebuild started. People committed suicide over this shoddy financial stuff which Courts are now finding bordered (really was)_ fraud by the insurance companies...and the Govt. @@Battleneter
What part of ChCh were these big new places in? Used to liver there but don't recognise those streets. Look like normal baby boomers NZ properties though. They have plenty of equity, all tied up in property in NZ. Economy is all about housing, not enough in business, thanks to 40yrs of either govt policies.
Those new houses are in what's now known as "Clearwater", the whole area is newly built. It's basically on Coutts Island to the west of Northwood, between the highway and Waimakariri river.
@@coopsnz1 Well sure, those of us who live in NZ are aware of where the truly rich live - even Richie McCaw's home looks rather ordinary compared to the biggest mansions in Auckland.
Even a shed can look nice on the outside. There are many rules and regulations when building in New Zealand, some made up far to many years ago and in my opinion way out of date.. You really should be able to build a house with materials from anywhere, as long as your house is safe to live in .
Yeah nah. I work in a support industry within the building industry and am old enough to remember the leaking housing scandal of when NZ pretty much did exactly what you propose here. Between the late 80s into the early 2000s, basically the government followed the building lobby's calls and allowed oversea building materials and techniques with little to any oversight from NZ authorities to imported into NZ. Specifically, Californian materials and techniques. As a result the buildings built during this period had massive issues with being weather tight and many where filled with mold and rot within 10 years, causing both massive finacial loss and health risks to their owners. The governments both central and local, had to spend literally billions of compensating and fixing problems and bringing in proper oversight and building laws suited to NZ conditions which given out climate and geology is almost unique among developed countries. So your narrative here is just false. The rules and regulations for the construction sector, particularly the private house market is not "...made up far to many years ago" and the idea having a low oversight, 'open' regulation system leads to better outcomes for home owners is pretty much proven 100% wrong.
Just head out onto the expressway and you'll find the only roundabout forced to be built just to facilitate the Clearwater denizens to get to and from their property... at the cost of inconveniencing traffic forever,,,,
Advice to would be tourist...wear a wide brim hat when in the NZ sun...or you will return home with a skin cancer that will end up killing and you year's later!!.❤️🇳🇿
About a third of the city was sold insurance by a company called AMI Insurance. That company was given a licence to sell insurance by our NZ Government. But when the earthquakes happened they were basically bankrupt and did not have enough money to pay everyone. The NZ Govt should never have given them a licence to sell insurance, the customers were being defrauded and the NZ Govt helped them take our money. Then the NZ Govt emptied the bank accounts of AMI Insurance ( about $500 millon ) and also sold the goodwill etc to another insurance company and the Prime Minister John Key ( personally worth about $50 million ) promised that everyone would get paid and "no man would walk alone" .. well that never happened .. thousands of Christchurch people remain unpaid and the Nation Party now in the coalition government should be paying what they owe to those claimants as it has been over ten years with no money. Most of the most expensive and valuable houses have not been paid for as they tried to settle the cheapest and most numerous claims first and leave the most expensive to last.
Great interest videos Mado and Glen , The reason for the Christchurch earthquake was deeply configured by the corporate structures government of new Zealand as you may know disastrous situations in a rich small city like parts of new Zealand , narratives run the programs of investment and Christchurch earthquake was under way 2 yrs before the 2011 quake in 2010 a oil companies were syzmic testing off the coast of new Zealand beginning in the north island of new Plymouth where oil wells are tied into the new Zealand supply grid ,well after testing the waters these giant oil researching teams had another plan already hatched , media would play protested actions by green peace opposing the investigation of oil deposit,So in 2011 after the public of new Zealand didn't think anything was out of the ordinary a nuclear weapons companies set of the devastation caused Christchurch which sits on a watery sandy surfaces
New Zealand bureaucracy is a fxxkin' nightmare. It's part of the reason I now live in China. I still can't get away from the bureaucracy though, my NZ bank accounts are frozen because of NZ's money laundering laws --- if you work overseas, your accounts are automatically frozen. Thankfully, most of my money is in Chinese banks where it's safe. I left in 2014, so I missed the earthquake, so it it is interesting to see all this stuff. I lived in Papanui for a couple of years when I was young, always liked ChCh, may retire there in the future.
NZ get routinely rated by quite a few international organisations as one of the easier places in world to do business, as well as one of the freest for ordinary people , which includes government regulation in those assessments. Might add your current residence rates quite a bit behind your former country in those same ranking systems. So you personal opinion in this maybe a bit idiosyncratic. You also might want to look into NZ rules on NZ pensions qualifications as there are rules around having to be living, working and paying tax in NZ for number of years (think its min of 5 years- but also involves previous work and tax paying history) prior to retirement. We expect retirees to have made some contribution to NZ society prior to accessing pensions and healthcare support from the NZ taxpayer.
Idiosyncratic??? Possibly. When NZer's get together overseas, as the conversation progresses, we will eventually discuss and laugh together about NZ bureaucracy(not just banking, various things). When I went back to NZ in 2019 and found my accounts frozen, I couldn't open a new bank account anywhere, despite having a passport and driver's license as ID(you must have a permanent NZ address). Yet, I can go into a bank overseas and open an account without much trouble at all. China is indeed a one party authoritarian state, however it is not quite what Western propaganda says it is. Most Westerners do not fully comprehend the extent of geopolitics and the level of propaganda involved in it. I know a number of foreigners who own and operate businesses in China without any trouble. Also many foreign brands are doing very well in China. You just need someone with local expertise to advise you on how to navigate the system. A few foreign individuals and companies fail, because they try to do it all on their own without seeking local advice, or they try to use the same business model they use in their home country, without adjusting to local conditions. I lived in NZ for the first 50 years of my life. NZ citizens, have to have lived in NZ for five years after the age of fifty, before they can get NZ superannuation. So, for example, if I come back to NZ at age 63, I won't get the pension until I am 68, I would have to exist on savings. However, the cost of living in NZ is quite high, so I can save more living and working in China to make up for that.........but........ I have to retire sometime. Finally, one of the key cultural differnences that i have noticed between China and NZ is "the attitude to problems". In NZ, if there is some problem, it's "nothing can be done.......go away....". In China, it's "let's look for a solution until we find one". @@user-uy6uc5ey5q
Thank you both. The Christchurch earthquake was devastating, and I'm glad you have highlighted the issues - you have big hearts ❤
Aw Glen and Mado! You really are the first TH-camrs/travel bloggers that have been so interested and learnt so much about the CHCH earthquakes. I feel like (New Zealander's included) come here and kinda of go "oh yep, there was an earthquake. That's a bummer. Cool, what's next?". I can understand that as when you travel it can be hard/overhwelming to emotionally tune into your empathy for the history of where you are but you have both done that and it's so validating and refreshing to see. Thank you so much for talking to the locals and having real conversations, it would be so validating for them and us as there is still so many ongoing struggles for so many even a decade on. You're like wee gonzo journalists too hehe. Your kind and genuinly interested attitudes and empathy for the people and locals you meet here is so appreciated. Thanks for being gorgeous. Safe travels down south over the summer X
Awh you’re an absolute gem 💎 we do our best to document our trip and keep it interesting! It’s not easy but we keep trying 🙂 we always want to see an insight of what’s really going on in each city and town too! Love a good chat with the locals as that’s we’re you get your information from 🙂
I grew up in Brooklands from 1965 to 93 was great place to live.
Don't build cities on swamp . . . that's Christchurch
Wellington is built on the harbour on recovered land and Auckland is built on numerous volcanoes .. what is your point? The whole of New Zealand is a geologically active site. Have you told Venice your advice as well?
I drive around all of the Red Zone every time I'm there. My only grandchildren live down there. I love to park down by the Avon in the Red Zone in the shade of the trees, wander along the old streets. But, my first visits were just disbelief, sadness.
There is a Earthquake museum in the central city called Quake city if you want to learn more.
Great vid.. but one correction.. you were no where neear the "Rich" as you call it of Chirstchurch. THe real ( old) money is in Fendalton, Merivale , and the outlying Canterbury Plains.
Clearwater is more rich than merivale and fendalton combined
Clearwater building has massive restrictions like you have to spend a minimum amount on each part of the house
It's a blessing in disguise for the city. A huge green space for all to enjoy in the middle of suburbia. Will be great once they've completed it and planted more trees and plants. Plans for parks, cycleways, community gardens etc
Thank you for exploring some of the places away from the normal tourist tracks, Im loving your genuine reactions and interest.
You may have already been told that there are bigger and more expensive houses in the hills out towards Sumner and Taylor's mistake (a very nice little surf beach).
Christchurch is a tale of two cities, many people lost everything, while many others have done well out of it. The city experienced an internal migration from the east to west and south which is why some areas like Rolleston and Lincoln have seen massive growth in recent years.
Great episode. There’s still a lot of people in Christchurch, like myself, still trying to get their homes shorted out with EQC and insurance companies. EQC has paid us out, but our insurance company not complying. Been to court with the Disputes Tribunal and had a win. But all that means is another engineering reports on the property. But with say that, and living through a major earthquakes sequence, as there was thousands of aftershocks, for some reasons makes you even more graceful in life. Life can change in a split second, and you must live for today, as tomorrow is not a given. New Zealand may shake, be volcanic, but the majesty of its beauty is breathtaking. If it wasn’t for its earthquakes, and volcano’s, we wouldn’t have the most amazing scenery to show off to the world. If your back up in Canterbury and around the Amberly area. Check out the Amberley pie shop. My husband’s bit of a pie connoisseur and reckon they’re amazing and the best. I know you’re loving the pies in New Zealand so give them a go.
Thank you both so much for highlighting this part of kiwi life - it’s heartbreaking how long the rebuild has taken
ive only just started the video so i dont know if she’s mentioned this, but they cant start building because of the ground after the earthquakes, atleast thats what my dad told me. so it could take like 10+ years for the rebuild (if this comment is about the empty plot)
I remember the day of the earthquake like it was yesterday. That day, I had so much fear for my life it was absolutely terrifying. I was at college in the middle of town, getting out was intense, but at the end of the day, I was one of the lucky ones who got out and didn't lose any loved ones. The only good thing to come from this was seeing just how beautiful the people of canterbury are in a time of need. So many volunteers helping to clean up liquifaction, everyday people digging people out of rubble, transporting them to hospital in their cars as emergency services were stretched.
You must be the first tourists to cover the red zone areas. We all know friends/families that were red-stickered from their homes due to severe damage to the land their homes were built on. Thanks guys.
Great vlog guys, jeez never realised the devastating effect of that quake, outside of downtown Christchurch.
Bless you guys!!! I was there, saved my children from suburb next door. Thank you for showing life is evolving and giving HOPE to the Area 🙌🌻🌈💜
When you were looking at the rose bush at the empty driveway, I teared up - as a lifelong Christchurch resident, it feels like a large part of the history and character of the city just died with the earthquakes. I live on the port hills, and I remember waking up and looking out my window in the middle of the night when the first quake hit, and I could see lightning-like flashes flare up all across the plains below - possibly earthquake lights, which would be a pretty rare sight. We didn't realise then that the bigger quake was still going to hit some months later. The city center used to have real charm and character - the old Victoria Square was a wonderful place on a sunny day, and I fondly remember walking through chancery lane through to the public library, under the shade of chestnut trees. Now the new city center feels soulless to me, with all this newly built, modernly-generic looking stuff that completely fails to capture anything of what was lost. (The new town library gives me major vertigo, it's such a strange internally tall design). It's easy to forget the scale of what we lived through - some of the quakes were very sharp and destructive, and yes, they went on for many years.
Nga Mihi Glen and Mado so happy that youve enjoyed your time in Aotearoa New Zealand the land of the long white cloud, Thankyou you for sharing,whish you well and safe travels 😁
Thank you for showing what happened. My mum lived by herself there when it happened, at the time she was 85 years old. Very frightening for her as her roof moved… ..thank you once again…
Nice documentary guys, you've gone next level with your travel vlog.
The scenery in new Zealand, just wow
Places like Lincoln and Rollerston grew alot with new housing etc after the earthquakes
growing
Hi Glen and Mado,
Thanks for this great vlog. I lived in Chech during the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes. I left NZ in 2016 but I still think of myself as a kiwi and I hope I can retire there. Now I’m wondering, does it still get earthquakes and aftershocks?
I was an international student in Canterbury university at the time of the earthquakes and it was really thoughtful that they’ve offered international/domestic students free psychotherapy sessions to help them recover.
we never actually experienced one in our whole 10 months there!
I live in Christchurch. We have not had any significant aftershocks for years.
However the geological experts warn that as NZ is on the edge of two earth plates, at some point the 'alpine faultline' (running down the spine of the country,) will 'go' and we will have an even more significant earthquake - that the country is unlikely to recover from.
Live your best today... this moment...now, ...because your time is not forever on this plane.
Experience your dreams.❤
If the so called red zone is as bad as they think, why dont they scatter kilo's and kilo's of wild flowers for instance and try and bring back at least pollinator species. Who wants a million dollar house when you have to get some one else to mow the lawns all the time, why not plants trees, we sure are short of a couple of million in my opinion..
Prior to European settlement, most of the area covered by the city today would have been tussock and native brush covered. Now some of that likely caused by the "Moa hunter' forest burning period of early Polynesian/Maori settlement, but it still is true that Christchurch is more forested today than it was for 500 years ago. .
What problematic about you proposal is what type of trees do you plant - a lot of the existing trees species are introduced - mainly from Europe and North America (whose pines are prone to wild fires in the region hot, dry summers) so aren't good matches to the remaining damaged native ecology.. Even if you plant natives, it hard to match the right kind of native species to specific ecological niches within the region with out an amount of extensive detailed ecology management.
And thats not even taking account of possible irrigation limits large scale tree planting requires. The Canterbury region already suffers over used water resources, having to water thousands upon thousands of seedlings to survive hot dry summers would be very problematic.
In fact its arguable if it would be better from ecological, sustainable point of view that replanting be back to tussock/native brush that exist prior to the City and region being setup in the 1850s.
I share you frustration at the 'English Garden' aesthetic Christchurch has, but your proposed solution is more difficult than I think you know.
Flaxseed us essential. It's a filter for water and land.
That was an eye opener for sure.
5:33 No, it is NOT the "same terrain". It's about the geology. It has always been marginal for building on, and all the more so given the types of buildings that were put on that land. It simply isn't currently possible to build a stable residential house at a price that people could afford. So what options did the government have? Let people rebuild on unstable land and/or with buildings they know will simply be damaged the next time an earthquake of that size rolls through? Or buy the land from the owners and remove that land from the residential building zones.
The geological plats are all available online if you wanted to actually see what the land is and isn't. You can see what has been red zoned and what hasn't, and you can see the discussion papers on why. No, none of it is perfect. They made mistakes. But overall they did a reasonable job given the resources they had available.
The rebuild, however - THAT *is* an example of the City Council and government cocking it up on a massive scale for how long it's taken and how inept and grossly wasteful it's been handled overall.
Christchurch Earthquake was devastating it was 4 incredibly powerful earthquakes and there were over 11000 aftershocks for over a year the Earthquakes are recognized as one of the World's worst disaster there has been.
Amazing Video of my home town thanks for sharing
Love from chch
Thomas
thanks for tuning in my friend :)
some of the richest homes are out in the Canterbury plains, search "farms for sale Canterbury NZ" and look at the difference, also Merivale and Fendalton.
but yeah these houses in the video are around 1.5M and not the "richest"
I've driven through their on holiday. Christchurch strikes me as empty and plenty of space
Hi Glen and Mado!
I have not returned to Christchurch since my Mother's funeral in 2008, but all my life Christchurch was in the Eastern suburbs, not far from the Red Zones. I used to live on Woodham Road and bike to Shirley Boys High School. Streetview shows me that half of my route to school is gone, as is the school itself. I believe SBHS and Marian College are still open somewhere on the grounds of QE2 Park.
I have to say, I am not a fan of the new developments in former Red Zones, the new houses do not seem to have the same character as the old neighbourhoods. Another great video, thank you!
I live in New Brighton.
Just to correct a little your post... yes Shirley Boys High and ... Avonside Girls High Schools... rebulit and moved to a 'shared site but separate with schools' within the old QE2 sports grounds.
Sorry I am not aware of Marian Colleges' status.
@@sandrabeltman9418 Thanks for the correction! SBHS and Marian used to be literally across the road from each other (and shared a few classes) and I had heard they shared a campus at QE2 but no. Of course you are correct! Out of curiosity I looked up Marian's website and their address is listed as being on Lydia Road in Northcote (not far from Pak'N'Save.)
my grandad's house was in Bexley. got pulled down a few years ago.
If you get the chance to go to the Groynes, there are nice walks and a great dog park ,
The point about Red Zones is that if you live or build there, you won't be able to get any insurance for your property.
Not true.
You might find it interesting to look at some of the ChCh earthquake videos and maybe do a reaction to them. And you may not realise that there wasn't just one earthquake -- there were _lots_ of them, going on for months. We got good at estimating magnitudes...
And the liquefaction! That was something else!
Your videos are so lovely and authentic
Well done Glen and Mado hope you like New Zealand and your stay
Have you guys been to Riccarton house and bush yet?
Love your video.
Hi just subscribed to your channel and I live in Christchurch , and found your content very interesting you got some good drone footage, of the no houses,etc and Pegasus is where you were driving around the expensive houses, that is like a maze when you get in there, its hard to find your way out, loverly propertys, only the rich live there.💕
Wow I had no idea a heap of houses had been taken out...I was living down there whn the first earthquake hit...came back to live in auckland ❤
I'm glad the Council keep most of it mowed and tidy it's a real fire hazard in the Summer. The land should never be rebuilt on as it's not safe. My sister had liquifaction up to the windows and the driveway sank with a massive pot hole. Luckily they'd already moved out and now live in Rolleston with the rest of the Eastern suburbs 😊
Thank you. Nicely covered.
Have a wonderful New year's eve and Day you 2 🥳🏖️🍾
Those northern areas like Brooklands and Kaiapoi are sacrificial flood zones to save Christchurch. It’s future pragmatism. Some of the areas should never have been developed (and many weren’t until later and developers twisted council hands, or incentivised them, or good old nepotism). Not a problem if it’s few farm houses, that’s easy to deal with in the event of a flood, but making a decision to sacrifice 10 thousand people to save 300 thousand is a harder decision to make even though you know what the answer is. As a life time Chch resident, I thought our big disaster was going to be floods before earthquakes (and I’m married to a geologist).
And because this is flood plain areas, the land is shit, and liquefaction prone so building higher the ground level is asking for issues in the event of the next serious earthquakes, and there will be more serious earthquakes in the future given our geology.
I live near the Avon Red Zone, it’s really quite lovely to walk across the street and suddenly have a country estate along a river to ramble. And walk a block in the opposite direction. And we’ve got a supermarket and a pile of takeaway shops etc. and within walking distance to the Central City. The devastation is a memory, and this Red Zone is an asset. It’s a lifestyle outside of our income bracket.
If you are not too far away by Sat 6th, consider the Kumara races. Because of your Irish connections l'm sure day or more in Westland will certainly not disappoint. Allow 3.5 hours CCH - KUA/HKA
I'm pretty sure their are council & ex-council members their families and friends who are already invested in the red zone, so when it comes out of the red they can make a killing on property lots.
Pretty sure. sure you are?
Very few of the red zone residential properties remain in private ownership, most are now a form of public land in one shape or other. Hence why alll the extensive public recreation development has happened. Also a lot of this wasn't done just a local authority level but at national central government level, with law and regulation changes done at this national level.
Even if at some future date these area where again for some mad reason sold off for private development, it the local authority, crown which gain the funds, not "council & ex-council members their families and friends".
Stop the insane conspiracy crap - you look like a complete muppet.
Jog on pal,you are the only Muppet...
Some of us kiwis don't talk about it because it was so devastating 😮 i was not there but it is my home 12:42 12:42
Most, 115 people died, were swashed in one building. The CTV collapse. Red zone complainers be damed! Fully support those with 10 year plus insurance resolutions though. Insurance needs to be 12 months or less regardless of scale of the event.
Also great content you two!
Yeah, It sucks for the red-zone communities but acting like decisions taken about red-zoning was based on any other than science and fact is crazy. Spencerville is just down the road from Brooklands, but the land quality is way different. As seen by how each way impacted by the quakes.
Its just not feasible for the govt to support a community like that, it costs way too much. And insurance companies would want no part of it because the risks are just too high.
isnt a rich area Cashmere hills " beackon have more expensive homes , huge blocks there tho
The Insurance must be crazy to live there.
"Nobody talks about this" is the red alert that "everyone no longer talks about stale news."
Very Nice Sharing
all countries and coastlines along the pacific ocean are in earthquake zones. the most tectonic action of any area on the planet.
I wouldn't call those the rich and elite areas. No. Wealthy certainly. Those houses in the empty spaces? Included homes I used to duck into for a cuppa. Where we'd cook a meal for friends and hug and chat and sing. If you'd told us it would all shortly disappear entirely? Well, assuming we believed you our jaws would have been on the floor. It felt like it'd all be there forever. Feelings of permanence deceive you. Change is the only thing you're guaranteed
Good old Redwood hotel there at the end 🍺🍺🍺
not a place you take your wife :)
@@Battleneter it's perfectly fine to take your wife......now. but back in the day maybe not.
Love you guys
How did you get Billy Bob Thornton on your vid 😂
Who knows 😂
How did you get permission to fly a drone in the city ?
Thank you for showing. I enjoyed it. Seeing today. Is Old Years Eve. I shall see you Next Year. Happy last 2023. Tomorrow will be Hello 2024...🎉
I'm aware of this been like it since it all happened thanks Jacinda and Mr Keys for doing SFA however they're both gone and rich as fk
If you want the rich areas of chch try fendalton and sumner
Old areas, Summer rich not really.
Fendalton is a rich neighborhood
really it Neigbour to a shithole riccaton , im sure shirley a beter area
@@coopsnz1 CHCH is a small city where rich and poor is not overly relevant, Fendalton is old money and high land prices, not sure its rich.
It was not the council they stood up against it was the government
This is now Crown land as it was bought cheaply as a buy out.
What is also not known is that they are sitting on this land for when memories fade a little bit more!
Around Avonhead and indeed some of the other locations have seen improved infrastructure installed since, why do you think they would do that 😂😂 eventually this land will be redeveloped of tgat there is no doubt whatsoever.
I can see the adverts now... "Sections for sale close to city etc...."
The crown will cash out in time to come, no two ways about it...
Watch this space, give it another 20 years and revisit, developers will be all over it and it will be suddenly no problem and all to code....
I'm a Wellingtonian, a NZ capital city built over fault lines, daily experiencing shakes, often bigger ones that cause concern but you get used to it and prepare for the big one.
Christchurch was a complete surprise, Wellington was built to survive a big quake, Christchurch was not, the liquification of the ground.
Where I lived in Wellington, the evidence of plate shifting was evident, my house was on a former beach that had lifted 2 metres in the 1870 quake, I seriously feared a tsunami if a quake created a underwater landslide in the deep Cook Strait trench so I built a deck and steps to access the high cliff behind my house.
Where I worked in the city centre, it was not unusual to have the multi storey tower block sway and ripple, ceiling panels come down. You'd stay by your desk, ready to duck, knowing the stairwells were close and the strongest part of the building but the building was built to survive and it was a long way down from the 12th floor or to the 7th where the firefighters ladders could reach, you just waited and hoped!
Wellington isn't built to survive a big quake.
It got quite damaged from the Kaikoura Earthquake which was very far away. Lower Hutt hospital had to be closed temporarily because it only met 20% of the earthquake building standards.
If Wellington gets hit by a big one it could be very bad.
I was in Wellington when the kaikoura earthquake struck, if that amount of energy was released much closer to Wellington it would be game over, now safely in the gold coast with the snakes and spiders!
In a support industry of the construction industry and bit of student of geology and bit of mistaken info in post and replies.
Tsunami risks in wellington are from 2 main sources,:
A large local fault line quake will produce a 'slopping effect' in the wellington harbour, - think a basin of water (which essentially is what Wellington harbour is) being shook from side to side - the water comes up the sides of the basin.
The underwater landslide which will be problematic isn't in Cook Strait (which is a trench like the ones off Kaikoura, which though had landslides in 2016 on it didn't produce much to any noticeable tsunami wave) but much further north east of the north-island where the Hikurangi trench lies. This will have a 2011 Japanese type event on it at sometime - a very large 9+ Richter scale quake causing a monster under ocean landslide which will devastate large sections of NZ coasts.
Finally bit of comment in replies about the local effects of the 2016 Kaikoura quake in Wellington.
What lay people don't understand about the complex physics behind earthquake is that different motion waves (two main ones - called S and P waves, standing for Shear and Propagation in the science) produce different shake effects in different locations depending of local geology, construction and height of buildings. The Kaikoura quake produced motion waves in Wellington region which created resonance effects (another concept in movement physics- should have stayed in school people) with certain large, higher buildings in Wellington, ie they moved a lot more than was designed for. I might add no building had a large life loss type of CTV building collapse - yes they had damage - some a lot, but not one was at risk of suffering a complete structure failure which kill a lot of people. Thats actually a success to the decades of design and regulation work done in NZ and Wellington - not a failure.
If we wanted to have structures which suffer little damage from large quakes we be living in tents in the wellington region.
Not the elite part of town at all but more upper middle class retirees. Lovely area but the
Airport is Close so noisy. I lived in the red zone in Avondale and was required to move out. Sad and very hard on the elderly having to uproot. I don’t want to live through that again
Que 2 theme parks gone that was at new brighton
QE2 yes, but the new modern Shirley boys /Avonside girls high school rebuilt on the site, seems to be doing well.
Last year my sister and brother in law finally received the insurance offer after fighting for a better deal when an independent assessor put the rectification work on their home at $66,000 and they were originally offered around $30,000. They moved to Christchurch from Queensland, Australia in 2000 and my sister was retiring at 67 years of age. They decided to move back to Australia because of the poor handling of the aftermath of the earthquake. I still have family there while I live in Sydney and visited them last month. I have enjoyed following your travels through the land of my birth. Believe me when I say there's some great places to come. When you're at Wanaka investigate the story of Ruby Island (it's probably known by its Maori name now). On the road to Queenstown there's also a great old hotel at Cadrona. Cheers guys, enjoy your travels.
Some people did very well from the earthquakes, while others lost out. $66,000 of damage in 2023 money is actually not a lot when you consider it takes NZ$350K to build an average new home excluding land. Life is about the journey not the destination, hope they found happiness :P
These were retired people on a limited income.
That's 5 years of a couple's income from the pension....
and it was probably under what it would really cost once the rebuild started.
People committed suicide over this shoddy financial stuff which Courts are now finding bordered (really was)_ fraud by the insurance companies...and the Govt.
@@Battleneter
I was living in Dunedin And i have never thought about leaving kiwi land 😮 yeah im dedicated to NZ😅 jakx
Who gave you the invitation to report on our city?
An invitation is not required.
You need to understand geo technology to know why the places were red zoned. The red zone will become a wonderful area. Already birds are returning.
What part of ChCh were these big new places in? Used to liver there but don't recognise those streets. Look like normal baby boomers NZ properties though. They have plenty of equity, all tied up in property in NZ. Economy is all about housing, not enough in business, thanks to 40yrs of either govt policies.
Those new houses are in what's now known as "Clearwater", the whole area is newly built. It's basically on Coutts Island to the west of Northwood, between the highway and Waimakariri river.
My mate works as lawyer getting people their insurance pay outs
That new housing area looks so American. Very interesting🙂
Rich area my ass 😂😂😂 . Suburb Richie mcaw lives in more expensive
@@coopsnz1 Well sure, those of us who live in NZ are aware of where the truly rich live - even Richie McCaw's home looks rather ordinary compared to the biggest mansions in Auckland.
@@modfusin devonport or tapakuna on northshore in Auckland
Australia way more expensive 5 bed home on 900sqm block sold 60 milion Point piper in Sydney Harbor
@@modfus I live 15km from Sydney cbd a 8 Bed mansion on 2000sqm block sold 20 milion in April
Even a shed can look nice on the outside. There are many rules and regulations when building in New Zealand, some made up far to many years ago and in my opinion way out of date.. You really should be able to build a house with materials from anywhere, as long as your house is safe to live in .
Yeah nah. I work in a support industry within the building industry and am old enough to remember the leaking housing scandal of when NZ pretty much did exactly what you propose here. Between the late 80s into the early 2000s, basically the government followed the building lobby's calls and allowed oversea building materials and techniques with little to any oversight from NZ authorities to imported into NZ. Specifically, Californian materials and techniques.
As a result the buildings built during this period had massive issues with being weather tight and many where filled with mold and rot within 10 years, causing both massive finacial loss and health risks to their owners.
The governments both central and local, had to spend literally billions of compensating and fixing problems and bringing in proper oversight and building laws suited to NZ conditions which given out climate and geology is almost unique among developed countries.
So your narrative here is just false. The rules and regulations for the construction sector, particularly the private house market is not "...made up far to many years ago" and the idea having a low oversight, 'open' regulation system leads to better outcomes for home owners is pretty much proven 100% wrong.
I live in Christchurch and I had no idea Clearwater existed
Just head out onto the expressway and you'll find the only roundabout forced to be built just to facilitate the Clearwater denizens to get to and from their property...
at the cost of inconveniencing traffic forever,,,,
Lol the skid marks are from the boy racers 😂 no residents to call the cops
The rich.......the ones who got their insurance!! Gerry 14:06 Brownly!!!
Advice to would be tourist...wear a wide brim hat when in the NZ sun...or you will return home with a skin cancer that will end up killing and you year's later!!.❤️🇳🇿
DO WE REALLY WANT FOREIGNERS BLABIN ABOUT OUR COUNTRY??
Kia Orana to any Raros .
Earthquakes started in 2010,I really find it funny foreingers doing a history vid on a country they arent from,total crack up and full of
U JUST WANTED TO COME HERE AND MAKE A VIDEO ON OUR CITY...YEAH THANKS FOR THAT.
About a third of the city was sold insurance by a company called AMI Insurance. That company was given a licence to sell insurance by our NZ Government. But when the earthquakes happened they were basically bankrupt and did not have enough money to pay everyone. The NZ Govt should never have given them a licence to sell insurance, the customers were being defrauded and the NZ Govt helped them take our money. Then the NZ Govt emptied the bank accounts of AMI Insurance ( about $500 millon ) and also sold the goodwill etc to another insurance company and the Prime Minister John Key ( personally worth about $50 million ) promised that everyone would get paid and "no man would walk alone" .. well that never happened .. thousands of Christchurch people remain unpaid and the Nation Party now in the coalition government should be paying what they owe to those claimants as it has been over ten years with no money. Most of the most expensive and valuable houses have not been paid for as they tried to settle the cheapest and most numerous claims first and leave the most expensive to last.
Yes, you're right - they're pretty, but they do all look the same. Not my idea of paradise!
Great interest videos Mado and Glen , The reason for the Christchurch earthquake was deeply configured by the corporate structures government of new Zealand as you may know disastrous situations in a rich small city like parts of new Zealand , narratives run the programs of investment and Christchurch earthquake was under way 2 yrs before the 2011 quake in 2010 a oil companies were syzmic testing off the coast of new Zealand beginning in the north island of new Plymouth where oil wells are tied into the new Zealand supply grid ,well after testing the waters these giant oil researching teams had another plan already hatched , media would play protested actions by green peace opposing the investigation of oil deposit,So in 2011 after the public of new Zealand didn't think anything was out of the ordinary a nuclear weapons companies set of the devastation caused Christchurch which sits on a watery sandy surfaces
❤🇳🇿
12:14 yes its all very ... American ...
13:03 if you say so .personally im not a fan
16:24 ...sigh..man we really need to up the top marginal tax rate...
Hope you both use sunblock
Harrp at its finnest..
You guys don’t know s h i t , you know what they say about assumptions 👎
clearwater is cool but a house in fendalton could buy 5 houses in clearwater, fendalton is where the rich live lol
Very true! I would never ever consider buying a house in an area like this haha just aint worth it. a simple life will bring you the most happiness :)
😝😝😝😝
Great thanks so much.
Our government doesn't say much.
Enjoy your stay
Great information thanks
Hi🤝🏾
REPENT !!
New Zealand bureaucracy is a fxxkin' nightmare. It's part of the reason I now live in China. I still can't get away from the bureaucracy though, my NZ bank accounts are frozen because of NZ's money laundering laws --- if you work overseas, your accounts are automatically frozen. Thankfully, most of my money is in Chinese banks where it's safe.
I left in 2014, so I missed the earthquake, so it it is interesting to see all this stuff. I lived in Papanui for a couple of years when I was young, always liked ChCh, may retire there in the future.
What a load of rubbish.
Be specific. @@chrismckellar9350
NZ get routinely rated by quite a few international organisations as one of the easier places in world to do business, as well as one of the freest for ordinary people , which includes government regulation in those assessments.
Might add your current residence rates quite a bit behind your former country in those same ranking systems.
So you personal opinion in this maybe a bit idiosyncratic.
You also might want to look into NZ rules on NZ pensions qualifications as there are rules around having to be living, working and paying tax in NZ for number of years (think its min of 5 years- but also involves previous work and tax paying history) prior to retirement. We expect retirees to have made some contribution to NZ society prior to accessing pensions and healthcare support from the NZ taxpayer.
Idiosyncratic??? Possibly. When NZer's get together overseas, as the conversation progresses, we will eventually discuss and laugh together about NZ bureaucracy(not just banking, various things). When I went back to NZ in 2019 and found my accounts frozen, I couldn't open a new bank account anywhere, despite having a passport and driver's license as ID(you must have a permanent NZ address). Yet, I can go into a bank overseas and open an account without much trouble at all.
China is indeed a one party authoritarian state, however it is not quite what Western propaganda says it is. Most Westerners do not fully comprehend the extent of geopolitics and the level of propaganda involved in it. I know a number of foreigners who own and operate businesses in China without any trouble. Also many foreign brands are doing very well in China. You just need someone with local expertise to advise you on how to navigate the system. A few foreign individuals and companies fail, because they try to do it all on their own without seeking local advice, or they try to use the same business model they use in their home country, without adjusting to local conditions.
I lived in NZ for the first 50 years of my life. NZ citizens, have to have lived in NZ for five years after the age of fifty, before they can get NZ superannuation. So, for example, if I come back to NZ at age 63, I won't get the pension until I am 68, I would have to exist on savings. However, the cost of living in NZ is quite high, so I can save more living and working in China to make up for that.........but........ I have to retire sometime.
Finally, one of the key cultural differnences that i have noticed between China and NZ is "the attitude to problems". In NZ, if there is some problem, it's "nothing can be done.......go away....". In China, it's "let's look for a solution until we find one". @@user-uy6uc5ey5q
Well thought out reply dude. Your logical and thoughtful argument, shows me the error of my ways. @@chrismckellar9350
Kiaora from New Zealand naziland lol