After 9 long months spent stuck in Australia in transit from the US to NZ (it was meant to be 1-2 months), we have arrived!
So far so good! It’s an interesting country, behind in a lot of ways, but ahead in many others. Pay wave is not available in many shops, and, like much of Europe, 10 minutes is an undefined amount of time up to about an hour. However, government online services are much better than many US and Australian ones, and in general there seems to be very little red-tape doing business.
However, the biggest difference so far has been the people. If you thought Australia was laid back and kind, the kiwis take it to a whole new level. In both trips I’ve made to this country, strangers have given me lifts, just because they’re too nice? Used car sales people are not slimy, but just seem to be the most super friendly people that the stores could hire – it’s weird.
I’m not sure about the rest of NZ, but so far the people of Wellington seem open minded and progressive. A bubble similar to San Francisco. And, like San Francisco the streets of New Town with their weather boarded Victorian Houses, less than perfect little shops, plenty ofgraffiti art, and hilly streets make it feel like we’ve moved to the San Francisco of the Southern Hemisphere.
So far so good! It’s an interesting country, behind in a lot of ways, but ahead in many others. Pay wave is not available in many shops, and, like much of Europe, 10 minutes is an undefined amount of time up to about an hour. However, government online services are much better than many US and Australian ones, and in general there seems to be very little red-tape doing business.
However, the biggest difference so far has been the people. If you thought Australia was laid back and kind, the kiwis take it to a whole new level. In both trips I’ve made to this country, strangers have given me lifts, just because they’re too nice? Used car sales people are not slimy, but just seem to be the most super friendly people that the stores could hire – it’s weird.
I’m not sure about the rest of NZ, but so far the people of Wellington seem open minded and progressive. A bubble similar to San Francisco. And, like San Francisco the streets of New Town with their weather boarded Victorian Houses, less than perfect little shops, plenty of
- Andrew