The pros and cons of living in the UK versus NZ

I came to the UK 30 years ago from my native New Zealand. Initially I planned to stay for a six-month overseas experience - and I’m still here today. Why, a lot of people ask, have I stayed so long, leaving such a beautiful country behind? And NZ is a beautiful country, but both the UK and New Zealand have their pros and cons.

Firstly, having discovered I had the travel bug, the UK was an ideal base to discover further parts of Europe and the rest of the world. NZ on the other hand, being so far away and isolated, was far more expensive to travel further afield. You can’t just pop over to Europe for a weekend break. Australia being NZ’s closest overseas destination for a short-term break. Long haul flights can be unbearable. So, if you enjoy travelling as I do, the UK was an ideal base from being down-under.

New Zealand’s cost of living is certainly cheaper than the UK (based on Auckland v London) but because of New Zealand’s distance to other countries, imported goods can come with hefty prices - especially certain types of food. Clothing is also generally more expensive in Auckland compared to London.

Kiwis have a pretty laid-back culture, so if you are after a relaxed lifestyle, the NZ work:life balance emphatically favours life. Having lived in London in my early years here I found it exciting, fast and so different from the chilled-out country that I was so used to. I loved the London Buzz for many years, but after so long I found I craved peace and we moved 30 minutes out of the city into the beautiful Buckinghamshire countryside. I think that as you get older the less tolerant you become about noise, crowds, traffic and pollution. The only place you need to worry about traffic in NZ is the capital Auckland, where just like the UK there are traffic jams and rush hours.

New Zealand is not known for its public transport – in fact there is not much infrastructure due to the country’s geology. Unlike the UK where you can get to just about anywhere using trains, cars, planes, trams and buses. In New Zealand, public transport is very limited, with most Kiwis relying on the car as their main form of transport. Because New Zealand is a land of wide-open spaces with a low population density, it makes it impractical to provide the extensive public transport systems you find in more built-up and crowded cities as you do across the UK. On top of that there are also the earthquakes and the resulting frequent infrastructure repair costs. That is why so many people in NZ find a car essential. Some Kiwis would also say we like driving because it reflects our independent traits.

If you are after night life then the UK is the place to be, unlike NZ where the quieter life can also extend into nightlife – obviously the cities have vibrant nightlife scenes. When I was back in NZ in 2017, I was so impressed with how much nightlife had changed – especially in Christchurch since the big rebuild. Not quite the London atmosphere but fantastic for the size of the population.

Now another thing I find annoying in NZ are the Sandflies. They never liked me and when I get back, they still don’t. So be careful as those little things do bite - but the UK has gnats and they are equally annoying, although not as aggressive as their Kiwi cousins.

I love New Zealand’s untouched wilderness, the clean air, the fact it’s not overcrowded and of course its natural beauty. Both countries have good points and bad points and I call both of them home. Not getting back to New Zealand as often as I like makes me appreciate it even more.

Overall, there are certain things I love and dislike in both the UK and New Zealand (all being relatively minor things in isolation) so I’m not going favour either country.

The UK is currently my home, having married my wonderful husband and soul mate Stu. But who knows, in years to come NZ could become our primary home. We might end up splitting our years between the two – which if it was timed right, due to the difference in seasons, might mean we enjoy an eternal spring and summertime. April to October in the UK and October to March in NZ. In the meanwhile, we’ll just enjoy every day and year as it comes.