So whats it like living in Auckland?
// May 30th, 2008 // Travel
I’ve been here a month or so now, that times flown by, house, job hunting and getting to know a few bits of what is a massive city (in terms of space, there aren’t actually that many people here). I’ll be honest I didn’t really know anything about New Zealand before I moved here, other than the usual things – Crowded House and Lord of the Rings, oh and sheep. It’s a bit like a PG version of 18 rated England, most of the bad stuff has been removed and whats left is the occasional moderate sexual reference that some viewers may find offensive.
Its easy to mock New Zealand, and the first thing that surprised me is how much people do, even kiwis. Its a lovable underdog, fighting to be taken seriously but lacking in credibility beyond Flight of the Concords, a NZ show famous for mocking NZ. I think its up to kiwis to be a bit more patriotic, to stand up for their country. I came here with no knowledge, and therefore no pre-conceptions it was just a whim decision made in an internet cafe in Cambodia, based solely on the fact that the only friend I have in this half of the world lives in Auckland. So when people mock New Zealand, telling me that its only good for a bungee jump or that I missed the party as everyone has left and moved to Australia, I’m like a young kid being taught swear words by an older cousin, if you tell me that I don’t know any better if you bash it I’ll believe you.
As a geek, the first thing that struck me about the place is that the technology market is small and a good year or two behind Europe. Impressively I’ve got a job in both mobile technology and the internet. Impressive because when I went to buy a phone it turns out that the most common form of mobile communication here is a paper cup threaded with string. The internet has arrived, but no-one is quite sure what to do with it yet. So it just sits in the corner in a box. Apparently between England and NZ is the largest time difference of all, but I didn’t know it was 10 years.
No! I’m doing it too. Note to self: Stop mocking lovely New Zealand! But it just makes it so easy.
The great thing about NZ is the quality of life. The other night I was looking out the window (we live right in the center) at the office blocks around, it was 5:45pm (I know because my watch told me) and there was no-one at their desks! What kind of backward nation would allow such a favourable work life balance? Contrast with the ‘most developed’ nation on earth the USA, where they make everyone work 9am-9pm everyday and reward you with 2hrs holiday a year. They call it Annual Leave, we call it a long lunch break. Yet I still feel naughty leaving the office at 5pm, like a school kid skipping Geography to smoke behind the bike sheds.
I now know what its like to be an American visiting England, wandering round taking photos and calling everything ‘quaint’. I can’t think of an apter description of this little dream country. “Oh look honey, they’ve got a little harbour, look at the little boats. My god that’s adorable”. Look at these pictures, can this place be real?
I took this one while sitting on a train. yep, on a train, a moving train, ‘choo choo’.
And there’s a million more sitting on my sd card. You don’t even need to look, just point your camera click, and out pops a beautiful scenic shot. Its the most photogenic country I’ve been to so far. I feel like I’ve moved in with a supermodel, and I can’t stop taking photos that everyone but me is already bored of looking at .
The one claim to fame the country is has is that Lord of the Rings was filmed here. The great irony is that it is the worlds shire. If you ever wanted to hide a gold ring from an evil wannabe dictator, you’d hide it here. No-one going to find this place, its about 50hrs from anywhere, safe and protected from the destructive influences facing other countries.
Its like a little volcanic sim city town, handcrafted by somebody who has no real understanding of the dynamics of public transport design looking at what a bitch it is to get around, but scoring full marks in the aesthetics dept. I keep waiting for that siren noise to start and then a tornado and a little growling godzilla creature to come out the sea and mess everything up. Its just too nice here. The hills, volcanoes, aqueducts, mountains, cliffs, beaches, boats in the harbour, parks, the nice shop workers who ask me constantly how I am. I’m sure I’m awake, but I have to fight the urge to go round pinching other things to see if they’re real and not made of pixie dust or by the acme corporation.
Well I say stop it New Zealand. This is a rallying call, stand up and be proud to be a kiwi! You’ve got spectacular scenery, short working hours, great weather, 0% unemployment….crowded house. Hold your head high and lets put New Zealand on the map. Or on the map in its own right and not as the home of lord of the rings, or a large town in Australia. Long Live New Zealand!
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