New Zealand in winter vs USA midwest! Americans living in New Zealand

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  • Опубліковано 23 лип 2021
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КОМЕНТАРІ • 360

  • @Kiwiamericans
    @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому +10

    Check out Skillshare today! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/kiwiamericans07211

    • @joannewinter7879
      @joannewinter7879 2 роки тому

      Born and bred Kiwi. I smiled when you spoke of how cold our houses inside are . For real. Just had heat pump installed. My insulation checked to insure its doing its job. Draughts in doorways, windows fixed OMG . Warm as toast now. Use heat pump to warm up inside. Turn off. Love your channel ❤😊

    • @audreyking5315
      @audreyking5315 2 роки тому

      But we have the most amazing summers. That last for ages. And we also have Xmas in the summer. It actually gives us something to look forward to after a crappy long winter. I also love Daylight Saving. DLS at the end of September means warmer weather is coming.

  • @harrycurrie9664
    @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому +80

    Used to love NZ winters as a kid, cycling home from my after school job headlong into a blasting freezing southerly so fresh you could smell the penguin colonies in Antarctica. 😁

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому +9

      Well that is quite the visual!

    • @harrycurrie9664
      @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому +23

      @@Kiwiamericans Yes, haven't eaten sardines since.

    • @citizenkane0014
      @citizenkane0014 2 роки тому +2

      The irony so blatantly missed, credit to you Sir
      Did you also run across the dairy paddocks from warm cow pie to warm cow pie in bare feet on your way to school?
      we only had one pair of shoes to share so first up best dressed ;)

    • @harrycurrie9664
      @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому +2

      @@citizenkane0014 No, not on the way to school but I did use fresh cow pats as toe warmers once or twice when I had to go to the cow shed and didn't have gumboots on a cold and frosty winter morning.... I used to help on a friends farm during school holidays. Apart from 1 good pair of shoes for going to town etc. I never wore shoes to school until I was about 8-9. 👍

    • @juliblued
      @juliblued 2 роки тому +2

      That sounds smelly.

  • @paulg3336
    @paulg3336 2 роки тому +30

    Only 11 of the 260 native trees of New Zealand are deciduous - most of the trees that you see losing leaves in autumn will be exotic species

    • @silmuffin86
      @silmuffin86 2 роки тому +1

      that's so interesting, I had no idea!

  • @aearnshaw9800
    @aearnshaw9800 2 роки тому +38

    I lived in the US for decades and am now back in NZ. My house is toasty-warm with a heat pump and my utility bills are less here because it doesn't get as cold as where I lived in the US. But here, even in a new house with double-pane windows and a heat pump, it's not unusual to see windows wide open in the winter. There's a different perception of cold here...which is why you'll also see plenty of shorts, bare arms and flip-flops year-round.

    • @shaunmckenzie5509
      @shaunmckenzie5509 2 роки тому +4

      Yeah, overseas I find they overheat their buildings. I hate it.

    • @shaunmckenzie5509
      @shaunmckenzie5509 2 роки тому +3

      @Ocean Blue Most things in NZ are always going to be expensive, it's just impossible for it not to be. We're a relatively small country at the far end of the world. That's the cost of living here unfortunately.

    • @Mel-qr5ob
      @Mel-qr5ob 2 роки тому +1

      a reason that people keep their windows open is because humidity is a huge problem and we don't have mold regulation stuff like in the US.
      I had a flat in Dunedin where I had a "wall mop" and a "cieling mop" (regular mops but which I reserved just for those areas, never the floor) and i would mix mould killer with water and mop all of them once a month.
      The bucket water would always be black by the end.
      My landlord took zero responsibility for what I suspected to be a leaky cieling into the walls, and the tennancy tribunal took the landlord's side because I had no proof.
      In the end I was contractually stuck there for a year constantly sick till I could finally leave.
      Anyways back on topic people will leave their windows open all day in winter in a attempt to reduce humidity and prevent mold growth, athsma attacks, illness and lung issues.

    • @duncanmcrae9982
      @duncanmcrae9982 2 роки тому

      Pretty sure I wasn't raised in a barn but always gotta have a window open in my room unless it goes sub zero, got double glazing and run a big pc desktop rig for most of the day for work and it gets too damn hot otherwise

    • @monjier
      @monjier 2 роки тому

      @@Mel-qr5ob lol i haven't cleaned the mould off my ceiling in years. I can smell it though. It pisses me off.

  • @94hayster
    @94hayster 2 роки тому +16

    One thing I love about Christchurch is that it gets lots of frosty mornings in winter but that also means we get a nice sunny day too

    • @sandyrickard994
      @sandyrickard994 2 роки тому

      and lots of wiping down of windows in the morning due to condensation

    • @arlenebishop9489
      @arlenebishop9489 2 роки тому +2

      Yes I remember that too 😃 I now live in England. The last time I was in Christchurch in July it was warmer there than it was in England and July is summer in England!

  • @sandyrickard994
    @sandyrickard994 2 роки тому +20

    My Mother from Scotland used to say that NZ builds it's houses to Mediterranean conditions when it couldn't be further away!! You're so right. The houses are so cold and often it is warmer outside in Winter

  • @tomok7775
    @tomok7775 2 роки тому +18

    At times, "four seasons in one day" anywhere in NZ. Fascinating!

  • @jrmop0965
    @jrmop0965 2 роки тому +6

    Best thing about NZ winters.
    Jumping into natural hot springs.

  • @martigallagher7250
    @martigallagher7250 2 роки тому +6

    Exactly about indoors! Never been so cold as I was for 7 years in New Zealand--Brrr!! We’d try to get one room warm to watch a movie and then would see my breath inside if I ran to the kitchen. Don’t miss that part! :)

  • @Luubelaar
    @Luubelaar 2 роки тому +18

    The "cold indoors" thing is the complaint I hear most from people who move to NZ (and Australia), particularly from people from the US. I've visited friends and family who live in the USA (some in Chicago), and I found their winter indoors unbearable. It was like a hot summer day. I was dressed in a long sleeve tshirt and jeans or track pants, and I was pouring sweat. They're all wandering about in shorts and tshirts. But on the flip side, living in a poorly insulated, draughty house is misery.

    • @amcghie7670
      @amcghie7670 2 роки тому

      My first visit to Wellington was in May 2009. I was cold the entire trip and couldn’t get warm. The southerly wind was soooo cold. My mum in-law put a hot water bottle and electric blanket on the bed. That helped.

    • @ivydickson7596
      @ivydickson7596 2 роки тому

      The electricity would be lower overseas but are the houses not heated with oil heaters? how much does that cost?

  • @duncanmcrae9982
    @duncanmcrae9982 2 роки тому +5

    Grew up in invercargill and every year in the middle of winter there would be a huge community event where people would go down to oreti Beach to swim in the sea...had icebergs floating off in the horizon a couple of times. Living cold is most definitely a southland motto

  • @maverick214
    @maverick214 2 роки тому +6

    18C (65F) max temperature the last two days and tomorrow in my home town in the North Island. Winters are so mild compared to when I was a kid.

  • @chrisheath5233
    @chrisheath5233 2 роки тому +13

    I lived in an uninsulated house in Auckland. When I opened the refrigerator one morning, it was noticeably warmer inside compared to the rest of the kitchen.

    • @aqua8833
      @aqua8833 2 роки тому +1

      @@TheTazzietiger That just would not fly in the upper midwest, when it is -10 deg F (-20 deg C). Then add a wind from the north. (Polar vortex)

    • @jaynepowell6864
      @jaynepowell6864 2 роки тому +1

      Turn on a bloody heater for crying out loud!🙄

    • @jaynepowell6864
      @jaynepowell6864 2 роки тому +2

      What else do you expect in freezing cold Kiwi homes? Kiwis call it "Indoor Camping - such utter bulls**t!🥶

    • @lesliekevinhuddleston2142
      @lesliekevinhuddleston2142 10 місяців тому +1

      Try the far South It can be very cold in our houses but as is stated we have a low expectation and are use to it and winter doesn't last too long but even though sometimes it can be really crazy cold in doors I have many stories of such times.

  • @greybirdo
    @greybirdo Рік тому +1

    They’re right -you really can’t beat Wellington on a good day. At its best, it is one of the most glorious cities on earth.

  • @WinterWind
    @WinterWind 2 роки тому +21

    It's depressing how badly our houses are and how people are just used to it and put up with it 😒😪

    • @lewtscott3346
      @lewtscott3346 2 роки тому +5

      Take a concrete pill

    • @superhoriguy3164
      @superhoriguy3164 2 роки тому +2

      Its not depressing how our houses are I've lived in ones with no windows and holes in the walls so if a house has windows doors n walls thats paradise lol it is what it is could be worse no roof 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @porirvian8457
      @porirvian8457 2 роки тому +5

      @@lewtscott3346 Seriously? The houses here are absolute crap compared to most other Western nations in the world. It's so nice to go back to a house in America and have it be 21 or 22C in every room. It stops everyone from getting sick frequently.

    • @porirvian8457
      @porirvian8457 2 роки тому +4

      @Ocean Blue Like I get we had to build them cheaply and very quickly. But the fact we never improved snd insulated them over time is soooo bad.

    • @Lazydaisy646
      @Lazydaisy646 2 роки тому +2

      @Ocean Blue anything built in the last 15 years should be well insulated with double glazing. Not too hard to keep that warm.

  • @PhilipTaramai
    @PhilipTaramai 2 роки тому +3

    Very true for some of us, in fact when I go visiting I can't stand a warm house. Here's something that would probably irritate you, while driving in winter I fully open both passenger-side windows to equalize inside temperatures to match the outside (my wife hates this, we seldom carpool). That is one of the main reasons I very rarely go further North of Taupo, I just can't stand being warm. My hot water bottle was my best friend you just cuddle up to every night, now passed on to my kids when they were young, you really don't need an electric blanket.

  • @garthrogers2269
    @garthrogers2269 2 роки тому +18

    The coldest that I've ever experienced here in New Zealand is -10C. I've also lived and worked in buildings where it was warmer OUTSIDE than inside and I didn't work in a cold store.

    • @stephendickson9000
      @stephendickson9000 2 роки тому

      So tou havent lives in the south when we have a good hard winter. Then there has been the odd one it gets really cold.

    • @garthrogers2269
      @garthrogers2269 2 роки тому +2

      @@stephendickson9000 15 years in Invercargill plus I grew up near Waiouru on the Central Plateau. I know what our cold winters are like.

    • @stephendickson9000
      @stephendickson9000 2 роки тому +2

      @@garthrogers2269 both those spots have a wet cold. Bloody horrible it is as well. Most miserable winters i had were Invercargill and Taupo.
      But they werent the coldest by far.
      PS: son just went into the army, first spot Waiouro. 😂😂

    • @garthrogers2269
      @garthrogers2269 2 роки тому +3

      @@stephendickson9000 Taupo is a miserable place in winter, but the lake breeze in summer is a blessing. As for Waiouru, I have seen a spilled drink freeze before it hit the ground in winter, and an egg fry on the footpath in summer. It's why the army trains there.

    • @fergusporteous-gregory2557
      @fergusporteous-gregory2557 2 роки тому +2

      I've experienced -17 in the Omaka Valley a few months ago

  • @mendyerwin555
    @mendyerwin555 2 роки тому +2

    We lived in Hamilton, New Zealand years ago. I remember going to visit friends out on the east coast in Ruatoria, and their house was SO COLD! We literally slept in our clothes - with an added layer (sweat pants and sweatshirts) AND about 3 blankets on top of us. We shivered all night long! Meanwhile, our friends' kids were running around - inside and out - in shorts and bare feet! We felt like such wimps! 😂

  • @J_P1
    @J_P1 2 роки тому +2

    We're lucky to be positioned where we are on earth and how our country is formed weather wise 😊 doesn't get too hot, doesn't get too cold

  • @NZKiwi87
    @NZKiwi87 2 роки тому

    Thanks for another interesting video!

  • @AHD2105
    @AHD2105 2 роки тому +2

    Wellington is awful. Windy. Im so scared when the plane lands, and then they make you walk off the tarmack. The whole if NZ knows this. Im love in Christchurch, but if you have teens, Nelson is the best, if you have younger children, Blenheim is the best, Christchurch is in between. Wellington is so windy. Scary. I couldn't sleep. And yes our windows had ice ferns on the inside of the windows. And as your grandparents say, "put a jersey on!"

  • @fpv88hsv
    @fpv88hsv 2 роки тому +4

    Absolutely!!! I used to think our houses were sliced bread until I spent my first winter in Canada. NZ winters are great but only when you’re outside. “Living cold” yep only way to call it.

  • @Moamanly
    @Moamanly 2 роки тому +6

    11 minutes in--we get it---it's COLD!!!! ;-)
    I sometimes crank my heat pump up to 18 deg for a treat. Just to see how the other half are living......usually only on my birthday though.

  • @sonnyday6830
    @sonnyday6830 2 роки тому

    Down south in winter we live out of one room that has heat and have heavy drapes for the windows, having open plan is a bonus so the kitchen is warm too

  • @bhanani5480
    @bhanani5480 2 роки тому +2

    I am always learning something from your videos Tara. Out of all your videos I've only disagreed with one or two things (just my own opinion) but otherwise your explanations are on point. And your videos makes me so grateful and appreciate being in New Zealand (except for the Auckland traffic grrrrrrrr)

  • @stillvisibletoallusers
    @stillvisibletoallusers 2 роки тому +4

    I lived in Mt Cook and honestly even when it was snowing it was warm.

  • @elettewheeler7893
    @elettewheeler7893 2 роки тому +1

    I loved winter in Dunedin, southern NZ, when I moved there as a teenager. Rain is mostly like mist.

  • @tearahemason
    @tearahemason 2 роки тому

    Love a crisp winter morning back home!!!

  • @CapitalVideo
    @CapitalVideo 2 роки тому

    Water heating is charged at a lower rate and you can get storage heaters connected to the hot water circuits that provide heating all day at a much lower rate.

  • @pianoman4967
    @pianoman4967 2 роки тому +23

    Hot water bottle = hottie. Put a cover on your hottie! I told an American friend l used 2 hotties at night and her reaction was hilarious! Had to explain the difference between a hottie and a hot woman!

    • @harrycurrie9664
      @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому

      I just took my comment down re hottie, didn't realise many would not know what a hottie was.

    • @meg7088
      @meg7088 2 роки тому

      Omg I still use a hottie lol, gosh I remember the class bottle hottie my Granny had one lol, now it's an antique sitting in my sisters garage, and the stories it creates when someone ask about it are so so funny.

    • @pianoman4967
      @pianoman4967 2 роки тому +2

      @@meg7088 There used to be an amazing "bed warmer" hanging on our wall. A round brass tool about the size of a small fry pan with a lid and a long wooden handle that you filled with hot coals and swept between the sheets to take the chill off!

    • @meg7088
      @meg7088 2 роки тому

      @@pianoman4967 Good ole brass was well use way back then, the good ole ways of warming beds 👍🏽 but it worked, I do vaguely remember those, my great granny had one and its just been handed down as the years move forward, my Aunty has it with heaps of other antiques, the brass puffy thing they used to make the fire flame, an old copper boiler thingy you washed ya clothes in and still has the handles hahaha, thanks for the memories 👍🏽 that was awesome.

    • @pianoman4967
      @pianoman4967 2 роки тому +2

      @@meg7088 Hey Meg! Enjoyed your reply! The brass puffy thing😆 you mention are "bellows!" And the old copper boiler thingy is called a "copper!" Do you remember the old squishy roller thingy with a handle you wound on the washing machine? Yeah that's right... the Wringer!! I've lived off the grid for the past 21 years and l still use them. I've got an old cooky water heaty thing for cooking and water heating called a "Coal Range" but l mainly use wood on it! Ha! My white bathy thing is outside and made of cast iron with legs that look like claws and yep... it's boring and just called a "bath." My washing machiney thing is made of copper and is manual. Meaning no motor or no power, just an lever army thingy you pump up and down heaps to do the wash. It's called "a grumpy old bugger" because it takes a bit of effort and it's prone to causing sweat on my brow if I'm in a hurry! 120 pumps for whites and 200 for coloureds. (That's a non racial comment!)
      Hey I'm wasting your time. Hope all good with you, now go get vaccinated.😉

  • @itchyfeetwilltravelk5122
    @itchyfeetwilltravelk5122 2 роки тому +4

    Hi, love your commentary . Yap that's the reason why if you live in an older home in NZ you only heat up one room, it's the crazy expensive electricity bills!

  • @mckaypaterson2519
    @mckaypaterson2519 2 роки тому

    Try using bubble wrap sheets over windows and where air leaks occur. Also try putting a cover in on a bed as shown in medieval pictures showing beds. Place bamboo poles at each bed corner and create a frame to place blankets on or whatever. Cheers.

  • @ivydickson7596
    @ivydickson7596 2 роки тому +2

    I remember growing up in Rotorua and just having an open fireplace in the lounge, when you went to bed it was freezing, we had hot water bottles but not enough blankets. i suffered from chill blames of the feet, through cold. it was not fun. You are not wrong about the cold houses here, but they are getting better thankfully.

  • @silmuffin86
    @silmuffin86 2 роки тому +1

    those hot water bottles made of rubber were popular in Italy a long time ago LOL my grandparents had them and they'd put them in bed to warm it up. They grew up without central heating in the post world war II years, Italy didn't have an economic boom until the '60s, and their generation was also all about saving money on gas and electricity. They still had them when I was a kid and randomly used them in very cold days!

  • @iallso1
    @iallso1 2 роки тому +1

    I live about 30 minutes north of Christchurch, my experience over the last 12 years is that overnight the temperature may drop to -5°c and even on the coldest days the temperature will reach 5°c during the day. It may well feel cooler due to it being overcast, possibly damp, and often with a southerly breeze, southerlies come up from Antarctica or the southern ocean.
    When the cloud breaks, as today, we regularly see temperatures climb to low to mid teens and it feels quite pleasant.
    Christchurch is pretty much at sea level and even where I am is only 35m above sea level.
    Generally buildings are poorly constructed with little or no insulation in older structures and only newer builds have double glazing. There is often poor heating, compared with cooler areas, and this often means that it is cold inside, sometimes cooler inside than out. It can be quite costly to add additional heating as well as being expensive to run the heating. The Kiwi answer is to throw on an extra jersey and pull a rug over your lap.

  • @Andy_M986
    @Andy_M986 2 роки тому

    The coldest I have ever been,was in East Germany a few years ago,it wasn't snowing,or blowing wind, just bone chillingly cold,never felt that kind of cold before. Growing up in a small Sawmill village just out of Rotorua during winter was cold, hoare frosts were common,and ice too. The old houses had a different type of insulation, it would hold its integrity, and let the cold in. But we were used to it.

  • @VMNEO
    @VMNEO Рік тому

    In Russia there is a saying: "anything which is not below freezing (0'C) is not cold, it's chill". I think Canadiens would agree. There is a moment around -25C, depending on a car, when you cannot start your car engine... not talking about ice on windows, leather seats and "square" wheels. That's truly cold.

  • @nigelheath7906
    @nigelheath7906 2 роки тому

    Growing up in the hills West of Motueka we routinely used to have frost on the inside of the windows. Had to scratch it off to see outside.

  • @devilsadvocate2656
    @devilsadvocate2656 2 роки тому +1

    I used to work for Telecom as a Lineman. Winter is a bit of a challenge in Auckland as it rains almost constantly. I used to use a trick where I used to swap my wet shoes out each night for a dry pair in the Hot Water cupboard. That way I always had a dry pair of shoes to wear and never got Trench Foot.
    The other tricky part of being a Lineman is pole climbing (there's not as much of it as you'd think). When you're 30 foot up a pole in Wintertime, unlike at ground level, the rain comes at you from every direction meaning there's no way to position yourself so that you've got a modicum of cover. Also, its necessary to have your hands outside your wet weather gear in order to carry out the delicate work you're doing. This means that your hands are near frozen (Winter rain is like ice water) and (worse?) the knuckles of your fingers freeze up making holding onto things difficult.
    So, compared to snow in the US, yes Winter in NZ is not as extreme but it does come with its own set of challenges.

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому

      Wow so interesting… thanks for sharing

  • @ceddyspaghetti7905
    @ceddyspaghetti7905 2 роки тому

    I love the cold more then warmth. Wind rain its my happy season 🥰

  • @paulg3336
    @paulg3336 2 роки тому +2

    Last week as I was about to leave the plane in Christchurch (rear exit onto the tarmac) ,the cabin crew member asked me where my coat was ,as I was in a short sleeved shirt. I simply replied: "I have ridden motorcycles for 45 years and this isn't cold".

    • @aearnshaw9800
      @aearnshaw9800 2 роки тому

      Exactly! Our perception of 'what is cold' is very different than N. America.

  • @janettewill3054
    @janettewill3054 2 роки тому

    We built our first house in Maungaraki (Lower Hutt) in 1967, it was fully insulated both in the walls and ceilings. We also had electric wall panels throughout the house. I remember insulation being a building code requirement, so was surprised that you have found this is not the case. My parents lived in Lower Hutt and their house was not only insulated but had gas central heating . I can really imagine how cold you must be in the winter. So awful for you. Love watching you .

  • @nicholasmaude6906
    @nicholasmaude6906 2 роки тому +7

    We've had some rather chilly days this month in Auckland and when combined with a lot of wind not fun.
    Talking about cookbooks, Tara, do you own a copy of the Edmunds Cookbook or any of Allison Holst's cookbooks?

  • @johnpaki1534
    @johnpaki1534 2 роки тому +12

    I use go to school with no shoes in the winter step in some fresh cow patty to warm them up hehe, so Joshua wilcox it's a true story

    • @bb21again.67
      @bb21again.67 2 роки тому +3

      My grandmother told me the same thing.

    • @meg7088
      @meg7088 2 роки тому +1

      My Mum use to do the same thing John, they couldn't afford shoe's, farm kids they were, walked or rode there horses "like 4 kids on a horse" but when the cow pooped, my mum said there was a race to put ya feet in it, love the stories of the hard out times 👍🏽

    • @johnpaki1534
      @johnpaki1534 2 роки тому +1

      @@meg7088 hahah yip true story, use to go to edgecumbe primary dirty feet not smelly but dirty hehe we were tough as nails back then, thanks for your comment on farming the other day meant a lot❤️

    • @meg7088
      @meg7088 2 роки тому

      @@johnpaki1534 Omg wow, I went to the same school, hahaha dirty feet, me too, but good dirty 👍🏽 gosh i hated the scrubbing brush at bathtime "Ouch, but ya dear not make a sound or ya get the scrub harder lol, good ole days.

    • @bb21again.67
      @bb21again.67 2 роки тому +1

      @@meg7088 My grandmother had to canoe to school.

  • @ericwolff6059
    @ericwolff6059 2 роки тому

    I just get in the sleeping bag to watchTV in the lounge on cold winter nights. Nice and toasty warm, and keeps your feet warm too. Hate frozen feet as always get a cold the next day. This months power bill was over $300 because we used the heat pump and bedroom heaters instead. Usual bill is around $170.

  • @jos9485
    @jos9485 2 роки тому

    For some reason when it's cold outside, people turn the heat up inside. Thermostats should be left on the optimal inside temperature regardless of whats going on outside. It's thermostat after all, you don't have to manually adjust the heat to compensate for the cold. If you're getting around in clothing to cool yourself down (T-shirt, shorts and bare feet), you also need to turn the thermostat back down.

  • @craigwells3655
    @craigwells3655 2 роки тому +1

    Luckily we acclimatize to whatever conditions we live in. My dear Grandmother, in her 80s, found it too hot in Wellington to continue visiting from Dunedin. But yes, the wind is a pain in Welly. I used to wonder why I lived there after returning back, flying into the airport.

  • @Tim_Shu
    @Tim_Shu 2 роки тому +1

    Such an awesome video and you're right we are used to living cold, but with the warmest of hearts 😂💖 Living in Australia now so a bit warmer 🐨

  • @Laura.v.b
    @Laura.v.b 2 роки тому +3

    can confirm my house in Auckland is colder inside than it is outside in New Zealand.

  • @a.bielski
    @a.bielski 2 роки тому

    I live in Picton, The top of the South Island..The gateway, and its absolutely stunning in Winter..I love clouds sitting ontop of the Sounds, alot of the mornings we are covered in fog.Waking to fog horns from the Ferries heading to Wellington..Enjoy your videos alot.😀

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому

      Thanks so much for commenting and watching.

  • @gregnz1
    @gregnz1 2 роки тому

    i did basic training in ChristChurch, Burnham, I had never experienced any snow until then, we had Frosts in Hamilton, snow is a holiday.

  • @micheledix2616
    @micheledix2616 2 роки тому +1

    You need to try Invercargill on the South Island in winter and the difference to Wellington will be quite amazing

  • @VtorHunter
    @VtorHunter 2 роки тому +4

    A hot water bottle hasn't ever worried me but an electric blanket always has- it just seems dangerous to sleep with electricity. NZ's winter climate sounds a lot like the PNW although we have been getting some big snowstorms in recent years- like 18", which for somewhere that shuts down with half an inch really is a problem!

    • @Mel-qr5ob
      @Mel-qr5ob 2 роки тому

      as in the "it messes with your energy flow man" mumbo jumbo or the electrocution risk?
      if it makes you feel better I don't know of a single person who's ever been electrocuted by a electric blanket.

    • @denniszenanywhere
      @denniszenanywhere 2 роки тому

      What do you think is the reason for the aversion of having a centralized heating system in a house? Cost?

  • @edwardstaats4935
    @edwardstaats4935 2 роки тому

    There is no comparison. This is paradise, no snow, no ice, no shoveling snow or bitter cold days of bitter cold winds. (46 F) Think about that vs -10

  • @kiwifarms
    @kiwifarms Рік тому

    I own an old (1940's) small (105sqm) three bedroom house north of Taupo and I added a heat pump, underfloor and ceiling insulation, double glazed and now have a nice warm comfy home. Cost about $30,000 all up. I did have an electric blanket for a few years but never used it, so threw it out. USA/Canada homes are ridiculously hot in winter, bloody insane heat, same in the hotels/malls/restaurants etc. Save money turn that heat down (save the planet!). My average winter electric bill is around $120 (2022) so pretty cheap. I use LPG hot water and have a wood burner. Try living in the tropics, 29C nights get really annoying.

  • @mikecopeland933
    @mikecopeland933 2 роки тому

    Thanks Tara. I'm enjoying your videos. I did my University in the States in the 80's. I was always too hot inside! Our houses are poorly insulated for the most part. I think there was a perception among the settlers that NZ doesn't really get that cold!? Its great to hear your stories and experience of living in NZ.
    I'm going to watch your video on why you moved here next. Please keep it up. Its nice to see an American who doesn't take themselves too seriously!

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому

      Mike thanks for watching and taking the time to share your thoughts.

  • @s6r231
    @s6r231 2 роки тому

    Yep our track record for having cold houses is terrible! First thing I did when I purchased my house was to get insulation in the ceiling and then later a heat pump. I also have a couple of econo heaters in the hallway and bedrooms to keep the chill off. But otherwise, my house is nice and warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

  • @nicholasmaude6906
    @nicholasmaude6906 2 роки тому +1

    I just saw tomorrow's forecast on the news, Tara, and it looks like Wellington there is going to be a LOT of wind (Not surprising really as it IS Wellington;):)).

  • @lisad8281
    @lisad8281 2 роки тому

    Most of the trees here are evergreens and not deciduous which is why the green hangs around. We have trees that lose leaves etc up here in Auckland where its a little warmer but its usually non natives that do that.

  • @koolgai1442
    @koolgai1442 2 роки тому

    We used to fill 2 litre plastic milk containers up with hot water and place them throughout our beds as kids.. kept us warm until we fell asleep but by 2am the bottles were cold. fun times though

  • @margaretp1465
    @margaretp1465 2 роки тому +2

    Have you tried a wheaty (wheatbag)? Much safer than a hot water bottle. Both however are great for aches and pains, not just for sleeping with.

  • @AzaleyaReid
    @AzaleyaReid 2 роки тому +2

    It only occasionally frosts the grass in Tauranga in winter. Maybe 5-10 times a year xD

    • @harrycurrie9664
      @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому +1

      And if it does then you would have a brilliant clear sunny sky and your jumper off by lunchtime.

  • @66margood
    @66margood 2 роки тому +2

    Putting things in context NZ is a very new country with a lot of old housing stock that weren't built for comfort and were built with local natural resources of the time, We had a country to build at the time and didn't have time to sit around and drink lattes back then. Just like your forbears probably lived .New housing isn't like that anymore and there is lot of new housing being built at the moment .

  • @jenniepearson6070
    @jenniepearson6070 2 роки тому

    A kiwi having lived in many countries and agree our houses are colder,However we have wonderfully light Marino garments that are wonderfully warm,also light thermal underwear which helps.

  • @muzziejoy6495
    @muzziejoy6495 2 роки тому

    As a kiWI living in the US it was interesting to see your perspective on NY life. I fully understand where you are coming from as I sit here in a nice comfy 72° heated home and it's 32° outside

  • @markvegar1442
    @markvegar1442 2 роки тому +2

    Tip cold water on windscreen that clears the frost in nz lol

  • @mikehzz9848
    @mikehzz9848 2 роки тому

    Wellington is closer to the equator than Nice on the French Riviera is. You are correct about the houses being cold, it's the same in Australia. We've had friends from the Northern Hemisphere stay in our house and they were freezing their butts off while we thought it was fine. However, when we travel to the Northern Hemisphere we have trouble sleeping because it feels like we're being cooked in an oven while we sleep, we have to open the windows to let the cool air in. Same with northern shopping malls. You have to have so many clothes on outside, but you go inside and the heat is unbearable for us.

  • @sharynhunt6961
    @sharynhunt6961 2 роки тому +2

    I grew up in Dunedin with ice inside the bedroom windows in the winter.

  • @Chris-sx7sj
    @Chris-sx7sj 2 роки тому +2

    Just to add some context to what @kiwiamericans is saying about winters where she’s from in Wisconsin. There is a weather phenomenon that builds most years in winter over North America called the Hudson Vortex. Essentially it’s a semi-permanent region of storms that usually forms just SW of the Hudson Bay. As these large areas of lower atmospheric pressure rotate counter clockwise in the northern hemisphere, they tend to pull arctic air directly down the Canadian prairies and into the upper Midwest of the US (states like North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan). If the Hudson vortex is really stubborn and parks itself in place for an extended period (which happens often enough that it has a name) these regions will often stay -10C or colder for weeks on end with regular intervals of -20C to -40C. It’s why cities like Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and Minneapolis are often much colder than most other cities at similar or even more northerly latitudes in North America.
    I personally am from the Rockies, and while our winters have a lot of snow, they’re not nearly as uncomfortable as the upper Midwest winters. Plus, we have great skiing so that makes it more fun.
    On a different note, I have read a lot about older NZ being cold and poorly insulated. Apparently a lot of foreigners from other colder countries are thrown off by it. Question though, with the newer NZ homes being better insulated, can you warm them as comfortably as you can an American or Canadian home? Or is it still colder by comparison to us, but better than the older NZ houses?

    • @libbysevicke-jones3160
      @libbysevicke-jones3160 2 роки тому +1

      New homes in New Zealand are built to high building codes, so new homes are very warm. Landlords in New Zealand who own older homes have to bring their houses up to a new standard, insulation, double glazing, heating. Good landlords do this but as with every countries there are good and bad.
      Personally I find American homes too hot. We had natural gas central heating in my last home, loved it during the winter. Now we are living off the grid in the New Zealand bush, we have a log fire which we rarely light as we are subtropical up here in the Far North of NZ.

    • @Luubelaar
      @Luubelaar 2 роки тому +2

      I'm renting a new-build in Wellington. I'm warmer here than I ever was in Sydney (Australia). Good insulation, double glazed windows, weather seals on doors, etc.

  • @Brutaga
    @Brutaga Рік тому

    Yep ... during winter my place is like a refrigerator and in summer it’s like an oven. But it’s amazing how you get used to it 🥵🥶🥵🥶

  • @donnapirikahu2251
    @donnapirikahu2251 2 роки тому

    Yep a lot of the homes are freezing, poorly insulated, draughts coming through the windows, condensation and mould is big which is why we opened our windows everyday, and yes hot water bottles were the more affordable way of keeping warm as using power for heating was not even an option because of the crazy power bills which alot of nz families can’t afford

  • @glenradford5988
    @glenradford5988 Рік тому

    I remember going to bed in freezing cold sheets and seeing your hot breath when you go to bed. Now my parents have insulated their house and they have the wood fire burning constantly.

  • @mummylilbear6088
    @mummylilbear6088 2 роки тому

    I’m in lower north island we have had a warm winter so far

  • @jasonparker3351
    @jasonparker3351 2 роки тому

    I think you need to travel more around NZ. Up on the central plato of the north island, Ratahi, Ohakune in winter its very cold and snows

  • @tessrobinson6911
    @tessrobinson6911 2 роки тому

    Ahahaha yup definitely live cold indoors. I think we are all just used to it and deal. Don’t know any different. It’s also cheeper bundling up rather then spending tons of heating.

  • @gissyb1
    @gissyb1 2 роки тому +5

    I've been to Alaska.... no where inNZ, even our mountains, compares to that level of cold!. I'm in north island we really don't get many days below 10degC unless by mountains.

    • @shaunmckenzie5509
      @shaunmckenzie5509 2 роки тому +1

      Nowhere in NZ even compares the Northern parts of the US. Even YNt deep south mountains. It's just a whole other level up there.

    • @J_P1
      @J_P1 2 роки тому

      We'd soon get used to it, in Alaska.. we are tough in NZ

    • @gissyb1
      @gissyb1 Рік тому

      @@J_P1 lolnope ..Alaskan s are tough. Kiwis can't cope with frozen temps

  • @roberthutchison1561
    @roberthutchison1561 2 роки тому

    Mt cook village I lived there and -10 degrees and knee deep of snow. I was brought up in Dunedin and it snows in Dunedin every year and it is cold -5 usually

  • @julianmcculloch3235
    @julianmcculloch3235 2 роки тому

    Interesting, we just get use to it. When my family has the money, we will upgrade our insulation etc. Otherwise wrap and heat the livingroom and kitchen. Man I'm enjoying summer atm, walking around in shorts and t shirts is lovely 😍😍😍

  • @685_Era
    @685_Era 2 роки тому

    Funny though cos when we moved to melbourne we were surprised that it was mandatory that homes had central heating and air con cos of the difference in weather here but back home in NZ it was normal, we were use to the cold had the old fireplace and gas heater but blankets were so good to snuggle up to when it was chilly. Normal living in NZ lol

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  2 роки тому

      Ahh interesting - yes that would have been a change for a New Zealander!

  • @upp.social2490
    @upp.social2490 2 роки тому +1

    went for a swim in Auckland shorts about 7 weeks ago

    • @harrycurrie9664
      @harrycurrie9664 2 роки тому

      What do Auckland shorts look like ? are they the ones with hula girls, palm trees and ukuleles all over them. 😎

  • @sheldonhkrw
    @sheldonhkrw 2 роки тому

    On my grandparents farm they have a big fireplace that warms both lounges and the kitchen but they have to shut off the rooms and the sun room to keep it in 😂

  • @workerkaiiwihoney4019
    @workerkaiiwihoney4019 2 роки тому

    It the humidity we have that make feel colder that it
    I worked in Montana where the humidity is lower and you don’t feel as cold when it -10

  • @ririwaifox1381
    @ririwaifox1381 2 роки тому

    Yip windy wellington spent some time down there when my sister and brother n law lived in houghton bay

  • @TheKL105
    @TheKL105 2 роки тому

    Haha funny ..glad nothing's changed back home ! Yep it was like walking in a fridge back home if you weren't in the sitting room with the heater or fire place on !... Saturday nights used to be fish n chip night sometimes in winter and I had to walk to the local fish n chip shop to get them in Miramar in the freezing cold ! 😄
    Glad you've adjusted to Kiwi winters 👍

  • @RM-ti8nf
    @RM-ti8nf 2 роки тому

    If it's a sunny day in Christchurch, it's warmer outside than in my house in winter. Thankfully we get a lot of sunny days in winter.
    If it's windy and cloudy, I can only get warm by being in bed. Even a jacket and 2 hotties (hot water bottles) won't be enough because of all the draughts in this rental.
    I'm sick of being cold. Before menopause, heat was hard to bear, now I'm constantly cold.
    It would be nice to have a sunny house with double glazing, no draughts and an efficient heater (like a heat pump).

  • @bazza3643
    @bazza3643 2 роки тому

    An interesting video, I have lived in Napier on the east coast of the central North Island after coming from the UK for over 50 years. I moved here from the UK because of the cold winter temperatures over there, but noting like the cold temperatures that you have experienced in the US. In all the time I have lived in Napier, has only snowed twice and then only over night, quite different to what I was used to in the UK. When my wife and I moved in to our first house it was about 15 years old and and cold, but within a few years we had installed insulation in the ceiling and some accessible out side walls, we also installed heavy drapes with thermal linings on all windows and our home now is very warm in winter, and cooler in summer. Our winter electricity and natural gas power bills for three of us are round about $130 in summer and rising to a high of about $195 in winter. We use electricity for the heat pump/air con and Natural Gas for hot water and cooking as it is a lot less expensive per unit than electricity.

  • @tanewoodley9806
    @tanewoodley9806 Рік тому

    Thanks for creating and posting this, I reckon (😎) you were pretty spot on. I imagine it took some courage to criticise us, but you were right on pretty much all counts. You did miss that we can't build houses properly... Wooden tents almost. We got central heating last year, and bloody hell, that changed things totally. You can quote me on that.

    • @Kiwiamericans
      @Kiwiamericans  Рік тому +1

      Absolutely! Yes will not rent a house without central heating

  • @richierich20501
    @richierich20501 2 роки тому

    The windows that don't close up ,, that was funny , been there

  • @mamakitty6549
    @mamakitty6549 2 роки тому

    The condensation on the windows get a lot of people in Wellington 😅 Most people use a hottie bottle. You can have pretty covers on them so you can cuddle them in bed 😅I came from England so I love winter here in NZ but that's cause it's worse over there 😅

  • @AilsaPehi
    @AilsaPehi 2 роки тому +1

    We get polar blasts occasionally. Freezing in Auckland. Went all the way down to 4. Crispy frost covered lawns and that's cold enough. Any colder I'd have been born a bear.

    • @J_P1
      @J_P1 2 роки тому +1

      Imagine if Antarctica was like the distance of Wellington to Picton from NZ 🥶🥶🥶

  • @unabresnan5560
    @unabresnan5560 2 роки тому

    My sister said the same about the private homes. No central heating or double glazing & that was quite a shock to her after moving from Ireland where its wet, damp & miserable but shes used to it now.

    • @Lazydaisy646
      @Lazydaisy646 2 роки тому

      This is so not true. Modern houses are fine .

    • @unabresnan5560
      @unabresnan5560 2 роки тому

      @@Lazydaisy646 Older houses Anne, newer homes my sister advised have better heating/windows as Tara mentions also in the video.

  • @libbysevicke-jones3160
    @libbysevicke-jones3160 2 роки тому +1

    OMG $1200, we ran our central heating on the timer, switching on half an hour before the first person got up in the morning- ran for 3 hours. Switch on again about 4in the afternoon for another 4 hours. With a fully insulated 320m2 home our house stayed warm. If l got a $300 bill l was upset.

  • @roryhebberd9766
    @roryhebberd9766 2 роки тому

    In the South middle of winter 5km bike to school in winter. Wearing shorts. Harden up and concrete pills;).
    Was dold the other night I put on a sweatshirt at 10 degrees. Outside it was 4 so I put on a beanie.
    Once it gets around 0 or if there's a cold wind I'll look for a jacket.
    Saturday night in town around freezing some of the young girls are in summer clothing think skimpy.

  • @gregarchipow7643
    @gregarchipow7643 2 роки тому

    most NZ trees do not lose their leaves in winter imported trees from the northern hemisphere do lose their leaves(apart from one native pine which does lose it needles)

  • @williamstevenson4694
    @williamstevenson4694 2 роки тому

    Thanks for the video, always enjoyable, some times we forget you are from the u.s as you have taken to us kiwis like a duck to water. have a good 1 will..n.z

  • @robert3987
    @robert3987 2 роки тому

    Growing up in NZ I never realised how terrible houses were with heating. It was "normal" to sit close to a heater.

  • @nicholasmaude6906
    @nicholasmaude6906 2 роки тому

    Perhaps you might want to update this video, Tara, after all of the wild weather you've had in Wellington recently😉😁.

  • @jontypmcguire
    @jontypmcguire Рік тому

    4 main cities... Auckland, Wellington Christchurch and Dunedin

  • @usakiwi1986
    @usakiwi1986 2 роки тому

    We had August Holidays

  • @paullcameron5006
    @paullcameron5006 2 роки тому +2

    I moved from Auckland to Edmonton, AB Canada, so I know what cold feels like. Try -40Celcius in the winter.

    • @paullcameron5006
      @paullcameron5006 2 роки тому +2

      I should have added. In teh winter here it's dark in the morning and it's dark at 4:00pm.

    • @taylorlivingston5963
      @taylorlivingston5963 2 роки тому

      I lived in Edmonton also, yes it gets really cold but it's more of a dry cold and the homes are well Insulated and you can easily layer up.