I noticed that people were genuinely friendly and seemed to care about their country. It was so clean in the city, compared to US cities. I respected their work life balance too.
I also like that because you don’t have to tip, when you order your food and sit down at cafe or restaurant, the staff leave you alone once you get your food. I love that I can literally eat in peace and not have the wait staff harass me to get a higher tip.
Tipping is the worst thing to do in my opinion even in America since the company is making you pay for the worker's wages instead of the company themselves doing it. I'm never going to tip ever after I learned what they're doing.
@@traciholz really i've never seen a burger and fries for $25 outside of a proper restaurant, for $30 you can get 4 drinks, 4 fries and 4 burgers from maccas in NZ stop talking out your ass.
I found the Kiwis to be very resourceful with their possessions and repair rather than replace goods like radios and bicycles as the import duty is so high that it is very expensive to just throw things away and buy a new one like we do here in the states. There is a great culture of DIY as the population is so small you need to learn how to fix things yourself rather than just call a repairman. Great video!
Really??? How many people do you see cycling around on old bicycles???? I dont know in what NZ you live....by the way...dont go to the tip...you will change your mind ..
The services simply aren't as easy to come by. There are fewer people. But don't worry! There are some folk in Remuera who need an electrician to flick a light switch, so handymen are still gainfully employed!
New Zealand tops my list in countries I lived in. Wellington was my second home for nearly eight years from 2009 to 2016. This coolest little capital is the second cleanest city in the world next to Helsinki. The laid back atmosphere of New Zealand is what I miss so much. Panoramic scenery are superb and people are generally friendly they nod and smile even to strangers.
Hey Aucklander here, visited the US in 2018. Biggest shock to me was how unreserved, outspoken and loud Americans are compared to Kiwis, especially in public. In NZ if you make a scene in public, not only is it rare, everyone goes silent and watches with their mouth open. Americans will speak up, even in public, if something is bothering them, many kiwis will let it boil silently to keep the peace. Another shock was the individualistic culture. In NZ we are a collective culture that works together rather than individual rights taking center stage. America felt like the wild west to me, made me appreciate NZ more than ever. Oh one more! The litigiousness in the US...what on earth...suing people for giving CPR/saving your life. Why does the law make it possible to sue for practically anything? Nobody wins except lawyers 🤣
Thats what i like about usa though. Been living in usa for 15 years, lived in New Zealand for 4 years. I like outspokenness actually since I am outspoken too. I am asian though. ( korean). Usa is really convenient to live. Yes kiwis are friendly nice people but def reserved and not expressive.
Generally speaking, Americans are very hyper. They’re also very self-entitled. They do not like being told what to do. They are VERY inpatient. Everything has to be done their way, and right away! (I know this, because I spent most of my life in the US). How are Kiwis like? I guess your having culture shock, tells me, you folks are different. All the same. Greetings from Mexico.
Great vid! As an American who lived in NZ for a year, I noticed the ecological friendliness, high foreigner presence, and casual attitudes. People say "bro" a lot, even in formal situations. Tipping in restaurants is very rare, but customers will do it if they're exceptionally satisfied, or they'll tell the server to give a complement to the chef, which is taken pretty seriously. Prices also vary depending on whether you're dining at lunch or dinner, the latter of which incurs a price hike of ~1.5x or more even if ordering the exact same dish. But you get a bottle of water! A glass bottle that is, and its chilled and has an old fashioned cap, and the customer is meant to refill their glass with it as the meal goes on. I found this to be really cool when I first sat down to eat at a Kiwi Restaurant!
Very interesting to see these comparisons between ourselves and the USA. I think as Kiwis we are very self-critical and dont believe we do enough to protect our environment, including our native flora and fauna. One great initiative that communities are taking up to protect our native birds, is to be proactive in making our neighbourhoods pest free.
Hey bro just a correction , NZ (Aotearoa) was discovered by the Polynesian group known as the Māori. This is also an official language still spoken in NZ.
@@traceyfrancis8270 You can if it was barely populated. Or if Europeans, our dominant population, found the islands independent of Polynesians. This is a pedantic point. Both peoples discovered New Zealand independently...
@@Notdjsbjj well I do know that it was well populated by many Hapu before Cook. I see what you mean but in Aotearoa Nz my Tipuna (ancestors) were already here
@@traceyfrancis8270 this doesn't mean it wasn't discovered by European explorers also. "Well-populated" is also a stretch. Much of the country had no Māori occupants, and the areas that did were relatively sparsely populated. There's a reason Māori were documented as being shocked at the number of European settlers arriving after the signing of The Treaty and Te Tiriti. I'm not making the conclusion that there were no Māori here, just that it's largely irrelevant.
@@Notdjsbjj wasn’t discovered but visited by many for trade all over Aotearoa with Iwi before 1800’s, facts are facts now that the truth is being written and spoken ( I do know about Abel Tasman as well) I will double check my findings anyway because it is always good to refresh👍 hope you have a good day
Im a kiwi living in Sydney. One of the things I love about NZ is how chill everyone is and how frugal they are with their consumption, particularly disposable items. I've only been to the US twice, but it seems the exact opposite of that. I think the Maori population and their strong relationship with the land is extemely helpful with that and in valuing nature and the ecosystem.
In regard to some restaurants not taking your credit card: This will depend on where you are, if they won't, it will likely boil down to our education around digital safety (think credit card skimming and identity theft) secondly respect, we respect peoples privacy and personal property of which a credit card embodies, we are raised with this mindset and that waitress, well she was probably less 'confused' and more experiencing a PTSD flashback to being beaten with a jandal for stealing her mum's card as a child lol. When you find yourself in this kind of situation again you can ask the waiter to let the host know that you will be paying for the table and that everyone else is your guest, it's up to you when you then want to go and make payment. If your guests are New Zealanders, then just be straight up, we're all so humble that if you say 'let me get it bro' we will just add wee mental note of how much of a good cunt ya are! -This also means that what goes around comes around, expect the same gesture in return and when it's made, say thanks and carry on, because it's rude to turn down a feed in NZ (and if someone is willing to feed you, you're considered family and family don't hold a dollar value to us). Don't forget; minimum wage is $20ph, so stop underpaying your bloody waiters mate!
I've made this comparison previously between the US & NZ ~ In the US the cost of smoking tobacco is cheap & healthcare is astronomical. In NZ the cost of smoking tobacco is astronomical & healthcare cheap (or even free). I've decided where I want to grow old!
@@AlexanderAyling The US healthcare system is fascinating and an eye opener. I remember how republican senators were keen on taking apart Obamacare under the Trump administration but at the same time were using the very same heath care affordability system to get hospital treatment for covid infections lol. This deeply embedded ideology of anti socialism plays a major part I think. Their interpretation of socialism is very different to countries like Canada/UK/ Australia and NZ.
My husband and I just started throwing around the idea of visiting NZ! We’ve also started daydreaming about moving there due to the political and social climate in the US.
It’s not all peaches and cream in NZ. Everyday items (like milk, groceries) are more $ in NZ, and your choices are somewhat limited. There are some pluses (less crowds, people) but also less services in some industries. There is always give and take and trade offs.
Oh the famous bill fight 🤣 We love it too, no one will admit it but we loving trying to sneak to pay! I lived in the US for a year and I got so worried about people handing their credit cards over. It's just not a done thing here. I also got huge culture shock when I came across a man having a medical emergency, he refused an ambulance for fear of the bill. That was something that has stuck with me.
Hey Jesslyn - the bill battle is real. And yes sad reality of health care in the USA. Saving that for the next video in this series, want to make sure it’s all properly researched
Restaurants won’t want to take and hold your card and most banks would not recommend it. Gives opportunity for your credit card to be compromised and subsequently fraudulently used. We are very trusting in NZ. Growing up in the 80’s here and into the 90’s it was common to leave your house etc all unlocked when you were away.
It depends on where you live. Some parts of NZ have more crime or may have more cultural diversity (different habits). However, there are still a lot trusting people here who would not instinctively lock up when they go out.
Reminds me of the guy that broke into a house in the Coromandel years ago,made a sandwich,and coffee,then did the dishes,and left an apology letter for the owners.
We were broken into many years ago when we lived into UK. The lost items were easy to replace, but they also did a lot of damage breaking in. That wouldn't have been a problem if only we had left everything open!
I have lived and worked in many places, Bosnia Croatia Kazakhstan and everywhere I lived or traveled...when people asked me where I'm from....in my case obviously N America....I would always say Montana....born and bred....and without an exception they would say something along the lines of...I have always wanted to go to Montana...The New Zealanders most enthusiastically by far...in my small hilltop farming community in a high valley of the Rockies,it too is in the best of ways in the past also. and our population density makes NZ look crowded lol. NZ is a remarkable country, You two made a wise choice and are so lucky to call it home...love your content. Its a warm August evening, the short eared owls calls fill the air, the antelope and mule deer are browsing out back...and the smoke has cleared enough to see the high peaks, peace
I LOVE Montana. Definitely one of the most beautiful corners of the USA. Used to go up to Flathead Lake for summers as a kid, seeing the Big Sky country made such an impression on me as a kid from Southern California. I hope the fires get put out soon. Cheers!
As a kiwi living in PNG unable to travel back to NZ easily - its great to see that you consider us retro-futuristic, conservation minded, tidy-kiwis who are the masters of stealth paying Restaurant bills! Thanks for your interesting personal perspective on your new life in NZ! :)
The last time I was in the States (2019) we were only in California and we couldn't believe the amount of single use plastic used in restaurants (even when people were dining in.) My kids and I were kind of blown away by it.
@@AlexanderAyling California is one of my favourite places to go still. Kind of like NZ, it has so many different experiences and places to go and do amazing things. I also have a couple of really good friends there.
I observed how californian's still use the dryer instead of hanging their washing on the clothesline even on a hot sunny day ... talking about who contributes more to global warming 🫣🫣🫣🫣
In Christchurch, we have 3 wheelie bins of descending sizes. Recycle bin being the largest with a yellow lid, rubbish bin with a red lid & a food scrap & garden waste bin with a green lid, with the contents being composted & bagged up for use in gardens.
Such a cool idea of a video! I'm a kiwi and I travelled to America a few years back. It was a major culture shock with restaurant etiquette and having the bill, tipping the wait staff when eating out. The food was a major difference also, the taste and quality of the dairy products and pretty much everything! Congrats on your big move, have been loving following along with your moving process :)
Portions here are barely adequate and very expensive to eat out because of the different payrates. Also because wait staff don't get tipped they tend to be quite rude and uncaring the food quality and actually get pissed off at customers when the food is not up to standard. Finally decided I don't care and with even a burger and fries costing around $25, if it not up to standard, I am going to let them know and insist on better quality or my money back. I am over being treated like I should feel bd if therestaurantdoes not do its job.
I loved your thoughts on roundabouts! :D One of the things I loved about New Zealand is that just going for a long drive/road trip was an activity/entertainment in itself because the landscape is so amazing.
And Kiwis drive like maniacs... whenever I mention that, they laugh and agree. "Yes, we are very polite but we drive like madmen." I took my son on a Campervan trip last year, and did my best to avoid ever driving at night. While I went 10-15% over the speed limit (maybe up to 120 kph) there would ALWAYS be a headlight in my rear view mirror catching up to me, with rare opportunities to pull over & let them pass. When I did, it was never a racing car, but usually a small economy car. My son said I looked like I was in a video game.
Welcome home! I've loved your channel, both yours and your wife's, it always reminds me how lucky we are to be here in New Zealand. I do love how we live in the future, despite sometimes we seem to be behind, but we love our country and each other and that is why we have more freedom here...freedom to see each other, freedom to spend time with each other (face to face), freedom to value life above all else! People, flora and fauna, and life. Welcome back to paradise brother!
One more correction, if no-one has mentioned it, but Zealandia (the continent) has been submerged the netire time. Sea level at the Last Glacial Maximum (10,000-15,000 years ago) was about 120m lower than it is now due to ice. In comparison Zealandia is about 1.2km underwater. You can also see by the shape of New Zealand that it fits nicely into the east coast of Australia, like South America and Africa.
I had the complete opposite experience moving from New Zealand to the United States with the restaurant’s because I was shocked to see the waiter come around and ask for my credit card. I’ve always gone up to the desk after my meal and paid for my meal that way.
New Zealand one of the most beautiful places you can live they have great education systems top doctors top scientist it’s really a great place to live
Another informative video Alex! One thing in the driving section that probably would've been worth noting is that NZ uses the metric system, so speeds and distances are in km/h instead of mph.
Its a common mistake by anyone who is not educated here and still made by our own too which is sad, but for new kiwis its something they will learn along the way hopefully. To the rest of the world we didnt exsist until the British but my Kui can trace her Maori ansestory back to the 1600’s. Most people cant do that outside of parts of europe and asia.
Love how you are actually educating a large number of people who know little or nothing about New Zealand. I was shocked recently when I read about a survey of northern hemisphere people and a majority of them didn't know where nz was!? I get the feeling here in nz we are more connected to people and land. However I could be totally wrong as I've never been to main land America as such... I don't think Hawaii counts as America they have their own vibe.
You are so lucky to live in New Zealand. It is my dream to live there. I watch and read so much about this beautiful country. Sadly I don't think think I will be be able to see it. I'll keep trying tough. Never hurts to dream! Take care
Never say never ,if you say ..... I will .. you will I travel around the world 3 times And before I said never .... that was big mistake becuse when I start I never finish Was in NEW Zealand 3 time and will do again 🤗 Say I will 👍👍👍👍
Mate, as a fellow Kiwi, I'm loving this series! Love seeing you guys travel the country and share your experiences. if youre ever in Taranaki, hit me up, love to catch up and shoot the breeze
You're right about shopping online. I think because Amazon isn't a major player here (although you can buy from there) we don't just jump online to Amazon to buy stuff on a whim.
I had a friend who would go out, drink on the weekends, black out and then shop online. He would spend thousands on things he didn’t even know he bought. He got help about it and doesn’t do it anymore but I always remember his story and am like, oh snap!
Funny how you say that, Amazon has just stated they will be coming to both Australia and New Zealand but everything will be in AUD not NZD so that sucks
This is one of my favorite videos - I love when people take the time to learn about different cultures, because at the end of the day, it makes a huge difference when visiting a foreign country. Thank you for doing this! Great quality of videos you and your wife always provide.
Great video, man. Recently read about the "dark skies" initiative and the enthusiasm the people there have for it. Beautiful country! Best of luck to you and your wife.
Yes that's how we do it in restaurants in NZ. Pay at the end at the counter....if you visit a pub they may hold a card as you table order kind of like a TAB...and 1 card is held as possible payment so you dont walk out. .as such.
Love this, I'm from NZ and am so proud of my country and just love other cultures and ethnicitys, it would be cool if you would talk about the NZ slang or just how we pronounce things. And our culture, not alot of people know about our culture!
born & raised kiwi here - you can set up a tab for drinks on a credit card, but usually never for meals! my dad always has to do the cheeky 'bathroom' excuse if he wants to pay for the table haha. it's also really normal for a table to split a bill equally or just pay for what you ordered one by one, you often see a table group in a single file line when paying at the end of the night.
Ok I'm putting this out there for anyone who might be from North America. I'm from Canada and lived there for a year in 2015/2016. If you're a regular person without heaps of savings and work a normal job pay attention. NZ is beautiful and honestly it feels like its where humans should live. But be aware you will 100% be taking a step backwards. Forget the big house, the fancy cars, the brand name clothes etc. Stuff just costs more over there for obvious geographical reasons and the salarys are pretty low. It takes a special type of person to give up the opportunities you have in North America to live in NZ. It's definitely an amazing place to raise a family no doubt but make sure you do your research before taking the plunge because although alot of similarities theirs also alot of differences.
Definitely need to bring experience and you will get a well paid job, otherwise starting from the bottom with no experience or educational credentials will be very difficult
With the indicators/wipers in cars - it all depends on where your car is manufactured not necessarily because you're in NZ :) Usually european manufactured cars have the indicators on the left and japanese cars have them on the right. Most of the time anyway :)
@@AlexanderAyling I live in NZ too. I’ve had a Rover and Peugeot with the indicators on the left, a Mazda, Nissan and Hyundai with them on the right and now I’ve got a Haval with them on the left :) Completely depends what kind of car you’re driving :)
Hello Mr. Alex. Thrilled to watch your video for the very first time and have directly subscribed to your channel. Long live your work, sir. Much love from Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦. Happy and successful year 2023 to you and your loved ones. 💖💖🤝🤝
Awesome video! Kinda take it for granted that we are so conservation minded over here, it just seems normal to us cause it's been happening for so long I think! Growing up, my parents would always tell us to make sure that there was "nothing but footsteps left behind" whenever we went to the beach or a park. We live rurally in the Far North, and do a heap of trapping for possums, rats and stoats on our 2 properties. Our neighbours all trap as well, and it's almost like a bit of a competition to see who can trap the most!
@@AlexanderAyling Yeah! It's a great feeling. We all also plant natives every year, and spend a lot of time dealing to the invasive plant species we have here (mostly woolly nightshade and wattle). Once you get started, you just keep finding more things you can do!
Hi..we are from India, we visited NZ few days back on self drive holidays and could relate to each and every thing you mentioned here. Good observations.
I've seen a lot of similar videos to this and I have to say I liked this one a lot because of the way you talk about these differences. Very articulate, very informed and I can see that comes from your knowledge of cultural history. I don't like in other videos how they usually talk about so called "social customs" like "it's normal to walk around barefoot" or "having dryers isn't normal" because usually those things are subjective it always depends where you are and who you interact with, also they're usually quite ignorant and "that's so weird why do they do this". Where most of what you talk about is fact and would apply everywhere in NZ as well as explaining why things are the way they are. Good video 👍
Definitely the biggest difference between these countries, by far, is that in NZ we have two buttons on the toilet depending on whether you did 1s or 2s. Definitely massive difference.
1300 Pacific people canoe and landed, discovered NZ... British started arriving around 1700 but settled in NZ in 1800... 1st Language is Maori...but everyone started to speak English when the Britz came over in 1800.. NZ is basically has a native language with a English version🤣 USA does not really acknowledge there native Indian culture, in NZ our Maori culture is pretty much strong and has the support of the NZ government which we have schools that teaches Maori culture & language...pretty special to have that going for many years
this is what I love about NZ, my children know some Maori, and how it is taught in schools. My son has a Maori teacher who has taught a lot which is fantastic. In Australia, that has not been the case with very little taught about the Aboriginal people. There are hundreds of languages there but instead of teaching it according to the community it is still ignored. Sad
@@nicolefairchild9643 Maori culture and language is taught in majority of schools in NZ. Kids grow up with some knowledge of culture and language. NZ has three official languages; English, Maori and Sign Language.
@@nicolefairchild9643 I was forced to learn Maori stuff growing up. Most kids don't want to learn it. Over 70% of people are white. Other are Pacific islanders, asians & Indians.
Wow! I just loved your style! Very friendly, never patronising and so energetic. I came to bask in my country’s good things and so your helpful tone meant I was fully satisfied. Thank you.
As someone who really dislikes the U.S and is considering moving out of the country, this was so incredibly informative. Thank you so much I'm so grateful!
@@richardireland6072 No they shouldn't come to Australia! If they like lettuce! they're in for a ride, because there's a shortage! Just joking but, in all seriousness, ya don't wanna lose your lettuce
The thing that ALWAYS gets me in the States, is the price on the ticket, isn’t actually the price. You go to pay and THEN the tax get added. Makes it very hard to budget.
I was in LAX once and wanted to buy one of those neck pillows but they didn't have any price tag at all. I know about the US system of adding the tax on at the cashier so when I took the pillow up to the cashier I asked him "How much will this pillow cost me?". He replied something like $16.99. So I said I would buy it. He rang it up on the till then said "that will be $18.70" Go figure!!!!!!
@@sandrah5405 it’s because in the US you have federal tax, state tax (which you pay separately on your income tax because different states have different tax rates) and then each county (within each state) have different rates of sales tax. The county I live in has a 6% sales tax but the city/town has 8% sales tax. So if you come to town for groceries you’ll pay 8% but if you buy something like a car you will pay tax based on your address. Meaning if you’re living in town it’s 8 but if your house is outside the city boundary you’ll pay 6. Then some states like Oregon have 0 sales tax so go figure. There are so many different laws in the US and you have to almost think of it as 50 separate country’s (they all have their own laws and courthouse’s , judges and rules etc but overseen by federal law. Another example is cannabis. Many states now have legal medical and recreational use but it’s still 100% illegal at a federal level
When it comes to purchasing items online I only buy what I can’t at a physical store, otherwise I rather support local shops. Also I like to physically feel items before purchase.
So nice to have you, your wife and your puppy here in NZ. We love new people and always need more waggy tails. Waggy tail from Richie McPaw and Jonah Lovefood, the All Barks. 🐶🐶🇳🇿🇺🇸
I have driven in the States, but I'm a NZer the thing to remember is the driver is always on the centre of the road so long as you remember that driving is easy. That also tells you who to give-way to.
Thanks Alex for this video. Really helped where to migrate soon. Also, make a collab with your wife Carrie & help many people to show more the beauty of New Zealand. thanks. Love you guys 😎💖🇳🇿
Lol 😂 that’s so true about the trash!!! Both my in-laws and my sister-in-law live out in the country so they always try to minimize their trash. Which is really kind of cool. Love this video we are super excited we have eight more days until we’re off to LAX our flight to New Zealand!!!
Great presentation... thank you. I'm visiting my daughter, who's attending high school in Palmerston North. We're going to be driving through the North Island. Good to know about the information you shared.
That's awesome. I hope you have a great trip. Make sure you check out my New Zealand travel itineraries, they'll help you make the most of your time there. Check them out here: bit.ly/MyTravelItineraries
New Zealand is a unique place for sure, but it has issues with pollution in it's rivers. I saw a program where they show how these waterways are polluted with plastic's and other garbage that are not seen by the average tourist. This problem seems to be nearer the bigger cities but it shows this kind of problem is world wide. I have to say I like the no tipping culture.
i was in NZ 3 yrs ago and saw a helicopter flying with a bunch of deer ties to a cable. they gutted them and them dipped them in the river to clean them. seems that would create alot of harmful bacteria!!!
Alaskan here, looking to take a job in New Zealand, just wanted to say thank you for this video. There is no culture of convenience here in Alaska lol, so I think I'll do just fine.
Great video! I loved learning about the fact that there is an underwater landmass connecting New Zealand to Australia, and that New Zealand is focused on conserving the natural environment. I would love to see A video in the future, that speaks and even more detail about how they are able to engage the community in participating in low waste, no litter, maintaining a communal clean environment. It would be cool to learn about what they’re doing, to try to implement some or all of these things at a social level here in the US. We have such a beautiful country here in the US, that could be even more beautiful and natural if people were interested in that. And hearing about some of the ways New Zealand has encouraged their community to “be green”, makes me think that New Zealand must have done something to engage their community, that the US might not be doing. Great food for thought! Also, love your videos because you share historical facts, coupled with modern day realities, which paints a full picture of the environment. Love it. Thanks for the great work!
@@zahralightway1881 Thank you for sharing your insight! I do agree with that. I am primarily vegan for animal welfare, with part of that also helping environmentally. Industrial scale dairy farming is certainly an issue for many reasons, that I hope will change in the future here in the US. I personally am very environmentally conscious, but not everyone in the US is, so it would be nice to know how New Zealand created a culture of environmentally conscious citizens, that we don’t currently have on a large scale in the US.
I don't want to hear it from you people because you don't even like nuclear energy, even though it's the cleanest source that can sustain a modern economy. You just want to feel good about yourselves.
@@AlexanderAyling UK is cool man. I’ve lived here for years but always liked to get home every couple of years. I hope that’ll still be the case with the current situation 🤨. Keep doing what you’re doing buddy. You’ve got a great attitude towards life and it’s infectious 🙌🏻
My partner is American and has tried to convince me to move to the US. The only reason why I would go is to experience a different country but I feel like you get that through travel/holidays. In reality there's no way I would live anywhere else. I would be too homesick.
I'm a New Zealand UA-camr and I'll confirm the obvious: We drive on the Left (like Australia/UK). Tipping is not common nor mandatory. Our spelling of some words is derived from the English/UK spelling, eg. Colour instead of Color. We use km/metres rather than yards or feet. We don't get tornadoes anywhere near as high in frequency and scale as the US gets. Schooling is done by years, not grade (eg. Year 9 is 13 year olds). Our accents are different, more casual English rather than cowboy US.
I would like to a see a similarities video too. Roundabouts are becoming more of a thing in the states. One thing about New Zealand is that it seems to be very rural, especially the popular destinations. I don’t know how much experience you have living in a rural areas or small towns, but I’m wondering if any of the differences you perceive (beyond this video of course) are more rural vs. urban than NZ vs. US?
Hi, a kiwi watching your channel. Two things I can think of that are different between the states and Nz (from my trips to the USA) are the gun culture and size of meals. It's interesting hearing your take on things.
Guns in NZ are much more wide spread than is appearant. Fire arms licences are a trial to get these days. But about 1 /4 of households would be armed, for hunting purposes . Older people were much more likely to have rifles as we learned to shoot at school. This hasn't stopped completely yet. Rural communities almost all house holds will have projectile weapons. City folk no so much. Poeple hunt and fish here as a normal activity, just as yanks do in less populated parts of the states, as we call you. Pistols arnt very useful in this context. The government has no idea how many fire arms are in NZ. Licencing is the principle attempt at control. Law abiding folk get licences witch are expencive and time consuming to get from the police. Also some don't bother. A sane approach is the key to most owners. And we are responsible for our guns, in law, and to stop kids and others getting their hands on them. NZ has been involved in nearly all the conflicts of the last century's alongside our Allies and to this day, the UN.
@@jamessuhr9667 that is true. I guess visibly seeing guns in cities in the states. It’s not the norm in nz to see police officer or security guards armed.
The 911 redirecting to 111 thing is only if your call is picked up by the right network - other options include you getting a message telling you to hang up and call 111, or it might not connect at all! I just learnt this from outdoor first aid training!
As an American who has been continually residing in NZ for over 15 years now, I believe you could do an entire video of the different terms used for the same objects. Hood/bonnet, trunk/boot, sidewalk/foot path, crosswalk/pedestrian crossing, diapers/nappies, pacifier/dummy, to name only a few of the many differences my Kiwi wife & I have jotted down over the years.
True. I'm kiwi my partner is American and we live in NZ with 2 kids. Because we use different words and accents they have a fusion of kiwi-american accents, words & slang 😂
Great video Alex, it is so good to see ourselves through the eyes of others, especially when we take so much for granted. eg., roundabouts, restaurants, recycling and so on. Perhaps once you move in to your new home, you could do some regular clips on the things you are learning as far as the DIY is going. If you have a problem with anything to do with the land, housing do-ups, animal/farming hiccups, you will find many kiwis prepared to offer some homegrown advice on how you can tackle a problem. I guess it's getting close to move-in date now. I hope all goes well.
About the credit card in restaurants - most places would take your credit card and have a TAB, but not until you have ordered anything. It's not as common in nicer places but more in bars etc
I noticed that people were genuinely friendly and seemed to care about their country. It was so clean in the city, compared to US cities. I respected their work life balance too.
What's better in NZ?
America is the greatest country on earth.
I also like that because you don’t have to tip, when you order your food and sit down at cafe or restaurant, the staff leave you alone once you get your food. I love that I can literally eat in peace and not have the wait staff harass me to get a higher tip.
Accurate point Tyler!
Tipping is the worst thing to do in my opinion even in America since the company is making you pay for the worker's wages instead of the company themselves doing it. I'm never going to tip ever after I learned what they're doing.
Well… they also get paid $22 an hour…. In New Zealand… imagine why your hamburger an Fries cost $25
@@traciholz really i've never seen a burger and fries for $25 outside of a proper restaurant, for $30 you can get 4 drinks, 4 fries and 4 burgers from maccas in NZ
stop talking out your ass.
@@ITSaPendragon what in the hell are you talking about??? Who the hell eats that?? I’m referencing a proper restaurant!
I found the Kiwis to be very resourceful with their possessions and repair rather than replace goods like radios and bicycles as the import duty is so high that it is very expensive to just throw things away and buy a new one like we do here in the states. There is a great culture of DIY as the population is so small you need to learn how to fix things yourself rather than just call a repairman. Great video!
The DIY mentality here is amazing. I’m doing my best to learn as quickly and as much as I can lol
Really??? How many people do you see cycling around on old bicycles???? I dont know in what NZ you live....by the way...dont go to the tip...you will change your mind ..
@@truth-Hurts375 yes it's becoming more like that in NZ but when I was young the DIY culture was very strong
The services simply aren't as easy to come by. There are fewer people. But don't worry! There are some folk in Remuera who need an electrician to flick a light switch, so handymen are still gainfully employed!
@@johnnyboy1586 I plaster but my dad would do the electricity. Sometimes I wish he didn't tbh...
New Zealand tops my list in countries I lived in. Wellington was my second home for nearly eight years from 2009 to 2016. This coolest little capital is the second cleanest city in the world next to Helsinki.
The laid back atmosphere of New Zealand is what I miss so much. Panoramic scenery are superb and people are generally friendly they nod and smile even to strangers.
Hey Aucklander here, visited the US in 2018. Biggest shock to me was how unreserved, outspoken and loud Americans are compared to Kiwis, especially in public. In NZ if you make a scene in public, not only is it rare, everyone goes silent and watches with their mouth open. Americans will speak up, even in public, if something is bothering them, many kiwis will let it boil silently to keep the peace. Another shock was the individualistic culture. In NZ we are a collective culture that works together rather than individual rights taking center stage. America felt like the wild west to me, made me appreciate NZ more than ever.
Oh one more! The litigiousness in the US...what on earth...suing people for giving CPR/saving your life. Why does the law make it possible to sue for practically anything? Nobody wins except lawyers 🤣
Thats what i like about usa though. Been living in usa for 15 years, lived in New Zealand for 4 years. I like outspokenness actually since I am outspoken too. I am asian though. ( korean). Usa is really convenient to live. Yes kiwis are friendly nice people but def reserved and not expressive.
@@Storm78727 We're much more reserved, I'm trying to figure out if that's a good thing or not though...
Americans are less mature than Kiwis. Most should stay in the USA.
Generally speaking, Americans are very hyper. They’re also very self-entitled. They do not like being told what to do. They are VERY inpatient. Everything has to be done their way, and right away! (I know this, because I spent most of my life in the US). How are Kiwis like? I guess your having culture shock, tells me, you folks are different. All the same. Greetings from Mexico.
The last 4 words are why the USA is so litigious !
Great vid! As an American who lived in NZ for a year, I noticed the ecological friendliness, high foreigner presence, and casual attitudes. People say "bro" a lot, even in formal situations.
Tipping in restaurants is very rare, but customers will do it if they're exceptionally satisfied, or they'll tell the server to give a complement to the chef, which is taken pretty seriously. Prices also vary depending on whether you're dining at lunch or dinner, the latter of which incurs a price hike of ~1.5x or more even if ordering the exact same dish.
But you get a bottle of water! A glass bottle that is, and its chilled and has an old fashioned cap, and the customer is meant to refill their glass with it as the meal goes on. I found this to be really cool when I first sat down to eat at a Kiwi Restaurant!
Very interesting to see these comparisons between ourselves and the USA. I think as Kiwis we are very self-critical and dont believe we do enough to protect our environment, including our native flora and fauna. One great initiative that communities are taking up to protect our native birds, is to be proactive in making our neighbourhoods pest free.
Thank you Anne!
Hello Anne
we definitely don't do enough to protect our land.
@@Jesse_andrew Yeah :(
@@AlexanderAyling kinda wish more entitled brats would get vaccinated in New Zealand tho so I can actually travel and meet family and friends
Hey bro just a correction , NZ (Aotearoa) was discovered by the Polynesian group known as the Māori. This is also an official language still spoken in NZ.
You can’t find something when it was already found? True narrative on that subject is necessary
@@traceyfrancis8270 You can if it was barely populated. Or if Europeans, our dominant population, found the islands independent of Polynesians.
This is a pedantic point. Both peoples discovered New Zealand independently...
@@Notdjsbjj well I do know that it was well populated by many Hapu
before Cook. I see what you mean but in Aotearoa Nz my Tipuna (ancestors) were already here
@@traceyfrancis8270 this doesn't mean it wasn't discovered by European explorers also. "Well-populated" is also a stretch. Much of the country had no Māori occupants, and the areas that did were relatively sparsely populated.
There's a reason Māori were documented as being shocked at the number of European settlers arriving after the signing of The Treaty and Te Tiriti. I'm not making the conclusion that there were no Māori here, just that it's largely irrelevant.
@@Notdjsbjj wasn’t discovered but visited by many for trade all over Aotearoa with Iwi before 1800’s, facts are facts now that the truth is being written and spoken ( I do know about Abel Tasman as well) I will double check my findings anyway because it is always good to refresh👍 hope you have a good day
Im a kiwi living in Sydney. One of the things I love about NZ is how chill everyone is and how frugal they are with their consumption, particularly disposable items. I've only been to the US twice, but it seems the exact opposite of that. I think the Maori population and their strong relationship with the land is extemely helpful with that and in valuing nature and the ecosystem.
In regard to some restaurants not taking your credit card: This will depend on where you are, if they won't, it will likely boil down to our education around digital safety (think credit card skimming and identity theft) secondly respect, we respect peoples privacy and personal property of which a credit card embodies, we are raised with this mindset and that waitress, well she was probably less 'confused' and more experiencing a PTSD flashback to being beaten with a jandal for stealing her mum's card as a child lol.
When you find yourself in this kind of situation again you can ask the waiter to let the host know that you will be paying for the table and that everyone else is your guest, it's up to you when you then want to go and make payment.
If your guests are New Zealanders, then just be straight up, we're all so humble that if you say 'let me get it bro' we will just add wee mental note of how much of a good cunt ya are!
-This also means that what goes around comes around, expect the same gesture in return and when it's made, say thanks and carry on, because it's rude to turn down a feed in NZ (and if someone is willing to feed you, you're considered family and family don't hold a dollar value to us).
Don't forget; minimum wage is $20ph, so stop underpaying your bloody waiters mate!
this is the most Kiwi comment that I can think of, we would naturally feed family and wouldn't think it's anything but what we do :)
Your comment just ignited my desire to move to New Zealand. One more year of university then I’m moving!
Healthcare affordability is probably one of the biggest differences.
I’ll be talking governmental stuff in an upcoming video in this series
I've made this comparison previously between the US & NZ ~ In the US the cost of smoking tobacco is cheap & healthcare is astronomical. In NZ the cost of smoking tobacco is astronomical & healthcare cheap (or even free). I've decided where I want to grow old!
@@AlexanderAyling The US healthcare system is fascinating and an eye opener. I remember how republican senators were keen on taking apart Obamacare under the Trump administration but at the same time were using the very same heath care affordability system to get hospital treatment for covid infections lol. This deeply embedded ideology of anti socialism plays a major part I think. Their interpretation of socialism is very different to countries like Canada/UK/ Australia and NZ.
@@CoolCoyote where are you talking about bro. Is this the price in the divided states of America as its free in nz
@@CoolCoyote true. If you went to a real hospital accident and emergency dept it would have been free
My husband and I just started throwing around the idea of visiting NZ! We’ve also started daydreaming about moving there due to the political and social climate in the US.
Hey Marissa - totally feel you - hope you subscribe and Stay tuned I’ve got a NZ Travel guide coming soon
It’s not all peaches and cream in NZ. Everyday items (like milk, groceries) are more $ in NZ, and your choices are somewhat limited. There are some pluses (less crowds, people) but also less services in some industries. There is always give and take and trade offs.
@@bmwman5 Well considering there was just a mass shooting tonight at the mall 10 minutes from my house, that’s a fair trade 😅
@@bmwman5 isn’t it true that skilled labor like plumbing, construction, etc is in high demand over there?
@@SuperNathan777 yes
Oh the famous bill fight 🤣 We love it too, no one will admit it but we loving trying to sneak to pay!
I lived in the US for a year and I got so worried about people handing their credit cards over. It's just not a done thing here. I also got huge culture shock when I came across a man having a medical emergency, he refused an ambulance for fear of the bill. That was something that has stuck with me.
Hey Jesslyn - the bill battle is real. And yes sad reality of health care in the USA. Saving that for the next video in this series, want to make sure it’s all properly researched
Awesome! I’m a dual citizen of both countries too.NZ IS very safe and people are very respectful and kind
Restaurants won’t want to take and hold your card and most banks would not recommend it. Gives opportunity for your credit card to be compromised and subsequently fraudulently used. We are very trusting in NZ. Growing up in the 80’s here and into the 90’s it was common to leave your house etc all unlocked when you were away.
Interesting. I don’t think people would leave a house unlocked in the USA ever
@@AlexanderAyling if you lock your house when you are away how are unexpected visitors going to come in and make a cup of tea if it's locked?!
It depends on where you live. Some parts of NZ have more crime or may have more cultural diversity (different habits). However, there are still a lot trusting people here who would not instinctively lock up when they go out.
Reminds me of the guy that broke into a house in the Coromandel years ago,made a sandwich,and coffee,then did the dishes,and left an apology letter for the owners.
We were broken into many years ago when we lived into UK. The lost items were easy to replace, but they also did a lot of damage breaking in. That wouldn't have been a problem if only we had left everything open!
I have lived and worked in many places, Bosnia Croatia Kazakhstan and everywhere I lived or traveled...when people asked me where I'm from....in my case obviously N America....I would always say Montana....born and bred....and without an exception they would say something along the lines of...I have always wanted to go to Montana...The New Zealanders most enthusiastically by far...in my small hilltop farming community in a high valley of the Rockies,it too is in the best of ways in the past also. and our population density makes NZ look crowded lol. NZ is a remarkable country, You two made a wise choice and are so lucky to call it home...love your content. Its a warm August evening, the short eared owls calls fill the air, the antelope and mule deer are browsing out back...and the smoke has cleared enough to see the high peaks, peace
I LOVE Montana. Definitely one of the most beautiful corners of the USA. Used to go up to Flathead Lake for summers as a kid, seeing the Big Sky country made such an impression on me as a kid from Southern California. I hope the fires get put out soon. Cheers!
Kiwi here...have to say, Montana sounds gorgeous. You've painted a picture in my mind with just a few words. You should write a book! 🦉🦌🏔️😍💕
As a kiwi living in PNG unable to travel back to NZ easily - its great to see that you consider us retro-futuristic, conservation minded, tidy-kiwis who are the masters of stealth paying Restaurant bills! Thanks for your interesting personal perspective on your new life in NZ! :)
Cheers Daniel!!!
Where is PNG???
@@marianacaffaro Papua New Guinea! 🇵🇬
I love this series idea! There are so many little (and big) differences between the two countries.
You’ll have to join me in the next video!! ❤️
The collab we always want 😂
Yesss!! NZ has got it together!!❤
watch it :ua-cam.com/video/dKMyNnY6Aws/v-deo.html
The last time I was in the States (2019) we were only in California and we couldn't believe the amount of single use plastic used in restaurants (even when people were dining in.) My kids and I were kind of blown away by it.
Yeah it’s a problem for sure
@@AlexanderAyling California is one of my favourite places to go still. Kind of like NZ, it has so many different experiences and places to go and do amazing things. I also have a couple of really good friends there.
I observed how californian's still use the dryer instead of hanging their washing on the clothesline even on a hot sunny day ... talking about who contributes more to global warming 🫣🫣🫣🫣
Everything in Cali is plastic. Even the people lol.
As a kiwi, yes handing over your card is very strange. We would all be scared of ID theft if someone asked to take our card at a restaurant.
Hello Amy
yeah thats a weird situation in the united states too. Ive worker in restaurants here and that has never happened to me
In Christchurch, we have 3 wheelie bins of descending sizes. Recycle bin being the largest with a yellow lid, rubbish bin with a red lid & a food scrap & garden waste bin with a green lid, with the contents being composted & bagged up for use in gardens.
Such a cool idea of a video! I'm a kiwi and I travelled to America a few years back. It was a major culture shock with restaurant etiquette and having the bill, tipping the wait staff when eating out. The food was a major difference also, the taste and quality of the dairy products and pretty much everything! Congrats on your big move, have been loving following along with your moving process :)
Thank you Madi! I totally understand how you feel. Let me know if there are any other subjects you want me to cover in the next video in this series!
Portions here are barely adequate and very expensive to eat out because of the different payrates. Also because wait staff don't get tipped they tend to be quite rude and uncaring the food quality and actually get pissed off at customers when the food is not up to standard. Finally decided I don't care and with even a burger and fries costing around $25, if it not up to standard, I am going to let them know and insist on better quality or my money back. I am over being treated like I should feel bd if therestaurantdoes not do its job.
I loved your thoughts on roundabouts! :D One of the things I loved about New Zealand is that just going for a long drive/road trip was an activity/entertainment in itself because the landscape is so amazing.
It’s sometimes hard to keep your eyes on the road it’s so scenic!
Hello Sarah 👋
Yeah but drivi g itself is very tiring and I miss road trips on straight roads.
And Kiwis drive like maniacs... whenever I mention that, they laugh and agree. "Yes, we are very polite but we drive like madmen." I took my son on a Campervan trip last year, and did my best to avoid ever driving at night. While I went 10-15% over the speed limit (maybe up to 120 kph) there would ALWAYS be a headlight in my rear view mirror catching up to me, with rare opportunities to pull over & let them pass. When I did, it was never a racing car, but usually a small economy car. My son said I looked like I was in a video game.
Welcome home! I've loved your channel, both yours and your wife's, it always reminds me how lucky we are to be here in New Zealand. I do love how we live in the future, despite sometimes we seem to be behind, but we love our country and each other and that is why we have more freedom here...freedom to see each other, freedom to spend time with each other (face to face), freedom to value life above all else! People, flora and fauna, and life. Welcome back to paradise brother!
Thank you! We are so grateful to be here and on the team of 5 million. Love Aotearoa
What a great communicator with beautifully clear speech. It makes a change to the gabble so often presented to us by both US & NZ frontpersons.
One more correction, if no-one has mentioned it, but Zealandia (the continent) has been submerged the netire time. Sea level at the Last Glacial Maximum (10,000-15,000 years ago) was about 120m lower than it is now due to ice. In comparison Zealandia is about 1.2km underwater. You can also see by the shape of New Zealand that it fits nicely into the east coast of Australia, like South America and Africa.
I had the complete opposite experience moving from New Zealand to the United States with the restaurant’s because I was shocked to see the waiter come around and ask for my credit card. I’ve always gone up to the desk after my meal and paid for my meal that way.
Hahaha I imagine that must have been bizarre lol
Calling possums cute: how to show you have spent a lot of your life not living in New Zealand without saying it. ;)
I think the ones with radial tyre patterns down their backs are cute...
@@stephenlitten1789 fucking adorable am I right!
@@punkrockgirl.mp3 And tasty too!
Yeah, ours may have fluffy faces, but they're there to lull you into a false sense of security before they eat your cat.
They are cute, born and raised lol. Had one family in my garage.
New Zealand one of the most beautiful places you can live they have great education systems top doctors top scientist it’s really a great place to live
Another informative video Alex! One thing in the driving section that probably would've been worth noting is that NZ uses the metric system, so speeds and distances are in km/h instead of mph.
Yup! I’m saving that one for the next video :)
@@AlexanderAyling Cool.
I think two of the big differences that people in USA would find strange, is public health and the normal police do not carry guns.
Yeah those will be mentioned in the next video in this series
Founded by the British? You need to study more about Aotearoa and the Treaty of Waitangi.
🤣I added my $2 to the comment
@@mearip6116 a video without any real research done.
@@mvaigafaf and your opinion dragging in the race card! Lighten up!
@@pianoman4967 fact not opinion
Its a common mistake by anyone who is not educated here and still made by our own too which is sad, but for new kiwis its something they will learn along the way hopefully.
To the rest of the world we didnt exsist until the British but my Kui can trace her Maori ansestory back to the 1600’s. Most people cant do that outside of parts of europe and asia.
I love it! New Zealand looks like paradise on Earth in so many ways.
I’ve always wanted to visit New Zealand this is very helpful
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Englishman living in NZ for the last 6 years... absolutely loving it :)
Love how you are actually educating a large number of people who know little or nothing about New Zealand. I was shocked recently when I read about a survey of northern hemisphere people and a majority of them didn't know where nz was!?
I get the feeling here in nz we are more connected to people and land. However I could be totally wrong as I've never been to main land America as such... I don't think Hawaii counts as America they have their own vibe.
You’re spot on Alana! Many maps of the globe don’t actually have NZ on it. Honestly though perhaps it’s a good thing haha
@@AlexanderAyling Weirdly my Canadian friends had a map with 2 New Zealands on it! They referred to it as it New New Zealand.
Yeah it's the same in Alaska own vibe
I would love to visit New Zealand one day and make new friends there.
The economy hardship, recession, unemployment and loss of job caused by covid pandemic is enough to push people into financial ventures.
I wanted to invest more on digital Digital currency (crypto) but the fluctuations in crypto value discouraged me into dumping.
wow I'm just shock someone mentioned and recommended expert Mrs Mitchell Roland, I thought people don't know her.... She is really good and awesome !
Mrs Mitchell is obviously the best broker. I invested $4,500 with her and she made me profit $48,100 in 2 weeks and 3 days. It was mind blowing.
I'm also a beneficiary as well.
Trade expert Mitchell changed my 1.2BTC to 8.6BTC... Her trading methodology proves her expertise.
I've heard of her trading prowess.
You are so lucky to live in New Zealand. It is my dream to live there. I watch and read so much about this beautiful country. Sadly I don't think think I will be be able to see it. I'll keep trying tough. Never hurts to dream! Take care
Never say never ,if you say ..... I will .. you will
I travel around the world 3 times
And before I said never .... that was big mistake becuse when I start I never finish
Was in NEW Zealand 3 time and will do again 🤗
Say I will 👍👍👍👍
Marry a kiwi lol
Mate, as a fellow Kiwi, I'm loving this series! Love seeing you guys travel the country and share your experiences. if youre ever in Taranaki, hit me up, love to catch up and shoot the breeze
Thanks Brendan! Much appreciated mate. We visited Taranaki earlier this year but got rained out so didn’t shoot much of a video. Beautiful spot!
Hell
You're right about shopping online. I think because Amazon isn't a major player here (although you can buy from there) we don't just jump online to Amazon to buy stuff on a whim.
I like it like that.
I had a friend who would go out, drink on the weekends, black out and then shop online. He would spend thousands on things he didn’t even know he bought. He got help about it and doesn’t do it anymore but I always remember his story and am like, oh snap!
@@AlexanderAyling Me too!
Funny how you say that, Amazon has just stated they will be coming to both Australia and New Zealand but everything will be in AUD not NZD so that sucks
So many of these comparison videos can be superficial, but not yours. Thanks for the factual, interesting and intelligent approach 😊
Thank you Laura - much appreciated 🙏🏼🙏🏼
This is one of my favorite videos - I love when people take the time to learn about different cultures, because at the end of the day, it makes a huge difference when visiting a foreign country. Thank you for doing this! Great quality of videos you and your wife always provide.
Thank you Marisol!! I appreciate the kind words and am glad you enjoyed the video!
Great video, man. Recently read about the "dark skies" initiative and the enthusiasm the people there have for it. Beautiful country! Best of luck to you and your wife.
Yes that's how we do it in restaurants in NZ. Pay at the end at the counter....if you visit a pub they may hold a card as you table order kind of like a TAB...and 1 card is held as possible payment so you dont walk out. .as such.
Yeah I’ve noticed it’s more common with the pub but not at restaurants
Love this, I'm from NZ and am so proud of my country and just love other cultures and ethnicitys, it would be cool if you would talk about the NZ slang or just how we pronounce things. And our culture, not alot of people know about our culture!
Hello good morning 🌞
@Larissa Wood Kiaora cuzzies
@Larissa Wood yeahna
I hope I can learn more NZ culture and save alot of money to move there I think your country is beautiful .
More of these videos would be an amazing resource for us all! Any insights you have would be so great to hear. Kia ora!
Thank you! More on the way!
I’m an Oregonian contemplating moving to NZ to study abroad! Coolly to think the pop. Dynamics are similar
Love that 'be a tidy kiwi' sign :D Really great video Alex; perfect study break!!
Thank you!! Happy studying!!
@@AlexanderAyling thanks :)
Considering moving to New Zealand because of the weather the constant 70° is amazing
I'm from Canada and I would say we are like right in the middle of USA and New Zealand
Haha I’ve traveled extensively in Canada and that’s definitely pretty accurate. Except Quebec which is France and the USA :)
born & raised kiwi here - you can set up a tab for drinks on a credit card, but usually never for meals! my dad always has to do the cheeky 'bathroom' excuse if he wants to pay for the table haha. it's also really normal for a table to split a bill equally or just pay for what you ordered one by one, you often see a table group in a single file line when paying at the end of the night.
Ok I'm putting this out there for anyone who might be from North America. I'm from Canada and lived there for a year in 2015/2016. If you're a regular person without heaps of savings and work a normal job pay attention.
NZ is beautiful and honestly it feels like its where humans should live. But be aware you will 100% be taking a step backwards. Forget the big house, the fancy cars, the brand name clothes etc. Stuff just costs more over there for obvious geographical reasons and the salarys are pretty low.
It takes a special type of person to give up the opportunities you have in North America to live in NZ. It's definitely an amazing place to raise a family no doubt but make sure you do your research before taking the plunge because although alot of similarities theirs also alot of differences.
Definitely need to bring experience and you will get a well paid job, otherwise starting from the bottom with no experience or educational credentials will be very difficult
Thank you for the honesty
Glad to have you here and to shine some light on this beautiful country of mine Aotearoa. Arohanui (Much Love)
Thank you Tyler!
With the indicators/wipers in cars - it all depends on where your car is manufactured not necessarily because you're in NZ :) Usually european manufactured cars have the indicators on the left and japanese cars have them on the right. Most of the time anyway :)
I’m not sure about this one. I’ve always experienced it with which side the cars driver seat is on
@@AlexanderAyling I live in NZ too. I’ve had a Rover and Peugeot with the indicators on the left, a Mazda, Nissan and Hyundai with them on the right and now I’ve got a Haval with them on the left :) Completely depends what kind of car you’re driving :)
@@WinterSwifty Hello Chrystal good morning
Hello Mr. Alex. Thrilled to watch your video for the very first time and have directly subscribed to your channel. Long live your work, sir. Much love from Johannesburg, South Africa 🇿🇦. Happy and successful year 2023 to you and your loved ones. 💖💖🤝🤝
Thank you and welcome.
Awesome video! Kinda take it for granted that we are so conservation minded over here, it just seems normal to us cause it's been happening for so long I think!
Growing up, my parents would always tell us to make sure that there was "nothing but footsteps left behind" whenever we went to the beach or a park. We live rurally in the Far North, and do a heap of trapping for possums, rats and stoats on our 2 properties. Our neighbours all trap as well, and it's almost like a bit of a competition to see who can trap the most!
That’s amazing! So cool that the community is all invested in it too!
@@AlexanderAyling Yeah! It's a great feeling. We all also plant natives every year, and spend a lot of time dealing to the invasive plant species we have here (mostly woolly nightshade and wattle). Once you get started, you just keep finding more things you can do!
Hi..we are from India, we visited NZ few days back on self drive holidays and could relate to each and every thing you mentioned here. Good observations.
I've seen a lot of similar videos to this and I have to say I liked this one a lot because of the way you talk about these differences. Very articulate, very informed and I can see that comes from your knowledge of cultural history. I don't like in other videos how they usually talk about so called "social customs" like "it's normal to walk around barefoot" or "having dryers isn't normal" because usually those things are subjective it always depends where you are and who you interact with, also they're usually quite ignorant and "that's so weird why do they do this". Where most of what you talk about is fact and would apply everywhere in NZ as well as explaining why things are the way they are. Good video 👍
Not using a dryer is a great thing about NZ.
Definitely the biggest difference between these countries, by far, is that in NZ we have two buttons on the toilet depending on whether you did 1s or 2s.
Definitely massive difference.
Super interesting stuff! Love learning about these culture differences. Looking forward to hearing more!
Thanks Jess!! Stay tuned lots more coming
Hello Jess
1300 Pacific people canoe and landed, discovered NZ...
British started arriving around 1700 but settled in NZ in 1800...
1st Language is Maori...but everyone started to speak English when the Britz came over in 1800..
NZ is basically has a native language with a English version🤣
USA does not really acknowledge there native Indian culture, in NZ our Maori culture is pretty much strong and has the support of the NZ government which we have schools that teaches Maori culture & language...pretty special to have that going for many years
this is what I love about NZ, my children know some Maori, and how it is taught in schools. My son has a Maori teacher who has taught a lot which is fantastic. In Australia, that has not been the case with very little taught about the Aboriginal people. There are hundreds of languages there but instead of teaching it according to the community it is still ignored. Sad
So glad you shared this! I am wondering though can anyone who grows up in NZ go to these schools or must you be of the Maori bloodline?
@@nicolefairchild9643 Maori culture and language is taught in majority of schools in NZ. Kids grow up with some knowledge of culture and language. NZ has three official languages; English, Maori and Sign Language.
@@nicolefairchild9643 Taught in most schools..It's great..My 9 year old grandson teaches me..😊
@@nicolefairchild9643 I was forced to learn Maori stuff growing up. Most kids don't want to learn it. Over 70% of people are white. Other are Pacific islanders, asians & Indians.
Enjoying watching as I eat my breakfast. Sounds like this will be a great series of videos. Looking forward to the next one.🙂
Thank you Susan! Yes I’ve got a lot more of these in the pipeline. Let me know if you’ve got any ideas you’d like me to cover
I was doing just the same thing, watching while eating my breakfast
Wow! I just loved your style! Very friendly, never patronising and so energetic. I came to bask in my country’s good things and so your helpful tone meant I was fully satisfied. Thank you.
As someone who really dislikes the U.S and is considering moving out of the country, this was so incredibly informative. Thank you so much I'm so grateful!
Delta is ready when you are, buddy.
NZ too expensive my dude of down under is where you want to go Australia is the place to be much cheaper to live in and ALOT more to do
The grass is always greener... Good luck
Same
@@richardireland6072 No they shouldn't come to Australia! If they like lettuce! they're in for a ride, because there's a shortage! Just joking but, in all seriousness, ya don't wanna lose your lettuce
The thing that ALWAYS gets me in the States, is the price on the ticket, isn’t actually the price. You go to pay and THEN the tax get added. Makes it very hard to budget.
That’s a good one I forgot about!
I was in LAX once and wanted to buy one of those neck pillows but they didn't have any price tag at all. I know about the US system of adding the tax on at the cashier so when I took the pillow up to the cashier I asked him "How much will this pillow cost me?". He replied something like $16.99. So I said I would buy it. He rang it up on the till then said "that will be $18.70" Go figure!!!!!!
@@sandrah5405 yeah that would not go down well here with NZ retail customers, all though I've found some NZ online sites using this method of payment.
@@robierahg17 So what is there to stop shops showing different prices in different states? With barcodes there is no excuse.
@@sandrah5405 it’s because in the US you have federal tax, state tax (which you pay separately on your income tax because different states have different tax rates) and then each county (within each state) have different rates of sales tax. The county I live in has a 6% sales tax but the city/town has 8% sales tax. So if you come to town for groceries you’ll pay 8% but if you buy something like a car you will pay tax based on your address. Meaning if you’re living in town it’s 8 but if your house is outside the city boundary you’ll pay 6. Then some states like Oregon have 0 sales tax so go figure. There are so many different laws in the US and you have to almost think of it as 50 separate country’s (they all have their own laws and courthouse’s , judges and rules etc but overseen by federal law. Another example is cannabis. Many states now have legal medical and recreational use but it’s still 100% illegal at a federal level
This has been unbelievably helpful in preparing me to emigrate with my beloved to new Zealand in search of a better life, thx mate
When it comes to purchasing items online I only buy what I can’t at a physical store, otherwise I rather support local shops. Also I like to physically feel items before purchase.
👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
So nice to have you, your wife and your puppy here in NZ. We love new people and always need more waggy tails. Waggy tail from Richie McPaw and Jonah Lovefood, the All Barks. 🐶🐶🇳🇿🇺🇸
I have driven in the States, but I'm a NZer the thing to remember is the driver is always on the centre of the road so long as you remember that driving is easy. That also tells you who to give-way to.
Good tip Barry!
Yes - if they’re going to hit you, you should have given way
Thanks Alex for this video.
Really helped where to migrate soon.
Also, make a collab with your wife Carrie & help many people to show more the beauty of New Zealand. thanks. Love you guys 😎💖🇳🇿
Cheers Nikki!
As an Australian, I haven't heard of anyone providing their credit card before the meal. Must be more if an American thing.
Must be!
As a kiwi living on Canada’s west coast, I really enjoyed your video and presentation.
Thanks Logan! Hope all is well in Canada
Lol 😂 that’s so true about the trash!!! Both my in-laws and my sister-in-law live out in the country so they always try to minimize their trash. Which is really kind of cool.
Love this video we are super excited we have eight more days until we’re off to LAX our flight to New Zealand!!!
Crazy!!! Good luck in MIQ - watch the video I did and my wife’s one if you need some idea of what’s in store
Great presentation... thank you. I'm visiting my daughter, who's attending high school in Palmerston North. We're going to be driving through the North Island. Good to know about the information you shared.
That's awesome. I hope you have a great trip. Make sure you check out my New Zealand travel itineraries, they'll help you make the most of your time there. Check them out here: bit.ly/MyTravelItineraries
Ohhh Alex, very important, you CAN'T TURN AT ANY TIME ON A RED LIGHT 🚨....LOL
Good to know!
This was great. Shot bro🤙
New Zealand is a unique place for sure, but it has issues with pollution in it's rivers. I saw a program where they show how these waterways are polluted with plastic's and other garbage that are not seen by the average tourist. This problem seems to be nearer the bigger cities but it shows this kind of problem is world wide. I have to say I like the no tipping culture.
i was in NZ 3 yrs ago and saw a helicopter flying with a bunch of deer ties to a cable. they gutted them and them dipped them in the river to clean them. seems that would create alot of harmful bacteria!!!
@@danielelizabeth2688 omg I've never seen that over here but I do believe you
“There is still traffic in Auckland”…. LOL understatement of the century
Wow such an eye opener! I've always wanted to visit NZ. Thank you for preparing me for my future trip (whenever that is) 😁
Thanks for watching Devi!! More on the way for sure!
Alaskan here, looking to take a job in New Zealand, just wanted to say thank you for this video. There is no culture of convenience here in Alaska lol, so I think I'll do just fine.
You’ll fit right in 👍🏽
Great video! I loved learning about the fact that there is an underwater landmass connecting New Zealand to Australia, and that New Zealand is focused on conserving the natural environment. I would love to see A video in the future, that speaks and even more detail about how they are able to engage the community in participating in low waste, no litter, maintaining a communal clean environment. It would be cool to learn about what they’re doing, to try to implement some or all of these things at a social level here in the US. We have such a beautiful country here in the US, that could be even more beautiful and natural if people were interested in that. And hearing about some of the ways New Zealand has encouraged their community to “be green”, makes me think that New Zealand must have done something to engage their community, that the US might not be doing. Great food for thought! Also, love your videos because you share historical facts, coupled with modern day realities, which paints a full picture of the environment. Love it. Thanks for the great work!
Thank you!! I’ll keep that in mind for future content
Maybe be Good to look at effects of dairy farming...not pretty and not clean a d green by far.
@@zahralightway1881 Thank you for sharing your insight! I do agree with that. I am primarily vegan for animal welfare, with part of that also helping environmentally. Industrial scale dairy farming is certainly an issue for many reasons, that I hope will change in the future here in the US. I personally am very environmentally conscious, but not everyone in the US is, so it would be nice to know how New Zealand created a culture of environmentally conscious citizens, that we don’t currently have on a large scale in the US.
I don't want to hear it from you people because you don't even like nuclear energy, even though it's the cleanest source that can sustain a modern economy. You just want to feel good about yourselves.
Just wanted to say I appreciate the fantastic job you did on this video.
Thank you 🙏🏼
Loving your videos bro!! I’m a kiwi living in the uk. Your vids make me homesick 🥰
Aww cheers Ryan! Glad my videos can help remind you of home. How are things in the UK?
@@AlexanderAyling UK is cool man. I’ve lived here for years but always liked to get home every couple of years. I hope that’ll still be the case with the current situation 🤨. Keep doing what you’re doing buddy. You’ve got a great attitude towards life and it’s infectious 🙌🏻
Love this especially as I’m someone seriously looking into moving
My partner is American and has tried to convince me to move to the US. The only reason why I would go is to experience a different country but I feel like you get that through travel/holidays. In reality there's no way I would live anywhere else. I would be too homesick.
It's great for a holiday because in so many ways it's so different from NZ & eye opening!!!
Definitely would recommend going on holiday there before considering a move. Personally I think NZ is one of the best places on earth to live
Hello
I'm a New Zealand UA-camr and I'll confirm the obvious: We drive on the Left (like Australia/UK). Tipping is not common nor mandatory. Our spelling of some words is derived from the English/UK spelling, eg. Colour instead of Color. We use km/metres rather than yards or feet. We don't get tornadoes anywhere near as high in frequency and scale as the US gets. Schooling is done by years, not grade (eg. Year 9 is 13 year olds). Our accents are different, more casual English rather than cowboy US.
Amazing video! You spotted amazing differences. Thank you 😊
Thank you Piyush!!! Thanks for always watching and saying hello in the comments. I appreciate your support!
Tbh i wait every week for your videos. Thank you for appreciating me ❤ your content is just amazing. Keep up with good work sir 😊
Thanks Piyush. You rock!
Thank you for your clarity and non gimmicky relaying of information. Much appreciated.
Thanks for watching and saying hello
I would like to a see a similarities video too. Roundabouts are becoming more of a thing in the states. One thing about New Zealand is that it seems to be very rural, especially the popular destinations. I don’t know how much experience you have living in a rural areas or small towns, but I’m wondering if any of the differences you perceive (beyond this video of course) are more rural vs. urban than NZ vs. US?
Yeah that’s coming in this series for sure so stay tuned
Kai ora - so happy to see your enjoying your new home. Welcome welcome welcome home!
Thank you Kim!!
Hi, a kiwi watching your channel. Two things I can think of that are different between the states and Nz (from my trips to the USA) are the gun culture and size of meals. It's interesting hearing your take on things.
Great insights! Definitely both accurate
Guns in NZ are much more wide spread than is appearant. Fire arms licences are a trial to get these days. But about 1 /4 of households would be armed, for hunting purposes . Older people were much more likely to have rifles as we learned to shoot at school. This hasn't stopped completely yet. Rural communities almost all house holds will have projectile weapons. City folk no so much. Poeple hunt and fish here as a normal activity, just as yanks do in less populated parts of the states, as we call you. Pistols arnt very useful in this context. The government has no idea how many fire arms are in NZ. Licencing is the principle attempt at control. Law abiding folk get licences witch are expencive and time consuming to get from the police. Also some don't bother. A sane approach is the key to most owners. And we are responsible for our guns, in law, and to stop kids and others getting their hands on them. NZ has been involved in nearly all the conflicts of the last century's alongside our Allies and to this day, the UN.
@@jamessuhr9667 that is true. I guess visibly seeing guns in cities in the states. It’s not the norm in nz to see police officer or security guards armed.
Hello Maureen
The 911 redirecting to 111 thing is only if your call is picked up by the right network - other options include you getting a message telling you to hang up and call 111, or it might not connect at all! I just learnt this from outdoor first aid training!
Thanks for sharing Alisa
@@AlexanderAyling thank you for such an excellent video!
As an American who has been continually residing in NZ for over 15 years now, I believe you could do an entire video of the different terms used for the same objects.
Hood/bonnet, trunk/boot, sidewalk/foot path, crosswalk/pedestrian crossing, diapers/nappies, pacifier/dummy, to name only a few of the many differences my Kiwi wife & I have jotted down over the years.
That’s definitely coming soon! So many funny word differences- I grew up translating kiwisms from my dad to my friends haha
True. I'm kiwi my partner is American and we live in NZ with 2 kids. Because we use different words and accents they have a fusion of kiwi-american accents, words & slang 😂
Do what now? :)
So, kiwis use British vocabulary, then
And herbs...Fascinates me to hear Americans drop the h..
NZ’s minimum wage is $21.20 so I don’t know why you’ve listed $17 as the average wage for a server. They are all earning minimum $21.20.
Great video Alex, it is so good to see ourselves through the eyes of others, especially when we take so much for granted. eg., roundabouts, restaurants, recycling and so on. Perhaps once you move in to your new home, you could do some regular clips on the things you are learning as far as the DIY is going. If you have a problem with anything to do with the land, housing do-ups, animal/farming hiccups, you will find many kiwis prepared to offer some homegrown advice on how you can tackle a problem. I guess it's getting close to move-in date now. I hope all goes well.
Thank you June!! Yes the days are ticking down!! Can’t wait to get moved in and stuck in on all the DIY projects
Hello June, good morning
Nice shot of Mangawhai Beach, caught me off guard there.
About the credit card in restaurants - most places would take your credit card and have a TAB, but not until you have ordered anything. It's not as common in nicer places but more in bars etc
Interesting. Yeah she was perplexed for sure!
Based on crime rates, NZ is far much Safer
fun fact : it is one of the safest countries in the world
11:31 The minimum wage in NZ increased to $20.00ph in April.
That’s awesome!!