Posts by Paul Williams
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George, Te Ao Nui? Canberra? Huh?
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I am really grateful to Russell and Public Address as you allow me a window on home, or at least that liberal, coffee drinking, free flowing ideas side of New Zealand that I will always think of as home no matter where in the world I may happen to be.
Ditto. The frequency of my posts is a clue to my sense of dislocation.
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David, our experiences aren't too different.
but the longer I've been here the less appeal it holds- the endless urban sprawl and astronomical property prices in particular are something of a put-off.
Agreed. We've bought and now feel a little trapped into the market movements that constantly recalibrate our "wealth". Also, with kids, the lifestyle differences between NZ and Australia are also partly a function of the urban sprawl. We tend to not have friends and kids over nearly as often as is possible with larger NZ "sections"; instead we'll meet in the parks - parks that can be exceedingly good I should add.
the awareness of indigenous culture, and less of a tendency toward patriotic chest-beating for example.
I'm always careful about this but I agree. Perhaps it's function of the later colonisation, I don't exactly know, but I'm grateful that though there remain injustices needing remedy, NZ's committed to remedies whereas not all Australians are.
Watching the Olympics here was bloody painful- no coverage of Val Vili's shot-put final, but every time an Australian swimmer so much as pulled her cozzie out of her arse-crack you'd be treated to half-hourly replays of it for the next two days.
Is that just patrotism or also a higher tolerance for flat out sexism? Ever watched episodes of the NRL or AFL footy shows? Far-freak'n-out! It's boorish, sexist, homophobic crap on network TV!
Further evidence for this is that until recently, Netball tests were seldom broadcast even though Australia's got anti-sphoning laws to ensure national sporting events are free-to-air.
Mustn't gripe but, mustn't. It's a grand country with much to commend it, it just isn't home.
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Since we're talking health, I've got to say the Australian system is very very good. Lots of it is free at the point of use, but higher income earners almost all have medical insurance (or pay an additional tax).
When my family last seriously considered relocating back to NZ, our excellent family GP (who is a pediatrician) was a significant factor in our thinking.
I couldn't tell you what percentage is private-provision, but I'd guess more than in NZ and you can be a private patient in public hospitals (as I recall you can in NZ too). Interestingly, despite my guess that more is private, drug companies can't directly advertise to the public as they can in NZ (though some find work-arounds)
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I offer you Pauline Hanson; evidence it's at least antipodean. Not nearly so articulate, she's nevertheless as shallow, self-indulgent and reactionary.
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Sacha, I completely agree. I formed this view after one dealing with him in 1995 and nothing since has convinced me otherwise. I wonder when advocates of the status quo will realise how his behaviour undermines their credibility?
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Well mine host has expeditiously deleted all references... and again, apologies.
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Aaaaggghhhh! Paul!! You outed me!!! So far I've kept my family name off blogs about the place.
I'm genuinely sorry Deborah. I should have known better. Perhaps a admin pixie can delete the unecessary details from my comment?
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I moved to Sydney from Wellington seven years ago. I meant to be back in two years. I'd happily come back to NZ, very happily. My family regularly contemplates a return, almost every year or so.
So what keeps us away? Well, my wife has a great job at the Sydney Opera House. That's a big factor. My eldest daughter loves her childcare. We bought a house, we like our lifestyle, our friends and the weather (mostly, but not when it's stifflingly hot). On the other hand, Sydney doesn't feel like my home. Perhaps Melbourne would, it has a familiarity which is hard to explain.
I'm sick to death of the narrowly defined debates about the relative merits of New Zealand versus Australia or some other place. We left because we wanted a change. We got it. But it's not lower taxes or better wages that keeps us in Sydney. It's a far more complex set of considerations that have more to do with social connections than work ones. Perhaps that's because we were mid-career, not starting off, I don't know.
Deborah often blogs about moments of enculturation. I understand what she means. Almost seven years to the day after we left New Zealand, I saw Shihad play near where I live. Surrounded by six other expats and having a few quieties before the gig, we all closely watched St Kilda beat the Bulldogs and agreed it was one of the best games of Footy this season...
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Sacha, I greatly admire Durie; couldn't have selected a better authority or quote from my perspective.