What I liked the most is that you are apt to using simple vocabulary in your vlog making it easy and enjoyable. Excellent public speaking

Tapping on the brakes isnt a friendly signal in NZ - its an angry signal. Instead you should wait for a straight piece of road, indicate left and slow down so the persons behind you has more space to pass before the next corner. We have a rule to drive by... If one person is behind you, they are the problem. If many are behind you, you are the problem. I think in north america, every intersection is a pedestrian crossing. Here its only actual marked pedestrian crossings where the pedestrian has the right of way. Islands exist so pedestrians can cross in two sections but without the zebra stripes, cars wont stop. Your supermarket example is a good way to demonstrate how kiwis care about each other - part of the culture is to be aware of your surroundings and what other people are doing so you are not in their way. If you have stalled in an aisle, you would know other shoppers may be in a hurry and want to get something behind you so you would move out of the way rather than them asking you to move. Rather than saying sorry, kiwi's try to prevent the situation for someone to say sorry in the first place.

The amount of views you get and the amount of view you should get doesn’t match at all, just look at the quality of your videos, love it

Greetings and small talk is a thing in Australia, a hospitality staff here. At the moment I have 4 Canadian workmates.

Love this and how fair you are in opinion and messaging in general perspective between Canada 🍁 and Aotearoa, New Zealand. Great insight and love the examples given also to illustrate what you mean getting across your observations. Take care and look forward to more insight from your travels through the Canadian traveller's perspective! Respect

Thanks for this video and This will help my visit to NZ sometime in the near future.

Great insights and honest experiences. I've lived here for many years..and it's amazing that many of your observations were true back then, so not alot of growth particularly on personal space and customer service. However, it is a beautiful, safe, expensive place. :)

Nice video and yes there are a few things to consider before making move and you are spot on on those . Our daughter have been living in NZ for about 21 years now , we go every year to visit and stay usually two or three months during the Christmas season , we love it there hopefully now that we are retired can get the parent visa and maybe move over . Thanks for the video and keep on it .

I can't speak to the friendliness angle, as I've never been to New Zealand, and as a Canadian, think the infamous stereotype of Canadian friendliness is exaggerated. One thing I have heard vis-à-vis Canada and New Zealand is that we're both quite reserved compared to our larger, more extroverted neighbours (Australia & US).

We have had the opposite experience spending 6 weeks last year in Vancouver coming from NZ. Agree with most of your observations, particularly that Canadian drivers are more courteous - especially to pedestrians which we really appreciated with the kids with the snow and ice on the roads. We also found that the level of friendliness we encountered in retail was higher on average. On the weather we really have had an off the charts bad year for the amount of rain in the North Island, its normally nowhere near as unsettled!

I’ve lived in Whangarei, Auckland, Taupo, Mount Maunganui, Kapiti Coast and Christchurch and each is so vastly different in all areas of things…your mentioned topics of recycling, customer service, driving, personal space are different in each. I’ve also done my good share on international travel and lived overseas for few years…so I completely understand the very valid great points you make. I can also appreciate that even though you point these things out, that it doesn’t detract from your joy and wonder of your adventure through our country. There is always unfamiliarity with things that don’t work the same as our own countries. I believe both yours and your partners videos are an incredible wealth of information for any people wishing to visit Aotearoa and I am so thankful for you sharing this. Much love and keep safe on those roads ❤

Nice review. A kiwi, have lived in both countries and found Canadians friendlier, but that was a while ago. I was taught to say 'Excuse me/sorry,' etc, but manners haven't been an imperative here for decades. For sure, our drivers can be or seem very aggressive. The worst are territorial rural people who understand their roads well and have little patience for the cautious. The personal space experience surprised me, haven't seen that; but, so far as supermarket intrusiveness goes, I wonder if people on their way home from work may be unprepared to wait for someone to make a decision in a busy supermarket? Our hospitality workers can be lacking in service skills. I have a close relative who won't greet me when I go into the pub she manages unless I go up to her and belt out, 'Gidday!' Some younger people can seem very uncomfortable with eye contact, which can make them seem disconnected with a hospitality or retail service situation. Points to poor training and lack of oversight. And, yes, the North Island has so many 'hidden' gorgeous areas, you could drive around for years and not see them all. And, sadly, summers can forget to turn up, at least here on the western side of the North Island. Cheers!

In relation to catching city buses in New Zealand. Bus 🚌 stops are signposted along each route. The busier stops will have bench seats and the real busy ones will have enclosures. However, if you are standing at a bus stop. Don't expect the bus will stop for you. The bus driver might think you are out for a walk and just leaning up against the stop for a rest. You have to signal the driver to stop by standing on the curb, raising your left ✋ hand palm vertical. As the bus gets closer a little side to side shake of the hand should be enough to get the drivers attention. When the driver sees you, they will indicate with their signal lights, you are then to immediately stand way back from the curb so the bus can stop at stop without hitting you.

Hi yes you’re in Burnham, Christchurch and North Canterbury towns have 2 bins ( one of each rubbish, recycling ) and a lot of households have a bin in or near their garden for compost. Hi I have an addendum info in fact we do have a 3rd bin in Canterbury for compost (it’s a optional extra).

Hi from small town NZ. I live in Canterbury near Christchurch and you are right about crazy driving. I see it every day on my way to work. I think generally most people drive well and are courteous on the roads but there are always those others. On the subject about recycling , we have 3 bins at home. Recycling is collected fortnightly, the rubbish bin and compost bin both collected weekly. Most small towns have a rubbish and recycle bins along the main road. I think they are also in the cities. Maybe we just need more of them. I worked in customer service for years. Greeting and talking to people was just part of the job and I enjoyed it. Nowadays a lot of places you go the customer service is hit and miss. Some great and some terrible. We all have bad days but It does annoy me when people make no effort to be nice. or polite. Hope you're enjoying your travels around the South Island. 🙂

Nga mihi girl. Well said. True story. Keeping it real, simple and accurate is fair. I'm praying we get a summer this year! Mānawatia a Matariki 2023.

Hi Brittany. I totally agree with your customer service comments. My wife is from Oz and over the past 40+ years we’ve visited her family over there every couple of years or so. I tended to find that good customer service seemed to alternate every couple of years as to which country I felt was better. However in the past 10 years, customer service levels here have hit rock-bottom in my opinion. Actually I pretty much agree with all your observations. Good on you for your honesty. All the best and a belated welcome.

I live in hibiscus coast in Auckland and we have a normal bin a recycle bin. We are also getting a food scraps bin soon.

Awesome video 😍😍😍. I've noted your tips for our upcoming visit to Auckland in mid November for a week on our way to Sydney. Quick question.. What were the most beautiful spots and trails you've been to on the north Island? Do you think it's worth it to spend a day in Auckland or spend two days in the Coromandel Peninsula?

North Island vs South Island: It is true that the South Island has more spectacular scenery, mainly because it's bigger & has got the Southern Alps as backdrop. So if you have limited time, of course you'd spend more time in the South Island, even though the North Island also has spectacular scenery. Best option is if you can spend more time in New Zealand to properly explore its many possibilities. Driving: we are better than we used to be, but yeah, still not great. The windy roads means there are fewer opportunities to overtake, and some drivers are impatient & get aggressive. Sadly the chill reputation of Kiwis doesn't show up in our driving... Recycling: it varies by municipality, where I am in West Auckland, each household gets given bins for landfill rubbish / paper, cardboard, glass, plastic recycling / and recently foodscraps, for separate collection. But we are still not as clean green as we aspire to be. Crossing streets: Pedestrian/zebra crossings or traffic light controlled intersections are best, but even then you need to make eye contact with approaching drivers at pedestrian crossings to make sure they will stop (as they should). But I also jay-walk, but when I do, I don't expect drivers to stop for me. They won't... Personal space: weird, but I don't experience strangers getting up close when talking to me.

In relation to crossing the street in New Zealand. You can walk across any suburban streets and roads. However, you can't cross city motorways or expressways. Vehicles have the right of way on all roads. Which means you must wait for a break in traffic before you try and cross the street. If you don't do that and you are hit by a car or truck. It is seen as a suicide attempt and not as a hit and run vehicular homicide incident. 😊 There are dedicated cross walks or pedestrian crossings or zebra crossings, even proper push button traffic light signals on most CBD intersections. These indicate the best places to cross the street. I would still advise you to look both ways to make sure the way is clear or cars are stopping.

The comments on personal space and crossing the street are so on point! Haha. Waiting for a cross walk and then suddenly there is 20 people basically standing on top of you 😂😂

We also say "oppe" instead of excuse me here in Minnesota. Accent is very close to Canadian as well. We say "about" "aboot" too.

There are composting operations in NZ. The food scrap compost process needs to be carefully controlled and monitored. The vegetation/ garden waste compost process is more straight forward. (example NZ facilities - North Island - Envirowaste Compost - Hampton Downs, Ecogas- Reporoa, South island - Living Earth/ Metro Compost - Bromley, Christchurch) Recycling reuse of plastics - Future Post - making fence posts from soft plastic waste, The NZ made road cones - one maker can have 11 to 16 percent recycled material in a new road cone and they were aiming to lift that percentage. Saveboard (Hamilton, NZ) makes a building board material from used tetrapacks and coffee cups etc. Old Houses NZ - quite often old houses can be owned by slum lords who aim to collect as many rental properties as possible, maintenance can be a low priority. NZ generally has higher mortgage interest rates and property maintenance is often something that is reduced/ neglected if there is a financial squeeze. Fraudulent House painters have also been common at times in NZ ripping off elderly or other trusting people or painters who don't do adequate surface preparation etc.

I’d say on the people getting in your space at the supermarket, we are usually aware of others needing to get something around you and move for them, then apologise 😅 The other way around it seems haha

Like your comments on driving. Remember a lot of those behind you out in the country are locals who know the roads very well . If you pull over and let me past I will always give a toot to say thanks. When it is my turn to be the slow car I will pull over as soon as a suitable situation arises. One thing worth doing is if you are following a truck and do not intend to pass keep left so he can see you are not trying to pass in his mirror.

We visited Canada again this year (would be my country of choice if i had to leave NZ) and found food was more expensive in Canada, however the petrol was cheap, even more so in Alberta. I've lived all over NZ and prefer the south island. In general, the further south you go the friendlier it gets, with exceptions of course. Drivers are getting worse here though.

Just remember we have not seen this kind off weather here in over a hundred years. Usually we get a cr8p year every 3/4.

I do feel like that's a North Island thing about space and crowding without apologising. I'm very not used to that in my own home, but I experienced that in Montreal. I love your attitude and try to live by that too - there will always be things worse than home, but there will also always be things better too, so it balances out. I'm planning on moving to Quebec in 3 years to be with my fiance (then husband) and I will try to embrace its positives. All the best on your journey ❤️

Awesome video, from the moment I would have heard you "About" or "Sorry" I would have known you were Canadian lol that being said have you found that most Kiwi's aren't fond of American's? I'm from the Caribbean but I currently live in the US and I'm a bit curious to how Kiwi's would react to both Americans and people from the Caribbean too if you noticed those interactions as well.

We do have recyle,compose and rubbish bin weekly in New Zealand

You should definitely visit New Plymouth in the North Island. Hidden gem!

Hi Brittany , Thanks for your honest review . As a person who came and settled here from South Asia, thought about sharing my 2 cents about the facts you mentioned as well. I agree with customer service standards and I think it might be related to tips and commissions as tips are not common here in hospitality and some retail businesses are not paying any commissions . However, its a stand out factor when there is better customer service and I always go back there. Driving and crossing are not a problem for me as I came from sub continent and its crazier there anyway 😅. I found most people are friendly here but I don't know about Europe or US yet as I am yet to travel there. Haven't had much problem with personal space yet. We have both general rubbish and recycle bins at home and most places. I love South Island and living in Nelson at the moment . Travelled most of South Island and some of North Island as well. Will be traveling to Canada in future as some of my relatives are living there . Hope you enjoy NZ more . Thanks 🙂.

On the subject of recycling, New Zealand has a small and remote population, so I don't think the necessity and infrastructure have quite been there to really push it. We are trying to catch up, but we are still lagging behind the northern hemisphere. In the area of conservation though, New Zealand is a world leader. So we are getting some things right!

Good review, visit annually, not from Canada, found buildings run down in most areas especially in the small suburbs, beautiful nature, weather is very unpredictable , very cold wet winters with lots of moss&mold, must say I found drivers very good with allowing pedestrians to cross at pedestrian crossings, found that Auckland is not as clean and well kept since Covid. Do like the fact you are honest,

Kia Ora ! Just come across your video I'm a kiwi living in Aus from Wellington yes Wellington has this captivating feeling especially if you've grown up there ! Doesn't matter NZ in general is beautiful I've just come back from NZ with my Aussie wife and son Just had a nice little holiday as I have not been back since covid hit Well just like to recommend if you go back to the north island check out the Coromandel Peninsula and stay at a place called the Island experience an accommodation that will blow you away as it did us even though I was born in NZ I hadn't been to a lot places in NZ and I feel like a tourist when I go to places Ive never been in NZ..and just like to say back in the days when I was in highschool in Wellington we had an economics teacher Mr Palmer who used always say you should go to Canada it's beautiful..he was Canadian ! All the best on your stay in Aotearoa NZ 👍😀

Great video (I’m a bit tardy to the party!) as a kiwi now living overseas (UK for 22 years now) I totally agree with all your points, there’s a lot that sugar coated, in particular comparing Aucklanders to the rest of NZ - very different mentality up there and I’d love to know if you found South Islanders friendlier than folks from the North? Hope you’re still enjoying Aoteatoa?

I read a study somewhere once about “personal space bubbles” and it would seem Canadians have the biggest expectation of personal space. Maybe it’s because of our population density? I mean if you spread out everyone equally we would each have about a km squared. I digress. Personal space is a huge issue for me too when travelling.

It's in the NZ Road Code that slower vehicles should pull over and allow faster vehicles to pass. If someone is on your tail, it's for this reason. In my experience, they are in some ute. These guys are always in a hurry!

the service industry comment is odd, I live in Lake Taupo and every store you walk into people greet you, I walked into Briscoes this afternoon and two ladies said good afternoon all the way from the tills... just nice. Had a real friendly chat about how cold it is with he lady working the coffee cart this morning... I don't know, I find shops and cafes in general are pretty friendly.... You make us sound like the ghetto with the run down broken windows comment lol you won't get that so much in bigger towns and cities, but poor small towns you will, towns shut down and buildings get abandoned, just like all around the world. The North Island beautiful, I don't know why people don't think it's beautiful, again I live in Taupo and it reminds me of Vancouver all the time, just drove around the lake today and it is stunning. Enjoy NZ! it is what it is here, we all want to get out, are all constantly on the verge of moving to OZ, but will defend it to anyone who slags it off 🤣 I'm thinking the airbnbs can't be bothered with recycling bins, all houses have them. Composting bins you won't find so much, a lot of houses have insikerators which takes care of the veggie/fruit off cuts. I've never had the people in my personal space thing....odd?

I thought Kiwis were bad drivers ,having pretty much grown up in Auckland and Rotorua, until I moved to Perth,they are impatient and bat shit crazy during rush hour,accidents every day on the freeways.

Waiheke Island, Kawau Island, Great Barrier Island, Rangitoto, all in Auckland. Awhitu.

Yeah the cook straight ferry alone is 3.5 hrs. You'd be seriously pushing it to go from Cape roeanga to bluff in 3 days

Hi Britt. great talks from you as always , i think you covered some important topics regarding life in nz . i have been to canada few times and talking about friendliness canada is better compared to other countries, i personally see canada as a country is good to live in if you can make it or if you can start a business / franchise that will help you alot instead of working for other man , people greet each other always but there are also alot of scams and fraud one should be very careful, food there is my fav part especially poutine😅, to be honest canada is the best if you have plans for your life . in nz car ateering wheel is on the right side 😅 how does it feel ? if you can make a video about it would be nice . Thanks

everything you said is fair even i see that sort of thing

Nearly got run over while trying to cross the road when I first got here 😂Guess you’ve got to learn the hard way sometimes. The biggest observation I’ve come up with about kiwis since living here for almost four years (oh and being in a relationship with one😆) is that they’re very chill but almost too much at times, I think they could use to get excited a bit more about things, randomly and not using alcohol as the courage they need to break out of their shell. They worry about being the tall poppy too much I think.

The south island is better than the North island. when it comes to mountains and beautiful scenery😊

Regarding the friendliness and customer service. Kiwis working in cafes and restaurants don't get tips! I've been living in Canada (I'm kiwi) and noticed the customer service is better, but I guess staff here are also tip driven?!

Most NZers don’t manage to go everywhere- and we look at tourists trying to and wonder how that could be relaxing at all! I’d just go a small number of places and not try to rush everything.

Good vlog👍🏻 Kiw!s are impatient, their driving is shocking and they are not experienced from what Ive noticed. As a pedestrian, kiw! drivers will deliberately try and run you down.

Kudos on an excellent three months, plus the most informative videos! As you mentioned, being shuttered in for two years, no incoming touri$t revenue. Some, may be a bit grumpy, jealous at/with a Canadian couple on a stay-vacay, so always have {situational awareness}! Plus, the extreme weather New Zealanders, like us Canucks, are extremely resilient! So, be ever careful, stick with your goals, and enjoy your New Zealand 🇳🇿 experience!

My cousin moved to Canada a decade ago and meet a venezeulian chick . She flew to new Zealand and.loved my uncle & aunty dairy farms , they own three in the south Island

I love the way you twisted your mouth 😂😂

Smaller towns and local suburban cafes and other food industry can be friendly, the ones that aren't more than likely have a bad employer and poor work conditions and wages.

Most front line customer service people on the tourist route are likely from overseas..

I understand the "out and about" stereotypes now

Yeah, speeding on open roads in NZ is definitely a thing. Most times I assume that they're locals. They know the roads, so they'll be alright. I drive like a granny so I'm always letting people pass me hahahaha If you want to tell the heavy-footed person behind you to pass, don't tap the breaks, just indicate left on a straight or before somewhere you can see that you can turn off, and then slow down whilst going onto the shoulder of the road. Everyone does this. That break tapping thing would freak me out if I was behind you 😂

I think the customer service staff in New Zealand are not always that professional. I think it comes from the She'll Be Right attitude. There's an expectation that you muddle through.

It's a wild and crazy place....the crazy Brits went there.. 😅

This is the way. 🤣 You've made a good assessment of us Brittany. The two meter rule was the greatest thing it should be permanent law! Stand two meters away from me you damn filthy Apes!!! There are many areas in the North Island that only the most diligent foreign explorers could know about. Free, not promoted anywhere walks every bit as great as the "Great Walks" and untold quaint little settlements you won't see on every travellers Instagram. Also... drink spieghts, have no mates!

answer to ur trash questions: so i happen to stumble onto this vid, so our recycling used to get shipped to china to be refined etc, however a while back china decreased the amount of contaminants allowed in the recycling for them to accept it and our government decided not to reach that level of contaminants so they decided to just throw it in land fills therefore recycling bins aren't super common here as recycling and rubbish go to the same place anyways, like recycling bins are collected and then dumbed at the land fills anyway

Don't change your natural disposition, most kiwis are cool and like that, some just get suspicious of happy courteous Ameriadians.

Brilliant video. As a Kiwi, this is accurate. Regarding saying excuse me/sorry down aisles etc., many people including myself say this a lot, even all of our Aussie mates say this, so i dunno what's happened to that culture but it does seem to be dying really quickly. Perhaps introverted millenials that don't wanna talk? I'm a millennial so I can understand this a bit. I dunno.

I have been living in New Zealand for 23 years. Some of your reviews are hard to understand, and I don't know where you've seen and heard them, but there are a lot of things I don't agree with many . One of them, I've rarely seen cars pass pedestrians while living here. Even if it is not a crosswalk, driving vehicles stop before pedestrians. Conversely, there are more pedestrians on the side that does not follow. 😅

Your generalising that Australia is more aligned with the USA, and NZ is more aligned with Canada, as a commonwealth country I feel we are ALL more in sync with Canada, NZ and Australia have an inseperable bond, we are both in the southern pacific and neighbours, we share everything, and can even vote in each others countries, and we have the ANZAC tradition, Look it up if you don't know what it is, I honestly feel we are both more inclined to sway towards canadian values than US, especially when it comes to gun laws, I have a sister who is a nurse in Aotearoa, and we travel between the two countries all the time, I feel there is such a greater bond between UK, NZ, Aus and Canada, im not giving grief to the US, they are amazing, but our values seem more similar, and Aussie love New Zealand

Are you use twiter

I always find it ironic in these sought of videos how the comment section is filled with kiwi's when youd think the people who would be watching would be from other countries...yet here i am.

Yeah roads are for cars and trucks. Legally they have the right if way. So when you cross the road it's up to you to cross safely, not the car or truck. Act accordingly

i can think positive is most important self love is most important love is best, i forgive myself is good positive thinking self love choose life bible is true i forgive you 70 times 7 forgive is better

You buy stuff here so you're paying tax therefore you partly own the roads. Remember that

Hello dear 🩵 Love from India

Toronto is rundown with bedbugs and rooches also old houses bad quality of life in Toronto

Run down homes are unfortunately people being poor and or lazy.. in my opinion.. lived here my whole life (30 years). I do think the rental market does make people not take care of the homes they live in, and there becomes a point in worse communities or streets where it doesn’t make sense to do it up if you aren’t selling it. Same goes for small shopping areas (takeaways/ bakerys etc..)

Brittany !!! Hi i'm Scottie from Gisborne !! (east coast of the north island above Napier ) , i feel the same thing even as a kiwi in NZ supermarkets etc about personal space , . !!!!!! , But for SURE you have to be the bigger person with a spine you could say and just say something , like ( or though it seems rude / but you need to make a impact) and say "Look pal get the FUCK out of my personal space you rude sack of shit" , 9 times out of 10 you will get a apology for sure , as its un expected that any one says any thing , BUT sometimes something does need to be said , as i think the respect has been for gotten from our late grandparents etc like it used to be (as I'm properly the same age ish age you ) .... ANYWAY all the best mate ! , ... HOLLA out if your ever on the east coast of the north island again

Beautiful face

Oh, New Zealand's weather, like their changing immigration rules and politicians' promises, is a shining example of unwavering predictability.

No way in the world they are the same, I lived in both, friendly? Far from the truth, the reception a received when I came to NZ is amazing, just made me fall in love even more with this country and they are super humble, can't same about Canadian , sry

Those retail response people are not acceptable. Sorry about that.

Theres some sad customer service people for sure. I ask these grumps if they enjoy their job, they generally say yeah, but its plainly not the people part of the job... So yeah, this kiwi agrees with you.

Now go to auckland

Такое ощущение, что очень похоже на русский менталитет

You're right, KIwi customer service really needs to improve. Obviously it's not every store but it is far too common to get rude shop assistants. Unfortunately, politeness in NZ has really declined over the years - much like table manners (which are virtually non-existent) and the standard of speech (New Zealand English is just about the worst in the world). However, I don't want to be all negative, there are still plenty of courteous and good people to make you feel welcome.

Re: the poor condition of housing / buildings - New Zealand is rapidly becoming a third world country. Government investment in infrastructure is second now to paying literally thousands of new beaurocrats to push unpopular ideology down our throats, while most people now struggle to afford the basics. So, having the money to maintain or even improve property is unrealistic now. Sad, but true.

That accent 😅

Let's face it NZ....is a rougher and wider place....more primitive...

Retail customer care here are all miserable because we are paid peanuts and treated like shit by our employers, then we have to spend all our wage to pay rent and feed ourselves haha

I really hope that you visited the hunua Falls that's because of the amount of crime that is happening in new Zealand 🇳🇿 just tell them your a all black supporter they'll welcome you with open arms people don't respect other peoples properties

Higher education, while a thing now in NZ, never used to be when it definitely was overseas and so you meet a lot of people with low class attitude, isolation from alternative cultures and mindsets and may be the effect of inbreeding also, you should have checked if they had webbed feet. As a NZer having lived decades in AU I can say that NZ is a bit of a downer type of country, the attitude you can get from others, how they treat you or your individuality. I would prefer the Australian personal experience here in NZ but we just don't have it. As for roads, we have "Drivers Roads" not boring straight safe things, God save Mt Messenger and the Awakino Gorge.

New zealand got heaps of mountain roads, why 2000 km takes 29 hrs

New zealand cheaper than Australia to live , with labor introducing methane excise dairy more expensive tho

It's funny to hear about the personal space issue. I found that when pretty women place themselves withing a foot of me it's their way of saying hey guy, speak to me, I find you attractive. You're cute, so many men will place themselves withing range.even when you're with a guy. That's how it is in 2023. I do find it off putting when males do it to me. It comes across as a domination game and I don't allow that any day of the week. Cheers.