Is New Zealand a Nice Place to Live? Kind of…

Is New Zealand a nice place to live?

It’s a question we hear all the time. And honestly, it’s not one that can be answered with a simple yes or no.

You don’t want to hear about the economy or the politics. You want to know what life actually feels like here.

You want the little moments. The real ones.

The lady at the cafe smuggling wine into a festival. The local shop that assembles your lawnmower before you even arrive. The nurse who makes you feel safe and seen.

In this episode of the NZ Ahead podcast, Liz and Brian ditch the formal format and just chat.

They share stories from their own backyard in Taranaki—the kind of stories that answer the question “is New Zealand a nice place to live?” better than any statistic ever could.

So grab a cuppa, settle in, and get ready for a real slice of Kiwi life.

Read the full, raw transcript below to follow their journey! You can also watch the video version of this podcast over on our NZ Ahead YouTube Channel.

 

 

 

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Hosts: Liz and Brian

 

Welcome to the NZ Ahead Podcast. For all those who LOVE New Zealand

 

Brian: Hello and welcome to the NZ Ahead podcast. I’m Brian. And I’m Liz.

Liz: And this is our new way of starting, just for this one and only episode. Hey, Liz.

Brian: They say to keep a marriage nice and fresh, you should do things differently. So why not do it on the podcast?

Liz: Exactly. We moved to New Zealand, which is a huge thing to do. So this is just another huge thing to do.

Brian: So what’s this podcast about then, Bri?

We were out in the garden talking about things.

So we thought we’ll get the camera out, get the microphones out, and just talk about what’s been going on in the last couple of weeks here in New Zealand.

Liz: We’ve had all sorts of festivals going on and things like that.

You get to talk to local people when you go into town.

You get the side of things and gists of this or that.

We even talk a little bit about the supermarket as well, don’t we, L?

Brian: We do.

Liz: It’s not easy when you’re wanting to move to New Zealand to find the real nitty-gritty real stuff, unless you know people here.

You’ve got friends or family and you can ask them to tell you.

We want to fill that gap for you. That is what we’re here for.

This week, we do exactly that.

 

 

 

The Womad Story: A Lady, a Cob Loaf, and Wine Ice Cubes

 

Liz: I’m going to start the show with a story. I couldn’t believe this, actually, Bry.

Brian: Why?

Liz: It’s very easy to believe that everyone in New Zealand is sitting here miserable as sin, just backbiting, arguing, moaning.

I mean, obviously we’re moaning, but like normal people moaning.

I just experienced something yesterday, and I was laughing about this for about an hour.

Brian: You were laughing? Yes. To yourself? Well, no. Driving along to myself like this.

Liz: So, here’s the story.

I went into town and I went into this cafe.

I’m not going to say which cafe it is, because I don’t know if this lady would want me saying what I’m just about to say.

I won’t give any names and I won’t name the cafe.

It’s not a bad thing, but it’s kind of cheeky. I just loved it.

Isn’t it brilliant when people are just themselves with you?

No airs and graces. They just say it as it is.

That’s the best way, isn’t it? That’s when you know where you are.

So, we’ve got this big festival happening this weekend in New Plymouth called Womad.

Brian: What does it stand for?

Liz: World of Music and Dance.

Brian: Good old Peter Gabriel. I think he started it, didn’t he?

Liz: Did he? I thought it was a Kiwi thing.

Brian: We used to live just over the road from Peter Gabriel at one time.

Liz: I thought it was a Kiwi thing. Womad. Is it not?

Brian: I’m pretty sure it’s around the world. Africa, Australia, England, the UK.

Liz: So, there’s this big festival, and it happens every year in New Plymouth, Taranaki.

It’s hosted in Pukekura Park, which is just the most idyllic location for any festival.

Brian: Yes, especially the bowl area. It’s fantastic.

Liz: I went into the cafe, and the lady said, “Are you going to Womad?”

I was just about to make up my lie about why I wasn’t going.

She went, “No, me neither.”

Brian: Oh, for you, someone normal.

Liz: She went, “It’s too expensive. I can’t afford it.”

She said, “I’ve been three years in a row. That’s enough for me.”

This lady was maybe in her 60s.

I just thought, you just know that someone’s got a good story in them.

She was making coffee like this, talking to me over the counter.

She said, “It’s not the ticket price that’s the problem. It’s when you get in there, the price of the food and the drink is expensive.”

Then she said, “What we did last year, we took a loaf of bread and we hollowed it out in the middle.”

Brian: Like a cob loaf?

Liz: Yes. And she put a bottle of wine in it. She stuffed all the bread back in.

Brian: That’s the Kiwi way.

Liz: She told me as if it was just the most normal thing in the world, like this is what you would do.

I’m thinking, that’s a bloody good idea.

She said, “I’ve got better ideas than that. My friend, what she does, she takes a chilly bin.

She gets like a hundred ice cubes made of white wine and fills her chilly bin.”

Brian: Obviously, she’d been filling the little tray up with wine for weeks.

Liz: I just thought, what a classic story.

This is the kind of moment that truly answers the question “is New Zealand a nice place to live?” —because it’s the people who make it special.

 

 

 

The Lawn Mower Miracle at Mike’s Chainsaws

 

Brian: Well, the lawn mower went pop.

I’d started getting a guy up the road to cut the lawns. He was charging about $80.

It takes about 3 hours, so that’s good value.

The last time he was here on a hot day, he said, “I’m going to have to put the price up a little bit. It’s taking me too long.”

I’m like, “All right.”

It was working out about $30 an hour, which is a bit cheap for lawns.

I’ve hurt my knees lately, unable to really do it. And the lawn mower has gone pop.

So, do I have to buy a new lawn mower?

I didn’t want to buy a new one. I phoned the guy up the road.

He’d come off his motorbike. Reconstructive surgery. He’s in a sling for the next six weeks.

I’m like, “Well, that’s that out the window.”

So, we have to bite the bullet and buy a new lawn mower.

I went online to the big companies in Auckland, like Trade Tested.

I wanted a self-propelled one. They had some Hyundai ones, but not in stock.

They said, “They’ll be in in the next couple of weeks.”

I need it now because the lawn’s growing at a great rate of knots.

Then there it was. Mike’s Chainsaws, New Plymouth.

They’re just down the road, a better price than the big boys in Auckland.

I ordered it online for click and collect.

I turn up expecting it to be in a box, put all the seats down in the car.

The guy goes, “Mate, I’ve assembled it all for you. I filled it up with oil. You’ve got a full tank of gas.”

He said, “I’ve pulled it. It’s all working for you. All brand new.”

That’s local service for you.

Normally it comes in a box. You have to buy the oil, put all the bolts in.

It takes you about an hour to go through the instructions, which you never do.

You bend the cable and put a kink in it so it doesn’t work.

But he’d assembled it all.

I was expecting it to be around the $2,000 mark.

Liz: How much was it?

Brian: It was $1,100 including GST.

Our last lawn mower lasted us about eight years.

I just think it’s a testament to local businesses. Support the locals.

We all do online stuff, “Oh, it’s 50 bucks cheaper.”

But it’s that guy that’s done all that work for you.

He said, “Bring it back for servicing. You’ve got a three-year warranty on the motor. You’ve got a ten-year warranty on the aluminium deck.”

It doesn’t get better than that.

Thank you to everyone at Mike’s Chainsaws in New Plymouth.

You made Brian’s day.

For anyone wondering “is New Zealand a nice place to live?”, this is exactly the kind of service and community spirit that makes life here so good.

 

 

 

A Huge Shout Out to New Zealand’s Healthcare Heroes

 

Liz: Last week I went to the doctors to get some blood tests done.

While I was there, the nurse came out and said, “Liz, you know that it’s time for your smear test.”

For those who don’t know, smear tests in New Zealand have changed now.

It used to be that you went to see a nurse and they did it for you.

Now it’s a self-test. They give you a little swab, you go into the bathroom, you do it yourself, and you send it away.

The difference is, when the nurse used to do it, it used to be every 3 years.

Now they’ve pushed it to every 5 years.

I was sitting in the nurse’s room with her. She is just the most wonderful person.

You’re sitting there thinking, “God, you’re making me feel so relaxed, so at ease.”

She said to me, “Look, the rules have changed in New Zealand. We see you now every 5 years for this.”

She said, “But I want you to know that if you keep your eye on it, and this applies to all women out there, please pass this information on.

It’s super, super important that you keep your eye on any different symptoms or pains or discharge.”

It’s so important to keep on top of those smear tests, to do those smear tests, and just look after yourself.

She said, “Five years is a long time to go from test to test. Anything can happen in those years.

If ever you feel any symptoms or see anything different, and you want to come in and have me check you over, you just get on the phone and you come in.”

I just thought, how fantastic is that?

A huge shout out to our local doctor’s surgery, Health Space in New Plymouth.

All the staff, all the nurses, all the doctors, the receptionists—fantastic people.

It cost me $40 for this smear test. I don’t know if that’s standard.

But I’ll tell you what, it’s the best $40 you can spend.

And I just wanted to remind women out there.

There’s a lot of women who don’t want to do this test, and they just put it off.

It’s up to you to go and do it.

Just do it. It’s a super easy test. Keep on top of it.

Also, a big shout out again to our healthcare system here.

When I walked out of there, she said, “You’re due for your mammogram, your breast cancer screening.

I’ll send a referral through.”

The text came through on my phone when we were having coffee.

I phoned the clinic down in New Plymouth and said, “When can I come?”

She said, “You can come today if you want.”

I said, “I can’t come today, but can I come on Friday?”

She went, “Yep, just come on Friday. See you then.”

It’s brilliant.

Thank you to that beautiful nurse called Christine at Health Space.

You made me feel so relaxed and so safe and so seen.

You’re doing a fantastic job.

This is another reason why is New Zealand a nice place to live? becomes an easy question to answer.

 

The Kindness Lesson from Pak’nSave

 

Liz: We shop down at Pak’nSave. It’s a big supermarket for those of you not in New Zealand.

They save money by not packing your bags for you.

I went in there the other day. When you spend over $200, you get a free coffee voucher.

I wanted a coffee this time.

I put all my shopping in the car and went back up to the cafe with my little ticket.

The lady behind the counter looked pretty stressed.

I thought I’m just going to give her a minute and let her get herself together.

She came over and said, “What can I get you?”

I handed my ticket. She said, “Did you just want a flat white?”

I said, “Can I just have an espresso with a little bit of milk?”

She said, “How much milk?”

I could see she was stressed. I said, “Just whatever you think.”

She said, “Do you want milk or cream?”

I said, “Whatever you think.”

She turned to me and said, “You’re like me. You’re not fussy.”

I said, “You know what? I just want a coffee.”

She went, “Yeah, you’re like me.”

So we’d made that connection.

I said, “You had a busy day?”

She said, “It’s been hectic in here.”

I said, “Is there something going on in the town?”

She went, “No, nothing’s happening. Just these.” And she waved the free coffee tickets.

I said, “Why?”

She said, “Because people seem to think that because they’re getting a free coffee, they can talk to us like dirt.

Like we owe them something. Give it to me now.”

I said, “Really?”

I thought it would be the opposite. You’d be so grateful that you were getting a free coffee that you would be kind.

She said no. She said that’s not always the way.

Some of them people are just rude.

I just want to remind everyone that these people are doing a job.

Just because you got something free, you’re not entitled.

Be kind. Be patient.

We know times are tough. But just remember.

After we spoke, I said, “You have a great afternoon.”

She said, “My daughter’s flying in from Australia this evening. We’re going to go out together and have a really nice night.”

I just thought, everyone’s the same.

They’ve got their lives, and they just want an easy life.

To get through the day the best they can, the happiest they can.

If this just reminds someone in Pak’nSave to just smile, just be prepared to wait a little while for your coffee, hopefully we can spread that kindness.

 

 

 

And for Those Who Want the New Zealand Facts (I’ve Got You)

 

Listen, I know some of you are reading this thinking, “That’s lovely, Liz, but just give me the facts.”

I get it. I’m a practical person too. So here you go.

 

5 quick facts that answer “is New Zealand a nice place to live?”

 

1. It’s one of the safest countries in the world.
New Zealand consistently ranks in the top 10 safest nations globally. You can walk down the street without looking over your shoulder. It’s a feeling you don’t realise you’ve been missing until you have it.

 

 

2. The fresh air and green spaces are everywhere.
I’m not kidding. Even in our biggest city, Auckland, you’re never more than 40 minutes from a beach or a bush walk. The air is clean. The sky is big. And the stars at night will take your breath away.

 

 

3. Kiwis are genuinely friendly.
Not the fake, “have a nice day” kind of friendly. The real kind. The kind where a stranger will stop to help you change a tyre. The kind where your neighbour drops off fresh feijoas from their tree. The kind you heard about in this podcast.

 

 

4. The work-life balance is real.
People here actually use their annual leave. They leave work at a reasonable hour. They prioritise family and weekends. It’s not just a buzzword. It’s how life works.

 

 

5. You can have adventure and peace in the same day.
Want to ski in the morning and swim in the ocean in the afternoon? You can do that here. Want to just sit in a quiet garden with a cup of tea and watch the clouds? You can do that too. New Zealand gives you permission to slow down.

So there you go. The stories AND the facts.

 

 

Final Thoughts from Liz and Brian

 

Liz: Don’t forget to leave a comment down below if you’re watching this on YouTube.

If you’re listening on NZ Ahead over on Spotify, thank you so much.

We really, really love and appreciate you.

We hope you like these New Zealand stories.

We always appreciate your comments, and just you being here with us makes us continue and feel loved and so special.

We hope we’ve brought brightness to your day today, this beautiful day here in New Zealand.

So until next time, don’t forget, my heart beats with yours always, and I will speak to you soon.

Brian: Kia kaha. Stay strong. Stay true. True to yourself.

And go cut the lawns, eh.

And don’t forget that smear test. It’s important.

Liz & Brian: Okay, bye. Let’s do it. Bye.

 

 

 

Is New Zealand a Nice Place to Live? The Answer Is…YES

 

So, is New Zealand a nice place to live?

The wine ice cubes in a chilly bin. The lawn mower assembled before you arrive. The nurse who tells you to come back anytime.

The safety. The fresh air. The friendly neighbours. The work-life balance. The adventure.

These small moments. These real people. These solid facts.

That’s the answer.

Yes. It really, truly is.

If you want to experience this for yourself, your journey starts here.

 

Your next steps:

1. Head over to nzahead.com/free for our free 5-day video guide on life in New Zealand.

2. After day five, join our private NZ Ahead community on Slack.

3. Start planning your own Kiwi adventure.

 

 

 

Whether you’re exploring cities-in-new-zealand or deciding between the new-zealand-south-island-or-north-island, remember:

Life in New Zealand isn’t just about the stunning landscapes.

It’s about the people. The kindness. The cob loaf full of wine.

And that, truly, is a beautiful thing.

 

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