Editorial: NZ life is not all roses, but it's not all bad either

Writing it scared the teeth out of my jaws, especially for the sake of my children

IT IS without doubt the most depressing time of year to be in the Southern Hempisphere: the nights are long and cold, and the Antarctic winds whistle up your running shorts like spiny fingers skinning a frozen fish.

And yet the shortest day of the year has passed and NZ dwellers can look forward to the evenings slowly getting longer once again.

So I hope the last two weeks of stories on This New Zealand Life have given you some entertainment, a little amusement and even some enlightenment (though obviously not in the mythical sense).

Here're some picks from, just in case you missed them.

Other expats kindly took part in the feature on living with earthquakes. I know writing it scared the teeth out of my jaws, especially for the sake of my children, so I hope if you live in Welly it's made you review your emergency plans. If you plan on coming to NZ, then come with your eyes open.

The feature seemed to crown a period of pessimism for life in NZ. There was the terrible incidence of Kiwis not stopping for a car accident, and the UN released a report about the chances of sudden death from natural disaster.

Swine flu, also, is making its mark. First public health telephones were inundated, and then we discovered it might cost just $3 to get infected.

But there was time for a $19 donation to charity from a possible $35 million jackpot, I learned I could dress like a wasp and nobody would bat an eyelid, and we discovered how to make-over your English shed to give you a taste of New Zealand Life.

Well, at least I can't be accused of painting too rosy a picture of life here.

Please keep coming back. And don't forget to write in the comments.

William Knight

Comments

[Domestic Executive]

I think you'll find that it's all these things that make New Zealand the charming place to live it is. As long as you don't come for great weather that's when the fun begins.