Hate to disagree, but the New Zealanders are not "wonderful people". They have become European style leftists down there and their culture is showing the same weaknesses as Europe. I lived there for 2 years and finally departed because of the nasty, negative attitude of NZer's toward foreigners in general, and Americans and Aussies, in particular. Even my kids were subject to their nasty, uninformed hate. Physically a beautiful country, but rotten on the inside and getting worse. They have a very serious inferiority complex.
Well now that is depressing. We know that liberalism, socialism, etc. destroy everything they touch. But I hoped that NZ was immune somehow.
Add to this a sense of complacency due to their detachment from the world's problems in their South Pacific isolation and one is left with an insipid, spiritually and morally deficient society which has never really had to stand up and be counted or confront any sort of serious threat.
Not the recipe for a vigorous, spiritually healthy society.
> I lived there for 2 years and finally departed because of the nasty, negative attitude of NZer's toward foreigners in general, and Americans and Aussies, in particular.
I've lived here 12 years (citizen now) and would have to disagree with you entirely.
> Even my kids were subject to their nasty, uninformed hate.
I don't know what part of New Zealand you experienced, but all I can say is that I have never experienced "nasty, uninformed hate" or anything even approaching that.
I have found New Zealanders to be very friendly, tolerant and accepting of other folk. I don't know why you experienced what you did, but you must have done something pretty drastic to piss the Kiwis off.