To think people need to stop comparing the UK and New Zealand?

[RaspberryCoulis]

We have a population of 66.5 million, they have 4.9 million.

We have an area of 240,000 sq km, they have 270,000 sq km. (So less than 10% of the population in a bigger area).

Their biggest city has 1.5 million people. London has 9 million people. Their next biggest city, Christchurch, is smaller than Birmingham, Glasgow, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, Edinburgh and Leicester.

And they're 2000 miles from their nearest big neighbour. (Australia). We're joined onto one country (Ireland) and 2000 miles from London takes in all of Western Europe, Iceland, a good chunk of Eastern Europe and a bit of North Africa.

So can we stop with the silly comparisons now?

horrified at flip flops everywhere and people going to the supermarket with no shoes. Silly things but they can matter.

😂 What a loss to NZ they were...

Jeepers, some posters have some "interesting" views about Kiwis. To summarise (according to some of the views in this thread) the average Kiwi could be described as an un-empathetic, slightly sadistic, poorly educated Hobbit, that if lucky enough, lives in an ugly but expensive hovel and walks with a limp due to the non-existent public funded health service and incompetent health care professionals who like to play at being doctors and nurses.

On a more serious note, I don't know of one Kiwi who has laughed at the UK or any other country about this dreadful virus and the terrible outcomes it has produced. Most of us are horrified at the loss of lives and the impacts that the virus continues to have and I hope that those of you in the UK manage to stay safe and well.

Righto, I'm off to wash and blow wave my hairy feet before I limp 5kms to visit my nearest neighbour, Bilbo Baggins.

You've summed it up very well @thegreatporkchop

@Myshinynewname2021 they perform thousands of hip replacement ops each year. Those in the table are just from osteoarthritis conditions. A lot of surgeons do a mix of private and public work. I suppose your friend remembers all of the info they are given pre-op about risks?

I live in a city of 1.5 million, with way too many close neighbours, and the days of driving just out of Auckland and not seeing another car for hours are long, long gone. So many opinions about NZ on this thread are just plain wrong.

I'm not exactly feeling the love from my first home and I'm not sure why there is so much hate and negativity. It's not a competition folks. We won't be free until covid is under control everywhere.

@Turangawaewae
I specifically excluded Auckland from my observations above because yes, that is a major city and people do live close together there. However, your next major city has a population of 380000. The UK’s second major city (Manchester) has a population of 2.7 million. It’s not comparable, that is all I’m saying. I’m not at all criticising NZ, in fact I love it and would move there if I could, I’m just making the point that you can’t compare in this situation.

How did this thread end up about bungalows (like Australia the bungalows in NZ actually look quite different) and flip flops? Bungalows are beautiful btw, what is so great about living in a semi that I'm missing!

NZ isn't the back of beyond you know.

Also wondering how NZ is "much bigger" than the UK?

Driving the length of the North Island or South Island is over 500 miles each.Penzance to Dunnett Head is 826 miles and no 3/3.5 hour ferry crossing to take.

Driving the length of the North Island or South Island is over 500 miles each.Penzance to Dunnett Head is 826 miles and no 3/3.5 hour ferry crossing to take.

What's the ferry crossing got to do with it? The countries are different shapes, and you've missed out N. Ireland - driving from one end to another is irrelevant. Apparently NZ is 10% larger - that, in my book, does not equate to "much bigger".

I lived there. To get from one end to the other takes days. To get from Auckland to hawkes bay takes 5 plus hours (400km) and thats around a third of the way of one island.

Meanwhile Devon to Edinburgh is 440km and 7 and a half hours. Almost the entire uk.

I'm assuming the person who made this comment has never seen a world map. Or driven in both countries. NZ is NOT small. Which means it's just so much less crowded which is frankly rather lovely. The uk us just people fucking everywhere.

And I don't know who made a comment about NZers being sadistic but that is not true. People are kind, and friendly. The one thing I really noticed is that people will proffer important information without being asked. Whereas in the uk you have to ask the exact question - 'do I need to do this exact thing?' snd if you don't ask you find out the hard way. Hardly sadistic.

It's important to remember that an awful lot of New Zealand is mountainous terrain, that is unlivable in.

[quote Probablygreen]@Turangawaewae
I specifically excluded Auckland from my observations above because yes, that is a major city and people do live close together there. However, your next major city has a population of 380000. The UK’s second major city (Manchester) has a population of 2.7 million. It’s not comparable, that is all I’m saying. I’m not at all criticising NZ, in fact I love it and would move there if I could, I’m just making the point that you can’t compare in this situation.[/quote]
Well I'm afraid that you're all of wrong there. New Zealand population isn't evenly sprinkled at specific distances. Like most countries, the population is concentrated in towns and cities. I can't really be bothered walking you through this concept but in a nutshell the covid situation in the UK is a direct result of abysmal leadership and the state of elimination in NZ is a result of outstanding leadership.
Nothing you say or claim will change that.

@Miramour

I don’t know why you think I’m looking for an argument, I’m not 🤣

I haven’t actually stated my views on leadership in the UK and I’ve already said that NZ’s leadership has been excellent. All I’m saying is you cannot draw comparisons between the countries in terms of spread, because they are very different countries. It really is as simple as that. I’m sorry if I’ve offended you with that!

'but in a nutshell the covid situation in the UK is a direct result of abysmal leadership and the state of elimination in NZ is a result of outstanding leadership.'

Zzzz..

Germany, over a thousand deaths today and yesterday is that all down to 'abysmal' leadership too?! I always thought Merkel was highly respected.

For the trillionth time it isn’t the result of 'outstanding leadership' it is the result of being incredibly isolated, on 2 islands with a 5m population with a 25 per sq mile density, as opposed to nearly 70m pop and ten times that density. You need to get over yourselves a bit, this crowing is in such bad taste.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

'but in a nutshell the covid situation in the UK is a direct result of abysmal leadership and the state of elimination in NZ is a result of outstanding leadership.'

Zzzz..

Germany, over a thousand deaths today and yesterday is that all down to 'abysmal' leadership too?! I always thought Merkel was highly respected.

For the trillionth time it isn’t the result of 'outstanding leadership' it is the result of being incredibly isolated, on 2 islands with a 5m population with a 25 per sq mile density, as opposed to nearly 70m pop and ten times that density. You need to get over yourselves a bit, this crowing is in such bad taste.

Of course it’s due to leadership. Boris’s messaging was confused anf people weren’t clear what the rules were. NZ’s comms were crystal clear.

When NZ’s health minister broke the rules he was condemned by the PM as not being part of the team of 5m. Later, he resigned. Need I remind you of the equivalent Barnard Castle episode? The differences could not be more stark.

We have plenty of built up areas, especially in Pasifika communities. Covid was in every city. It’s not so simple as density.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

NZ’s opposition party has argued on and off for months to open borders, citing economic recovery and tourism. Ardern has been under huge pressure to stimulate the economy in this respect. If National was in power we would be looking at a situation like the UK. Of course it’s down to leadership.

'Of course it’s due to leadership. Boris’s messaging was confused anf people weren’t clear what the rules were. NZ’s comms were crystal clear.'

And again, Germany has recorded 1000 deaths the last 2 days running. Maybe Merkel's 'comms' weren't 'crystal clear' too? Just pipe down and show some actual understanding of transmission, demographics and a teensy bit of sensitivity.

@eaglejulesk

Driving the length of the North Island or South Island is over 500 miles each.Penzance to Dunnett Head is 826 miles and no 3/3.5 hour ferry crossing to take.

What's the ferry crossing got to do with it? The countries are different shapes, and you've missed out N. Ireland - driving from one end to another is irrelevant. Apparently NZ is 10% larger - that, in my book, does not equate to "much bigger".

What it has to do with it is pointing out, for the PP who didn't seem to think there was much of a size difference, how it is quite a bit larger when travelling from end to the other.

Anyway I give up.

The very fact that so many people post on MN asking questions about what they have just been told by the PM shows the difference in leadership. No-one seems to actually know what is going on, and the directions change so often. NZ had clear directions, with clear time-frames. Also, letting people fly in from all around the world, and then go their merry way, with no checking, is sheer madness. What sort of leadership allows that? That genie is well and truly out of the bottle by now of course, but it could have been so different.

Nz has a huge tourism industry fuelled by overseas visitors . They will be feeling that loss badly. They are not perfect and NZ also has very high levels of domestic/ child abuse and poverty. Pollution levels are high too.
I don't get why so many British people see NZ as some kind of utopia. It's not.

@GetOffYourHighHorse

I have no idea what went wrong in Germany. I only know what went right in NZ.

Im not going to “pipe down”. You’re actually being really aggressive, sounds like you could do with stepping away from MN for a bit.

What it has to do with it is pointing out, for the PP who didn't seem to think there was much of a size difference, how it is quite a bit larger when travelling from end to the other.

So you are telling me that the land mass of the USA can be gauged by the time it takes to travel, in a direct line, between Mexico and Canada? The time it takes to travel east to west doesn't come into it?

I give up.

@Riapia

One thing that is undeniable is that the countries with the best record of dealing with COVID have all had women leaders.

I beg to differ. Germany has a far higher death rate in the past 14 days than the UK. No mention of that in the paper though!

One of the things that New Zealand has in its favour is people fo as they are told in the middle of a global pandemic instead of wanting to be special and thinking that their exception is the only one. Then blaming the government and point blank refusing to take any personal responsibility. You have children who mix - dont take them to the fucking supermarket where everyone else is. without masks. Or at all.

There's a band gig the english there. Whinging poms. And it's not without reason.

I've heard very reasonable people say, I'm shocked tones, well of course if they have tested positive they can't walk their dog! Yet these same people have teenage children who go to school/uni AND go to parties and meet friends! So.. walking your dog outside where you will always be well away from others and will not be touching anything- not ok. But pretending your children who are in no way following the rules are find and putting them in contact with other adults - fine.

Do we really need to government to tell us this? And police it?

New Zealand has a very low population - of whinging poms. The uk however has many million of them. Many of whom do not understand the concept of teamwork.