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How different are they from one another, really?
I have never been to that part of the world, and only have the vaguest notion of its history. BUT...
As far as I understand, the cultural development of each country, together with migration patterns, and incoming ethnic groups do not differ all that radically one from the other. Is this right?
Furthermore, some aspects of speech - including accent and vocabulary - are shared between the two (Not, of course, exactly the same, but related).
So how different is NZ from Australia (or vice versa)? I don't mean in every minute aspect, but rather in broad brushstrokes.
Finally, apologies to anyone on here from Oceania. I am asking because I am completely ignorant, and so the two countries look the same to me; NOT because I am suggesting they are the same.
Heathen savages.
Like all colonials 😉
To answer your question, they're exacly the same.
Just like Americans and Canadians.
Massive.
For a start there isn't any poisonous animals in nz.
The accent is very different.
The culture is different.
Probably best to read a couple of books
It's bit like the way that Canadians are the same as Americans.
It's bit like the way that Canadians are the same as Americans.
+1
I imagine you might get a lot of this 😉
The NZ's are very, very pro-equality - i.e everyone is equal, etc.
Makes porters, service industry, etc "interesting".
There isn't the racial differences that there is in Oz either - or not as openly pronounced anyway...
I believe the NZ premier was quoted as saying emigration of the most stupid NZers to Australia increased the average IQs of both countries.
one way to wind up a Kiwi is to call them an Aussie (you're Canadian, eh, so you'd understand!!)
Same as a Scot being referred to as English. That sort of cultural difference.
That's quite simplistic. I don't know too much about them otherwise (sister-in-law in Sydney; friends in Perth; my dad took himself off to NZ in 1941, aged 15 I think - came back around 1947 to go to university).
I don't agree with the Canadian versus Americans comparison, simply because there are some very obvious differences between those two countries:
1) Canada is both French and English; the US is not.
2) Canada is a constitutional monarchy; the US is not.
3) Canada has a radically different climate to the US.
4) Canada has a completely different military tradition to the US.
5) Canada has a different history of immigration to the US.
So, while they clearly have similarities, and some might say they are the same, there are some very easy-to-identify characteristics that distinguish them.
The same might be said for NZ and Australia; I don't know. That's why I'm asking.
The culture and history of the two, especially regarding the indigenous cultures is very different. The geography and climates are different.
They both speak English, the currencies are in Dollars and are separated by a ditch.
HTH.
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kakapo tax
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HammyUK has it.
I spent my childhood in NZ and there was always a great rivalry between the 2 nations and Im sure that still exists. As pointed out above, don't confuse a Kiwi with an Australian! NZers are from a small country that is dwarfed by it's giant neighbour so the US/Canada & England/Scotland analogy works well.
P.S - the Katipo spider is a native of NZ and is very poisonous!
Fush and chups in NZ
The difference was described to me as this; Australian's got sent there New Zealanders chose to go there.
There are huge differences between the two.
What a weird question! Look at a map! The 2 islands are [i]completely[/i] different in size, shape, location (proximity to the equator), etc.
It's like saying whats the difference between the UK and France. The UK is closer to TURKEY than NZ is to Oz!
Yep lots of cultural differences, yes they both speak English, yes they were both populated by Europeans but their indigenous populations are very different.
I agree with the US/Canada analogy but being English i don't understand the England Scotland one!! 😉
I liked being in both Oz and NZ, but would live in NZ.
It is a little like Sweden and Norway. What are the differences?
Australia is a lot hotter, more multi cultural, less indigenous, and has significant primary resources. NZ was the first country to give woman the vote.
What a weird question! Look at a map! The 2 islands are completely different in size, shape, location (proximity to the equator), etc.
Yes, DezB, I know [i]where[/i] they are. But I am not at all sure how much sea separating them makes them culturally different.
The difference between the UK and Turkey rests in part on there being an assortment of Germanic and Slavic tribes separating Celtic/Germanic and Turkic. Not to speak of differences in religion and history.
So closer in distance? Perhaps. But there is a BIG difference between being separated by sea and sharing a good deal of other traits, and being separated by many countries and thousands of years of distinct language, history, religion, ethnicity...
As a foreigner having spent time in both countries, I would say there are strong similarities and strong differences.
For example:
NZ celebrates it's indigenous populations (whilst recognising the issues they face). Australia (in my experience) does not.
Both countries have a "hard but fair" attitude to work and life in general.
Both are very homogeneous & isolated cultures. If you fly 3 hours from London, you can arrive in 10s of different cultures and that has an affect on our society. Fly 3 hours from Sydney or Auckland and you'll still be in Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_Zealand
The History of Australia refers to the history of the area and people of the Commonwealth of Australia and its preceding Indigenous and colonial societies. Aboriginal Australians are believed to have first arrived on the Australian mainland by sea from Maritime Southeast Asia between 40,000 and 70,000 years ago. The artistic, musical and spiritual traditions they established are among the longest surviving such traditions in human history.
The history of New Zealand dates back at least 700 years to when it was discovered and settled by Polynesians, who developed a distinct M?ori culture centred on kinship links and land. The first European explorer to sight New Zealand was Abel Janszoon Tasman on 13 December 1642.[1] Captain James Cook, who reached New Zealand in October 1769 on the first of his three voyages,[2] was the first European explorer to circumnavigate and map New Zealand. From the late 18th century, the country was regularly visited by explorers and other sailors, missionaries, traders and adventurers. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the British Crown and various M?ori chiefs, bringing New Zealand into the British Empire and giving M?ori "equal rights" with British citizens. There was extensive British settlement throughout the rest of the century. War and the imposition of a European economic and legal system led to most of New Zealand's land passing from M?ori to P?keh? (European) ownership, and most M?ori subsequently became impoverished.[3]
From the get go very different places, you damm yank
You are now arriving in Australia, please set your watch to 1980
You are now arriving in New Zealand, please set you watch to 1965
😀
Billy Connolly used to do a routine on this, went something like this:
Tourist: Its hot today
NZer: I'm so sorry
Aussie: Shut your whining
One is a desert with everything out to kill you and casual racism and stuck in the 1970's
The other is mostly green, unfathomable vowel sounds, and stuck in the 1950's
NZ is preferable to me
The NZ's are very, very pro-equality - i.e everyone is equal, etc.
Makes porters, service industry, etc "interesting".
There isn't the racial differences that there is in Oz either - or not as openly pronounced anyway...
Hmm, not sure that you're painting the full picture there - look at any stats you like - poverty, educational attainment, offending behaviour and you'll find a very divided country. Perhaps there is a greater recognition that there is a problem and a willingness to do something about it than in some other countries, but a shining beacon of harmony it ain't.
Those saying the place is in the 1950s don't just mean the positives - yes rural life can look like a "Heartbeat" tribute village at times, but otherwise 'respectable' people having no hesitation or pause before expressing deeply racist viewpoints and genuinely believing that some "races" are just inferior / superior to others is also still alive and well.
As well as reversing the "coming over here" situation (the 'natives' are the ones generally doing relatively quite badly) they also have the more recent immigration patterns to rail against - both European and Maori heritage people can rail against the South East Asians....
I'm not even going to bother with this shit.
Both the same as Saarf Effrikaa.
good idea Kiwi given where you live 😉
I'm not even going to bother with this shit.
What? A genuine and sincere question?
You see that list of distinctions between Canada and the US I made above? Something like that is really all I want, and between the various posts on this thread, I am getting it.
Sorry if that offends you.
You see that list of distinctions between Canada and the US I made above? Something like that is really all I want, and between the various posts on this thread, I am getting it.
Did you get the other kids to do your homework for you?
the thing in front of you right now, it's called the internet, try starting with the Wiki links I posted, have a read, explore, it's called learning by yourself it's a great skill then come back with the bits you don't understand.
there are some very obvious differences between those two countries
So obvious, in fact, that most non-Canadians wouldn't have any idea about them or their impact upon the nation. Most Americans wouldn't have any idea about that, but that's to be expected.
NZ to Australia is the same as UK to US.
In my opinion.
it's called learning by yourself it's a great skill then come back with the bits you don't understand.
Jeez, and I thought that a 'Chat forum' was for chatting about stuff. I didn't realise that I couldn't solicit the thoughts of other members who have [i]personal experience and knowledge[/i] on a topic, on the basis that the information could be found elsewhere on the internet. We might as well petition STW to shut the whole forum down.
That said, if someone with no experience of Canada and the US came on here and asked the same question, I would assume that even having read the wikipedia entries on each place, it wouldn't necessarily have given them a [i]feel[/i] for the answer, and I would be happy to offer my response.
There is a difference between reading factual entries, and the witty/concise/pithy comments of people who know from experience. That's why I asked.
Go have a calming cup of tea, mikewsmith.
Forgot to add:
Australian beer is mostly shit.
NZ beer is mostly ok.
Australian beer is mostly shit.
NZ beer is mostly ok.
See? This is NOT the kind of info found on wikipedia.
and it's bollox too, there is shit NZ beer and some awesome Aussie beer, down here in Hobart we have near on 10 independent micro/craft breweries making some awesome stuff.
Australia is massive, it's a diverse and complex nation in itself with a multitude of sides/faces and origins. A more indepth question would be starting without the assumption that Australia was a single thing.
My previous reply may have been flippant but on one hand you want a handy 6 point laminated list of differences on the other it's the stuff that isn't written down thats important.
if they say "a boat" or "a boot", when they really mean "about" then they're canadian.
if you ask them if their bbq will be on their dick, and they say "yis", then they're NZ.
never had kiwi beer, but the kiwi cider i had I am convinced was alcohol free, even if it did say the % ABV on the bottle.
I saw the thread title and assumed that this was a general apology.....
New Zealand is a glorious country of contrasts (sub-tropical in the North, Alpine mountains in the South), nice food, good beer and lovely people.
Australia is full of things that will kill you and flies.
Hope that helps.
Also...
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The important thing to remember is that Australia was "settled" by Cockney tea-leafs and Paddies, while NZ was settled by Scots with ginger hair and freckles looking for somewhere hilly with no ozone layer. There are also "indigenous peoples" who are reviled in one and patronised in the other.
Oh if only it was so easy. I lived there for 15 years and moved back to the UK last year so know a bit about it, I also spent a decent amount of time in Australia but am less versed on that.
There are also "indigenous peoples" who are reviled in one and patronised in the other.
Really - no, not quite. There are some parallels with the 'indigenous' people of both countries but not many, as per that wiki link the timing is a bit different. My house in Edinburgh is the same year as the treaty, it's an incredibly new country NZ with a challenging socio economic picture. I can't write it all down. Oz is different with a different set of challenges. A lot of this is quite repressed though, a bit less so in Oz but certainly in NZ.
My previous reply may have been flippant but on one hand you want a handy 6 point laminated list of differences on the other it's the stuff that isn't written down thats important.
I'm pretty sure that the OP was asking for the info that isn't 'written down', not 'a handy 6-point laminated list of differences'.
But then you knew that, and just wanted to indulge in some juvenile point-scoring. 🙄
Lived in both. Australia reminded me more of America than the UK. Beach culture was great not much going on with mountains. Do not underestimate travelling about it is ****ING massive. A fact I failed to really comprehend till I got there.
NZ is like the UK with bigger mountains and if you took about 55 million odd people out of the UK. Sorry can't be bother googling to get the exact figures. The North Island feels very busy compared to the South Island though both are very chilled.
Met great people in both countries and liked the fact many of them seem more willing to up and move about than many Brits. Also met total tools but same goes for everywhere.
Seems sometimes to be a bit of a sneer going on at the places because of sleeveless T-shirt mullet good on ya cobber stereotype country folk. I mostly found them open welcoming and a good laugh.
Did you get the other kids to do your homework for you?
Perfectly reasonable on a chat forum to ask a question inviting chat about experiences, I think.
Re Canada and America.. isn't actual day-to-day life is pretty similar for most people? Notwithstanding the frozen extremeties.
I can imagine how a sheep rancher in Oz is having a pretty different experience from a sheep farmer in NZ, though.
Australian beer is mostly shit.
NZ beer is mostly ok.
I thought it was mostly shit in both countries, but there is decent ale in both if you search for it. NZ has the edge on wine, and the seafood is fantastic.