Please tell me about New Zealand

[rpp]

The public schools here are absolutely abysmal. Oregon has the shortest school year than any other state and, because of budget trouble, they are think of shortening it further by 25 days!

Oregon public school students score lower on standardized tests than every other state except Mississippi.

And then there is the mandatory homosexual education starting in the 3rd grade.

Public schools in rural areas, especially in central and eastern Oregon, actually seem to do a better job of actually teaching kids.

If you are going to live in the Portland, Salem, Eugene, Medford areas, I would avoid public schools there like the plague.

There are some excellent private and Catholic schools and many parishes have tuition assistance. There are also some very good home-schooling support groups.

 

[Appleby]

Australia has some unusual and sometimes rather intrusive animal life. You have to be pretty vigilant, depending on where you go. We stayed at a hotel at Ayers Rock, which was very environmentally friendly – so much so that there was a sign warning us that snakes might come up through the plumbing! If they did, the sign said, call housekeeping.

They didnt. But it made for a restless night.

We also saw posted signs in the Northern Territory cautioning us that frogs might be discovered in the washrooms and to watch where we stepped.

We even encountered a kangaroo on the lawn of a home in suburban Brisbane (it was tethered but a sign cautioned bystanders not to approach it because their hind legs can be lethal.)

I didnt have any problem with the wildlife in New Zealand. It really is a nice country but it depends on what you like.

 

[Gertabelle]

This looks exactly like the Rockies in Colorado. The area right outside the park is really nice. Another place less “built up” is in Montana near Glacier National Park.
And I must tell you, I , myself, feel the pull of Colorado.

Kathy

And Colorado really is as beautiful as it looks!

Oregon is a beautiful place indeed.

Come out and take a look. I love playing tour guide!

OK, OK, rpp, you and Belgarion have had your chance to pitch Oregon. Now let’s start talking about God’s country – and that’d be Colorado

So, here are the top ten reasons to choose Colorado over Oregon:

1. Three hundred sunny days a year! (across the state!)
2. Centrally located.
3. Stong economy, good schools, good malls.
4. On the “Front Range” snow from storms melts completely in a couple days. The roads stay clear in between storms. On the “Western front” and to the south, the snow is minimal.
5. Just the sheer beauty of the place, and so many ways to enjoy that beauty: day hikes, backpacking, skiing, boating, rafting, camping, festivals, community events, community events, and community events…*
6. Archdiocese of Denver has Archbishop Chaput as its spiritual father.
7. Pick your desired setting, and we have it (unless it’s beach ): mountains with tons of snow, mountains with very little snow; plains with snow, rain, thunderstorms; plains with very little rain; valleys and canyons – made of rock with sparse vegetation, or made of dirt and covered in forest; high plains (8,000 feet) with tons of sunshine and wind, and occasional ground blizzards; lakes, mountains, creeks, meadows, forests, rivers…
8. Pick your lifestyle/community, and we have it: **small town **(populations from 100 to several thousand all over the state), **isolated **(many, many mountain properties available in unincorporated areas), **suburban **(with miles and miles of biking and hiking trails leading to and from preserved natural areas), farming (eastern plains or western delta), city (with all the ammenities, but within an easy drive of unspoiled nature), and **downtown life **(right in the heart of Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, etc.).
9. The bluest skies you’ve ever seen, especially when you’re standing at the very tippy-top of one of mountains.

And the number one reason to choose Colorado over Oregon…

1. NO BIG SPIDERS!!! **That’s right, with a humidity factor that rarely rises above 20, our bug population is kept down considerably compared with the humid states. We have mosquitos, but they’ll never block your view of the sunset. We have tics, but I can count on one hand the number of friends who’ve been bitten by one. I am not a bug person, and this is the best place ever for someone like me

If you like sports, we’ve got all the major teams. We also have University of Colorado and University of Northern Colorado football – GO CU!!

We have major colleges and universities here, and some four or five professors at CU-Boulder are Nobel laureates (match that, Oregon! )

I’m pretty fond of the place, which is why I came when I was 19 and never left.

Just one more future home to consider!

Gertie

• Taste of Colorado, People’s Fair, Scottish Highland Games, Boulder Creek Festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Lyric Theater Festival…

** Some areas of southern Colorado (e.g., Trinidad, Pueblo) do have tarantulas, but I never saw them in the city itself, just in the rural areas. And for some reason, seeing a tarantula from my car just didn’t bother me

 

[dixieagle]

I did a thorough car exploration of both islands and I enjoyed it very much; however, I did find it claustrophobic compared to Canada, and the uniformity of the population creeped me out.

Hmmm…I found that there were many people of Asian and South Pacific backgrounds, plus many other nationalities. Perhaps that is because so many people have moved there!

You’re right about the socialism, though.

We still just adored every minute there; too far away to live, though. However, once I win Powerball or the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, I’ll be all over a vacation home there!

 

[Belgarion]

And Colorado really is as beautiful as it looks!

OK, OK, rpp, you and Belgarion have had your chance to pitch Oregon. Now let’s start talking about God’s country – and that’d be Colorado

So, here are the top ten reasons to choose Colorado over Oregon:

How could you?!?

1. Three hundred sunny days a year! (across the state!) We’ve got plenty of sun. But all this green doesn’t come from 300 days of sun! We need some rain!!

1. Centrally located.

1. Stong economy, good schools, good malls. We like our malls

1. On the “Front Range” snow from storms melts completely in a couple days. The roads stay clear in between storms. On the “Western front” and to the south, the snow is minimal.

1. Just the sheer beauty of the place, and so many ways to enjoy that beauty: day hikes, backpacking, skiing, boating, rafting, camping, festivals, community events, community events, and community events…* We’ve got all that, too. Within city limits, too. (In eugene at least)

1. Archdiocese of Denver has Archbishop Chaput as its spiritual father.

1. Pick your desired setting, and we have it (unless it’s beach ): HA!!mountains with tons of snow, mountains with very little snow; plains with snow, rain, thunderstorms; plains with very little rain; valleys and canyons – made of rock with sparse vegetation, or made of dirt and covered in forest; high plains (8,000 feet) with tons of sunshine and wind, and occasional ground blizzards; lakes, mountains, creeks, meadows, forests, rivers…Likewise, Oregon has a very diverse environment…Enough to pass off as New Zealand to a New Zealander

1. Pick your lifestyle/community, and we have it: **small town **(populations from 100 to several thousand all over the state), **isolated **(many, many mountain properties available in unincorporated areas), **suburban **(with miles and miles of biking and hiking trails leading to and from preserved natural areas), farming (eastern plains or western delta), city (with all the ammenities, but within an easy drive of unspoiled nature), and **downtown life **(right in the heart of Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, etc.). Got it
   Plus, unspoiled nature is a ten minute drive away…But semi-spoiled nature (Houses with trees EVERYWHERE, deer, turkeys, squirrels etc) is everywhere.

1. The bluest skies you’ve ever seen, especially when you’re standing at the very tippy-top of one of mountains. Climb Spencer’s butte. Great view! We get blue skies

And the number one reason to choose Colorado over Oregon…

1. NO BIG SPIDERS!!! **That’s right, with a humidity factor that rarely rises above 20, our bug population is kept down considerably compared with the humid states. We have mosquitos, but they’ll never block your view of the sunset. We have tics, but I can count on one hand the number of friends who’ve been bitten by one. I am not a bug person, and this is the best place ever for someone like me That’s cheating! LOL
   Hobo spiders are only in select areas, and they aren’t THAT big!!

If you like sports, we’ve got all the major teams. We also have University of Colorado and University of Northern Colorado football – GO CU!! Didn’t we beat Colorado? LOL

We have major colleges and universities here, and some four or five professors at CU-Boulder are Nobel laureates (match that, Oregon! ) Oregon…Oregon State…Those are two Pac-10 schools right there.

I’m pretty fond of the place, which is why I came when I was 19 and never left.

Just one more future home to consider!

Gertie

• Taste of Colorado, People’s Fair, Scottish Highland Games, Boulder Creek Festival, Frozen Dead Guy Days, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Lyric Theater Festival…

** Some areas of southern Colorado (e.g., Trinidad, Pueblo) do have tarantulas, but I never saw them in the city itself, just in the rural areas. And for some reason, seeing a tarantula from my car just didn’t bother me

I think we should settle this in a duel…

 

[Appleby]

I was there in 1991 so it may have changed vis-a-vis population since then. I saw plenty of Maori (particularly in Rotarua) but otherwise the other foreigners I met were visitors. I am terrified of horses but firmly resolved to ride one and got into a group of Japanese ladies who were equally inexperienced but who enjoyed the ride far more than I did!

I also toured round with Germans, Australians, Swiss and British visitors, most of them younger people on their * vanderjahr*.

You will also find New Zealand (and Australia) far more patriarchal than we North Americans are used to. This can chafe, definitely, but in other respects it can be very pleasant. For example, in Dawrin, Northern Territories, I shared a cab (you must share cabs there, as they are few) with a group of men of varying ages. One of them asked the driver if he could smoke, and the driver said, Thats up to the lady. When did you last hear THAT? He was so delighted that i said I didnt mind (the windows were open and we were moving at a brisk pace) that he paid for my share of the cab. On the flip side, as I was travelling without a man handcuffed to my side, I was generally seated next to the kitchen, or off in a corner, and once I was asked to wait for a refund (of a boat tour fee that was cancelled due to weather) until all the couples had been served!

In Queenstown they actually proposed to charge me double for a jet boat tour because i was single. I turned round to the people waiting their turn and asked WHO WANTS A FREE JET BOAT RIDE? A young woman jumped up immediately. I told her that since they were going to charge me double for being single, they might as well take two of us. We had a great experience and stuck a thumb in their eye to boot.

 

[Gertabelle]

How could you?!?

I think we should settle this in a duel…

So, a duel is it? :knight2: I must carefully consider the weapons…

Hmmm, I think our liberals could take on your liberals, and do it at a mile above sea level. OTOH, Colorado was considerd a “swing state” for a time last fall. Well, we do have the people’s republic of Boulder… Still, we might lose if I set our liberals against yours, but that would mean that Colorado wins in the long run

I know our blue sky can beat yours, AND we don’t have to climb a mountain to see that blue sky, which gave the word “blue” its meaning. (But if you do want to climb a mountain, we have more 14-ers than any other state in the lower 48, just fyi )…

Wait a minute. Isn’t this thread supposed to be about New Zealand?

Um, I think I gotta go check on my grades or something… Later

the Gert

 

[Belgarion]

So, a duel is it? :knight2: I must carefully consider the weapons…

Hmmm, I think our liberals could take on your liberals, and do it at a mile above sea level. OTOH, Colorado was considerd a “swing state” for a time last fall. Well, we do have the people’s republic of Boulder… Still, we might lose if I set our liberals against yours, but that would mean that Colorado wins in the long run

I know our blue sky can beat yours, AND we don’t have to climb a mountain to see that blue sky, which gave the word “blue” its meaning. (But if you do want to climb a mountain, we have more 14-ers than any other state in the lower 48, just fyi )…

Wait a minute. Isn’t this thread supposed to be about New Zealand?

Um, I think I gotta go check on my grades or something… Later

the Gert

Its war!!

Our liberals are probably more liberal than your liberals!! BUT that can make for some good stores with some hard-to-find products. PLus, it makes every drive funny because of all the stupid bumper stickers people have. And it brings us Catholics closer together in our groups.

WE don’t have to climb mountains either! Spencer’s Butte isn’t a mountain!! We do have mountains though! Mt. Hood, Mt Bachelor and I’m sure there are others…lol
We can see the sky from there, as well as on ground level!
Plus, the sky is much more blue when its framed by a little green!

Every see Twilight? ( I haven’t) it was filmed in Oregon. So take a look.

Also, I believe we have the only river OTHER THAN THE NILE That flows from south to north.
Plus, we’ve got Crater Lake, which is the deepest lake the US right?

And the #1 reason (For now ) to pick Oregon over Colorado…We have an Ocean!
That’s right! A beach! Along the entire western side of the state!

 

[rpp]

Its war!!

Our liberals are probably more liberal than your liberals!! BUT that can make for some good stores with some hard-to-find products. PLus, it makes every drive funny because of all the stupid bumper stickers people have. And it brings us Catholics closer together in our groups.

WE don’t have to climb mountains either! Spencer’s Butte isn’t a mountain!! We do have mountains though! Mt. Hood, Mt Bachelor and I’m sure there are others…lol
We can see the sky from there, as well as on ground level!
Plus, the sky is much more blue when its framed by a little green!

Every see Twilight? ( I haven’t) it was filmed in Oregon. So take a look.

Also, I believe we have the only river OTHER THAN THE NILE That flows from south to north.
Plus, we’ve got Crater Lake, which is the deepest lake the US right?

And the #1 reason (For now ) to pick Oregon over Colorado…We have an Ocean!
That’s right! A beach! Along the entire western side of the state!

Gertabell, our mountains blow up ever so often, how about yours?

No tornadoes!

Very few places in Oregon have mosquitoes.

And our liberals are so liberal, they think Noam Chomsly is a Republican.

While I will concede that Archbishop Chaput is one of the finest and faithful bishops in the USA, the Bishop Of Baker, Bishop Vasa, has publicly criticized Nancy Pelosi and requires that any seving as an EMoC, lector or an employee of a parish periodically sign a document attesting to their faithfulness to specific Catholic moral teachings including homosexual activity and marriage, abortion, female ordination, and contraception.

Our deer are bigger than your deer.

Oregon is bigger and we have way fewer people!

My yard stays green all year long and I eve have to cut my grass in January.

 

[whatevergirl]

Hmmm…I found that there were many people of Asian and South Pacific backgrounds, plus many other nationalities. Perhaps that is because so many people have moved there!

You’re right about the socialism, though.

We still just adored every minute there; too far away to live, though. However, once I win Powerball or the Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes, I’ll be all over a vacation home there!

***And you’ll have enough money to bring my family and me…right? No? lol

What would you say was your favorite moment there…what did you personally love about it? Besides the amazing, scenery, was there something that stood out to you, that you said to yourself…I could live here, everyday…?***

 

[Belgarion]

Gertabell, our mountains blow up ever so often, how about yours?

No tornadoes!

Very few places in Oregon have mosquitoes.

And our liberals are so liberal, they think Noam Chomsly is a Republican.

While I will concede that Archbishop Chaput is one of the finest and faithful bishops in the USA, the Bishop Of Baker, Bishop Vasa, has publicly criticized Nancy Pelosi and requires that any seving as an EMoC, lector or an employee of a parish periodically sign a document attesting to their faithfulness to specific Catholic moral teachings including homosexual activity and marriage, abortion, female ordination, and contraception.

Our deer are bigger than your deer.

Oregon is bigger and we have way fewer people!

My yard stays green all year long and I eve have to cut my grass in January.

^EPIC WIN

That’s all I have to say

 

[whatevergirl]

***Oh oh, we talked about Colorado…Gertabelle!! This is a close second…I have a friend who now lives there, and she has sent me pics and it’s quite lovely too! She lives in…is it called Durango? I never spell that right. It is the most charming town ever.

As I mature I want a quieter life…I like nightlife on occasion with my husband, but I like charming, quaint towns. Tell me more about Colorado.

My dh’s concerns AGAIN is the cold. He really loves Florida…he loves the heat, he loves the beaches. I don’t dislike it here, I just don’t see us here for the long haul, that’s all.***

 

[whatevergirl]

So, a duel is it? :knight2: I must carefully consider the weapons…

Hmmm, I think our liberals could take on your liberals, and do it at a mile above sea level. OTOH, Colorado was considerd a “swing state” for a time last fall. Well, we do have the people’s republic of Boulder… Still, we might lose if I set our liberals against yours, but that would mean that Colorado wins in the long run

I know our blue sky can beat yours, AND we don’t have to climb a mountain to see that blue sky, which gave the word “blue” its meaning. (But if you do want to climb a mountain, we have more 14-ers than any other state in the lower 48, just fyi )…

Wait a minute. Isn’t this thread supposed to be about New Zealand?

Um, I think I gotta go check on my grades or something… Later

the Gert

***I have been to New Mexico, and one of the things I fell in love with there, was those blue skies every single morning. I can’t explain how happy I was to wake up everyday, and see those amazingly, piercing blue skies. Coming from Pittsburgh…lol…where we didn’t have but maybe 10 blue skies per year? But Colorado sells me everytime I see a show about it, or something…with its fabulous blue skies!

The issue I have with NZ, is that it’s socialist, I don’t think I knew that. I am curious if the cost of living is lower, because of the higher taxes, and/or if the average salary is higher. ***

 

[Belgarion]

***Oh oh, we talked about Colorado…Gertabelle!! This is a close second…I have a friend who now lives there, and she has sent me pics and it’s quite lovely too! She lives in…is it called Durango? I never spell that right. It is the most charming town ever.

As I mature I want a quieter life…I like nightlife on occasion with my husband, but I like charming, quaint towns. Tell me more about Colorado.

My dh’s concerns AGAIN is the cold. He really loves Florida…he loves the heat, he loves the beaches. I don’t dislike it here, I just don’t see us here for the long haul, that’s all.***

WHAT??!??! Come on!! You can’t ACTUALLY be considering Colorado?!??

That’s totally not cool!!
WAR!!!
:knight2::knight1:

 

[dixieagle]

***And you’ll have enough money to bring my family and me…right? No? lol

What would you say was your favorite moment there…what did you personally love about it? Besides the amazing, scenery, was there something that stood out to you, that you said to yourself…I could live here, everyday…?***

Sure you can come!!!

I loved the fact that we were, quite literally, on the other side of the world. And, the unusual combination of British and Maori culture (plus all the other ethnicities represented.)

My very favorite experience was when we were in a little village, about thirty minutes or so from Queenstown, called Glenorchy. My daughter and SIL wanted to hike (I think there are LOTR sites nearby) and dh and I hung out for the day in the tiny little town. We sat by the spectacular lake, watched paragliders, had lunch in a cozy hotel dining room with a roaring fire, took a long walk during which we saw two local horses taking themselves out for a little canter (no riders!), and then spent time in a little cafe, chatting with the owners and enjoying tea and cookies.

Bottom line - the people were uniformly friendly and welcoming, everywhere, and the scenery made me feel as if we had gone to heaven.

 

[dixieagle]

***Oh oh, we talked about Colorado…Gertabelle!! This is a close second…I have a friend who now lives there, and she has sent me pics and it’s quite lovely too! She lives in…is it called Durango? I never spell that right. It is the most charming town ever.

As I mature I want a quieter life…I like nightlife on occasion with my husband, but I like charming, quaint towns. Tell me more about Colorado.

My dh’s concerns AGAIN is the cold. He really loves Florida…he loves the heat, he loves the beaches. I don’t dislike it here, I just don’t see us here for the long haul, that’s all.***

Our younger daughter and SIL have been living and working in Denver this year, with AmeriCorps. We’ve visited them and have spent time in Golden, Colorado Springs, and Estes Park (at the entrance of Rocky Mountain National Park.) They had snow already the second week of October in Estes Park, which was a truly beautiful place - loved it. Denver has a lot to offer, but I’d prefer a smaller community, as well.

I do know that this has been a crazy year, weather-wise in Denver; tons of snow, followed by weather the next day in the 60s. There’s plenty to do and see, and great natural beauty in Colorado, but I could never again live somewhere that got so much snow.

 

[whatevergirl]

Sure you can come!!!

I loved the fact that we were, quite literally, on the other side of the world. And, the unusual combination of British and Maori culture (plus all the other ethnicities represented.)

My very favorite experience was when we were in a little village, about thirty minutes or so from Queenstown, called Glenorchy. My daughter and SIL wanted to hike (I think there are LOTR sites nearby) and dh and I hung out for the day in the tiny little town. We sat by the spectacular lake, watched paragliders, had lunch in a cozy hotel dining room with a roaring fire, took a long walk during which we saw two local horses taking themselves out for a little canter (no riders!), and then spent time in a little cafe, chatting with the owners and enjoying tea and cookies.

Bottom line - the people were uniformly friendly and welcoming, everywhere, and the scenery made me feel as if we had gone to heaven.

Ok…that sounds bliss! Let’s face it, when we think about the beautiful scenery, that lures us, but what sells us on a place, are the people. I think this way…it seems like that is what hooked you, also. My son is totally sold…my daughter somewhat, my dh will take work to ever move so far from my and his family…but with God, all things are possible. Faith can move mountains. (my dh = a mountain in this case)

 

[whatevergirl]

WHAT??!??! Come on!! You can’t ACTUALLY be considering Colorado?!??

That’s totally not cool!!
WAR!!!
:knight2::knight1:

---

I always thought Colorado and Oregon were one in the same.

runs and hides***

 

[Appleby]

You mean they are NOT one and the same?

 

[whatevergirl]

---

You mean they are NOT one and the same?

lol–whenever I think of Oregon, I think of Colorado. They just seem very similiar in climate, topography, demographics? I didn’t do too well in geography, looking back at my middle school years.