Why New Zealand?

Today Rob Scott (Penny's uncle) asked me: "Tell my why you have decided on New Zealand without mentioning anything negative about SA that does not apply to NZ." What an intriquing question. It requires us to justify our choice in terms of the presence of something in NZ (eg. good education that is affordable for the average parent) that cannot be found in SA rather than the absence of something in NZ that can be found in SA (eg. high violent crime rate, unemployment, poverty, corruption, etc). I list here 10 of the most NB points for us.

1. Fantastic career opportunities for psychologists (for those interested see http://www.psych-recruitment.com/).
2. Very good schooling (7th best in the world) [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_New_Zealand], sponsored by the state (taxpayers).
3. Public health system that works (anecdotal evidence from friends living there), sponsored by the state (taxpayers).
4. Taxpayers comprise 96.2% of the tax payable population (3.8 % unemployment).
5. Plenty of clean water (available as rain or in taps).
6. A 2050 green energy strategy [see http://www.shapenz.org.nz/energy2050/content.asp?id=365].
7. Consistent, predictable electricity supply.
8. 4.2 million people in total (vs 40.1 million sheep, 2006 stats).
9. Number 4 (out of 140) on the global peace index: have a look at the following website: http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi/results/rankings/2008/
10. Climate: temperate, conducive to outdoor living and recreation, see http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/weather-and-climate.html#climate.

Willem