Kiwis aren't shy about sharing online the highs and lows of life in London.
New Zealanders are making the jump to the English capital, but what are they finding when they get there? Young Kiwis have been taking to social media to share the highs (cheaper food), lows (competitive jobs) and myriad experiences of culture shock.
This year, many Kiwis have packed up their lives and moved abroad. Many have jumped across the ditch, but others have travelled further afield, to the bright lights of London.
Decades ago, one would receive postcards and letters. Today, all you need is a smartphone and social media account to see videos filmed in tiny flat bedrooms and public parks, filmed by Kiwis sharing what life is like in London.
Though New Zealand has much in common with the UK, there are oddities and culture shocks for those who make the move.
Beks, a 30-year-old Kiwi who moved to London three and a half years ago, says in a clip from March that there are dozens of things she finds “a little odd” living in the city.
The first was the country’s obsession with Colin the Caterpillar, a chocolate roll cake sold at Marks & Spencer.
“I don’t get it,” she said of the Brits’ love for the cake, which was always bought for someone’s birthday at work but was “objectively bad”.
A second shock was how Brits call undies or underwear “pants”.
“This is one that I have had to adopt,” the Kiwi said, admitting she has found herself in many “really awkward” situations by using the wrong word.
@beksinthecity Replying to @Sam More things that made me and another kiwis living in london go 🧐 #britishcultureshocks #kiwisinlondon #britishthings #cultureshocks
♬ original sound - Beks in the City
Other surprises included single-use BBQs, traffic lights going orange before they turn green, and how people typically tan in public parks during the summer.
“They most definitely have not seen the togs togs undies ad,” she joked.
Beks said her “mind was blown” by the cost of groceries and meals out, and claimed groceries were half as expensive as in New Zealand, but eating out was easily twice as expensive, which “doesn’t add up” to her.
Finally, she pointed out Brits’ unusual parking system.
“You can park in either direction on any side of the road,” she said, something that also surprised Kiwi TikToker Annaleisha, who moved to London in April and shared a video of cars parked in different directions on TikTok.
@annal3isha watching people parallel park in the opposite direction during peak hour traffic is wild #london #kiwiinlondon #parking
♬ original sound - A N N A L E I S H A
However, the most surprising thing for this Kiwi wasn’t to do with cars, but the Tube.
“My biggest surprise in London so far is how loud the underground actually is,” she wrote on a video of her during a Tube ride. “My ears are ringing as if I’ve just left a rave.”
Residents commented on the video, explaining that Tube noise was a legitimate issue because it can reach over 100 dBA; a similar volume to a jackhammer or power saw.
Read More: Moving to London? Here are tips everyone should know
Life in London isn’t all fun and games, as other Kiwis have shared on social media.
Molly Marsland said living in London on a two-year visa can be overwhelming because there is pressure to make the most of every single day.
“Something I think we don’t really talk about is feeling a bit in between two places and not knowing how much to invest in your life here and how much to build when you know that going home is kind of inevitable,” said the Kiwi, who is moving back to Aotearoa at the end of the year.
@molly.marsland A big ramble from me but hopefully this lands on the FYP of any kiwis and aussies living in London rn #kiwiinlondon #kiwiinuk #kiwiintheuk #kiwisinlondon #youthmobilityvisa #aussiesinlondon #londonvlog
♬ Easy Lovers - Alternate Take - Piero Piccioni
Marsland said she felt stressed she had not done enough, but had to remind herself London is expensive and one only has so much energy in a day.
“You’re just not going to get around to every restaurant every bar, every event in London because there are just so many on,” she said, adding that it could feel “a bit overwhelming”.
A TikToker called Morgs Collier, originally from New Plymouth, agreed there were hard parts to moving to the UK.
“Moving to the opposite side of the world is all fun and games until you’re having a breakdown and all you want to do is call home, but you know everyone is fast asleep,” she said in a video in February.
Aside from the time zone difference, Collier also found delight in the Tube announcements, sharing a video in March that parodied how they sounded to a foreigner.
@morgs_girl #londonlife #londontiktok #londontfl #londontransport #londontravel #kiwisinlondon #livingabroad #movingabroad #movingoverseas #kiwi
♬ original sound - Sean Corcoran
Holly McLeish, too, had thoughts to share about the Tube, in a video from February documenting things about London that “aren’t annoying enough” to make her leave, but caused daily frustration.
Irks included how the escalators leading down to the Tube move more slowly than their handrails, the fact you must buy flat and fitted sheets separately rather than in a set, and the hard water.
“I cannot explain how damaged my hair is from the water in London,” she said, adding she had bought a shower head filter, something several Kiwis also mentioned in other videos.
One major topic of venting online from Kiwis who have recently moved is work. Or, more accurately, how difficult it is to secure work.
Aucklander Carla Sayers has shared several TikToks documenting her move to London in May.
On June 23, however, Sayers shared a video revealing she was yet to find a job.
“Still unemployed, but that’s not for lack of trying,” said the marketing specialist, who warned fellow Kiwis planning to move that they should “be prepared” for how competitive the job market is.
“It’s the sheer volume of people applying for jobs,” she explained, adding a recruiter told her jobs receive hundreds of applicants in a matter of one or two days.
@carlasayers_ Replying to @jackielovestravel its hard out here 🥹🥹🥹 #livinginlondon #livingabroad #kiwiinlondon #jobsinlondon #workinginlondon
♬ original sound - Carla Sayers
Sayers caveated she had been “actively looking” for only three weeks, but had registered with a few recruitment agencies and was looking personally and was yet to get anything.
Corine, of Sydney, went as far as to share a spreadsheet of 168 jobs she applied for in London, as a digital specialist in the tech industry.
“I started applying in December 2023, landed a job in mid-March,” she said in a video. In the background, she showed the spreadsheet she used to keep track of job applications.
She had five first-round interviews, which turned into two third-round interviews and two job offers, giving her a 1.19% success rate.
“Lots of jobs, but also so many people to compete with,” she wrote in the comments when people asked why it was so tough.
@cornexplores my london job hunt 🇬🇧 #movingtolondon #livinginlondon #aussiesinlondon #tech #workingintech #findingajob #uk #womenintech #womenintechnology
♬ original sound - cornexplores
The struggle to find a good job, or any job at all, is nothing new. Back in 2015, the Herald reported on Kiwi expats finding it hard to secure a job.
Kiwi Clint Heine, who started the extremely popular Kiwis in London Facebook group, said there is money to be made in London, but it depends on what job you work.
The 48-year-old said the money was “ridiculous” for nannies and tradies, who can earn a great income, while jobs like administration and marketing can be much more competitive.
“A lot of people go, ‘Oh, I’ll go to London and work in reception’ — it’s not really like that,” he recently told the Herald.
Even after securing a job, people shouldn’t expect to earn more than they do in Aotearoa, according to a recent deep dive into life in the UK.
An analysis found the typical UK salary is about $15,000 less a year than wages in New Zealand, largely due to the cost-of-living crisis post Brexit and post pandemic.
For some Kiwis, the struggle begins before they’ve left New Zealand. Several Kiwis have told the Herald their visa applications were lost by officials or delayed by months, forcing them to cancel their flights or pay thousands for another application.
This does beg the question; if Kiwis find the water and job market hard, rent expensive and visas complicated, why do they go?
The vibrant culture and proximity to Europe for travel are frequent reasons given by Kiwis on Instagram and TikTok. Others claimed moving helped them learn to step outside their comfort zone and explore more of the world.
“It’s more the experience,” one Kiwi said in a clip. While she said no country compared to New Zealand, Kiwis come to “dibble dabble in the culture” for a few years.
Some domestic regional flights have been affected.