Cities like New York are simply overwhelming in their splendour and size. Photo / NZME
OPINION:
I just read the story of a New Zealand woman, raised in a small regional town, leaving home and travelling overseas, spending many years living in some of the bigger cities, London being one.
She has since returned to New Zealand and has settled in a very small city, Christchurch. Now Christchurch is one of New Zealand's three largest cities, the smallest in population with about 380,000 people in the urban area. Well behind Auckland with 1,723,000, a city all New Zealanders regard as biggish.
Our nearest world-class city is probably Sydney, with a population of about 5.4 million souls.
Our New Zealand woman was lamenting missing the big world cities, the freedom to be who you are and to do what you want. To live anonymously or choose to be out there. The choice of shops, the different lifestyles and ethnic communities, the simple size of cities like London, New York, Paris, world cities by any definition.
Even Auckland is really just a large regional town on the world stage.
Having had the pleasure of seeing some of these world cities and spending some time in them I can agree with the writer. They are simply overwhelming in their splendour and size. They are wondrous places to be, especially in the Old World. Having felt safer in these big places than I have elsewhere in the world, including some towns in New Zealand, I see the quality of their civilisation and their society.
So it must be somewhat overwhelming for a Kiwi to return to our shores after years of living overseas in a "world city". Living in Christchurch would be like an Aucklander moving to Cromwell, both delightful places but small in their own ways.
Everyone knows each other, knows each other's business or think they do. It is hard to be anonymous at times, especially if you are used to diversity and colour.
New Zealand is now, in the early 21st century, truly becoming diverse in terms of cultures, acceptance of difference, and becoming more outward-looking.
Sadly we are just not big enough for a "world city" yet. Maybe never really. Coming back to New Zealand for many is like a return to peace and quiet; well, except for the terrible driving habits of many. I have driven a lot overseas and can attest to the fact New Zealanders are among the worst drivers in the world. At least the Italians have a sense of humour as they try to beep you out of their way. The best drivers I have seen are Americans - it's not a personal challenge to them to be on the road with other drivers, they are polite and courteous.
New Zealand is a large empty land with regional towns and villages dotted miles apart, following the track of settlement of colonists in the 19th century. There was always a reason for a settlement, a harbour, food source, flat land, available land, friendly Iwi, a river that could be used as a route into the interior. Some towns started as relay stations for coaches and as railway junctions, developing into service towns for their areas or, in many cases, large regional cities, by New Zealand standards, over time.
Life is a lot different in New Zealand compared to living in a "world city". Much of New Zealand is young, wild and untamed still. It still has a rawness about it which is both entrancing and challenging. The people in the regions are more approachable, maybe more community-minded.
Many choose a regional lifestyle simply because of the peace and quiet, the friendliness, the comfort that closeness brings. Small New Zealand cities and some towns are undergoing a population surge in recent times as many city-dwellers see the opportunity for that quiet lifestyle, perhaps selling their multimillion-dollar home in one of the big centres to buy a similar property in a smaller area and enjoy a large bank account from the leftover equity in their old home.
Shopping may not be as diverse as some like in the regions but anything can be purchased online nowadays and delivered to your rural retreat by a nice smiling courier driver.
If the big city is being missed it is usually only an internal flight or a short road trip to the nearest bright lights for shows, shopping and dinner. As ex-Wellingtonians, we often travel back to our home city for a taste of the large life. It is always good to be heading home though, back to paradise, the country life.
It does take a while to make the change for many, to stop missing the hectic traffic, the variety of restaurants, the shows, the public transport systems - there are not any really to speak of, the short travel times between places in town.
(References: Stats NZ)