We Asked Australians Living in New Zealand if They Feel Discriminated Against By Kiwis

For decades now New Zealanders have been trotting off across the ditch to make their fortunes in Australia. But a new study suggests a significant shift in New Zealanders' perception of the Lucky Country.

In a survey of more than 10,000 immigrants, the Australia Today Report found New Zealanders living in Australia were likely to feel unfairly treated, discriminated against, and have a very low level of trust in the government. Kiwis were second most unhappy migrant group in Australia, behind only asylum seekers.

We wondered if the feeling was mutual. What is it like for Australians going the other way? So VICE asked some recent arrivals if they had the same kind of downer feelings about life in New Zealand.

VICE: Hey Andrew, Do you think you've ever experienced discrimination as an Australian living in New Zealand?
Andrew: Not really, no. I mean sure there are a lot of friendly arguments over Esky vs Chilly Bin, or who invented the flat white, but it's all in good fun. I must admit occasionally being unable to restrain my amusement at the Kiwi pronunciation of the word "deck" though.

You live in Wellington, has it lived up to your expectations?
I'm not sure what I expected, to be honest. It's very much "the same but different." Wellington reminds me a lot of Canberra, where I grew up—it's easygoing, small city feel yet with more of the culture I love about Melbourne… I still love Melbourne, and visit often, but the lifestyle in Wellington is awesome.

What was the biggest surprise moving over?
One puzzling difference I've noticed, that I think can be a bit of a setback for Kiwi businesspeople and entrepreneurs, is that there seems to be a bit of a cultural reluctance towards self promotion. But all in all you Kiwis are a good bunch, and I've made great friendships here… Kiwis are different than I expected they would be, more laid back and friendly. It's been easy to make close and trustworthy friends.

Would you want to become a NZ citizen?
Maybe, eventually. Although New Zealand is very generous to Australians, I basically have all the rights of a Kiwi citizen already.

You can vote here right?
I haven't had a chance to vote yet, besides on the flag referendum (long live Red Peak!) But I plan to. I'm pretty liberal, so love that even the right wing of politics here is reasonably progressive on things like gay marriage, refugees, and the environment. The Australian Government's handling of those issues is disgraceful to me.

Hey Sophie. So who's got it better—Australians living in New Zealand or those New Zealanders over in Australia?
I know I'm much better off here than I would be in the reverse situation. I have the right to get benefits like rent assistance and other stuff, just because I'm a resident. My [New Zealander] boyfriend was living in Australia, studying, and he couldn't get HECS, which is our student loans. He's part of the reason I'm here.

Also, I'm a florist and I think Auckland is a really good place to start a first business. There's less risk, because it's smaller. It's worked out great for me. I don't think it would be the same situation if I was doing this in Sydney.

What about on a cultural level, do you feel discriminated against because you're Australian?
I get a lot of people in different situations, like random tradies, who find out I'm Australian and say, "I won't hold it against you." But that's not in my social circle. I don't feel targeted in any real way.

Do you trust New Zealand's politicians?
I don't know anything about the politics here, although I'm still quite involved in the politics in Australia. I still feel like an Aussie.

So would you ever want to go for your citizenship here?
I hadn't thought about it. There's no reason to, I can already do everything I want to do here.

Did New Zealand live up to the expectations you had when you first moved here?
Yes and no. I came here from New York. I wasn't super happy in New York and was wanting to live somewhere way less busy. But Sydney has more creative arts and entertainment culture on a general scale and I do miss that. I didn't realise how small Auckland was. Now I really love that though. I just went to London and it freaked me out so much. I was like, "I want my little village back!"

VICE: Hey Jess, as an Aussie, do you feel you're discriminated against in New Zealand?
Yeah, I don't feel discriminated against as an Australian living here at all. There always seems to be a comparison happening in what Australia is doing politically and how much better New Zealand is doing it.

Have you ever been made to feel uncomfortable as an Aussie?
It's more in a social sense. Not so much discrimination but I'd say flack. It's subtle. You always get the obligatory remark about being Australian. It comes across as very jokingly but it's very repetitive. The more you hear it, the more it's like, haha, move on. I don't remember talking about New Zealanders when I was living in Australia. I think the stigma with Kiwis and Australians is heavily on the Kiwi side. My friend once commented that she thought Australians were the most racist people she'd ever met, I was a bit shocked by that.

Do people ever make fun of your accent?
All the time. If I was a thin-skinned person I might be sensitive but I think it's an Australian mentality to be thick-skinned. I have made fun of the Kiwi accent before and it's not taken so jokingly.

What do you think the biggest differences are between Australian and New Zealand?
I thought New Zealand would be very similar to Australia but it's very different. I think New Zealanders are much more traditional than Australians, particularly the men. Not all of them but I find there is a real division between male and female jobs—not just in the workplace but at home as well. When I was living in Australia I had lots of male friends and female friends and we'd hang out together. I feel there's more girls nights and boys nights here.

Do you feel like you belong in New Zealand?
Not sure really, I'm definitely starting to find my way.

VICE: Hi Raena, do you feel you're treated fairly by New Zealanders?
Most times, but the times I'm not are really noticeable. I can't stand how many Kiwis assume that all Australians are totally behind our most awful examples. As if we all voted for Pauline Hanson, or we don't believe in same sex marriage, or we all want refugees to be incarcerated on islands. There's a massive pushback from Australians on this. We don't all love it and lots of us hate it as much as you do. Including how Kiwis are treated. We're supposed to be mates.

Have you ever actually felt discriminated against?
I'm lucky to fly under the radar a bit. My accent isn't the strongest. It helps that I'm white. What I do notice is how others are treated and how casually Kiwis say racist things. You definitely hear those things in Australia, but not in my social circle back in Melbourne. I think Aussie bashing is a real popular sport and shows a real sense of insecurity from New Zealanders.

Does New Zealand live up to what you thought it would be before you moved here?
Some stuff is and some stuff isn't. New Zealand (and New Zealanders) bill the place as an amazing chilled-out environment where people aren't racist, women are treated fairly, the government is pretty leftie, the workforce is innovative and world-leading, everything's clean and green, and everyone is cared for. But that's not always the case, and there are some good conversations going on about how New Zealand can do better at this stuff, but it feels like you're only allowed to talk about that if you're "from" here. I think NZ's government is a lot more neoliberal and right-wing than New Zealanders often care to admit.

Were there any big surprises coming here?
The biggest surprise is the complacency. So many things are horrendous and people know it's happening, but do they act on it? Some might, but lots don't. Kiwis don't like to hear about problems like that from someone outside, even from those of us who know what we're talking about. I get told to leave if I don't like it. It's ridiculous to say in a free democracy that only some of us are allowed to criticise the way the country works. I care about my community even if I haven't been part of it as long as others.

Did you find it difficult to get a job in NZ?
I applied for jobs for almost four months while in Australia, which always makes it harder, but I also knew there was no way I'd be able to survive in NZ without work (it's a myth that we get the benefit straight away, and I wouldn't want to deal with WINZ in a million years). I was really lucky to meet a great manager who was unable to offer me the role I wanted, but recommended that I apply for a different role.

Do you have full citizenship here?
I'm not eligible yet. I'll think about it if I stay.

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