What are you doing in this country ?

"What are you doing in this country ?"
No, I don't mean please leave our country and go back to NZ.
"I mean ... are you mad ... leaving NZ ... for this!"

Whether it's chatting to the checkout operator at Tesco's, talking to (local) government official, meeting people socially; After you have told them you are from New Zealand, their first question is:

Why did you want to leave New Zealand to come and live here?

Well there was that nasty incident with the sheep!

No seriously, that's a good question ... the answer is we wanted to explore the world, see places and events unaccesible to us downunder. See some history (NZ is such a young country, Maoris arrived in 10th-12th century or thereabouts, but not much remains of their early existence, and the Europeans first arrived in the late 18th century) and great buildings.

But the English people think we are mad to leave such a beautiful country/lifestyle like New Zealand to come to England. Most English want to leave England and move to New Zealand (or France or Spain or Australia or ... anywhere but the UK for that matter.)

Yes, New Zealand is a beautiful country with a good lifestyle, cheaper housing and a better standard of living.
Yes, the weather in England is "interesting", a good house costs a fortune (especially if you weren't on that rung before the prices rocketed), the government taxes you to death (and beyond). You have Tony Blair (at least for a bit longer).

But on the plus side, there is so much to see and do in the UK. So much history compared with NZ. It's cheap to go travelling across to Europe.

So, yes we are in England. No we are not mad.