One of the most dangerous things that a writer can do is to go behind enemy lines. They are taking a risk with every breath, constantly remaining vigilant so that they do not accidentally let it slip that a ploy is afoot. While in London, I went behind enemy lines to infiltrate a subculture that many wouldn’t dare brave: the Kiwis.
In my experience, nowhere else in the world is the rivalry between Australians and Kiwis as pronounced as it is in the UK. We frequent the same places, we are interested in the same sports and we tend to have the same ambition to live a life of travel and debauchery for the entire time that we are living overseas.
Why do we have such a rivalry, if we have so much in common? There was only one way to find out, and so I went along to a popular social event in Acton for Kiwis. On this particular occasion the organisers had welcomed along a similar Aussies in London group, so I wasn’t the only one although the strength of the Kiwi contingent was overwhelming and gave clear insight into what it meant to be a Kiwi in London.
For the most part, they are the same as us. Kiwis and Australians both like to have a drink, a dance and flirt when we are out on the weekend.
Perhaps the most notable thing to be discovered from going undercover with the Kiwis, though, was that a certain myth was dispelled: our Kiwi brethren often claim that Australians are more despised by the Brits due to our loud and overbearing nature.
Well, if we are loud I couldn’t fathom a guess at how the Kiwis would describe themselves. Going undercover with the Kiwis was one of the loudest, wildest nights that I’d had in a very long while. There is nothing wrong with that, I am a huge fan of utter debauchery. But, come on… People in glass houses, and all that.
