This site is dedicated to
families coming to
New Zealand.
It is based on my experience and stories from my friends. I
emigrated from Wales, (UK), in early 1996. In many ways it was easy for me-
same language, qualifications readily accepted, job settled before I left,
etc. However there were difficulties and many things I would have done
differently.
If you have
anything to add, comments will be welcome.
E-mail me
Summary
New Zealand is generally friendly, multicultural, relatively safe and a
great place to bring up children. Don't expect to get rich quick, or get
rich at all in teaching.
Warning 1.
This note is addressed to the head of the household.
Right now your family is excited and looking forward to life in a new
land. Six months from now the novelty may have worn off and home sickness
will be epidemic. Who will be blamed for dragging out the family against
their wishes? Yes, that's who!
I suggest:
Have each person, including yourself, write down their feelings about
emigrating, hopes and fears, what you expect to gain and lose and why they
want to go. Store these safely with your other documents.
They will help you all decide if you want to go and will give you
something to point to when the family start complaining.
Warning 2.
Don't believe everything you are told. One person puts what I feel very
well:-
"My husband and I immigrated 7 years
ago and were appalled to meet a family two years ago ( who only survived
here for 10 weeks before returning to Manchester severely disillusioned and
significantly out of pocket) who had been quoted exactly the same house
price/ salaries/consumer goods prices that we ourselves had been quoted 5
years before them! "
Thanks, Mary and Andy.
We've gone!
We left New Zealand and came home in June 1999.
The combination of homesickness- people sickness really- and financial
insecurity had proved too much. We have booked our flight and are going
back to Wales in June.
Many people in NZ told us of Brits who
emigrated to NZ, became homesick and went home after a few years. After six
months these people realised why they had left in the first place and came
back to New Zealand again. They said we too would be back soon.
Now we have been back for 18 months we are
pretty secure and unlikely to return except for a holiday. I am glad we
went since we are all enormously richer for the experience. (Except for
money- financially the double move has been disastrous.)
Basically we feel we are back where we
belong. We are much more secure- I'll never knock the UK National Health
again!
We miss a lot of things- the people who are
so friendly, the weather, the wine and cheeses, the advanced electronic
banking systems and the free local phone calls(- very important with two
teenage children and a socially natured wife!), the cultural diversity
which makes social contact so stimulating .
|
