Migrants’ Stories

When it comes to settling in a new country, practice makes perfect according to Steve, an IT systems administrator who spent several years working in Australia before moving to New Zealand.

The 38-year-old bachelor says leaving his family in Kuala Lumpur for a new life in Melbourne was tough, but in hindsight the experience meant he was well equipped to cope with a further shift to New Zealand.

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When British couple Kevin and Ruth came to New Zealand they were determined to avoid becoming “Ping Pong Poms,” homesick English migrants who end up shifting back to the UK.

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If your first choice of a New Zealand settlement destination doesn’t work out, don’t be scared to try another one. That’s the advice of Renata Minetto and Lapo Ancillotti who came here nine years ago from Italy. Deeply unhappy in the rat race of Auckland, they shifted south to Wellington, where they found the smaller scale city and its vibrant cultural life much more to their liking.

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After growing up as only children in China, coming to New Zealand to study English was a huge culture shock for Qiuyang Han and Fengxian Jiang. The couple met on a bridging course at Auckland University and say while life has its challenges, they enjoy their new independence.

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Dutch couple Patrice and Yvonne had a gut feeling New Zealand was the right place for them even though they hadn’t even visited the country before deciding to move here from the Netherlands. Patrice had lived in Africa as a child and travelled the world with his job as a design engineer while Yvonne, an experienced theatre nurse, had worked in the Caribbean. Based on those experiences they were keen to settle in a foreign country where their children Marit (11) and Niels (9) could learn to speak English.

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Old habits die hard for South Africans Mark and Louisa Chong and several years after leaving Johannesburg they still drove with their car doors locked. After experiencing the high rate of violent crime in South Africa, Mark says they really appreciate the safety of New Zealand. “You can walk around without having to watch your back.”

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Americans Don and Angela made some big compromises when they decided to emigrate, forgoing the opportunity to retire early if they had stayed in the U.S. But they decided the quality of life in New Zealand more than made up for lower pay rates and the fact that and they would have to work for longer.

Right from the outset they were clear about the pros and cons of shifting countries and Don says that’s an important factor in settling successfully. “It’s paramount that both partners want it and understand why they’re doing it.”

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It’s a big leap from teaching in Korea to nursing in New Zealand but Chris is glad she put in the long and lonely years of study that led to a job as a registered nurse at North Shore Hospital and permanent residency.

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