The media has presented a completely divided opinion about New Zealand recently, with many choosing to focus on the fact that it is a top choice with professional migrants because of the way of life, standard of living and level of opportunities available. Whilst others in the media have been giving column space to the stories of those who have made the move to New Zealand and really regretted it…
So, we decided it was perhaps time to hear from someone who has made the move, and court their opinion about their relocation experience to New Zealand. After all, if you want to relocate to a given country, there is no one better to speak to or hear from than someone who has been through the entire process already!
To that end, the following is the first hand account of Giles and Alexa Smallwood’s move to start a brand new life living and working in New Zealand. If you are looking for inspiration you will likely find it in this very full account of one couple’s major move and life changing emigration from the United Kingdom to go and live in New Zealand…
Moving overseas is obviously a daunting task, but the enormity of that task can vary greatly from individual to individual or family to family and depending on the location you choose. From mine and my wife Alexa’s points of view, we were fortunate enough to have things relatively easy and found the move to New Zealand a very positive experience. How it all came about and how we have been lucky with our emigration I shall try and convey below.
Why did we choose to move overseas and why did we choose New Zealand?
I guess the main reason we came to be in NZ was down to opportunity – the UK Company I work for (World First UK) had a small office in Hamilton, and a position became available within that office. This was one of the first areas that we were lucky with when it came to our relocation – i.e., having a job that you can move with or a job to move to is the starting point for the vast majority of professional migrants.
However regardless of the available opportunity, both Alexa and I had already decided that we wanted to experience the adventure of living abroad, we both enjoyed travelling but wanted to know what it was like to stay in one place. We were newly married and had both lived in London for five years, so felt that the time was right to have a change of scene.
Although neither of us had previously been to NZ we both had it on our list of places we wanted to visit; friends had told us of enjoyable travelling experiences, and the travel magazines always made it look an enticing destination. We also wanted to experience the ‘big outdoors’ – having been happily cooped up in London enjoying all that it has to offer we wanted to break free of our urban ways and see what life would be like living in a less populated area, so we welcomed the available opportunity with open arms.
The Migration Process:
First things first we had to secure our visas and our work permits. Seeing as I had a job to move to already, the process was less fraught than a lot of applicants, but nonetheless we still had to fill in the necessary (and very lengthy) forms. Although it was over two years ago now, I recollect the frustration brought about by the ambiguity of the forms and yet seemingly we had a relatively uncomplicated visa application – I can imagine that anyone with a more complicated situation than ours may find it hard to wade through the immigration mine field. This is where immigration advisors can obviously be a helpful, albeit expensive option, but if anyone is struggling then an advisor could be worth every penny. They can guide you through the forms for example, telling you exactly what an immigration official is going to want to read in each section – thus increasing your chances of visa acceptance.
We, however, decided that we could do it ourselves and it took us a few weeks to put everything that was required together, but once we were sure all was in order we sent our applications off hoping for a speedy response from the NZ immigration department. We were advised it would take about 2-3 months to be processed, and sure enough 3 months later we had our visa’s and permits in hand.
Once we knew we were granted the ability to live and work in NZ it was then a mad dash to carry out all the then necessary tasks that are required before you move, so as to not leave loose ends behind in the UK once you board the plane to your new life. As I have said already, we didn’t have, in comparison to others, too much to consider - but we did need to give notice to our landlord on our rental property, pay all the final bills, put some items in storage, ship some items to New Zealand, open a bank account in NZ and transfer some money across, and of course say farewell to all our family and friends.
Alexa also had to hand in her notice at work, (she is a physiotherapist), and prepare to register as a physiotherapist in New Zealand.
One of the things that made the move seem less daunting to us was reading about, or chatting to others who had already done as we intended. Through my job as a foreign exchange consultant I was able to learn from my clients’ experiences and make a note of where they had succeeded or made mistakes with moving overseas. I work for World First as stated, which is one of the world’s leading foreign exchange brokers. A large percentage of my clients are private individuals who have moved overseas or are returning from living abroad, and it was useful to be able to share their experiences with them and learn from what they had to say.
My job and training also became invaluable; we knew how to open a bank account in New Zealand before leaving the UK, convert and transfer funds at a competitive exchange rate using a broker, and make sure we had online banking arranged in the UK so as to transfer funds with ease once we were overseas.
A new life in New Zealand:
So, with the tying up of loose ends out the way, Alexa and I were then able to embark on our new lives overseas. We arrived in NZ in February 2008 and were lucky enough to catch the end of what was apparently one of the best summers for a number of years. The warm weather certainly made it very easy for us to get settled in; however, being in our new country brought with it a new list of tasks - at the top of which was finding a place to live.
We had sensibly managed to secure, (through the help of work colleagues), a one month flat rental close to where I was working in Hamilton which took the pressure off immediately finding a place to stay long term. It meant that we could look around and see where we wanted to live on a more permanent basis. We obviously needed to remain relatively close to Hamilton for work purposes, however we wanted to achieve the complete ‘opposite’ of our London lives so we eventually opted to live by the coast in a small town called Raglan, which is about 45 minutes from Hamilton.
Raglan is a fantastic town to live in – great restaurants, cafes and bars, friendly people and a very relaxed way of life. We settled in very easily and have been made to feel really welcome. We were lucky enough to find a fully furnished house to rent with fantastic views overlooking the town. Finding houses to rent that were furnished was not something we had considered would be a problem, however our choice was certainly limited as the majority of rentals were unfurnished.
I expect this is less the case in the larger cities, but it is certainly something to consider. We have been fortunate but others we have met have had to buy furniture for their rental properties which was an unexpected expense for them.
A lot of housing in NZ is, by and large, built for outdoor and mainly summer living, especially those in more rural or coastal situations. Our rental property fits exactly into that category and while it is fantastic in the summer months, we have learnt to endure the winter months the hard way – it’s pretty much a necessity to wear virtually all our clothes at the same time to get through the colder days!
Winter in this part of NZ is not that harsh, especially in comparison to the UK - but without heating in our house you certainly feel the cold mornings! How well insulated or whether a house has heating is again something to consider when looking at properties to rent. Don’t make the same error we did, and ensure your home has some means of heating it when the temperatures drop.
Our working week has mostly been spent travelling in and out of Hamilton, although latterly I have been able to work from home. Our experience of working in New Zealand has again been very positive. I had the job to move with so I had the easier time out of the two of us. I was able to carry on in much the same way as I did in London, however Alexa needed to register as a physiotherapist in NZ which required quite a lengthy amount of paperwork to be produced.
In all it took her about 6 months to complete. Five of those months were prior to our arrival which meant within a month or two of being here she was awarded her registration. That’s another point worth noting, if you work in a given profession that requires registration and perhaps the export of skills and qualifications, research how you will be able to go about transferring your skills so that you can work in your new location – the process can be complex and time consuming.
The move to New Zealand from a working point of view has been a particular success for Alexa. She works in the Waikato Hospital in Hamilton which serves quite a large area of the central North Island. She was quickly made to feel part of the team and not only that, but also made to feel like she was needed which is probably down to physiotherapy being one of the jobs on the skills shortage list. The people she works with are friendly and many of them are other migrants, so she feels quite at home in an environment that is used to having a diverse number of nationalities within it.
Most importantly for us, the move has enabled us to obtain the lifestyle we wanted. Our weekends are spent exploring and we have managed to visit quite a few places in the North and South Island but still have vast amounts more to see.
Living by the coast means we have access to fantastic beaches and the associated activities. The ongoing task of learning to surf has become quite a feature of our weekends and requires a reasonable amount of determination during the colder winter months! If we don’t go surfing then there are plenty of other active pursuits to choose from such as kite boarding, kayaking, mountain biking, walking, climbing and many more that are close at hand.
Why things worked for us:
Our experience has been a lucky one, and as any migrant knows, leaving things to chance is part of the moving gamble – with that in mind we feel fortunate that a few unplanned elements have conspired to make our time so far an enjoyable one.
We moved with one of us having a job that was a continuation of work in the UK. It meant that not everything changed for us and I was able to settle back into the same job that I enjoyed doing in the UK but in a new and exciting location. Although everything else changed, that continuation meant there was some degree of continuity from our old life.
On a similar note, Alexa’s work as a physiotherapist meant she found it relatively easy to find a job as it is on the skills shortage list. The ability for us both to be able to have work we enjoyed obviously made a difference to our relocation experience.
We wanted an active outdoor lifestyle and that is exactly what we got. If others were thinking of moving to New Zealand but were unsure about a move to a rural location, then the main cities would be a good place to start as they have all the convenience of a metropolis but still have easy access to the great outdoors. The cities also offer a greater amount of work opportunity, which is another reason to perhaps start there.
We were lucky that we were able to live close enough to a city, (Hamilton), but also live on the coast in a small town that has an international feel to it. The fact that there are other migrants living here means we don’t feel like the only outsiders! That has been a huge part of our ability to feel at home.
Although we feel that several elements have conspired to make our move an enjoyable one, not everything can be accounted for by just good fortune. There are also a few areas that I think we have helped ourselves with, the principal one being our mindset.
We started out by getting two year visas and have taken that time to see how we like it here. We didn’t sell up lock stock and barrel and ship everything out. We haven’t totally decided to emigrate for good either, so in keeping the options open we don’t feel quite so committed to make sure our life on this side of the world works.
We didn’t move to New Zealand for a cheaper way of life. Our cost of living has not dropped greatly from when we lived in London. The only area we save on is rental cost. Everyday costs such as food and clothes have in some cases proved more expensive and less diverse than the UK. If we were avid clothes shoppers I think we would have retreated back to London a long time ago!
We didn’t expect too much either – we kept an open mind. In hindsight much of NZ is just as I would have imagined it, but equally some is not how I would have expected. Overall our experience has, as I have said, been a very good one and we have hugely enjoyed our time so far, so much so that we have extended our visas for another three years and look forward to hopefully continuing our enjoyable experience.
Please feel free to contact me (.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)) if you have any general questions about life in New Zealand or if you would like advice about transferring money overseas. Useful information regarding transferring funds can be found at http://www.worldfirst.com
