Jessica is an American woman who loves to travel; she and her husband have been living on New Zealand’s Kapiti Coast for several months now. Read on for her very useful tips on moving to New Zealand, information on housing, and some of the things that she likes and dislikes about her new home.	Jessica

November 03 2006

-Where were you born?
Virginia, USA

-In which country and city are you living now?
On the Kapiti Coast of New Zealand, in Waikanae.

-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my husband, Darryl, and our little dog.

-How long have you been living in New Zealand?
7 months

-What is your age?
36

-When did you come up with the idea of living in New Zealand?
We began looking seriously in November 2004 at the possibility of moving for political, social and personal reasons. We love to travel when we can. We had lost my parents and his grandmother (who raised him) to illness, so there was less of a reason to stay. New Zealand seemed a better match for our social and ecological views.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Getting in under the Skilled Migrant Category is actually a straightforward process. They have a points calculator online based on your qualifications (degrees), work experience, and your job offer in NZ if you have one. There are bonus points for skill shortage areas. If you get the right number of points you fill out an Expression of Interest (EOI). If the Immigration Service verifies your points you then receive an Invitation to Apply, which is where you prove with paperwork everything they accepted in the EOI.

I have found from talking with others that you can sail through the process in 3 or 4 months as we did even with no job offer, or you can have severe delays or outright rejection if your qualification isn’t recognized at the EOI stage or you have any health issues (including obesity) when you get your medicals done.

The Immigration Service changes the number of points needed to apply every so often as a way of regulating the flow of immigrants, so if you qualify, it’s best to go ahead while you can get in. You have a year to a year and a half in which to arrive after being accepted (depending on when you send them your passports).

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I don’t have medical insurance. Because of the national health care here, we have not chosen to get it. Some people buy private insurance, which is fairly cheap and easily accessible. Going to the doctor costs about $45 without any insurance. Most prescriptions are around $15. My husband had some blood work done recently, and that was free.

-How do you make your living in New Zealand? Do you have any type of income generated?
I thought I would have to find work here, but my company in the US decided to keep me on after the move, so I work for them via the Internet.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
Yes. If English isn’t your first language, you have to prove (through your school experience or by taking a test) that you are highly proficient in English in order to be granted a visa.

NZ English is different from US English, of course. Between the accent and the dialect it can be hard to understand in the beginning. The first time I walked into the gas station and the attendant said something that sounded like “Wot tist pitrol?” I held up the line until I realized he was saying “What test petrol?” by which he meant “What grade of gasoline?”

Get ready to learn to pronounce a lot of place names, which are usually in the Maori language.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
I miss family and friends very much. I have an Internet phone so that they can call me at a Virginia number that actually rings over here, and I can call them. It helps. I don’t really miss living in the States.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
We’d like to travel around New Zealand. We haven’t seen much of the country actually. I’d love to see the South Island.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We rented initially, then bought a house about 2 months ago. Many houses here are not well insulated and lose a lot of heat through large windows. Often they have only a woodstove for heating, though it can get quite cold on fall and winter nights. Prices at the moment range from about $280K - $350K NZD for a 3-bedroom home of 150–170 square metres. It’s more expensive if you want a larger house or want to live closer to Wellington (we’re an hour away) or on the very first row of houses at the beachfront. Interest rates are extremely high at the moment.

-What is the cost of living in New Zealand?
Higher than in Virginia. Food is more expensive. Some odd things like books and cosmetics will surprise you with their very high prices. Petrol is currently $1.43/litre. On the other hand healthcare is cheap, and because you can’t sue people for injury (your emergency healthcare is covered by the state) car insurance is not mandatory. We bought it, but it was only $450 NZD for a year. If you have savings to bring over (highly recommended), the current interest rate means you will earn about 7% in a savings account.

-What do you think about the New Zealanders?
People are generally friendly. They really do love their rugby here. Gardening and do-it-yourself projects are big. Often they don’t start off by asking me what I do for a living when we meet, which I was used to in the States. They’ll just launch into chatting about whatever current event or the changeable weather. They have a generally laid back “She’ll be right” attitude. Most everyone seems to have family in the States or have traveled there. Many have seen more of the US than I have! The indigenous Maori and the Pakeha (others, i.e. New Zealanders of European descent) have been equally friendly to me.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in New Zealand?
Positive: Laid back attitude. Their social outlook. Being able to afford a house with a view of the ocean. Recreational activities are phenomenal, particularly if you like the outdoors; where we live we can walk to a huge forest park, or we can head down to the beach and estuary. Though anything can happen anywhere, I personally feel a lot safer here.

Negative: Higher cost of living. Not a lot of selection of products. Cold and often packed together housing.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in New Zealand?
Watch the exchange rate to get a good idea of when you should move over any funds after you arrive and how much you’ll have. If you are shipping your household over in a 20 or 40 foot container, as we did, bring most everything you can think of. It will often be more expensive to replace it here. (Your TV, will not work here if it’s from the US). If you bring a transformer for your computer and other electronic items, also bring an American power strip with 6 or 8 outlets to use with it so you can plug more than one thing in at a time. If you buy large ticket items to bring, do so at least 6 months in advance, and save your receipts to avoid customs taxes. If you’re bringing your dog or cat, start that process (tests, paperwork) more than 6 months in advance, and hire a pet shipper like International Pet Transport.

Once you’re here, rent first to be sure you like life in NZ and the particular area you’re in. It also gives you time to figure out the housing market and get a place you are happy with. Try to get involved in the community. It will help you feel settled. There are vol. planting groups most everywhere. Or try yoga classes or whatever interests you. It can take a while to get to know people and feel like you belong.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about New Zealand?
*Our blog is Island in the Pacific.
*NZ Immigration
*Emigrate NZ has lots of info and a terrific forum.
*Te Ara Encyclopedia of NZ
*Links to many NZ newspapers: http://www.stuff.co.nz/nz_newspapers.html