We are GPs who arrived into Wellington in May 2013. It took a lot of planning - but we are here now, enjoying work in Wellington! We are Helen and Alasdair Jessup, General Practitioners (GPs) from England. We travelled with 8 suitcases so when our new employer and our recruiter (Prudence) met us at the airport, we were very pleased to see them! From start to finish the process took about 6 months. It was actually very easy getting a job offer for both of us, we had a skype interview that Accent Health Recruitment sorted out for us.
There were frustrations and challenges with the paperwork and administration in the UK before coming to NZ. It takes a lot longer than you expect.
When we arrived our initial impressions were that NZ’ers were friendly people with a get up and go attitude. NZ has dramatic scenery and weather! We did choose to come to Windy Wellington in the winter! The wine was great and we found the petrol to be cheap!!
So far we have only been round Napier and Wellington and they are both great spots. Like most people who have moved to NZ, we miss the BBC, family and friends, and the central heating and double-glazing!
We got great advice and step by step guidance from Accent Health Recruitment, and the advice would be: Ensure to bring enough cash with you as it takes a while to get your debit cards etc. Ask Accent Health Recruitment to sort out your pre-paid sim cards for mobile phones. Get Accent to arrange meeting with a bank and MCNZ in first few days (pre-arrange appointments before you arrive). Initially stay somewhere where there is Wi-Fi as this is essential for getting around a place you’re not familiar with. Don’t commit to accommodation before you arrive as often properties look completely different online to reality.
