Hi I’m Erika,

An ED nurse from good ol’ Southern California. I arrived to the beautiful land of New Zealand December 2015. The entire process to get here, to say the least, took about 6 months. Prudence and the rest of the Accent Health Team were available as well as more than helpful during the entire process. It’s difficult to say what the easiest part was in terms of experience; I feel the entire process was relatively easy, just time consuming. The challenging part was reminding people to finish reference letters, emails, and schools to send credentials.

My first impression of NZ still remains the same. It is a country that offers something for everyone in one of the most relaxing ways possible. The people for the most part are hospitable, friendly, caring and honest. As a country it is in a league of its own, on its own. But with change there comes a catch, 9 months in and I truly miss Mexican food. It’s just not the same here and getting ingredients for home cooking is really difficult.

As far as advice goes, be flexible, roll with the punches everything will always come right.

Nursing practice here as it would be in any other country is a little bit different. The core essentials of nursing are the same however the scope of practice is limited. Depending where you are coming from, you may not be able to freely do the things that you did at home. I have found that flexibility, open-mindedness and enthusiasm go a-long ways while working abroad.

Besides all that, don’t forget that you’re in NZ, there’s an adventure waiting at every corner.

Hi my name is Michelle, I am a Paediatric Nurse from England. I am originally from NZ but had been away for 13 years, I came back to live in NZ in September 2016, everyone is still really friendly and NZ is still as beautiful as I remember.

The process to come to NZ took me 12 months. The easiest part of the process was working with Accent, and the most challenging part of the process was getting my NZ Nursing Registration.

The best parts of NZ are the weather, sightseeing, being close to a beach (10-15 minutes). NZ is more relaxed and a balanced way of life.

What I miss the most is friends, being able to travel so easily to other countries, certain shops, the history of Europe and the beautiful buildings.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to plan, read about NZ, the way of life, work and housing. Also – use Accent Health Recruitment! Merryl (my recruitment consultant) was amazing, she really helped me through the whole process!

Questions about your new workplace:

Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in England?

Nursing is pretty similar between the two countries. However I have found certain things are behind (certain things just coming in I’ve been doing in the UK for the last couple of years), they are more relaxed in NZ and there seems to be a better work/life balance.

Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily?

My experience of working in Paedatrics has helped. Being open to learning new ways of doing things. And I have moved back to Wellington so I know the area which has also helped me.

Hi, my name is Kelly and I am an Emergency Department Nurse. I came to New Zealand from the UK in February 2017 with my husband Kevin. The process of us getting to New Zealand took a few years and was not straightforward due to a few different issues but well worth it in the end. It took 11 months to register with the NZNC and only 10 days for my skilled migrant work visa to come through.

The easiest part was finding a job. I was put in touch with Accent Health Recruitment while visiting a local emigration expo. My contact was Merryl and I found her to be so helpful every step of the way. Merryl was always at the end of an email if I had any questions, she helped me with CV structure and interview techniques. There was also lots of help with other practical things in preparation for arrival in New Zealand. Within about 6 weeks, I had a job offer and was really pleased that I had a job to come over to.

The hardest part of the process was making the decision to go to New Zealand and then actually doing it! Life is complicated and it can feel like it is never the “right time” to emigrate to the other side of the world. I don’t think there is a ‘”right time”’ but if it is what you want, you just have to go with it and make it happen. Otherwise you might miss a fantastic opportunity.

The most challenging part of the process was organizing everything in the UK ready to go. We sold our house, cancelled all of our bills, organised all our paperwork, had to sort through a lifetime of belongings and find time to say all of our good byes.

Our first impression of New Zealand was how beautiful it was. We now live in Auckland and the scenery is stunning. We had hoped to spend some time travelling the North & South Island before we settled for work but we couldn’t so now we try to get away and visit different places during our time off. We are looking forward to our first trip to the South Island next month.

We don’t know if this move will be permanent or temporary but we are so pleased that we persevered with it and got to New Zealand. It’s a great place to be and we love exploring this amazing country.

Accent were really supportive throughout the process and I still keep in touch with them now. They even put me in touch with other people that had emigrated to New Zealand and I have made some fantastic friend here, which is also a great help when moving somewhere new.

Work

I had been an ED nurse in the UK for over 3 years and have continued this job role in New Zealand. The best way I can describe it is that everything is the same but everything is different. I have had an extensive orientation to the new department. Staff have been friendly and understanding of my transition and of course some of them have been through the experience themselves.

Many things are done differently in New Zealand and it is interesting learning the rationale behind the policy or procedure. When you have been practicing for 7 years it can be strange having to relearn how to do something differently. Sometimes the New Zealand way is a better way to practice and the team are always open to hearing other ways of doing things.

My piece of advice: Go for it! If you feel that you need a change in your life, contact Accent Health Recruitment and get going!

There are different reasons for moving to New Zealand. Whatever the reasons though, the steps are the same. It takes several months of hard work and planning in order to successfully and smoothly make the move.

When I and my husband first decided to leave our home country looking for a more promising one for our children, it seemed to us that we had to climb Mt Everest. We took a big breath and started the long journey.

I didn’t really find many obstacles during this procedure. Each step of the way needed patience and determination. Merryl and I started e-mailing to each other in the beginning of June 2013 and I managed to get to NZ in the middle of March 2014. I picked Accent Health Recruitment by chance (I am the first midwife from Greece to move to NZ) and I was a bit “cautious” in the beginning. I believe that we gradually got to trust and respect each other. Merryl’s professionalism is really remarkable. She helped me write my CV, prepare for the interview and make me understand what is expected in NZ. It took a couple of months for me to find the job I wanted but that gave me time to take care of things in Greece. Of course until you actually get a job you really can’t believe you are leaving.

The hardest part for me was saying goodbye to everybody. That was really heart breaking and emotionally exhausting. As far as practical issues are concerned, the hardest part was relocating my cat. Trying to coordinate the official veterinary services in both countries together with the air cargo took up all the patience we had left.

At last the big day arrived. I landed in NZ all alone (I went 5 weeks before the rest of my family) on the other side of the world. The first thing that happened, was receiving a welcoming pack from Accent Health Recruitment. It felt really good to know that there was somebody that knew about me in NZ! Merryl really kept close contact those first days and that was really comforting.

In order to survive that first month, I just told myself that I’m having an adventure. I remember waking up in my hotel that first morning after arriving and wondering how I’m going to manage to get my IRD number, verify my bank account , find my way to the hospital, go shopping before moving to my temporary accommodation and start looking for a house, all in one day! Everything went smoothly, however. I was amazed to realize how easily everything is done in NZ. Of course everything is done online so make sure you have internet access right away! You can just walk in a store, show your passport and get a contract with internet connection!

I found things at work to be completely different to what I was used to. In Greece, working in a public hospital means having a heavy workload but hardly any paperwork. In NZ you have 4-5 patients and a ton of paperwork. I tease my colleagues by telling them they are drowning in bureaucracy in this health system! They totally agree with me!

Apart from joking, I think that patients are treated with great respect and kindness and that the health system really tries to make hospital care safe for them. During my first weeks at work, I thought I would never learn all these different procedures. Can you imagine that you have to go on the computer to portal an orderly! Anyway, two months down the road, I am feeling much more comfortable and enjoying my job a great deal. My colleagues are great!

Merryl never stopped feeling concerned about me throughout this whole period. She always remembered when I had something important going on and generously offered her help and advice.

I really enjoy it when patients try to figure out where I come from. Only one man guessed correctly! I seem quite exotic to them. What amazes me though, is the fact that many New Zealanders have been to Greece. They really like to travel!

Before ending my brief story I would like to say how beautiful I think NZ is! Hamilton, which isn’t considered to be the most fascinating city in NZ, seems like paradise to me! The river, the lake, the trees, the gardens! I just can’t get over the amazing scenery! The picture I sent is the lovely view of lake ‘Crescent’ from the hospital ward.

My piece of advice: Go for it! If you feel that you need a change in your life, contact Accent Health Recruitment and get going!

My name is Jess, I arrived in NZ in October 2015 and spent a few months travelling around beautiful NZ – would recommend this if at all possible! I am now working as an Oncology CNS in a small south Island DHB.

I started the process of seriously preparing to come to NZ in March 2015. When I left the UK I had my NCNZ registration completed but did not have a job or work visa.

The easiest part of the process was making the decision to emigrate, though having made this decision I was extremely impatient to get on the plane! The hardest part of the process was making the decision to risk coming to NZ with a one way flight and no job or work visa! I had to trust that my own skill and experience to get work within 6 months; and of course the contacts, experience and support of Kristin and Merryl at Accent was essential. Myself and my partner viewed it as a back to front retirement, and funded our trip with our savings. We did have a contingency plan in case I was unsuccessful in getting a job and visa within 6 months.

My first impression of NZ was WOW, this is meant to be! as we arrived at Auckland airport to a glorious sunrise. The next day the All Blacks won the rugby world cup too!

The best bits of NZ are the people and the country. Here on the South Island I love the feeling of space – our nearest neighbor is 1 km away but it still only takes a 30 minute drive to get to work and park in the free car park!

Below: Jess’s view from her house

I mostly miss: my friends and watching their children grow up, however Skype etc help a lot with this. And funnily enough a de-icer for the car – cost $20+ if you can even find it to buy. Most Kiwi’s just use hot water to de-ice their windscreen!

My advice to anyone planning to come to NZ is: be prepared for endless amounts of annoying form filling – just when you think you have done them all something else crops up!

In my work place there are a lot of similarities to the UK and a lot of things that are very different. I always thought I really appreciated NHS’s free at point of delivery approach, but here where GP appointments typically cost $40 and repeat scripts are $12 , I really do see that this has an impact on my patients who often require lots of input from the primary care services.

Also, coming from a specialized oncology hospital in the UK to a small DHB on the South Island has been a steep learning curve as myself and my 2 colleagues cover all types of cancer, whereas in the UK there is much more specialism. I am really enjoying getting to grips with lots of oncology that is new to me.

Hi my name is Anna, I am a Theatre Nurse from Southampton in the United Kingdom. I came to NZ in April 2017 and I am now based in Christchurch, NZ. The process to come to NZ took me a relaxed 10 months, I wasn’t rushing at all!

I found the whole process fairly straightforward, Prudence was always on hand via email or a skype session to help with anything. Having her experience and knowledge was invaluable!

The most challenging part of the process was getting all the different documents together for the different applications. The paper work feels never ending!

My first impressions of NZ were how welcoming and friendly everyone is, it felt great to be here. NZ has such beautiful scenery, friendly people and Kiwiana. What I miss the most is the gas central heating and of course my family and friends (but FaceTime definitely helps with that).

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is to be well organised with all your documents and even if English is your first language, revise for the IELTS test (if you have to take one).

Be mindful as to when you want to come. We came to Christchurch in April from the UK and therefore had a ‘double winter’. If I were to do it again, I’d time it differently. ‘Double summer’ would have been better! p.s. Christchurch is great!

Questions about your new workplace:

Are there any major differences between your current role in NZ and your previous role in United Kingdom? I went from a position in the NHS to a small private hospital and that does have quite big differences. The turnover of patients is quicker and more efficient.

Are there any similarities that have helped you orientate/transition easily? All hospitals are different, but luckily providing good patient care and ‘scrubbing’ is the same.

“We are Kelly and Filipa, we came to New Zealand in March 2015 from the UK (however Filipa is originally from Portugal)

It took 1 year exactly from meeting Prudence at the London expo to when we boarded the plane in Heathrow

Easiest part of the process: having the guidance and help of Accent Health Recruitment, especially Pru – she gave us so much advice and help, from the initial skype informing us what to do first to the prep for the interview, and eventually the help once we arrived in NZ (and everything that happened in the middle for the year it took). Prue was just brilliant, helping us find a job, a place to stay, giving us contacts, an address for NZ and recently meeting for coffee to chat.

Most challenging part: sometimes it feels like the process is never ending, you feel for every step forward there is always another step waiting……also you get everything completed as soon as you can but you still have to wait for others to do their bit, for example the nursing council and visa, the waiting is unbearable at times.

First impressions: after over a day on planes (and a rubbish transfer in the USA) we were greeted by sun and friendly people in New Zealand which was just what we needed and a wonderful welcome. On the trip from the airport to our accommodation we looked around in delight at the lack of traffic and the differences in houses from the UK. Over the first week we accumulated our first impressions which were just so positive with heaps of outdoor activities at your fingertips, lots of social opportunities and some lovely weather how could it be anything other than positive.

Best parts of NZ: Overall we love that within an hour or so we can be at the beach or the slopes, the laid back and genuinely friendly personalities and feeling of NZ and its occupants and the range of Asian food 🙂 and obviously the beer and wine!!! specifically we loved Hanmer, Queenstown and Akarora and we have so much more to see yet!!

What I miss most: Without a doubt this has to be family and friends; skype, whats app, face book and viber help but there is nothing like spending time with your loved ones and friends 🙁 cheap supermarkets!!! the price of food still shocks us!!

Advice: decide on the particulars of selling, storing and shipping things….for a long time your waiting for news and then suddenly it happens!! Try to get an address of somewhere you will stay in NZ, you can set up a bank account from UK but ours couldn’t be verified without a nz address which left us without banking for a few days…. Have an open mind when house hunting the houses are very different from the UK. Make sure you have ways to contact friends and family….. it helps the missing them!!

ABOUT OUR NZ WORKPLACE: Our job is quite similar overall there are some differences though:

Kelly could do the role of anaesthetic technician in UK but cannot here. We assist in surgery more than in the UK (as its private and they do not bring registrars and assistants). We worked in NHS before but this is private so we are getting used to charging for things etc… You address the surgeons/anaesthetist by their Christian name.

Similarities; language/terminology, many of the instruments are called the same and many pieces of equipment/machines are same. We have previous experience so are used to sterility and surgeries.

Overall we would like to thank Accent Health Recruitment for all of their help; the process was made so much easier by having them. NZ is a wonderful country filled with many experiences and awesome experiences!!!! We would recommend it!!!”

Hi there! My name is Jamie and I am a Registered Nurse from Canada. My wife Gillian, and I arrived in March 2016 and I am working as an ED nurse here in Christchurch.

The process to come to NZ took me approximately seven months from start to finish. The easiest part of the process I found, was the communication with Accent Health Recruitment and the most challenging part was finding a job to fit our specific timeline.

My first impression of NZ was that New Zealand is the most beautiful country I have ever been to! We are loving every minute of our time here. The people are friendly, warm, and welcoming. It did not take us long to make connections and we are seriously considering extending our visa to stay longer. The scenery in NZ (especially in the South Island) it is magnificent and Kiwis’ focus on work/life balance is like no other! What I miss the most though is our family, friends, and our pup, Mosley.

If you are planning to come to NZ my advice would be even if you are only applying to come for one year, get a 2 year visa. The medical will cost much less in your home country and it will ensure that you are covered for more healthcare.

Nursing in Canada and New Zealand is quite similar. The medications are slightly different and the work atmosphere feels much more laid-back than I am used to. We take vital signs way more in New Zealand than we did in Canada, but other than that it is pretty much the same.

Accent was super helpful in accommodating our fairly strict time constraints and was able to find me a job just at the right time. We are so pleased that we went through Accent and are happy they have continued to follow up and to check in with us.

Hi, I’m Rachel – a Theatre Nurse (orthopaedics) – my husband and I arrived in Auckland on January 14th 2017 after a 24 hour flight from the south coast of England.

I had been thinking about New Zealand for a while and it was while my husband and I were over in NZ travelling in Feb and March last year that we decided it was something we definitely wanted to do!

When we returned to the UK we got on with the house renovations that we had been putting off and I started to gather all of my paperwork for the nursing council registration around April. After sitting my English (IELTS) exam my nursing council registration was submitted early May. Our house went on the market at the end of June and we accepted an offer just 3 days later!! We moved out in mid August after completing the sale and then it was back to my parents for a few months.

At the very end of September my nursing registration came through so I was finally able to start applying for jobs. I was interviewed for the job I am now in in mid October (the second job interview I had) and offered the job at the end of the interview! 🙂

After getting my contract I was able to apply for my work visa – my visa took just 8 days to be approved. I handed in my 8 weeks notice at work which meant I finished just before Christmas. Our flights were booked as soon as our visas were approved. We had decided on one last family Christmas at home and then flew out of London on the 12th of January after a drive to the airport in the snow! We were very happy to see the sun was out when we arrived in New Zealand.

The easiest part of the process was finding a job. Kristin was great at letting me know if any suitable jobs were advertised, helping me with the application and providing me with invaluable interview preparation. Thanks Kristin!

The most challenging part of the process was getting registration from the nursing council. There is a lot of paperwork that needs to be collected and it has to be in the exact format that they ask for, also nothing can be sent via email so it takes a week for anything to get to them.

My first impressions of NZ were how friendly and welcoming everyone is and how beautiful the country is. We love to get out and explore the various regional parks or the amazing beaches around our local area to the north of Auckland.

Nursing in New Zealand is very similar to the UK, although here I work in a private hospital rather than the public sector so get every weekend off to get out and explore what this amazing country has to offer!

What I miss the most is being able to speak to my friends and family all the time but FaceTime certainly makes it easier.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is: Do it! Stop being afraid of what could go wrong and start being excited about what could go right!

My Name is Katherine, I am a Nurse and I came to NZ in February from England. The process to come to NZ took me approximately 12 months.

The easiest part of the process was getting a visa from immigration, this took only 4 days! The most challenging part of the process was gathering the information required by the nursing council of New Zealand.

My first impressions of NZ were sunny! It has a very friendly atmosphere, people are very welcoming and sometimes go out of their way to help you if they know you are new to the area. There is not much public transport between areas and so getting around the country with no car can be a challenge.

The best parts of NZ are: I haven’t seen enough to say exactly but what I have seen of the country so far is beautiful. There are lots of outdoor activities for anyone who likes being active. What I miss the most is my Friends and Family.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is: t is more expensive than I had anticipated, particularly grocery shopping so shop around for the best deals.

ABOUT MY NEW WORKPLACE

My current role is community based whereas I previously worked in a hospital.

In terms of similarities, the same diseases and conditions are prevalent here and at home and therefore the management of these conditions is very similar.

In Christchurch in particular there is a lot of co-ordination between GPs and clinics, such as the acute demand service. This is different from home and is an interesting way of treating patients. I think if implemented at home some of the processes used here might have a beneficial effect on patient care

“My name is Annette Holden and I am a UK registered nurse, who came to New Zealand in August 2014, this process took about one year. The easiest part of the process was working with Accent Health Recruitment and buying the plane tickets! The most challenging part of the process was getting my visa and the high cost of emigrating.

My first impressions of NZ were what a beautiful place, nice people and the scenery is just lovely. The photo attached was taken at Lake Tekapo and as I write this, I am sitting at the beach with my family eating fish and chips LIFE IS GOOD!

I have found that New Zealand does not cater for vegetarians especially well- many items have gelatin or beef fat in the food, the cost of living is higher and I do miss Cadburys chocolate! The thing I miss especially though are my family and friends. It has taken a long time to settle down, to make new friends, learn a different culture and understand the language i.e gum boots etc. My suggestion is to speak to someone who has gone through the process already -I did and it really helped. Use a company for the visa process and to find a job. We used Paul Goddard Migration Planners for the visa process. This was the best move as it made the process so much easier. Accent Health Recruitment helped me find a job and supported us through the process of emigrating and I could not thank them enough for their assistance and support.

You go through so many emotions for the first year. You have highs and lows. I only know that at this stage in my life it’s frightening and exciting. Don’t have a plan as you never follow it. Live for the moment. It’s a journey that we will continue to follow.”

There are some wards in the Hospital from where you can sight the Southern Alps and the beach at the same time, something that continues to amaze me.

Hi, my name is Elvis and I am a Registered Nurse. I came to New Zealand on the 21st of May.

After being registered with the New Zealand Nursing Council, the process to come to New Zealand took me around 5 months. The easiest part of the process was having an interview, and Kristin from Accent did a very good job here, always providing support and prompt feedback. The most challenging part of the process was registering with the New Zealand Nursing Council.

My first impressions of New Zealand were that this country is extremely beautiful, with lots of friendly people who are very easy going, helpful and interactive. For me the best parts of New Zealand are the various spectacular surf spots and the Southern Alps. What I miss the most is my family. My advice if you are planning to come to New Zealand is to be patient with the process and enjoy the present.

Regarding my new workplace, the multidisciplinary team in the Hospital made me feel part of the team since my first day at work. There is a good balance between work and social life and everyone is very friendly and helpful.

This is indeed a unique place

Hi everyone. My name is Wiebke and I am a registered nurse. I am originally from Germany and have lived the past 6 years in Cornwall/UK with my hubby Tim, the Cornish man.

Two and a half years ago, Tim and I decided we would like to settle down in New Zealand. We both spent over 12 month there on a work and travel visa ten years ago and this is where we actually met: at cape kidnappers on a golf course working as green keepers; as you do.

It was good that we gave ourselves a two year window to get everything sorted, because it took us about 23 month. The longest bit was getting my nurse registration. As I have trained in Germany, the nursing collage found it difficult to provide the correct paperwork. So it went back and forth a little bit and then my police certificate run out and so on and so on. I hindsight I could of probably been a bit more organised but I did not think it was overall that difficult. Nevertheless, with perseverance and help from Accent Health Recruitment and our visa adviser I had it in my hand after about 13 month. The rest of the time was selling the house, organizing shipment and of course getting that job offer!!!!

Merryl has been an incredible help. She knows everything!!! She prepared me so well, that I nailed my first interview and got a job offer. She gave me lots of tips and advice and even skyped me just before the interview to see if I am still breathing and that there was no dirty laundry in the background. LOL.

I arrived in July last year and I work at a rehab facility in Auckland. This is an intensive rehabilitation facility for acquired brain injuries and stroke. I work there as a rehab nurse and take of clients with severe head injuries. I love it. Everything about it and I do not regret coming over here. My employers were very welcoming, aware that we just made a big step and were ever so helpful.

Why choose NZ: dude have you seen it? I love the scenery and diversity of it, it’s amazing or as they say: awesome!!! I don’t think we have a favourite place, because everywhere is just so nice. We recently travelled to Tongariro National Park and done the crossing (this time without volcano eruption) and after that we went to Raglan. Beautiful. We have done lots of walks around Auckland and are taking on the Hilary trail next spring. My husband is a keen walker and I try to keep up!

My husband found a job as well so we are both sorted. We found a nice little cottage in Whenuapai which we are renting at the moment and hopefully we will climb that property ladder soon.

Of course I miss my family in Germany and friends in the UK but Skype is a wonderful thing. And I miss German foods, but that’s ok as I have been missing for the last 6 years when I lived in the UK. My family did however send me a big box full of goodies for Christmas. (All the stuff that is allowed to be imported, of course). My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is: plan!! Plan the hell out of your plan!! Make inquiries about how long paperwork needs to be processed, how long it is valid for and look up at forums. Many people have been there before and give really good advice at forums and chats. And then one more thing: Persevere!!! Keep on it!! It’ll work in the end.

Everyone deals with the transition differently, so it depends what sort of person you are. I found it relatively easy because I couldn’t wait to be here and start working. I had no doubts that it will work for us and it did.

Hey, my name is Niki. I am a Registered ICU Nurse. I came to NZ in June 2016 from the UK. The process to come to NZ took me many months to plan but once I actively started the wheels in motion it took around 9 months to get everything in place.

The easiest part of the process was the job search and interview stage. Merryl helped me through it all, don’t think I would have go through it all without her help and support. The most challenging part of the process was getting my transcripts from my universities to complete my nursing registration, talk about stressful and time consuming!

In coming to NZ I have taken the leap from public hospitals into the private sector. Although the patients are still patients, there are quite a few differences from what I have experienced in the UK. However the staff team here have been amazing at helping me through the transition of moving to a new country and moving to a slightly different style of nursing. There are similarities which are reassuring too, for example some of the equipment we use in the UK is the same as the equipment here (although, often called something different which has caused a few laughs!)

Having visited NZ twice previously I had some idea of where we were moving to and what to expect, but living in NZ is a whole new experience. The people are so friendly, even more so when they find you are new to the country and they want to offer advice and support and luck for our new adventure, it is so lovely.

Wellington is a city I had explored very little on previous visits but we love it here. My husband and I aren’t big city people so it is quite daunting to think we are living in the capital but it has a lovely small and friendly feel, unlike many of the UK cities. We are still finding our feet but are enjoying exploring our new surroundings.

We miss our families greatly and we do have moments of homesickness. But our families are planning their first visits out soon so we are looking forward to that. Hopefully we can persuade a few of them to make the move too!

My advice to people considering making this move…DO IT! You will never look back, it is a beautiful country, way of life and people. Make sure you plan the move as it can be challenging and don’t get disheartened by hurdles, there will be plenty. Accent are invaluable in making this move, I know we wouldn’t be where we are now if we hadn’t had their support and help, huge thank you to Merryl!

Thank you very much to Prudence – without you I think I would still be buried in mounds of paperwork and applications!!!!!

Hi Everyone. My name is Sadie, I am a Midwife and I came to NZ from the UK in January. The process to come to NZ took me 24 months from start to finish.

The easiest part of the process was talking to the girls at Accent – so helpful with all my big and little questions. The most challenging part of the process was preparing my children for the move, saying goodbye to good friends and family.

My first impressions of NZ were: Good people, friendly and helpful. Open to talk.

The best parts of NZ are: THE SPACE!!!! Beach, parks – the kids love the outdoors!

What I miss the most is the social circle in the UK, many friends we have known for 15+ years, it’s hard not to be able to pop round for a cuppa or glass of wine. The time difference also makes it difficult for Skype and phone calls at times. My eldest child (8) has found this the most upsetting thing also, he has found it hard as most of his friends have been with him since first day of school.

My advice if you are planning to come to NZ is “Don’t panic! Research, make lists and double check those lists…..grab life by the seat pants and go for it!!!!!”