What’s it really like to live in New Zealand?

Welcome to our series of Migrant Tales – hundreds of immigrants’ stories and tales about New Zealand that contain first hand accounts of the migrant experience gathered from various places around the net, plus some that have been sent in by readers.

New tales are being added all the time, to read the latest click here: E2NZ.org/tag/Migrant-Tales there are hundreds to chose from.

What better way to find out what it’s like to live in New Zealand but from the experiences of others, the more you read the more you’ll see themes, patterns and commonalities emerging, from these you’ll have a good feel about how you’re going to fit-in to the country.

Some of the recurrent themes we’re seeing are

Low salaries

Problems finding work, overseas qualifications not recognised by Kiwi employers

Xenophobia, racism, bigotry and discrimination

Expensive, poor quality accommodation

Problems with the education standards

A lackadaisical attitude towards safety and security

Feeling that NZ is actively mis-sold to outsiders

Isolation, missing family, friends, old lifestyles etc.

Crime and a frustration with the way its dealt with

High cost of living -especially food, “Rip off NZ” etc.

Lack of culture

Dangerous roads and drivers, drinking and driving, hoons

No future for kids, older kids feel isolated and cut-off from friends and family, no support networks.

Bullying problems in schools and workplaces, harden-up attitude, not knowing where to turn for effective counselling services

The ‘Kiwi way’, ‘WWINZ’ (won’t work in NZ) small mindedness, #8 wire mentality, etc.

If you’ve already emigrated to New Zealand these tales may help you to realise that other people are having the same problems as you and you’re not alone in your experiences.

Do you think you were misled before you emigrated to New Zealand, are there things you know now that would’ve prevented you from emigrating if you’d been aware of them?

There is also another section of tales called “What Kiwis say about NZ“ you may find it useful to know what New Zealanders are saying about their own country.

A Selection from our Migrant Tales

Migrant Tales – NZ v. UK Not All Its Cracked up to be

Migrant Tales – Californian Says Goodbye Windy Welly, Hello Sunny Sydney

“Do you think this country is too far gone?”

Migrant Tales – the story of John Doe and Kimiko Suzuki

Migrants Tales – Back in New Zealand but for How Long?

Migrant Tales – Ripoff NZ Not a Shangri-La of Utopian Values

Migrant Tales – Nebula’s Tale

Migrant Tales – “Shall I Make the Move? Take the Risk” and Advice to Intending Colonists

Migrant Tales – Why We’re Leaving. If New Zealand offered a “great lifestyle” the place would have filled to the brim a long time ago

Migrant Tales – The Ugly Underbelly of Te Anau (Updated)

Migrant Tales – Engineer says New Zealand is “not a place to work”

Time to leave Queenstown

There’s a club and you’re not in it

Justice New Zealand Style

Binge Drinking The Bane Of The Culture And NZ Is A Nation of ‘MJ’ Smokers

British Cop in Northland: NZ’s “Crime Statistics a Work of Fiction”

Hong Kong Chinese: Moving to New Zealand is a Big Mistake

NZ Not The Land Of Promise For Me

Teaching in New Zealand and the NCEA

The UK Plumber’s Tale (updated)

British Sparky Can’t Find Work (updated)Do not teach in New Zealand you may live to regret itGoodbye New ZealandNZ Promised Land?

England is the Best Place for Us Riots and All

Get Out of New Zealand or Die on the Street

New Zealand Culture is Brutal, Something is Seriously Wrong

New Zealand is a Dump

I am young and I want to get out, Can you help me?

Brit Feeling “Foreign” In New Zealand. How About You?

Attention Nurses! You’re Getting a Rough Deal in NZ

Some of the Memories We Will Take Back With Us to Scotland

Winter is Coming and New Zealand Homes are Dank and Full of Draughts

“NZ vs UK – not all it’s cracked up to be. Is it just me?”

Foreign IT Workers Need Not Apply There Is No Shortage

Six years in New Zealand now I’m back in France

Indian Professional Faced Discrimination

Adele’s Story – Kids falling light years behind – A British mother’s tale

How resilient are we? a New Zealand immigrants perspective

House buying and divorce laws – A British woman’s Tale

An insiders view of the tertiary education sector in New Zealand – An American’s Tale

I Want Out : An American’s Tale

Immigrant Kid: A Hong Kong Chinese Tale (Chinese)

NZ, What’s To Miss? : A Canadian’s Tale



Green Migrants Beware of New Zealand’s Underbelly

This Is Why I Didn’t Like New Zealand: A British Tale



Why We Left New Zealand: An American Couple’s Tale



Chinese Student @ Otago

Civil Engineer Now Cleaning Ovens in NZ: A Filipino’s Tale



New Zealand Is Draining The “Me” Out Of Me: An American’s Tale



Expat In Christchurch Post Quake

New Zealand Expo, no it wasn’t

A culture of good enough will do

Perhaps We’re Just Unlucky But It’s Too Much. We’re Done Here

I’m cutting myself after move across the world – letter from a teenage girl living in NZ sent to a UK newspaper

Living Costs For One Person In NZ v. USA

Teaching in NZ – a migrant’s exit interview

Renting houses in NZ – a manual



Another work to resident visa issued from Shanghai



Effects of Christchurch quakes on expats

No Science or Skills Shortage in New Zealand

Trapped in NZ – father won’t let child leave

If you doubt discrimination in NZ read this…

Close minded Kiwis ruined NZ for us

100% Pure Rip Off

An American’s take on rip-off New Zealand

Studying in New Zealand

6 Years in, Stay or Go?

Two and a half years in New Zealand – NZ like South Dakota

What’s it REALLY like in New Zealand?

Heading home after 3 years

No work in Blenheim, moved to Christchurch

Education

New Zealand is like a postcard – “no sense of history or magic here”

7 months in and no work for tradesman husband

Three weeks in. An American’s first impressions of New Zealand

Teacher duped by the hype, couldn’t find work

Refuge from NZ found in a Muslim country

Why are people leaving NZ?

Economic suicide



UK qualifications not recognised

What we wished we’d known

NZ a more dangerous, more violent place

We chose to go with New Zealand. BIG MISTAKE

NZ without a job offer

Lastly, don’t forget to read the pages “What Kiwis say about NZ”