Living the Dream

Graham Rogers

"When I first made the decision to emigrate to New Zealand I thought the process would be long, tedious and complicated - how wrong I was!

"The moment I contacted Living New Zealand I knew I was dealing with a trustworthy, professional and above all else a friendly and helpful organisation, who dealt with my application from beginning to end without any fuss.

"They guided me through the process, answering any questions I had, giving advice on moving, taxation etc and often reassuring me when I needed it. 

"My new life in New Zealand has been amazing and without the professionalism of Living New Zealand I would still be in my humdrum life, shivering in the pouring rain in the UK.

"Living New Zealand comes highly recommended and you couldn't pick a better company to use if you are considering a new life in sunny and friendly New Zealand."

Graham Rogers previously English now a Kiwi!

Graeme and Lesley Ford

When Lesley Ford completed Living New Zealand's visa eligibility assessment on a whim, she never imagined that months later she and her family would be living in NZ.

"I was having a bad day and it was a case of the straw that broke the camel's back! We had pretty a good life in the UK, but that particular day drove me to search the web for information about living in NZ," she says.

"When my eligibility assessment came back positive I couldn't believe it - it seemed too easy! So I did a bit of homework to check out Living New Zealand credentials and it all started from there.

"The Living New Zealand team was friendly and laid back and they made the whole immigration process so easy. They looked after us and gave us sound advice and support throughout the entire process."

A chef by trade, Lesley's husband Graeme got a job in a bakery in the Hawkes Bay. Their children Jessica (11), Libby (9) and James (7) attend local schools and are enjoying the attention and encouragement they're getting from their teachers.

But Lesley says it wasn't always easy. "The first few months were pretty tough. We were living out of town and I thought ‘what have I done?' But the kids loved it, so we stuck it out, moved to Havelock North and now we don't want to leave!

"My advice to anyone wanting to move to NZ - get here any way you can and take a risk! You won't regret it."

The Rogers Family

It's been more than 3 years since Rob Rogers and Tamsin Logan made the move to New Zealand with their son Cameron (12). The Rogers family settled in New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, after Rob secured a job with a finance company.

Rob is the first to admit that it hasn't been as easy as they thought it would be. But he talks positively about the urban Kiwi lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. 

"It's definitely been tougher than we expected, but to be honest we were probably a bit naïve," he says. "There are 1.5 million people living in the greater Auckland area and unlike many other parts of New Zealand, it's very busy.

"But we are enjoying the weather, the views and the outdoor lifestyle. On the weekends we are always out doing something and the beach is only 5-10 minutes from home. We've been kayaking, fishing and I've even done the Sky Jump from Sky Tower!

"We also love the choice of reasonably priced in/outdoor restaurant dining so we treat ourselves to meals out a lot more than we used to."

Rob and Tamsin became good friends with Glen and Shelley Standing, who helped them with their New Zealand visa application when Living New Zealand (formally Golden Sands Migration) was operating from the UK.

"It was more expensive than doing it ourselves but thanks to Living New Zealand, the immigration process was a lot less stressful. We were really grateful for that."

Rob's advice to anyone looking to make the move to New Zealand. "Don't do back-to-back winters!

Tony and Elaine Line

Tony and Elaine Line made the move from the UK to New Zealand in August 2007 with their son Christopher (15) after Elaine secured a full time position as a nurse assistant in a rest home in Golden Bay.

Almost 3 years later Tony and Elaine love their new pace of life and are over the moon at the changes they have seen in their teenage boy.

"The enthusiasm Christopher now has about life in general is incredible," says Tony. "He was always into athletics in the UK but since we've been in New Zealand he's had more one-on-one coaching and he doesn't have to belong to a big club.

"Whether it's swimming, rugby, badminton, canoeing or fishing, he's out there doing it every day! He has opportunities he never had back home and we get out there too together as a family. We've also noticed a real physical change in him - he's a lot happier and healthier."

Christopher attends the local Golden Bay High School, which has a roll of about 700 kids. "When you compare that to the some 4,000 pupils at Christopher's school back home, he's enjoying smaller classes and more personalised help from his teachers," says Tony. "For evidence of the improvements Christopher has made, you just have to look at his academic reports."