Dear Diary, We Moved to New Zealand

Thinking of moving to New Zealand, we did it and you can too!

Dear Diary, we moved to New Zealand. Yep, we did it! If you’ve been following us for a while, you’ll know our original plan was to settle in Capetown, but to put a long story short that proved a nightmare to get a work visa for.

Basically, we’d have been waiting months for an answer from the South African Government, and even with a job offer, we wouldn’t be guaranteed a place! And why waste months waiting for a visa when we can be off exploring the world? Sensible sorts ain’t we?! So, moving to New Zealand quickly became our Plan A.

To be brief, in the midst of all the stresses of trying to get a South African visa –  I got an opportunity I couldn’t turn down in the Bay of Islands, New Zealand. So, in typical ‘us’ style we gave ourselves two weeks to pack our bags, book our flights and say our goodbyes.

Needless to say, our families were a little relieved we weren’t moving to Capetown, ‘cos ya know danger and all that (that’s one of the main reasons I wanted to move to South Africa to prove the naysayers wrong). Oh well, one day we’ll get there!

New Zealand has been at the top of Paul’s Bucket List for the longest time, so even though it was ‘Plan B’ for me it was ‘Plan A’ for him, he was simply going along with my African dreams because I wanted to live in Capetown so badly.

I’ve visited New Zealand before – over 5 years ago and only explored the South Island on a mini-road trip with my best friend. And from, what I saw the country is worth its hype. Thus, the plan ‘Moving to New Zealand’ kicked into action.

So, in August we said our goodbyes for another year and boarded a plane to Kuala Lumpur (‘cos ya can’t do long-haul without a week stopover). Then, finally, we landed in Auckland in late August. First impressions – so far so good. It took a while to adapt to living in an expensive country again, especially when we hadn’t started work yet. But overall it seemed like we’d made the right decision.

Auckland is small for a “big city” and has more of a big town vibe, we spent a few days strolling around and adapting to the ‘Kiwi’ way of life. But, jet lag hit us badly here so most nights we were back in our hotel room for 8 pm. We done all the “admin stuff” as we like to call it like getting a sim card, setting up a bank account, and buying a car. The joys of expatting!

Then, after a few days, it was time to depart for our new home in the Bay of Islands in our recently purchased Audi (don’t get too excited it’s not that fancy, but it is perfect for us). The Bay of Islands is just under a four-hour drive from Auckland! It’s so pretty here, kind of a perfect mix of Hawaii and Ireland – if you can even imagine that.

I feel at home here because I love small places whereas Paul is a city boy. But he’s adapting well. The most important thing is we’re happy here and kind of feel like we were meant to end up in this country all along. Moving to New Zealand was a great decision.

Everything happens for a reason, and this new plan was obviously meant for us. I learned a long time ago that the best things in life, come with the biggest risks, moving across the world, pursuing a crazy dream. Don’t be afraid to jump in the deep end.

**Tell me: are you considering moving to New Zealand? Any challenges you have come across? Do you have any more questions about the process? Let us know in the comments below.

Oh and by the way you can read lots more about our move to New Zealand in the below blog posts –

How to Get a Working Holiday Visa for Australia, Canada, and New Zealand

Living in Queenstown New Zealand-Absolutely Everything You Should Know

The best beaches in Northland, New Zealand

The Ultimate Travel Guide to Northland, New Zealand

Last Updated on July 8, 2024 by snaphappytravel