I left the UK (Heathrow airport to be specific) with a one-way ticket to Auckland, New Zealand and a backpack with 5 T-shirts and 2 pairs of shorts, ready to travel around for a few weeks. Six years later, I’m still here, with a house, 2 cats and a pet dog and I’m happier than ever.
In the UK, you hear a lot about people moving and traveling around Australia, Thailand and South America, however, you rarely hear of many people who visit New Zealand. This is why I had such low expectations before my visit. But after being there for a while, my perspective completely changed and I’d like to tell you why.
What Brought Me to New Zealand?
Although it’s a cliche, I wanted to travel to find myself after my partner of 4 years unexpectedly broke up with me one grey evening in March. After graduating from university, struggling to find a job and the shock of the break-up, I was in a bad way and decided that I needed to travel far away to get away from everything. This is when I went onto British Airways and booked a one-way flight to Auckland, with a stopover in Qatar for two weeks’ time and booked 3 weeks at the Lylo hostel in Auckland. Two weeks later, I was stepping on the flight, ready for my new adventure.
First Impressions & Experiences
As soon as I landed, although tired and a bit dazed from the long flight, I knew that I was going to love New Zealand. This was backed up by the travel from the airport to the hostel, where I was mesmerized by the rolling hills of the Auckland countryside, which seemed to go on forever.
The first few weeks I experienced the tourist attractions of Auckland, such as the war museum, the Auckland art gallery and even a day trip to Waiheke Island, which really opened my eyes to the local Maori culture and the history of New Zealand. The locals were extremely welcoming and I also met a few backpackers who recommended other places in New Zealand to visit such as Rotorua, Lake Tekapo and Waitomo Caves, which really intrigued me.
However the most impressive thing was the absolute natural beauty. After living in London city centre for years, I missed the natural beauty of the countryside, so for the whole third week of my stay, I decided to explore the countryside of Auckland. If you’ve seen the Hobbit, you’ll have seen the rolling hills of the New Zealand countryside, however, it’s even better in real life, I could even say life changing.
The Turning Point
After meeting the locals, other backpackers and seeing a glimpse of what New Zealand had to offer, I couldn’t bring myself to book a ticket back home. I could feel myself growing as a person and was feeling so comfortable in New Zealand, almost like it could be my new home. So at that moment, I decided to stay.
The next job was working out how I could stay there and how to fund it. After extending my visitor’s visa more than once, I then had to apply for a working holiday visa, which meant that I could get a job and fund my stay. My past in hospitality and retail allowed me to pick from a range of jobs, but after a few weeks of searching I landed a part time job in a small tourist cafe at the edge of Auckland city centre. This opened up the opportunity for me to travel around the north of the island more, whilst having the money to fund it and was more content than ever before, with my break up in my rear view mirrors!
That was five years ago, and my life has only got better and better every year with more adventures than the last and now my New Zealand citizenship is almost complete!
Looking Back
Looking back on my decision to stay in New Zealand, I’ve sadly said goodbye to my British citizenship but now happy to say hello to a whole new life, and I’ve never been happier. I’ve realised that my worries of starting a corporate job and the stress it is bringing me is not worth it, after seeing the beauty of the world and what it has to offer, especially the beauty of New Zealand and its endless serenity. Also, I’ve realised my self worth, after the harsh and sudden break up and that I am happy on my own and spending time with myself, in a place that I feel like I belong.
All that I can say is that it’s scary starting over, but it’s worse staying somewhere that you’re unhappy. That been said here are a few tips that id give my past self:
- Come with no expectations and an open mind
- Say yes to everything (Obviously not everything, everything)
- Put yourself out there and make friends, especially locals
- Be patient with yourself!