E2NZ.org

Continuing in our series of Migrants’ Tales – first hand immigration stories about New Zealand, taken from locations around the net.

Today’s tale is taken from Expatexposed.com, the only NZ immigration support forum on the net that allows posters to contribute without fear of their posts being censored, edited or removed by moderators. It is also a not-for-profit self help site, unlike other emigration sites.

The poster tells of island fever setting in after 6 years and seeks advice on whether to stay or go. For this family, even after 6 years, New Zealand still does not fit the bill. But, is it bad enough to leave it?

The full thread may be found here, read the responses that were given to this post:

“Too Far Down The Rabbit Hole

Excuse me I can get a little wordy..

My wife and I moved here before we met each other…we are both non new zealanders…both first generation english speakers from European Descent.
We have a little girl (15 months) and an another baby due in December.

We are both multi skilled with degrees and drive in the information technology sphere and are self employed..which is kiwi for working for the priveledge of working for yourself and live week to week mostly..try and save I believe that should be the national motto..

We both feel tricked into coming here but have been here 6 years now and I believe we are suffering severely from Island Syndrome...So if any of you don’t mind proffering a little clarity to our clouded minds it would be much appreciated…so here goes:

Everytime we think of throwing it all to hell, pouring gasoline on it and lighting the match, we get stuck…We know its bad, the crappy quality and expensive prices for housing, the high price of groceries and the rubbish quality of cheaply imported chinese everything,the rubbish wages for highly skilled jobs…but is the rest of the world any better? and if so is it worth it at 34 and 28 respectively going through all that crap again…Shifting country, visas, passports (not that my wife has hers yet by the time she is done with all the rule changes it will be a total of 11 years to have finally got that) and the works?

My biggest problem with this country is being part of the status quo, in other words thou shall not show that thou are smart, talented or creative unless though don the black jersey!! The question I ask myself is do I want my kids growing up thinking that is normal way to be!Or attending a decile 10 school and ending up barely able to read (and trust me I have seen loads of kids like this)…

What is kind of tempting us here is the free health and dental and glasses for kids, and free schooling etc etc…(ed. free schooling? there’s the donation and books to pay for, dental care is basic and doesn’t cover orthodontics and most free care ends when they’re 16) But then again you get what you pay for I guess and I remember that things wern’t free for my parents and they didn’t have flash jobs but managed…

We feel stuck, essentially im at the point where we should sell everything we own and just go for it and head to the US or Dubai or Europe with the clothes on our back, some in bag, a laptop and a camera…Hell at least we could do it tough for a while till we got established and it got better?

You find yourself lulled by a false sense of security here in the south pacific, where the dangers and problems of the world seems miles away, and the news is full of scary stuff and doom and gloom…But please tell me its not all that bad? Or is this part of the get them here strategy them keep em here?

Most of all we miss friends that won’t stab you in the back, that invite you to dinner and it doesn’t mean bring your own and eat at our table, we miss conversations till the wee hours about life, art, politics and the like.. We miss museums, art galleries, good dining and doing all of the above as well as being able to save…
Any thoughts anyone has would be welcomed…

Ok suffering from a little too much alice in wonderland watching but its a theme I will stick to..

The 11 years deal was because she came here on a student visa which “isn’t recognised and doesn’t count towards hard time, and residency wasn’t gained till 06, then indefinite was in 08..So its the hidden little things that count..but no biggie really I mean if you can get residency somewhere a passport means bugger all if you want to go holiday somewhere its just an application process…

I find it stifling if I am being honest…And yes the whole big bad world syndrome really does take it’s toll..just ask my pregnant wife about fears mixed with hormones a deadly combination.

I guess what was I expecting (stupid stupid stupid) of a country of 4 Million odd people, we have Cities back home with more per city…

My days start with the thought that I am throwing away my life with every minute I spend here, that’s a very motivating and very disempowering thought, as my standards keep slipping the more I accept and put up with. Half the time I spend lamenting the fact that I have to put up with all sorts of things, remensicing about the good old days, then thinking am I glamourising the past and it really wasn’t that good.

Then again I never had to take a fist full of meds to get through the day back then, there wasn’t “something wrong with me”..Not im not a drug addict I am a victim of NZ surgery gone apparently right and this is to be expected after 2 years…oh google how thou tell me otherwise but it cannot be true for the professions here art highly educated, or not bright enough to leave…

The questions we ask ourselves always lead to silence, the unknown and the go and see thing gets a little tricky with little ones…Yes Island Syndrome is a major part of this, I find myself floored when I make friends with a non kiwi to hear tales of the outside world, it begins to sound magical…Then I ask myself this: You don’t see a flood of Americans, Canadians or French landing on these shores in rafts? Desperate to do anything to get in… What you do see is a lot of Asian, Indian and the like coming in and loving it, NZ immigration tailored to 3rd world countries where yes it is better for them…But thats the crux isn’t it…The ex pats who are truly blissfully happy here are usually working class people that sold their semi and when they arrived they had a small fortune, paid cash for everything and need next to nothing to enjoy a great life..So why would they complain…

You don’t see highly educated entrepueners saying hey NZ what a great place to run a business, I mean hell the government is all about making people money!! I think there has been only one chinese fellow in the 15 years the programme has been running that applied under the investor category and he’s now wanted for tax evasion…

Sorry im rambling…just venting a little really, trying to build up the venom for the exit so to speak..Im at the point now even though we are both educated and skilled that I am willing to drive trucks or diggers in the US just to get a foot in the door…Shovel sand in Dubai or work in Finance in the UK just to be done with the place.

I guess what I am after from the fine people here are stories of home, like I went to the store and bought some milk and bread and had change from a dollar..Or we were at friends discussing the latest economic scandal when my 4 year old came out and said “Oh Daddy what did you expect from Globalisation” and she could spell it….In short trying ever so hard to be inspired…Have been looking at you tube where you can do virtual town tours…a really great way to get a feel for a place..Wish we had that years ago would have saved us a fortune…

Also am finding inspiration in OS house prices, $50,000 US buys a lot and im willing to commute, or apartments in Germany for less than a used holden here…and the like…Ahh I dream of a savings account and owning my own house and car, heading off to Rome to look at museums, then to Paris to take in 10% of an actual art collection..and when someone asks what I had seen, and I answer Rodin…not to be told back “oh yeah they are upgrading that section of highway, its a hell of wait isn’t it”..