Endorsements
We cannot thank Annie at Tonix enough for all her help and support in making our dream of living and working in New Zealand a reality. Both in our mid fifties and disillusioned with life and work in the UK, we thought we would not stand a chance of gaining jobs in NZ let alone residency. Friends who emigrated a couple of years ago encouraged us to look in to it as they said our skills and experience were in demand. Our first venture on to the internet to look at job availability put us in contact with Annie at Tonix and from then on we did not look back. She encouraged us to go for it, took time to advise us every step of the way on what would be best for us and what order to do things in. Advice like getting our registrations recognised in NZ before doing our EOI and applying for jobs helped us get things in the right order to ensure our EOI's were accepted and we were invited to apply for residence.
At this point we still had not visited NZ and Lyn was not prepared to fully commit to emigrate until she had! We came over for a holiday in Feb 2009 and loved it from the day we arrived. We have never met such friendly people and experienced such stunning scenery and climate. During this visit Annie and her colleagues at Tonix set up some informal visits for us to explore some job opportunities and it was from one of those that my job offer came soon after.
The process of getting residence was far from straightforward and there were many times that we were almost ready to give up. However, Annie kept us going and always seemed to have the right advice, or know someone who could help! Her phone calls and e-mails kept us reassured it was possible.
Eventually I came out early in December 2009 to start my new job at Waikato Hospital - the residence visa arrived 2 days before I flew! Lyn unfortunately still had 3 months notice to work and could not join me until February 2010. We are now both working at Waikato and have found people both at work and outside of it to be very friendly and welcoming. Within a few weeks of Lyn's arrival we found a lifestyle property to purchase and were amazed at the speed of property sales in NZ. We moved in under a month and all concerned were so helpful - real estate agents, lawyers etc.
We are now living the dream with a lifestyle property an easy 20 minute drive from Hamilton, lots of land, stables, barn, lake - fabulous views and amazing fruit orchards and veggie garden! We have been amazed at the friendliness of our new neighbours who have been keen to lend us tools and equipment, advise on various aspects of livestock keeping and even give us chooks. We always dreamed of self sufficiency in the UK but here we can do it. The cost of living is so much less and the work - lifestyle balance is much healthier - here we work to live rather than live to work. In any spare time the fishing here is amazing (both river and sea fishing) as are the beaches - everything is totally unspoilt and accessible to everyone.
We miss family and friends of course, but telephone and skype contact has helped our relatives feel that we are not that far away and they have gained a holiday destination! Our son has come over for 3 months University holiday and is already making plans to return to New Zealand when his course finishes next year. He is not looking forward to returning to the UK way of life with the crowds and traffic jams.
Did we make the right decision, yes definitely. Do we have any regrets, none what so ever, this is the home we have always wanted.
Thank you Annie and your team for making this happen, we couldn't have done it without you.
Best wishes
Iain & Lyn MacLeod
Hi Heidi and Kate!
Great to hear from you! I think about you and all the help you both gave me relocating over here almost every week and think that I must get round to doing you that testimonial for your website as promised 6 months ago, but hey time flies! And I've been really busy since I arrived!
You guys made it really easy to make my fantasy of coming over to New Zealand a reality, pointing me in the right direction of the kind of position that I would enjoy working in, introducing me to the differences in the New Zealand system and answering all the silly questions I had about all the simple everyday but very important things about life in New Zealand... what a relief to hear that my GHD hair strengtheners would work over here. That was a real deal breaker!
And I'm sure that you'll be pleased to hear that I absolutely love it here! I am enjoying my first summer after 2 cold winters, am enjoying my job, have great colleagues and have integrated well with the locals. I will be applying for a new visa shortly! Coming over to New Zealand for a years working adventure was the best decision I ever made, the scenery is gorgeous, the people are really friendly and welcoming and I'm discovering an outdoorsy side of me I never knew I had!
Thanks again for all your help!
Tai Hartley - Registered Midwife - Blenheim
Dear Linda
I wanted to write to thank you for your help during my recent attempt to transfer my nursing license from the United States to New Zealand.
After consideration I decided that now was not the time to move to New Zealand. Though the nursing council offered for me to do clinicals in New Zealand for the possibility of getting a nursing license this option is not possible for my family and I. I had hoped that my appeal would be understood by the council and my qualifications given merit but the whole process was not meant to be.
Your assistance, encouragement and support were incredible. Thank you. From the initial phone interview to the email follow ups I felt you were committed and professional. In the future should I attempt to move to New Zealand again I will definitely consider working with you to help secure employment.
My wife and I worked for 18 months to move to New Zealand so the difficulties with the nursing council were heartbreaking. However, I feel that the present economic climate had a role to play. When the economy gets better I may try once again to move to New Zealand and work as a nurse. In the meantime I will work on getting more experience and qualifications in hopes of trying again in the future.
Thank you Linda for all your assistance and encouragement.
Christopher Cole RN BSN
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Wellington is a great place to live and work. If you love the outdoors, shopping, surfing, restaurants, skiing or just chilling then Wellington has something for you. I have lived here with my partner for 4 years, leaving family and friends in the UK.
I have enjoyed working in Intensive care since 1999 in the UK and then here and after having my son in 2008 started work at Southern Cross hospital as the Clinical Nurse Manager of the Critical Care Unit, which was in the development phase. Joining a supportive team has made this job exciting as well as challenging. The family friendly ethos has enabled me to enjoy Wellington, the surrounding region and further afield since having my son.
Having just returned from my trip back to the UK, the first since leaving 4 years ago I can say with confidence 'home is where the heart is' and that is here in Wellington. Although I miss family and friends we have developed great friendships here and enjoy a well balanced lifestyle.
You can have all this too!!
Hello Everyone.... well I have now been in Wellington for almost 4 weeks. What can i say....apart from Wellington is just amazing! what a great place to live and so different from England!!! the place is stunning and is continuing to amaze me everytime i walk anywhere!! I live a 10 minute walk from the hospital and even though it is winter the walk is lovely...I can't wait until summer!! I was very lucky in the fact that I had about 12 days from when I landed in Wellington to starting work, which after a direct flight from the UK, I was most grateful for!! there are so many things to do and see in Wellington and New Zealand in general, I can't wait to explore some other places and hopefully with long weekends off i will get the opportunity to do this.
I started my job on the children's ward at Wellington Hospital on the 10th August so I've just completed my 2nd week. I am still supra numery and I am definately trying to make the most of it! but everyone is really lovely and have made me feel so welcome. It really is a lovely and supportive environment to work in. Which is always a bonus when you're new to anywhere!!
The process of getting here took a while though!! the hardest bit is getting everything together for you're nursing registration, but for me once that had started to go through I felt like the whole thing snowballed and everything happened amazingly quick!! and for this I only have Tonix Health Recruitment to thank, I wouldn't be here without them! Virginia and Heidi were fantastic and helped me every step of the way, and despite being the other side of the world they were always an e-mail away, from the very beginning when I just wanted advice on how to start the whole process right from getting me an interview. For that I will always be grateful.
Lucy Robinson, Registered Nurse, Paediatrics, Wellington Hospital
A Testament to Tonix
Having attended the Expo for Australia the previous week of March 2007 my husband and I travelled down to London hoping that the Expo for New Zealand didnt give us any reason to doubt that Australia was for us.
How wrong could we have been...?
One step into the hall showed us the incredible passion for life and the country that all Kiwis hold dear. It really is a case that nothing is too much trouble.
This fantastic attitude continued when we met Kate and the team at Tonix Health Recruitment. We were instantly made to feel at home with an honest, professional approach and still making us feel like a long lost relative.
The immigration road is a very scary one with so many pitfalls to surprise you along the way. The only matter we did not have to worry about was my job. Tonix took away all the stress and hooked me up with the Emergency Department in Tauranga, Bay of Plenty.
I was prepared for my telephone interview with the help of the Tonix team. The special touch was Kate calling me straight after the interview to see how things went, these things mean so much.
My interview was a success and I just had to get on a flight as all liaison, negotiation and paperwork was managed by the team.
We arrived in New Zealand on the 8th November 2007 and can honestly say it far exceeds our expectations. We have Tonix to thank for this easy transition. The Tonix team have been an invaluable resource.
I would whole heartedly advise anyone in healthcare thinking of making the move to New Zealand to contact Tonix and make it the best move you have ever made.
Best wishes, Rebecca and Paul Elder.
Hi to you all,
Just thought I would give you all a little taste of this wonderful place.
When we decided that we wanted to go somewhere different I spoke to a colleague in work back in the United Kingdom who was already in the process of moving to New Zealand and he told me that he was using Tonix Health Recruitment (that's how i found out about them) and they are also in the nursing journals back home. I then emailed my details to Tonix and within 24 hrs a very nice lady called Annie called me back, she explained everything that I needed to do and was always on the end of the phone or email if I needed her. The process of immigration was made easy because of Tonix and Annie. Half way through this process I broke my leg and was concerned that this would stop us achieving our goals, but Annie was there and encouraged me all the way through my recovery and never let me loose sight of my dream.(and this is a wonderful dream).
Although there is quite a lot to do, medicals and forms to fill in eg EOI (which in itself is a challenge) Tonix was always there to help. They found me the job I now have at Waikato Hospital and was also able to direct us to somewhere cheap and comfortable to stay until we found a house to live in.
When we arrived in NZ on the 28th of Jan 2009 it was everything we hoped for and plenty more, Hamilton is a multicultural city, and very friendly, plenty of places to eat, drink, nightclubs for the younger ones, and surrounding places to die for. Sorry I can't tell you anything about the schools we have no children with us.
I knew before I left the U.K that the job was mine having been interviewed over the phone, which was a huge weight lifted and knowing that I didn't need to look for a job when i arrived was great. Living in a small town in Wales and working in a 200 bedded hospital before I left and then seeing Waikato Hospital it was very impressive and huge. The staff here were amazing, between them and the patients I felt I had worked here for years within the first two weeks I had been invited to a traditional Maori welcome by a Maori chief. It was so emotional you really do need to experience this for yourselves.
Being 45yrs and my partner is 54yrs this was a massive step for us, but believe me when i say it was one step we are glad we took. If you are sitting in the U.K thinking about making the move then all I would say to you is try it you have nothing to loose and believe me a lot to gain, and all the upheaval for us was well worth it and thanks to Tonix Health Recruitment it was stress free.
Hope to see you all soon Denise and Wayne
I wholeheartedly recommend Tonix if you want to fulfil your dream and live in New Zealand!
Linda was such a support,so warm and encouraging that even when things seemed to go wrong I knew there was someone rooting for me and not giving up! She was so efficient and always returned my emails and even phoned on occasion(to UK or South Africa)
Without her I doubt whether I would ever have got here.
From the first interview in Manchester Tonix was a joy. Finding me a job,going through the immigration process and assisting on arrival in New Zealand. Annie was wonderful and made that first week exciting, not daunting at all. Thanks Annie for all your help! I have been here for a month now and am absolutely loving it! Work is going very well and I have found a unit in a lovely village at the sea. Bliss! It was the best move I could have made! Thank you Tonix!!!
Elaine Wareham, Registered Nurse
North Shore, Auckland
My partner and I, along with our two daughters, came to New Zealand five years ago this September. We decided after Peter was made redundant from his job and it was winter in England (Southport) to move abroad, to look at other jobs and countries. Also feeling that we could give our girls a better life. We chose New Zealand, then I contacted several agencies to find nursing positions, nothing really happened for a year and we almost gave up, but decided to try one more agency which was TONIX HEALTH RECRUITMENT, a nice lady called Kate rang and said she had a interview set up for the next day, which went ahead and I was offered a job. Joy, excitement and terror ran through me all at the same time. We sorted out all our things in England and left England with seven suitcases, arriving in Auckland on the 18th September 2004. And we have not looked back since.
Wairoa is where I was offered the job. It's a small rural town with the most beautiful, welcoming people. There are these hills all around us which the local say protect us and that's how I feel when I look at them.
It was a big adjustment to life, nursing is the same but being a small hospital means friendlier people, and you don't get lost. Patients are the same but different as they are so friendly and try to help you, even though it's them that need the help at the time. We have our dream now, own a house on two acres, which has had a multitude of animals though ,sheep ,cows, pigs, chickens and dogs' plus a goat and if my daughter gets her way a horse to be added soon .
When we finish school and work we can just pop down to the river which runs though Wairoa or to the beaches there are several to pick from or we can go up to the lakes which are most beautiful and clean where we catch trout. Hunting in abundance, Peter just got his first stag, big BBQ after that with all our friends and neighbours.
Did I mention the wonderful weather, not too hot but not cold, never had to put my washing in the dryer Ha-ha.
Hilary Rimmer and Family - February 2009
My partner and I made the decision to move over to New Zealand and I came across Tonix agency via a google search. Upon contacting the agency I was allocated an agent and they were very quick to set up an interview for me, I was successful at securing the position and it was all very simple. That was the easy part, it became a bit more difficult trying to sort out my nurse registration but with a lot of support from Kate and numerous emails we finally got there.
Upon arrival in NZ a car had been arranged to collect us from the airport and accommodation was provided for 10 days (out of my bond agreement), this was so helpful and removed a lot of initial stress for us. This gave us breathing space to go flat hunting and get ourselves set for our new life.
I did find the different style of nursing quite difficult to get used to at first but I have been in post for 6 weeks now and am definitely starting to feel more settled, my colleagues have all been very friendly which helps a lot.
We are both looking forward to being able to enjoy our time here and explore this beautiful island.
Every day feels like a holiday ! Yes that's how my family and I feel since we moved from Scotland to Wellington, New Zealand in October last year. We finally had our dream come true. We are, Heather, Duncan, Lee (23) and Kelly (18) Spence. After many years of thinking about moving to New Zealand, our journey started after I applied to Tonix via their website. To my amazement I received a telephone call within 24 hours of submitting my application. Annie talked with me for over an hour on my nursing experience, what I was looking for, where in New Zealand had I thought of settling and offered suggestions of jobs etc for the rest of my family. Annie guided me expertly through the Nursing council application, what I had to do for immigration application and most importantly She made an outstanding effort to match my specialty skill with a job in New Zealand.
Throughout the whole process Annie was supportive, encouraging and She continuously showed her professionalism, keeping in contact regularly by e-mail and telephone. We were invited to a Tonix reunion a few months after we arrived, to meet other families that had moved to New Zealand just like us, and also to meet members of the Tonix team. In our opinion ALL STAFF at Tonix Health Recruitment are helpful, caring and fantastic people to have help you through the maze of immigration. All the family have jobs, I have even got promotion. None of us have any regrets moving to New Zealand.
Thank you Annie, Thank you Tonix.
Many thanks again for all your help.
Heather Spence and family
My fiance and I decided to set out on our first overseas work adventure together in 2007. Tonix made our move from Edmonton, Canada to New Zealand completely painless!! We even brought our dog with us from Canada (but that's a whole other story).
Knowing nothing about the process, I thought we had better start planning early.
We began 7-8 months ahead of time - and I came across Tonix on the internet. After one email I was in phone contact with the team and they were on top of things from the beginning!
I simply requested critical care employment in "the hottest part of New Zealand", not knowing anything about the cities and only the basic geography (- we knew where Auckland was!) We had never travelled to New Zealand and were literally starting from scratch.
Tonix got me on track with nursing registration and all the other paperwork (heaps of paperwork). She found me a job in a surf town...with a fantastic beach culture! - and we could not be happier. I am now working in the Tauranga Hospital ICU/CCU.
We own a surf board and two fishing rods, our car has sand on the floor (but we don't care!) ; and I know what "jandals" are, what a "ute" is, and how to use "sweet as..." in a sentence. I have eaten a Feijoa, and worn possum mittens. We have settled in very comfortably.
Tonix was helpful from the beginning to the very end of the process. And despite the time zone challenges, I appreciated the emails and phone calls to keep me up-to-date on the process.
When it all began I was not sure if I needed to use an agency or not, but now I am really glad I did. And I also made a friend, which is even better.
Thanks! Sincerely,
Christal Morrison and Pierre Myner, & Winston
Our decision to move to New Zealand from Canada started about one year ago. I began my search by looking at different countries around the world with job opportunities for ICU nurses. I sent Tonix an email with some general enquiries and we received not a standard email but a phone call in response within 24 hrs. You can imagine the discussions at our house that evening as we tried to sort out if it would really be possible for our family (my husband and three children, ages 7, 9, 12) to move overseas. The recruitment officer from Tonix was extremely helpful from day one. They walked us through each step of the way and let me tell you there were a lot of steps. They offered not only information but support and caring. This continued through the job application, nursing registration, interview process and immigration. Tonix found me a ideal job in the area I was searching for. We encountered some delays obtaining paperwork from the Canadian government which in turn delayed the immigration process for my husband and children. In the end, I came to New Zealand alone to start work and to find us a home to settle in. Tonix continued to be helpful and supportive throughout the wait for us to be reunited as a family. Now that we are together as a family in this fantastic new country all of the steps were definitely worth it. We love it here and what started out as a two year adventure will most likely end up being a permanent move. I can honestly say without the help and support Tonix gave to us from day one we would never have actually made it here to experience this wonderful new life.
The Keenan Family
I came to New Zealand in September 2007 with my husband. We chose North Island because we thought it will be warmer than the South Island. It was a great movement for me because I was working as a RN at Nursing Home in UK since 2004. With my previous experience Linda found a job for me in (Surgical Ward) Palmerston North Hospital. I found that all staff at the Hospital and people in here very friendly and helpful.
I had a telephone interview for my job and when Linda called me straight after interview (within one hour) and said that your interview was success, I was so happy. That was my 1st interview. With God's grace we haven't had any problems with immigration paperwork's and Linda was always there to guide us.
We initially came over to New Zealand on three years' work permit, but within three months we got New Zealand Residency. So my husband is planning for further study in his profession.
All these things went smoothly with Linda and Tonix team. Linda was always at the end of the telephone or an e-mail to help and advise us.
We like to say thank you very much............. to Tonix team.
Suma Anish
My husband, Oscar and I decided to emigrate to New Zealand about a year ago. I had been working in the NHS for 18 years as a mental health nurse, and my husband was due to qualify as a mental health nurse in September 2007.
We decided upon New Zealand firstly for the beauty of the country (and the fact there are no ENORMOUS spiders or snakes that can kill you!) and also the New Zealand way of life. We researched the District Health Boards (DHB) and all appeared to have good, sound philosophies for mental health care. We found it difficult initially to decide on an area of New Zealand to live, as both the North and South Islands have different things to offer migrants, and no sooner had we decide upon an area, we would then find another one, and our minds would change again.
We decided to contact Tonix in September 2007 to sound out what they offer and costs etc, we received an email back very quickly, inviting us to meet with them in Manchester in October 2007, they were staying in the Palace Apartments, so we did the same, spookily we were in the next apartment!!
We met with Annie O'Donnell and Kate Nattrass Jackson, who we immediately liked, they are such positive ladies, and they both have terrific sense of humours. It is quite a shock initially, to hear their positivism about your NHS career, as unfortunately at times, it can be rare in the UK NHS to hear this.
Oscar and I initially were guided by Tonix to apply to the New Zealand Nursing Council, as this process takes the longest, they were very helpful in assisting us to fill the forms out, if we needed. This process took approximately 10 weeks. Annie was very mindful of the locations within New Zealand that were going to best suit us as we have a 4 year old daughter and we wanted a certain way of life. Annie worked tirelessly for us, and we know she helped the process enormously, and my advice to anyone wanting to move to New Zealand is to use Tonix, as they go 'all out' for you, and its free. The team would respond to queries really quickly and always kept us up beat when the process appeared daunting, and for myself securing the correct position for my experience.
The next hurdle was completing the EOI form, and believe me you need to set aside a few hours to complete this, it's a mammoth form!! We were fortunate to be selected from the pool immediately (they select prospective migrants every 2 weeks) as we had over 140 points, we then waited for Immigration to offer us to apply, this took approximately 3 weeks from selection.
We then had to time the medicals as they are valid for 90 days, you don't really think about your health and the possibility of something being wrong with you, until you have this medical, as by this point Oscar and I were heart set on New Zealand, thankfully we passed - phew. Annie continued to work tirelessly, for me in particular finding the correct job, she is a real star, and fighting your corner (so to speak) continually.
We were also selling our house whilst all the immigration was going on, so at times stress levels were really high. Finding a New Zealand bank is easy, just research the different accounts and how much they charge, and the type of banking you do, and off you go. We were also mindful of our pensions, but with research and good advice the decision you come to should be the right one for you.
All in all we can honestly say that the process of emigrating to New Zealand was made so much easier with the help of Tonix, and we would definitely recommend them to people thinking of coming to New Zealand. When they come to the United Kingdom, this October, meet with them and see for yourself what they have to offer.
I live and work in Wellington New Zealand and moved here in August 2004 with my wife and daughter for a better lifestyle and more career opportunities. We chose Wellington to live in as it is a is the capital of New Zealand, the country's second largest urban area and the most populous national capital in Oceania. It is in the Wellington region at the southern tip of the North Island, near the geographical centre of the country. As New Zealand's capital city, has so much to offer. Set on the edge of a stunning harbour and surrounded by rolling hills, it's a city waiting to be explored.
Wellington is New Zealand's centre of government and the world's southernmost capital city. The city is home to many museums, theatres and arts festivals, including Te Papa Tongarewa (the Museum of New Zealand), the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, and the biennial Festival of the Arts.
The city is situated alongside Wellington Harbour and surrounded by natural beauty. From the central business district, it is only a quick drive to find stunning countryside and rugged coastlines. There are so many restaurants, café bars, coffee shops and bars it is easy to see why Wellington has developed such a café culture and taste for good food, coffee and fine wine! The nightlife is always very good with a multitude of bars and nightclubs to explore, in a very safe city centre! We now have our own city football team called Wellington Phoenix. Which has been a great experience for the city and football fans.
When I first arrived in Wellington I was employed by a small private hospital as a staff nurse, it was a lovely little hospital and everyone was very accepting and friendly from the start but after only a few months, I moved to Wellington Hospital, the regions public hospital, to become a charge nurse in the Recovery Room (PACU).
The recovery room is a 12-bedded unit that services 10 theatres, covering all specialties from Neurology to Orthopedics, from paediatrics to the elderly. It is an acute Hospital the cover the region for emergencies with the help of the Westpac helicopter. Capital and Coast District Health Board is one of 21 District Health Boards (DHBs) throughout New Zealand. We serve a population of about 270,000 residents and a regional population of about 900,000 people.
In January 2009, which is only about 10 months away we move into to a brand new, purpose built regional hospital, which sits just in front of the current buildings. The Hospital has cost in excess of $50 million and is state of the art, with equipment and design. We are all very excited about this and cannot wait to move.
When I moved to Wellington Hospital I was fortunate enough to become involved in designing the new Recovery unit (PACU) and it has been built to my altered design in conjunction with the architect. The thing I have enjoyed about working in New Zealand and for Capital and Coast District Health Board at Wellington hospital is the fact that I have been given so much support from my managers and my career has developed quite quickly through development, staff development is a key foundation of Wellington Hospital and I am just back from a conference in Melbourne, which was fully funded by the organization. I have also been on at four courses over the past few years with another two planned for this year! Moving to Wellington Hospital was a great move, as it has not only ensured my professional development but also my career development, as I am now a Nurse manager responsible for three units with over 50 staff. Many opportunities exist in Wellington Hospital, which is why I have progressed so far in just three years. I have also been involved in many change projects over the pat 12 months to improve our services and patient journey. It is amazing how different some things in New Zealand are from being on first names terms with the Director of Nursing, the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief medical officer and many of the executive management team, something that never happened much in the UK, it is also amazing the support I receive from my own manager and other mangers. But nursing itself is pretty much reflective of the UK, employing almost identical standards, procedures and policies. Which makes it an easy transition for a UK nurse or ODP for that matter.
My family also loves Wellington especially my daughter, who has become such a Kiwi now and has embraced the Kiwi outdoor life. She loves her school, her life and the mild weather although she does miss snow sometimes, since it always snowed in Scotland where we came from! My wife is also a Charge Nurse in another Wellington public hospital and she has also had many career opportunities, training and development.
We initially came over to New Zealand on a two-year work permit and I had a position secured through Tonix Recruitment Agency before leaving the UK, Tonix were fantastic and managed to find me a job when other agencies could not and I still work with the team now, though they tend to find UK nurse for me now! After around 12 months we applied and gained residency status. So we are now NZ residents with no plans to move back to the UK, since we love our life here!
The weather here is pretty good compared to the UK, though we have Xmas in the sunshine! Wellington can get a bit windy at times but that is why it can be called the “windy city”, fortunately this is not all the time and we have had such a great summer. The winds mean we have very clean air, low pollution and a breeze is nice on days that are too hot!
Moving to Wellington was the best thing we have done, for our family and our careers!
Joseph McDonald
For my part I have to say that I missed my family and friends over Christmas for sure, but being homesick? Nope! And even now, I'm not. Probably has something to do that I am happy here! Claire my nursing educator praised me recently, saying that everyone loves me and I shall not even think about leaving.
What shall I tell my parents? Deep inside they know it already though: I don't want to leave! My colleagues are great and indeed that's by far the best workplace I have ever worked in. Currently I'm applying for a part-time postgraduate course in nursing at Waikato University.
Well, six months have passed extremely fast and I've never been so busy in my life before. Meeting with my or Kristinas work colleagues, exploring the North Island, going tramping or just being lazy at the beach. I love it! The best thing however is Kitesurfing. Gosh, that's amazing fun! And we even have a German Butcher here, how cool is that? I have to say I hardly miss anything, but my parents and friends (occasionally) a good local british pub and decent beer (which doesn't give me much of a headache). I can live without the rest! And hey, thanks a lot sending me such a lovely new colleague. Rebecca is a joy working with. Carry on like that!
For now I have to say goodbye.
I can't thank you enough!
Nico
An English accent in New Zealand nearly always begs the question How long have you been here? and when you tell people nine months it then usually comes with another set of questions Why did you come? Do you like it? Are you going to stay? So after living and working in New Zealand for nine months I feel that I can honestly answer all three.
My family and I (husband Russell and three children Gregory 10, Darcy 4 and Scarlett 3) arrived in New Zealand on 30 September 2006. It was the start of a big adventure that had first come to into our thoughts in the summer of 2005. We emigrated via the skilled migrant category and with my job offer in the city of Wellington, we had come up with a hazy plan of living in the Hutt Valley as this was a reasonable commute into work. After two weeks of living in a holiday park, we found a place to rent and set about finding our feet.
So why did we come? We were drawn by the lifestyle, improved life chances for our children, the sense of space and more. Yet despite being both reasonably sensible people we were driven too by the reckless spirit of adventure, the challenges of living and working on the other side of the world and the chance to add a new and exciting chapter in our lives. So you could say that for the large part we came on a whim.
Our early success criteria were for the children to be happy, to be in jobs that we enjoyed without being all consuming, to have a pleasant lifestyle and to buy a nice house with plenty of space that offered different attributes to those we enjoyed in the UK.
Our nine month report therefore gives us grounds to feel encouraged. The children are settled particularly Gregory who quickly made friends and became a kiwi-kid shocking his Grandparents on the phone with his new accent. Darcy and Scarlett attend a pre-school which I have to say is better than the one they attended in the UK, we are impressed by the commitment to early education and the government has now brought in a subsidy which helps working parents such as ourselves. On 1 March this year we bought our new house, a place we could only have dreamed of having back in the UK, with views across the Hutt Valley and out to Wellington Harbour that I am sure will continue to amaze us for some time. The process of buying the house was very different to that of the UK, the whole thing completed in three weeks! We are enjoying living in the Hutt Valley and find Wellington to be a fantastic, vibrant and thoroughly pleasant city.
My working life started two weeks after we arrived in New Zealand at Wakefield Hospital in the heart of Wellington. Wakefield is one of the largest private Hospitals in Wellington but having only been interviewed over the phone I was unsure what I was coming to. I was very pleasantly surprised to find a very professional and friendly group of people who were as pleased to see me as I was to see them! After becoming increasingly disillusioned with the NHS before I left I felt that I had truly landed on my feet. To compare it to the NHS would be unfair, however the processes of nursing are very similar, they understand the same nursing jargon and strive for excellence in nursing practice. Working in a Private Hospital allows you to work at a different pace to that of the NHS, to give time to people and most importantly for me, to feel like I was nursing people properly. It is also a job that I feel challenged by and I am constantly learning new things. Having always said that Surgical Nursing was my first love its a pleasure to be nursing in such a nice environment. I rarely go home exhausted and never dread getting out of bed in the morning.
Russell secured work in February 2007 having assumed the role of House husband while I was the breadwinner in the early days of getting here. He is also working in a job that he enjoys and feels challenged by.
We had no grudge with the UK before we left. New Zealand is not the UK in any shape of form, which is just as well having moved 12,000 miles for more of the same old same old would have been something of a disappointment. New Zealand has given us a chance, and everyone we have met from day one has been welcoming and hospitable- sometimes unbelievably so. So are we going to stay? We feel so positive about our new life and experiences that I have to say yes - although you can never predict the future, we would really like to make this our home. We are very happy with our new life in NZ and particularly for ending up in Wellington, a fact we have to thank Tonix Health Recruitment for!
Claire Underwood RN
I have a great time in Wellington and especially at Southern Cross Hospital! My colleagues are almost all my age and all just started working. So everybody is motivated, helpful and willing to do stuff outside work. It's a very small hospital with all different kinds of surgery what makes it very interesting for me. Some days I see plastic surgery and the next day it can be orthopaedics, eyes or whatever you can imagine.
And I enjoy Wellington after working hours of course. It's a great city with lots of things to do. I've started running with one of my colleagues and go often to the gym (luckily my jeans fits again!). And I enjoy the cinema's restaurants and bars of. I live in a beautiful house with a fantastic view with two kiwi flatmates who are willing to show me Wellington.
In conclusion: it will be very hard to leave New Zealand in October. It's a great experience which I will never forget. Thanks again for arranging this job for me!
Karin Vogelesang
Wellington
From Alison Morley, RN Hawkes Bay. 16th Nov 2006
Well we have been here a year today, and looking back it was a huge undertaking to move here, but with the right support and information / organisation it could not have gone more smoothly.
Gavin saw a TV programme about a family from the UK who had settled in Papamoa, and to stop him "goin on" about emigrating, I suggested we visit NZ and see for ourselves, so we spent April 2004 campervanning around North and South Island, checking out the areas where I might be offered work. Everyone was so friendly, and the country so clean, we came home ready to put our plans into action.
We set ourselves a schedule - to aim for leaving the summer of 2005. This would give us plenty of time to organise ourselves and get our relatives used to the idea. I had three children to consider (7,9 and 13 at the time) and looking back I think the fact that we did not "rush" things made the whole event go more smoothly for them. Tonix had been in touch but I had told them I was not ready - however by the time of the March 2005 expo in Surrey I gave them my CV and they fully prepared ( and persuaded) me to try a telephone interview in May 2005 and I had a job offer there and then for Hastings Hospital Acute Assesment Unit. I must admit I was very reluctant to get things moving - of course once I had the job we had to apply to imigration, sort out IRD (tax) numbers, and get the Nurse registration sorted out. All these things went smoothly with Linda at Tonix always at the end of the telephone or on email to help, advise, and comisserate when things did not appear to be moving!
Gavin and I had done a lot of "homework" and knew the area we were moving to, however Tonix offered to help with schools. accomodation and anything else we needed. They organised our accomodation with the hospital, and when we arrived in Auckland we contacted them straight away - it was amazing to share with someone who knows what you have been through that wonderfull feeling of "we made it!!!"
I found with Tonix they gave me the confidence I needed to actually "do" things, they found a job that suited my skills and found out a bit about the staff and how other new people were getting on in that Hospital. They sent information about things I would need to organise, how to have a telephone interview, reading about the culture of New Zealanders - important for Nursing, and gave me a gentle reminder when perhaps I was hanging back due to my fears of the enormity of what I was doing!!!!
So, here we are, a year on, relaxed, healthy, enjoying the life, country, people, I love my job, have a lovely house,kids enjoying schools,sports and busy social life, and we have made some good friends here, but most important.... I asked the kids last week had I done the right thing......the answer was a resounding YES! Of course we miss family & friends, we have a new baby cousin, who we cant cuddle, but the internet is a huge source of comfort we can use the web-cam and chat to our family and friends. I have never once wanted to go back.
If I have any advice to give its get as much information as you can about the area, house prices, schools etc, the rest all falls into place. I think I might have got here eventually.... but the team at Tonix helped me focus and pushed me - gently - to the ultimate conclusion. They were intrested, helpfull, supportive, and I always felt the service was very individualised to my and my family's circumstances. Most important, I trusted them. I knew if I had a problem they would be there for me, and there were no "strings" attatched.
Thank you all so much, I am not a very brave person, not one for taking risks, but you all helped me make the biggest gamble of my life ( at 45 I had to do it now or never!) and we are all so thankfull. We love New Zealand, and our new lives! Thank you for all your help!
I first got in touch with Tonix in 2004 and they have now found me three jobs throughout New Zealand. It was in 2004 that I decided I needed a new challenge at work and some more adventure in my life. I had a cousin living in Wellington so I decided that would be a good place to start.
Virginia and the team at Tonix were great finding me a job that suited my experience. I spent six months on an AT&R ward at Kenepruru hospital before going and exploring the North Island for a few months. I had planned to do agency work as I traveled however once I left Auckland I didn't get any work. I headed back down to Wellington and after a couple of weeks I gave up on the agency work and decided to give Virginia a call. She was marvelous and managed to find me a job in Christchurch within a couple of days! She's a fast worker! I spent six months in lovely Christchurch before heading back to the UK for the cold dark winter...bad idea!
I really love life in Christchurch and pretty much as soon as I arrived back in the UK I decided I was going back. Due to NHS cutbacks I was unable to find a suitable job in the public sector and ended up doing agency work, which broadened my experience but wasn't a long-term solution. The lack of a decent job made me even more determined to get back to NZ as soon as possible. So, again I got in touch with Virginia and for the third (and we all hope final time) she managed to find me a job. I'm now back in Christchurch and about to start work at The Princess Margaret Hospital.
I'd like to say thank you to the Tonix team for all the help and assistance given since I started this journey in 2004. I'd also like to say a huge thank you to Virginia, without all your help, perseverance, and kindness I wouldn't have made it back. Also, cheers for picking me up at the airport and helping me with my giant bags not once but twice!
Thank you
Lucy
Silke Powell (midwife) emigrated from York to Marlborough with husband Peter and sons Lucas (11), Sam (8) and Billy(5).
We first started thinking about emigrating to NZ in January 2005, and tentatively made a few enquiries. Tonix stood out from the other employment agencies with its friendliest and most helpful approach. It was March 2006 before we finally left the UK to start our new life in New Zealand. In that time the staff at Tonix, particularly Heidi, were completely invaluable every step of the way. Heidi has experience of both the UK and NZ maternity systems, as well as contacts within New Zealand's health boards. Her 'local' knowledge was particularly useful when it came to finding a job for me. By this stage I felt we already knew each other well, and this helped Heidi to seek out vacancies which were within my scope of practice and with employers whose philosphies were compatible with mine. As well as this, she skilfully guided and supported us through the lengthy process of emigration (no mean feat!). Even on arrival, Heidi was on hand to help with settling in. By then, this support was well outside the role of a employment agency, but was given as graciously as ever. We remain indebted to Tonix for their help with our smooth transition to the other side of the world. It didn't take us long to come to the conclusion that it's extremely unlikely that we'll ever return permanently to England. New Zealand has so much more for us and we have every intention of staying here to make the most of this beautiful country!
I first contacted Tonix in Dec 05 regarding a job as a mental health nurse in New Zealand. Annies attention to me and my needs (both professionally and personally) was first rate from the start. She kept me informed at all times by phone, text and e-mail. By April I was working in NZ. Annie met me as soon as I arrived and even showed me around the unit that I was to work on. After 20 years in the NHS her personal service was a breath of fresh air. She has contacted me several times since to make sure "everything was ok". Ever available, ever helpful and always bright, positive and funny - there is no better combination. It's a long way from the UK, and dealing with Annie when I arrived in NZ made it all so much easier. Thank you.