Drew Lohrer from California, United States
“Some things people often don’t consider are quality of life issues – it’s not just about the money, it’s the right work-life balance that helps make you a rounded person and keeps you sane.”
For Drew, who is originally from the United States, working in New Zealand has certainly helped him achieve this balance. “The place I work in, the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA), is fantastic. Although we have the usual deadlines and tonnes of work to do, we have very flexible work hours, so there’s no problem keeping up my interests outside of work.”
Drew used to play music in a couple of bands back when he was a student in the US. Then he got a job and found his hours at the office left him little time to indulge this passion.
“But now, thanks to my flexi-hours, I’m able to play the drums with a couple of friends once a week. We haven’t had any performances yet, but it’s huge fun!”
Sport, another of Drew’s hobbies, is a part of life at NIWA. “We have various sports teams, and I sometimes play volleyball with my workmates. Once in a while we have friendly competitions with other companies, which is really good.
“There’s also a social club at NIWA which organises parties, camping trips, etc. When you’re busy and don’t have time to organise a trip yourself, it’s great that you can just show up and pay your 40 bucks or whatever and join the trip. We’ve had some brilliant trips this way, and my three kids just love it. And you also get to meet people on a different level than you might at work, so it’s nice that way too.”
Drew admits that Hamilton, being an inland city, probably wouldn’t have been his first choice of New Zealand cities. “Being a marine biologist and a keen surfer, you might wonder about my living away from the sea. But actually, we can tow our boats to the coast from Hamilton in about an hour, so it’s not that hard really.
“And there are good things about this city – my commute to work takes less than 10 minutes. If I was living in southern California, I would probably have an hour’s commute each way. Plus Hamilton’s got fresh air, and lots of parks for kids.
“I don’t know how long I’m going to stay in New Zealand, or at NIWA, but certainly each year I’ve been here it’s been better, and I’m really content.”
