Information for people new to New Zealand
Magazine article prompted Jason Heffer's move to NZ
Fed up with the United Kingdom, it was a magazine article that convinced Jason Heffer that a better life awaited him and his family in New Zealand.
"One day while at work I was reading a magazine which ran an article that showed two different places in the world where you could live for the same money, one of which was New Zealand.
"I went home that night and said, 'How do you fancy moving to New Zealand?', and my wife said, 'OK'. That was about the thought process that went into it. Then we contacted the New Zealand Immigration Service, who were very helpful, and set about looking for a job on the Internet.
"When one was found and confirmed, we put the house on the market and started packing."
Six months later Jason and his family arrived in New Zealand. "We had decided New Zealand was the place to move to as it had everything we were looking for – slower pace of life, more opportunities for our children, low crime rate and a very good exchange rate at the time."
Jason, a sheet-fed printer, says that there was no problem fitting in with the Kiwi work culture. "I found it very similar to home. Everyone is friendly and helpful. It's really good.
"Although, where I used to work in the UK we did a nine-hour day and we didn't get any breaks at all. You ate your lunch at the [printing] machine while it was still working. So when I came over here and everyone stopped for a smoko [morning and afternoon tea] for 15 minutes, and lunch as well, I felt quite guilty walking away from the machine, but I soon got used to it!"
Jason says the shift to Invercargill, in the South Island, is the best move he ever made. "My wife has a really good job, too. I play soccer and have made a lot of friends through that, and as soon as you start work you make friends anyway. We wouldn't want to live or work anywhere else."
