E2NZ is now at E2NZ.org

This blog is now largely inactive, although we do check-in occasionally to pick up messages.

Since starting this blog E2NZ has had well over a million visitors. Thank you for your continued support in helping us dismantle some of the myths about New Zealand.

Our official blog may now be found at E2NZ.org.

We also have a presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. We're looking forward to seeing all of you there.

 

Migrant Tale – New Zealand Citizenship May Be A Way Out

A NZ passport may be a route out

Continuing in our series of Migrant Tales – first hand accounts of the migrant experience of New Zealand, taken from locations around the net.

Today’s tale was first published on the forum at Expatexposed.com, a self help and support, not-for-profit forum, for people living in New Zealand.

It is the only immigration forum on the net to be free of vested interests and corporate sponsorship, and as such portrays a refreshingly realistic image of life in New Zealand for many emigrants.

"Our Story.
I’m so glad I found this website – you can begin to think you are imagining all the negativity. I just wish I had seen it before we moved to NZ.

We arrived in NZ in 2005. Settled firstly in West Auckland where we enjoyed living during the ‘honeymoon period’. Couldn’t quite believe that we had paid over $300k for little more than a wooden shed to live in….. Shocked but anyway…we then decided that we should chase the kiwi dream of a lifestyle block and moved to rural Otago. Mistake number one. Rural town, rural people, rural attitudes….

We then made our second mistake of renovating the house we bought thinking we would get the money back when we sold it. We didn’t, and ended up $30k worse off. Husband couldn’t find decent work so we ended up living off our savings. We moved again, closer to a ‘city’ (pfft!) to increase OH chance of work. Didn’t work. Moved again – now in Christchurch (we moved into our house 2 days after the Feb earthquake). Things going very slightly better now…

Things I miss:
Being able to have a conversation without that ‘delay’
Decent houses with central heating and double glazing, not ones thrown together with a bit of gib board and pink batts.
Walking over footpaths for miles with my dogs
History and culture (seen more in a pot of yoghurt…)
Affordable grocery shopping and decent fruit and veg markets and a range of things to choose from in the supermarket.
A good curry
Being able to watch TV without ‘look how fantastic NZ is’ being forced down my throat everywhere.
Having some savings.

We arrived full of how wonderful our new life was going to be. I am sick of having my decent salary (pre tax) being creamed off by the government to support the majority of this rural, undereducated nation. We don’t have holidays (no wonder the kiwis are such good campers), we can’t afford to go back and visit our family. I am gutted we made the decision to come. I now feel that we can’t return and leave my son behind (he is 22 and happy here living with his girlfriend). My daughter is 13 and I feel she has suffered due to the education system here –she has just started high school. Her peers in the UK seem way ahead. But still, they let anyone into University here so I’m sure she’ll be fine…

We are applying for citizenship so that at least we may be able to consider Australia in the future. I would love to go home, but I’m worried about reports of ‘ping pong poms’, people who get home and hate it, then spend the next few years trying to get back. Maybe I have my rose tinted specs on when I think of ‘home’."

You may also be interested in:

Jobs-driven migration to Oz at high of 53,000 (22/3/2012)- “The Kiwi exodus to Australia has hit a new high, with annual departures reaching 53,000 last month, Statistics New Zealand said yesterday.

New Zealand suffered a net loss of 39,100 people after departure numbers were partially offset by 13,900 arrivals, most of them returning citizens…The overall net loss of 4100 people in the year to February 29 is also the largest since the year ended August 31, 2001, when 4400 people left New Zealand.” read more

Today's posts - click here

Emma Maddison May Still Be Sick And Needing Care In Denmark

A Dutch website said that a documentary about the alleged abduction of 4 year old Emma Maddison was almost not shown in Denmark.

Before the show aired Vicki’s lawyer Peter Ølholm had considered an injunction to prevent it from being broadcast and was in communication with TV2′s about whether it should be stopped..
Peter Ølholm viewed the program and said he thought it was factually incorrect in many respects, the documentary was far from a complete picture of the case.

As we understand it and allowing for problems with translation,  he says the key is the whole question of whether this child is still sick or not. In his opinion if you watch the broadcast, you sit back with the impression that this is a child who is not sick.

In a nutshell, there is no treatment in New Zealand can not really cure Emma of her eating problems and Odense University Hospital is the only place that offers a solution for her.

Talking more about the documentary he says that you’ll see the doctor explain that Emma is healthy. “Yes she is healthy for the specific eating disorder  but she is not a healthy child.” 

“It also appears from the evidence from the court in Frederiksberg, she is below below the weight curve in relation to her age and size” emphasizes Peter Ølholm. He also maintains that Emma receives much needed support in kindergarten, has to be assisted with her eating and that her mother Vicki’s has been given financial help to make up for wages lost due to time spent caring for her daughter.

He says that Emma is mentally fragile. Otherwise, the municipality would not allocate the extra funding and that was not made clear by the television program. He also believes that his client has gone to great lengths to help manage Emma’s condition.

It was on his advice that Vicki decided not to participate in the documentary or otherwise comment on the matter. In the meantime he was working on a written complaint to TV 2 and TV Board.
The full Danish version of this story may be found here 

Our other blogs about this case:
Outpouring of Support For Mother in Emma Maddison ‘Kidnap’ Case



Today's posts - click here