[Kiwi Mac]

Hi

I was just wondering how many here did what we did:

We set off on a 7 month trip around the world, arrived in NZ in month 5 and thought "this is nice, lets stay" and did the whole PR thing in-country with no pre-planning or anything and only our backpacks for company...! We had no plans to move to NZ or anywhere else when we left.

On top of that I had open heart surgery as an emergency in Wellington, BEFORE we had PR medicals! Very fortunately I got "special clearance" from whoever gives that and was able to get my PR granted.

Anyone else done it the "wrong" way like us?!

[YouMeAndThree]

Not like your turn up and stay, but we watched a programme (Destination New Zealand) and thought 'that looks nice'. We had no intention of ever leaving the UK, not talked about it and couldn't ever picture ourselves ever leaving.

We watched the programme in Dec 07, then a repeat in Feb 08 with the same 'oh that looks nice' reaction, decided to look into it a bit more and by Aug 08 OH was landing in Auckland with a WTR visa and job starting within the week....... I followed several weeks later with our 3 young DD's after packing up the house and locking the door on the way out :D

[Kiwi Mac]

That's cool - although I might have gone home if I had lived in the New Forest!

It is certainly a great place to be, despite some idiosyncrasies that they keep quiet in all the marketing! ;-)

[KerryS]

Almost the same - I had spent 18 months in Australia working and travelling and decided to visit NZ for a couple of weeks before going back to the UK. I had only my backpack and virtually no money as I was waiting for the last of my wages to be paid into my Australian account and there was some delay due to Christmas and New Year. I spent my first night in a backpackers, the next day the girl on the bunk below invited me to Waiheke where I bumped into someone I'd worked with in Australia. When back in Auckland I went and met his boss who offered me a job. That was almost 7 years ago now... I did work visas and then got PR and citizenship very shortly after that. (I never even had to bother with IRRV as I was entitled to citizenship before my first RRV ran out!)

[Kiwi Mac]

Lucky you - we just missed the 3 year PR- citizenship option so have to wait 5 years!

[petri]

Quite similar really..

We did a 3+ month around-the-world trip in 2008, spent less than two weeks in New Zealand and almost a month in Australia.

After returning home we felt the itch and started another around the world trip. First 2.5 months in southern Africa, a few months at home and then 5+ months on the road again. Spent 3 days in Australia and ~2 months in New Zealand. We arrived to NZ without a fixed day to leave.

We did return to home but had already started calling NZ "motherland" and started to investigate the immigration options. We have killed friends with pictures from NZ, one friend is there right now, two are going in a week or so, and a few more are going early next year. I think we have already supported NZ tourism so much that we deserve a PR ;-)

[Kiwi Mac]

OK Petri - you can come back....!

It is quite a challenge to turn up with no work, no money etc and still pull it off. You can't work until you have a work visa which they won't give you unless you have a job....etc etc! Fortunately my OH has some unique (to NZ anyway) skills which enabled her to get a short term contract and a temporary work visa - that really started the process for us.

We got down to $46 in our account the week before one of us got a permanent job offer!

[mussomutts]

I love your story!
It's so nice to hear people still being impulsive.. everything hapens for a reason, I believe, and sometimes you just have to do what you feel, despite the many people who may be judging you.
I bummed around the world for about 10 years or so, and ended up in NZ...stayed for 4 years on student and work visas, met my hubby, and my 1st dog..
Then we moved to Canada.. a more planned move which freaked me out no end!! We have been here for almost 4 years.... and yearn for that island with it's long white cloud... Trying to explain to people why we're doing what we're doing is hard...sometimes, it's just a feeling!
It's a great place to be! and I hope you love it there!!

[Kiwi Mac]

I do - but funnily enough I would be happy to go to Canada!! My OH hates the winter. We were there in 08 and in Edmonton area when it hit minus 42 Centigrade. My idea of fun but she hates that.

Life is all about being impulsive - otherwise it is just a bore.

Maybe we should house swap for holidays!!

[cani]

I do - but funnily enough I would be happy to go to Canada!! My OH hates the winter. We were there in 08 and in Edmonton area when it hit minus 42 Centigrade. My idea of fun but she hates that.

Life is all about being impulsive - otherwise it is just a bore.

Maybe we should house swap for holidays!!

Should have brought her to the lower mainland in south western BC, rarely minus at sea level.