About
Name:John McElhiney
Age:37
Occupation:Software Engineer
Number Emigrating:1
Emigrated from:Seattle, USA
Moved to:Island Bay, Wellington
When did you arrive in NZ:July 2007
My Story Written:August 2007
Daily Commute Time:15 minutes one-way via scooter


What were your reasons for emigrating?
Many reasons. I was miserable even though I was making great money. I was unhappy and wanted to be in an area/country where people as well as the scenery were beautiful. I was very unhappy with the overall state of decline of morals when it came to life in general in the USA. I left the USA because I lacked of sense of purpose in my life. I left the USA because making money was no longer the driving force in my life! I left because I wanted to live my life without regrets.... this is why I left the USA.

What were your reasons for choosing New Zealand?
Well I wanted to move to an area that would allow me to follow my deep passion of nature/outdoor photography as well as architectural photography (Wellington is great for that!). I also wanted to live in a country where English was the primary language. Adding onto that, I wanted to live in a country that was in a new part of the world; namely I wanted it to be a country in the Southern Hemisphere where I had never been before. I also wanted to live somewhere near some tropical Islands (Fiji, American Samoa, etc). Finally, I have a dream of going to Antarctica someday on a vacation all the while enjoying a continuation of my professional job/career in this new country. Picking New Zealand was a no brainer really... however the process of getting here was the challenging part :-)

What differences have you noticed between your NZ town and your home town?
Size: Seattle area is about 1.5 million and sprawling. The Wellington area is only about 415,000 from what I understand.

People: Also, the people in Seattle are hard to even approach to say hello to. So despite the beautiful mountains, lakes and sea near Seattle, the people can be about as cold as the Winter weather there (generally speaking). Here in Wellington, people here are so amazing it's almost hard to believe they are genuinely friendly and open.

What do you like best about New Zealand?
The people, the scenery, the friendliness in the air, the vibrant economy and the ease of making new friends. The people here are truly helpful, social and amazing. It's also very very very clean here.

What don't you like about New Zealand?
Somethings like cel phone and basic foods are pretty expensive. I was hoping to find a cel provider that can provide affordable coverage and plans. Not the case. I cannot even afford to make calls on my cel here. I am resorting to using TXTing or using my office or home land line to talk to people. Groceries seem overly expensive here, but I guess if everything is shipped here by cargo ship, then what choice do we have right? :)

What do you miss from your home country?
My friends (in Seattle/Alaska/Colorado/Georgia/Northeast USA), my pet cat who's going through the MAF (BioHazard NZ) processes now to get down here and my very distant family in the Northeast U.S.A.

How easily did you find work in New Zealand?
Very easily. I came down here in mid April (2007) and stayed for a few weeks doing some interviewing in Auckland and then wrapped up my trip with interviews here in Wellington. I came back to Seattle with 4 good job offers to choose from. I found getting work in NZ easier than back in Seattle actually!!!

How does your working life in New Zealand compare with your previous work experiences?
My life is much more BALANCED and invigorating. I feel ALIVE here like I have never felt before! I am making minimally less money now vs. I could have by living in Seattle, but I have more than DOUBLE the vacation time and the lifestyle here is so much more worth the minimal loss in pay.

My previous work in Seattle was very stressful. Just getting to work in Seattle was a stressing cumbersome task. Commuting in Seattle took 2 hours round trip each day; this ruined each day for me.

How does your standard of living in New Zealand compare with your previous country?
The standard is about the same with regards to housing, except some things cost more here like groceries and cel phone plans. Housing is about the same. Insurance (auto, house, rental, etc) is far cheaper here vs. in Seattle!

How does your quality of life now compare with your previous country?
My quality of life has improved by 1000%. I had no life back in Seattle. I felt like each day I was alive, that I was wasting away. I am truly happy and inspired to be the best I can be now...

Do you have any other personal experiences or observations that would be useful for people considering immigrating to New Zealand?
Make the choice to move here only AFTER you visit here on a vacation or a job search trip. It's a huge move that requires an incredibly large commitment on your part. This "commitment" is even more large if you are thinking about moving your family (with children) here. Consult with them too...listen to your spouse and children before making the choice to move them.

Also, with regards to NZ Immigrations, be in top health before you submit your form 1007 (Medical Form) especially with regards to your BMI (Body Mass Index) and your blood work (cholesterol, white blood cell count, etc). NZ Immigrations can be sticklers about being wary about letting people in with questionable medical history or possible current health problems. In the end if you decide to take the plunge to move here, my advice is to take your time to plan it out, be patient with your Visa Officer, stay (be) physically healthy and let the process work itself out. In the end, all the stress of waiting and wondering is worth the long move here. Good luck everyone!

From Wellington, NZ

Cheers!