Lifestyle and Leisure
The peaceful Hamilton lifestyle
Neil Lowrie tells Emigrate New Zealand ten things which sum up his new life as a surgeon in New Zealand
I made the move to New Zealand because of the availability of suitable employment not obtainable in the UK. The job I was offered, as a Trauma Surgeon at Waikato Hospital in Hamilton, was superior to any I had a realistic chance of being offered in the UK whilst the health care system is similar to that in the UK. Other benefits of the country include speaking the same language; similar, although not identical, cultural and social values and the relatively less expensive cost of living. I moved quite quickly once I had a firm job offer. I made contact with my employers and the New Zealand immigration service in August 2006 and started work here at the end of October 2006.
The bureaucratic process involved in getting me out here was multi-stepped. For me the first task involved gaining recognition of my professional qualifications. This meant sending requests to referees to provide the required information about my professional abilities and work experience to verify my suitability for the post offered. Once this had been obtained and approved by my employers in New Zealand, I had to apply for registration with the Medical Council of New Zealand. This required sending my degree certificates and post-graduate qualifications to the office in Wellington, along with a fee, and an independent medical assessment of my general health. For my particular profession a detailed police clearance process must also be completed. This simply takes the form of a background check of police records to ascertain any convictions etcetera. Once this had all been sorted out, the process of applying for a visa could commence, which entails a lot of filling out forms which are then sent to the New Zealand embassy in London.
Prior to making the move I'd never been to New Zealand before. I have, however, many friends who have visited and were able to give me some information about the country before I arrived so I was not entirely without insight into life here before I landed. I also have some loose connections with several ex-colleagues in other parts of the country so didn't feel entirely alone when I arrived.
I live alone in a two-bedroom apartment in Hamilton, very close to the city centre. I had a similar apartment in Scotland, but the block here is more modern than that back home. Hamilton has a good selection of restaurants and bars and as there's a large student population here, due to the two local universities, the city has a fairly active nightlife. If you want to get away from the bright lights it's very easy to access the countryside from Hamilton as the Waikato region is mainly rural apart from the city and a few outlying towns. The weather here is generally a bit warmer than I am used to in Scotland.
Houses here tend not to have central heating or much in the way of insulation, however this is rarely a problem. If you're renting accommodation it will generally be unfurnished unless the advertisement specifically states otherwise but all other facilities are really as you would expect: fully functional kitchen and bathroom, with all laundry equipment included.
Since I've been here I've made the most of the country and travelled around. I travelled to Auckland – a one-and-a-half-hour's drive from Hamilton – on business and just to explore really. I've also been out to Raglan – a town on the west coast around a 45-minutes drive from the city – which is a picturesque seaside town. I'm told the surfing is very good there, although I haven't tried it out myself yet. However, I've spent most time down at the Tongariro National Park. This is around three-hours from Hamilton, but has good hiking on the volcanoes in the summer and great skiing in the winter. The towns of Tauranga and Rotorua are also both easily accessible from Hamilton and have their own attractions of Pacific beaches and Volcanic springs respectively. Hiking in the local mountains around Hamilton down and on the big volcanoes in Tongariro Park is something I've really enjoyed since I've been here. I've also been skiing on the Mount. Ruapehu Skifields, played golf at the many local courses and, of course, watched lots of rugby at Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.
New Zealand's work and social culture is very similar to that of the UK. However, the work environment is perhaps a little friendlier than I'm used to. There is also little fuss made around tasks at work: problems are identified, certain jobs are allocated to the most suitable person and everyone just gets on with doing the best they can. Another plus is that there is far less management bureaucracy interference with the provision of services to the patients than that I experienced in the UK. Social culture is similar. Most of the same social activities are found in New Zealand just as they are in the UK with similar sporting interests and pastimes. The whole environment here doesn't feel "alien" from the United Kingdom.
My friends here are mainly New Zealanders, but there are people from so many different countries here it is impossible to socialise with just one group. It is nice to bump into another Scottish person every now and then: this happens almost every day actually. Obviously most of the initial friends I made were through work. Firstly, those who I worked directly with, and later those with whom I worked less closely, but had similar interests outside work. These things snowball from there onwards. Everyone here is very friendly and it's not difficult to make firm friends. I've been made unquestionably welcome by the 'locals' here. They are all very friendly and are quick to help you settle-in in whatever way they can. I have been invited to people's houses, for Christmas and birthdays etcetera, who I only knew briefly before.
The cost of living in New Zealand is generally cheaper than in the UK. I have noticed that the weekly shopping bill is, once converted from New Zealand dollars to pounds, considerably less. Also, on a rough guess, I would say the cost of accommodation is less, though not by a huge amount. Income tax is slightly less, but comparable. Utilities are also cheaper, but again not by all that much. Cars and petrol do seem to be significantly less expensive here, even after conversion.
I've not found anything particularly "hard" to adjust to in New Zealand. However, I've lived abroad before so perhaps I'm not the best judge. The time difference to the UK takes a bit of getting used to, but that's a minor point. I do miss my friends, my flat and the good golf courses in Scotland however, and, strangely enough, the cold weather in winter.
I keep in touch with people back home via e-mail mainly. It's easy and effective, especially these days when you can send video clips and photos. Web-cams are also good and the telephone works well as long as you get the time differences right. I haven't been visited by any family yet, but some friends from the US came to stay for a while during their Australasian trip. I have been threatened with some family visits by the end of this year but I'm trying to ignore that possibility. I plan to stay in New Zealand for as long as I'm offered suitable employment here. My current hopes are that that will be for around four years, but it is a very loose estimate. After that time it will depend not only on jobs here, but also those in the UK.
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