People & Places
Real bright Sparkes
It appears that nothing can stop the Sparkes family’s dream of a new life in the Land of the Long White Cloud, so determined are they to succeed, writes Patricia Curmi
Emma and Simon Sparkes are newlyweds from Ogmore Vale in Bridgend, South Wales. Together with their two children, Liam, three, and Katie, two, they appear imperturbable in their plans to make the big move, and are refusing to let any obstacles get in their way, including a burglary that ruined their wedding of a lifetime and a change to the New Zealand visa system that left them speechless and despondent.
Despite never having been to New Zealand, they are sure it's the ideal country for them to raise their young family. What influenced their decision to move to New Zealand? Surprisingly, it was an eight-legged creepy-crawly. Emma explains, "Initially, we chose Australia. we purchased some books on working and living in both Australia and New Zealand and did a bit of research on the Internet. We both thought they were beautiful countries, until I read the bit on the spiders and snakes in Australia! "I am petrified of the spiders over here, let alone he ones that can kill you and bite, so we just decided on New Zealand. We have never even considered any other country."
Their gung-ho spirit seems to be paying off. Earlier this month 29-year-old Simon applied for a Working Holiday Visa to see how he would find living and working in New Zealand. While waiting for police checks to come through, the qualified skilled carpenter received a job offer and intends to apply under the Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) whilst in New Zealand under the year long Working Holiday Visa Scheme. "We were initialy going to apply in the UK for residency when Simon got a job offer, but for the amount of time it will take for the process of being pulled from the pool then being invited to apply we might not be in Wales to receive conformation and we will probably have to close our Internet over here and reconnect with a different provider in New Zealand. "So we will apply and hopefully be granted residency in the first few months of living there. My fingers are very tightly crossed," Emma laughs.
While Simon is working, Emma and the children will have a holiday in New Zealand at the same time, to compare areas, although Emma already has a good idea of where the family will thrive. "We are hoping to eventually settle in Tauranga, but as Simon has just been offered a job in Taupo we are heading there first," she says. "We are not really sure why we have decided on this; just reading the books and made a decision but we are hoping to travel a bit as well to see if we can get a feel for a place to settle, but we are definitely focused on the North Island."
Simon and Emma's search for a more laid-back, community orientated environment for Liam and Katie to grow up in was validated in November last year, when their family home was broken into. "When we first decided to apply we contacted an emigration agency and had the first free initial consultation," recalls Emma. "We passed the points system even without a job offer – then we were told the fees, which threw us a little. "We decided to apply for residency after Christmas, when we had finished paying for our honeymoon. That way we could afford both."
Emma goes on to speak about the heartache of finding out they had to start from scratch all over again. "Then, after we had our home broken into, a lot of other valuable items were stolen. "We had to cancel the whole wedding, losing the deposit of £600. On top of that, over £3,000 worth of money and items were gone." The robbery had another unfortunate consequence: while they were rebuilding their lives and saving up to reapply, the New Zealand Immigration Service (NZIS) had changed the rules and the Sparkes were no longer eligible to apply for residency without a job offer.
While this hurdle might have seemed insurmountable to some, the Sparkes family were simply more resolute that they would emigrate. When their emigration agency told them New Zealand wasn't for them and that they had a better chance of success in Australia, the Sparkes opted to do the work themselves. "We decided not to go with the agency, instead we would go to New Zealand and sort jobs and visas out ourselves. "So, to be honest we don't even know if it is going to all work out at present. We are just jumping in at the deep end." No matter how resilient and tightly-knit a family is, however, the emigration process inevitably takes its toll.
Emma has had to contend with mountains of paperwork and trawling through the Internet whilst being a mother and wife. She is clear that having a supportive partner and communicating with one another has made all the difference. "Emotionally, it has been stressful for me, as it's me doing all the research, reading and the paperwork. "Simon doesn't like that sort of thing which doesn't matter really as we help each other out in different ways. I do talk him through the the process and he is very understanding. It's lucky we are so in love." Their hard-won experience has taught them to remain optimistic.
Emma believes keeping a bright attitude and doing your research are both vital for those trying to emigrate to any country. Her buoyant outlook is evident as she talks about uprooting and moving thousands of miles away: "Stay positive, because if you want something in life you have to grab it with both hands and go for it before it's too late!" The couple are realistic about the challenges ahead of them, though. Finding Simon his current job offer cost them a lot of time and money. Emma went online and through various recruitment agencies, as well as scouring the New Zealand Yellow Pages for potential employers. Posting his CV to New Zealand at £1.50 a go quickly sent the costs soaring. But, for all her effort, Emma and Simon kept coming up against a wall of resistance from contractors. "The replies I got back from the Internet were along the lines that they were unable to offer a job without a work permit – and unable to offer any advice as we were not living in New Zealand. There was not one reply from the letters I sent out." One recruitment agent did get back in touch and, although he was extremely helpful and enthusiastic, he spelt out the problem. "He basically told us that employers were reluctant to take on British tradespeople, as standards are very different in the UK compared to New Zealand."
Simon and Emma's obvious seriousness about making a go of it in New Zealand eventually managed to impress one of the many employers they contacted, who offered him a job, at the start of March. The family is currently in relocation limbo as they have sold all their furniture in the UK and only have a few personal items stored with a shipping company, who will then forward their belongings when they get an address in New Zealand.
Finding an affordable rental property and then buying more furniture will be their first goal after arriving in New Zealand. Through her research, Emma has found out this could set them back financially. "We know that some items are expensive over in New Zealand, but we will have to buy the essentials at first then build them up. "We don't want to rush into anything, like buying a property, just in case things don't work out, but we will rent and use our savings as little as possible to live. By acquiring the essentials we'll hopefully build ourselves back up again. "We have not sorted out renting yet as we are hoping to have a break at first, then look when we are actually out there."
Liam is in full-time school in Wales, and the move will be strange for him at first, Emma thinks, but after a few months in kindergarten and daycare, they will quickly adapt. If Katie and Liam have inherited their parents' adventurous outlook, there's little doubt they'll relish the challenge. Any parent worries about the effect a move to a different country, however, and Simon and Emma are keen to keep the children involved as much as possible, to prepare them for the move and make it more fun.
They have no regrets about deciding to relocate, despite the dramatic beginnings to their emigration journey. Emma has not forgotten why New Zealand could offer them a better life. "Benefits, for us, will definitely be a cleaner and fresher environment for our children; a nicer climate; friendlier people; and more space to live in. The UK is much too overcrowded."
They have grand ambitions for the long term in New Zealand: building their own dream home, something they couldn't contemplate in the UK. When it comes to how prepared the family are to move to an area they have never set foot in, Emma remains philosophical: "I think we are quite prepared, New Zealand might as well be home from home being in Wales, things like the mountains, the sheep and so on. I just expect it to be more beautiful," she enthuses. With the financial rollercoaster the Sparkes family have been on over the past year, does Emma foresee any money troubles? "Cost of living will probably weigh itself out, as our cost of living is rocketing all the time over here. It's not really worrying, we are excited more than anxious to learn more about the culture and the Kiwi people, it's all very interesting."
Like the thousands of other Brits who emigrate to New Zealand, aspirations of a higher quality of life remain the driving force behind their persistence to succeed. The Sparkes family will fly out to New Zealand this month, and hopefully all their hard work will have paid off. Emma can look forward to the coming year, and think seriously about what her family want from their new life. "After a year, we are hoping to be healthier, with more outdoor activities," Emma grins "We also really want to do more things as a family. We just want a better way of life overall."
Read another case history about emigrating to New Zealand:
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