erchin

Hi All

My husband and I are thinking of a change - he is Danish and I am English. He has some cousins in Auckland already and we we considering the move. Can you give me some advice? (With a good attitude) is it possible to make friends relatively easily? Some of the posts on here speak of lonely people after making the move and i was just wondering if this was the norm? I'd like to move somewhere a bit more open and easier than Denmark (i struggle with the language and people can be pretty closed unless you've been at school together) but obviously don't want to jump from the frying pan into the fire!
All advice gratefully received!

MrsFychan

firstly before you get into how things will work if you get here, what visa are you going to be applying for to be able to come, live and work here.
As for making friends it depends on you and how much you put yourself out there.

Kotare

Hi Erchin

It depends on you really. Kiwis tend to be family centred outside the cities. Entertainment tends to be restaurant/cafes rather than in the home (eg less dinner parties).

It will also help if you settle in a more cosmopolitan environment eg Kerikeri, Tauranga, Nelson with lots of expats and/or high turnover rather than rural NZ or city suburbia etc.

But you need to make it happen - my wife joined Pilates, Garden Club, Walking Group, Conservation Group and in six months has made lots of acquaintances (at the lets have a coffee level) and in six months will be running at least one of the Groups :-)

If I wasn't shy and retiring like all Kiwis I would join the RSA/Rugby Club, Probus or U3A, possibly the local Boat Club etc

Peter

scrubbedexpat094

Assuming you can get a visa to live and work here, then you do have to put yourself out there a bit to make friends here. Kiwis are surface friendly but trying to make deeper friendships can take a lot of time and patience. I have a few Kiwi friends who are very special to me, a couple who I have only just met in the past 6 months. We just clicked with them, they are just our sort of people. I love them to bits.

You just need to go to everything that you are invited to and join clubs/activities that you are interested in. Obviously people have established friendships already so it does take time. Of course lots of expats/immigrants come and go so they have to decide whether you are worth investing time in.

So as Kotare says, it's upto you.

Had friends who lived in Aarhus for a few years and found it difficult to make friends, they then moved to Hamburg and found people much friendlier. Having said that, a neighbour of mine in the UK was Danish and she was a warm, crazy person. So horses for courses.

erchin

Thanks guys - appreciate the reply. Yes, it really is about getting out what you put in. I just wanted to see it from a local perspective.
My hubby is on the skills shortage list so we're in the process of applying so we'll just see what happens.
Very grateful for the input.

PB65

Just keep in mind as per other posts just because a role is on the skills shortage list does not necessarily mean there are lots of job vacancies to back it up. Getting the visa is only one part of the process , finding a job can be an equal challenge so do plenty of homework on locations not just Auckland.

erchin

Thanks, yes we are and will only move if a job and visa are secured beforehand.

Kind regards

Justcol

I moved to auckland 5 years ago when I met my now wife
I was introduced to her friends and they were all very friendly and welcoming
We moved away after a couple of years but still keep in touch.

You have family here already who can help you settle and introduce
you to new people. The rest is up to you