Jump to content

Newbie Intro


Sa2Nz2Oz

Recommended Posts

Well I am a new member to this Forum. I moved to NZ with my former partner in May 2003 to get a job offer to process my residency application. Landed in Wellington on May 10th in the afternoon after a harrowing touchdown - anybody who has flown into Wellington will know (on a slightly windy day its bad, aswell as the short runway). Felt very strange in a new country and knowing it wasnt going to be a holiday!! Lived in a place called Levin about 80km north of Wgtn (had no choice the ex's family lived there!)

Found a job in Wgtn a month later - I had to get a job in my qualification/exp to get the extra points for residency - I am an architectural technician by trade. Moved to Wgtn city, bought a car, got the accomodation and all the usual starting kit. Was not used to Wgtn's moody weather - cold,damp and windy! A year down the track my partner and I split, my brother and partner arrived to start their process but only stayed 6 months and went back to SA where they are very happy!

I met Monicque in Wgtn a week before I was going back to SA for a while via Australia and Asia for some site seeing.Monicque has been in NZ 9 years, she came over with parents and brother, her parents and brother went back after 3 years with their citizenship in hand. I was on the airplane back to NZ sooner than I thought. I got NZ citizenship in 2007. Monicque and I lived in Wgtn until Jan 2008 when we decided to make the move to Australia. On a look and see earlier we decided on the Gold Coast - it was going to be Brisbane but we prefered the GC. There was plenty of work here for me as the construction business was booming and landed a job within 3 weeks being here.

By September when this economical downturn just started showing its ugly head I was made redundant with 3 others in my company including another SA girl!! 2 weeks later the biggest property developer here went bang and all architectural businesses were not hiring! There was absolutely no jobs on Gold Coast for me and my partner was unemployed at that stage aswell. Things were quite tuff as I only manged to get maybe 2 weeks work between Sept and Nov when I decided to make the break and find work in Brisbane - found a month's contract for Nov because I had ticket paid booked since June to visit my family in SA. This holiday back in SA was a saviour to our sanity with all what happened in that year.

I am back in a contract in Brisbane and I am one of those commuters everyday to Brisbane!!

Well thats a brief history of us being on this side of the world.

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to this side of the world! :lol:

Sorry to hear you've had a rocky start.

How are things now work wise around there in Architecture and Engineering?

Good luck with your contract - hope they keep you employed.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome to the forum!!!

You have had some turmoil that's for sure, but you keep bouncing back! good for you. :rolleyes:

I hope that contract gets extended

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome. You have not had it easy at all - yet what strikes me is that you have not given up and returned to SA. That is how it should be but I am sure it must have been tempting sometimes.... What has kept you in Oz? Are you happy? What were your impressions of SA when you came on holiday.

I admire you.

K

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi and welcome

We also came via NZ to GC. Hubby arrived end Oct to start work on 3 Nov and the rest of us arrived in bits and pieces before and after xmas. Hubby is employed, but I am still battling to find a job - any job. But looking on the bright side, the sun is shining and you don't have Wellingtons weather to deal with. Enjoy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes my partner has not been able to find employment here aswell for 8 months!!! Any employment! Dont let me make you feel too negative about it but that is how it is at moment - Gold Coast can be a bit up and down regarding work. I travel to Brisbane everyday for work!!

Where in Wgtn did you guys live? We were from Miramar!

Good luck with work

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Welcome. I am currently in NZ still (finishing off studies in an attempt to make a career change) but seriously considering the move on the Aus.

You've had a very tough time and I wish you the very best from hereon in. That said, your story inspires me as I expect to come up against quite a few challenges in the future and it's good to remember that not everybody walks into senior jobs and hit the ground running when they arrive. But eventually one can still succeed.

Good luck to you! I am in Hamilton (better weather than Wellington for sure).

Edited by Melrie
Link to comment
Share on other sites

We are actually from Auckland. I know its hard for everyone now. In Dec the careers section in the Gold Coast Bulletin was a pull-out of about 20 pages now its only about 3 or 4 pages. Thing is, not only financial wise, but also for my own sanity (and probably my families' too) i need something other than the 4 walls of home every day. But i'm sure we will get there. Reading the problems others face, makes me realise mine is minor. Good luck.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger and your experiences have definately given you a run for your money!! Even when you think you got it bad, someone else has it worse!! I was wondering why you would stay in Gold Coast and not move to Brisbane which would save in fuel and would probably help with your wife finding work?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...