Name:	Angela and Neil
	Nationality:	English
	Profession:	Angela - Children's Nurse Neil - Automotive Engineer
	Migrated to NZ:	2004

Angela and Neil already had jobs organised when they arrived in Wellington with their two boys, aged 10 and seven.

They had attended a jobs fair in London the year before where New Zealand District Health Boards were advertising for nurses. Angela was offered a job at Wellington Hospital and she came to Wellington in September 2004.

“It was a really nice welcome. I was met at the airport and given a food parcel and accommodation for two weeks,” she says.

Meanwhile, Neil went into business on his own. He registered on a job search website, organised an interview and found work as a Technical Advisor for the Ministry of Transport. His work profile exactly fitted their requirements. He and the boys arrived a few months after Angela - just in time for their first summer Christmas.

Adapting Well

Angela and Neil are very happy with their new home, and their boys are too. A sign of how well the boys have adapted came recently when Angela and Neil awoke to hear their youngest singing the New Zealand national anthem.

“He never sang the national anthem in England,” says Neil. “There’s national pride here which doesn’t come through in England now.”

“Wellington has everything for the children and for us,” says Angela. “We love the compactness of the city, which means that Neil and I can meet for lunch most days for the first time in our lives.”

Active Lifestyle

The entire family enjoys the active lifestyle in Wellington. Angela says, “There are beaches for the boys and they love school where there is definitely more sport. They do cross country running, play table tennis and hockey, which they would not have done till secondary school in England and the school has a swimming pool.” A highlight was the visit from Tana Umaga, captain of the All Blacks, which excited the boys for weeks.

“We are settling in. There are differences and it is about getting to know what they are, working round them and learning from other people how to go about things. Life is better for us and safer for the children.”

His advice to prospective migrants is: come with an open mind, take your time before making decisions, be adaptable – and most important, look forward and not back.