Don’t move to New Zealand Until You Hear This

What Nobody Tells You About Moving to New Zealand

 

Most people who dream of moving to New Zealand talk about it in percentages. How sure am I? How ready am I? How scared am I?

It’s not a yes-or-no question. It’s a sliding scale—and it changes from day to day.

In this episode, we asked our private Slack community a simple question: How certain are you about moving to New Zealand? The responses were honest, emotional, and sometimes surprising.

You’ll hear from Dan, a project manager from the UK who’s in the final weeks of his move. Sandra, a corporate lawyer from Germany, is terrified and excited in equal measure. And Ryan, an American who’s been living in New Zealand for nine years and has never looked back.

If you’re wondering is New Zealand a nice place to live, these real voices will give you an honest answer—not a sales pitch.

So grab a cuppa or a glass of wine, settle in, and let’s hear from people who are walking the same path as you.

 

 

 

 

Why Join our Private NZ Ahead Slack Community?

 

Liz: To all our community members, not just the ones who have joined in for this series that we’re doing. To all of you, just thank you for being there for each other.

You very kindly will say to me and Brian, “Thank you for creating this community and thank you for doing this.” No, it’s actually we’ve just created the space. It’s actually you that make that community.

Your willingness to give, your willingness to share, to be open, to say “I’m scared stiff,” to say “I’m worried that I’m not going to get a job,” to say “I’m here and I don’t really like it”—all of the things that you say on that community are gold for other people who are doing the same as you.

Brian: And it’s absolutely fantastic. It blows us away each time we come off that live Zoom.

Liz: Don’t forget, if you want to join the community and be in this group of terrific, wonderful adventurers like you, then you can take our five-day video guide, and on day five, we’ll let you know about how you can get into the community.

 

 

Key Takeaways from This Episode

---

 

Frequently Asked Questions About Moving to New Zealand

 

Q: How sure do I need to be before moving to New Zealand?
A: There’s no magic number. People in this episode ranged from 65% to 100%. The key is being honest with yourself about your fears and excitement.

 

Q: Is it okay to be scared?
A: Absolutely. Sandra said it best: “Great things have to feel scary.” Everyone in this episode admitted to fear.

 

Q: What if it doesn’t work out?
A: Ryan’s perspective is perfect—it doesn’t have to be forever. You can always go back.

 

Q: How do I stay motivated through the process?
A: Dan’s approach—focus on the 95% excited, acknowledge the 5% exhausted, and keep pushing forward.

 

Q: Does moving to New Zealand fix all your problems?
A: No. Sandra was honest about this—it won’t wash away your problems. But it can give you a fresh start and a better lifestyle.

Ready to Join the Journey?

 

If you’re planning a move to New Zealand, you don’t have to do it alone.

Your next steps:

1. Head over to nzahead.com/free for our free 5-day video guide on life in New Zealand.

2. Join our private NZ Ahead community on Slack for support from people on the same journey.

3. Explore our guides on new-zealand-work-visas and moving-from-united-states-to-new-zealand .

And if you’re still deciding where to settle, our guide on new-zealand-south-island-or-north-island can help you choose.

If you’re considering a move with a partner, our new-zealand-partner-visa guide explains how to include your family.

As Ryan said, it’s the best decision outside of marrying his wife. And as Brian said, you can always go back. But you’ll never know unless you try.

 

Kia kaha. Stay strong.

 

Liz and Brian x