9 Reasons to Move to New Zealand When the Borders Open
Let’s be honest...
New Zealand has been getting some amazing publicity these days after Auntie Cindy’s handling of just about everything hard that’s happened.
The Christchurch terrorist attack, the Whakaari (White Island) eruption, and the ongoing pandemic response.
If you don’t know who Auntie J or Cindy or Auntie Cindy is, those are our terms of endearment for New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who is a world ahead in leadership compared to...some other international leaders (at least in our personal opinion).
She’s a stellar human and leader full of compassion, empathy, strong morals, and hardy character.
Jacinda is the kind of person you want to sit down with over a cup of tea while she listens to your problems, works with you to sort out your life in the best and most productive way for you, and then helps you to actually do it.
Moral of the story: New Zealand has got a hell of a lot of things right because of its leadership.
It’s not perfect -- no one is claiming that -- but it feels a lot more put together than some other places around the world.
That kind of put-together-feeling doesn’t just come from great policies and procedures, it comes with humility and a willingness to admit when a wrong choice has been made.
The way New Zealand is led, the way the community continues to work on itself, and the way things are ever-evolving shows that most things in this country are pretty healthy.
Again, we know there is still injustice. We recognize that not everyone has access to the same resources. And, we acknowledge that there is always room for improvement, but New Zealand works to at least highlight that on an ongoing basis.
We’ve found that it’s easy to admire this country when it shows transparency and honesty about its faults and weaknesses.
This list, the 9 reasons to move to New Zealand when borders open again, hasn’t been created just because we’re die-hard New Zealand fans and only want to see the good. It’s been created because we believe New Zealand is the way the rest of the world should be.
An honest, do-its-best, work in progress.
None of us are claiming it’s perfect. We’re claiming it’s healthier in comparison to other places around the world, because it isn’t afraid to look at its mistakes, history, and ways to improve the way it functions as a society.
This article is here to highlight the amazing things about New Zealand that illustrate why we love living here so much. We are not looking away from the problems; we’re celebrating the efforts New Zealand makes to always get better.
Let’s get to it!
1. NEW ZEALAND IS SAFER
Not to be blunt, but if you’re tired of a potential shooting happening around you, you’re not alone. Several Americans on our team actually moved to New Zealand because they were tired of gun violence in the United States.
While the Christchurch Mosque terrorist attack that occurred here in 2019 was a terrible, unforgivable event that never should have happened, it was and is NOT a common occurrence here.
Within 5 days of that terrorist attack, semi-automatic rifles were banned from the public, which leaves us Americans in New Zealand wondering why that can’t be done in the States.
While we, The Kiwi Kit Team, may be criticized for our anti-gun stance, we are tired, worn down, and broken-hearted over how many people lose their lives due to an out-dated and purely harmful second amendment. We’re over it.
New Zealand has 26% less crime than the US, according to crime stats1, which adds to why we love living in a country where we can go out into public and not fear for our lives.
The significantly lower occurrence in crime in New Zealand makes for such a better way of life, at least in our humble opinions.
It’s very common to not lock your doors, not have to look over your shoulder at where the nearest exit is, and to inherently trust your neighbour.
We’ll repeat ourselves over and over, though.
We know New Zealand isn’t perfect and we don’t live in a reality where we think it is, we just want you to know that there is a place that exists on earth where you can actually feel safe.
2. LAID BACK LIFESTYLE
One of our favorite things about New Zealand life in comparison to American life (and even life in the UK) is that there is a focus on slowing down and appreciating your everyday existence.
It’s very common that your employer will sincerely appreciate it when you want to take a holiday to travel, head to the beach, go out for a ski, try a new hike, or hit the lake for a cruise.
In fact, they tend to encourage it!
New Zealanders love to adventure, relax, have a laugh, make time for hobbies, participate in community work, and share a beer with mates.
The lifestyle in New Zealand, in comparison to other places around the world, is much more balanced with work and life than, well, most countries.
If you’re tired of only getting two weeks off from work a year like you do in the States (which is seen as crazy in New Zealand, by the way), then considering life in New Zealand where people get a minimum of 4 weeks of holiday (!!!) per year may be something you genuinely want to consider.
3. POLITICALLY BALANCED/SANE/CONSCIOUS
New Zealand isn’t perfect, nor does it claim to be (we told you we’d repeat ourselves). It is, however, a lot more stable from a migrant’s perspective.
Depending on who you ask, you’ll likely get a different opinion on the dynamic of the political parties here, but ultimately, there seems to be a healthy opposition and productive conversation across all political beliefs.
While several populations and groups might wish things were run differently here, the commitment across New Zealand to continuously improve and grow is evident in a variety of ways.
From a feminist perspective (Hi, I’m Kelsey, the Founder and CEO of The Kiwi Kit who’s writing this blog post and I’m 100% a feminist), I’ll admit, it’s pretty bad ass to see a woman leading the way and doing it with grace and compassion as she’s continuously hit with hurdle after hurdle.
Plus, from an American perspective (Hey, Kelsey again, I’m American and have fallen in love with the New Zealand way of life so much so that I plan to not live in the States again until guns are banned), it’s even better living somewhere that feels safe, because you know the country’s leader takes her role seriously and is willing to ban semi-automatic weapons within 5 days of one single shooting.
It feels like the government is ACTUALLY looking out for its people and their safety.
Political parties may never agree, but, in New Zealand, they fight for what they believe with respect for each other and their varying opinions, the country itself, and the impact their decisions will have.
Politics in New Zealand isn’t a bloodbath. It’s a platform for those who care about the future of the country’s opinions to be voiced, whatever that may look like to them.
4. BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPES
A much less intense and a much more enjoyable reason to move to New Zealand is its insanely beautiful landscapes.
It’s hard to have a bad view in New Zealand from just about wherever you are.
With rolling, lush, green hills, tropical beaches, enchanting forests, snowy mountains, mesmerising sand dunes, crystal blue and turquoise rivers and lakes, and stunning valleys, the beauty reflected in New Zealand’s nature is “just” a part of life here.
There’s a reason New Zealand is such a sought after location to visit, but imagine living here and seeing these majestic scenes out of your window every single day!
Your gratitude practice will be an overwhelmingly easy thing to do when every day feels like a National Geographic documentary.
Many of us have to pinch ourselves at the stunning views and landscapes we get to enjoy. The views truly put a whole new perspective on being stuck in traffic.
When you finally give in and move here, you better have a big memory card for your camera, because you won’t stop snapping shots even when you’re doing everyday life.
5. CLEAN AIR
With such a close connection to Mother Nature, we’re fortunate to have cleaner air in New Zealand than a lot of other countries.
There’s a huge emphasis on reforestation projects and community tree planting initiatives to ensure that we don’t always take from our beautiful Earth and that we replenish it with gratitude.
Breathing clean air is something that may not be at the top of your priority list, however, once you’ve experienced a polluted city in comparison to a “cleaner aired” city, you may think twice.
Your health is greatly impacted by the air you breathe. If you’re constantly breathing in toxins, fumes, and pollutants, it can have a long term effect on your body.
New Zealand is aiming to lead the way in clean energy, and with that, comes clean air.
If that’s something you want to incorporate into your life, consider relocating to a place in New Zealand where there are trails behind your house, the ocean down the road, or a lakefront outside your front door so you can have quick and easy access to fresh air and all that Mother Nature has to offer.
6. GREAT BEACHES
With as much coastline and lakes as New Zealand has, you can basically take your pick on the type of beach you want.
Because New Zealand is an island nation, its border is made up of 15,000 kms/9,000 miles of coastline! Plus, even the lakes in New Zealand are so big that they have their own beaches, too.
Looking for a wide open beach to run along with your dog? You got it.
Keen for a private, tucked away, sandy spot to have a romantic picnic with your partner? You got it.
How about a dramatic, rocky beach to sit with a bottle of wine and watch the wildlife around you? You got it.
What about a hot, sparkling shore to lay out your towel, top up your tan, and read your favorite book? You most definitely have got that!
You’re never further than approximately 119 kms/74 miles from the ocean2 anywhere in New Zealand, so if you love beach life, this is the place for you.
7. KIND PEOPLE
Kindness is an understatement for Kiwi default mode.
Like any family, there’s normal bickering, arguing, and disagreeing, but kindness is usually the default way Kiwis treat each other.
If you’re thinking about moving from a major city, then you’ll likely be taken aback by the look-after-each-other-mentality as opposed to “typical” city folk who are tarnished with the reputation of only looking out for themselves.
The truth is, most New Zealanders usually cannot be bothered arguing, dealing with conflict, or navigating uncomfortable situations, so they opt for “the road less strifed.”
This may be a foreign concept to most Americans reading this, because we’re used to always standing up for what we believe is right. We’re not claiming Kiwis don’t do that, they just tend to lean towards amiability than they do civil wars.
Believe us when we say that living in a country where kindness is the norm, it’s refreshing as hell.
8. GREAT HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
We know this is a bold claim, but in comparison to the U.S., New Zealand is miles ahead of the American healthcare system.
The two systems, by comparison, are very different and structured in their own unique ways. New Zealand has an excellent public healthcare system that even supports migrants when they live here.
Plus, ACC (The Accident Compensation Corporation) covers anyone affected by a no-fault accidental injury. That could include surgery, lost wages, damages, and more.
While it is always a great idea to have health insurance, a lot of basic health needs are covered by the New Zealand healthcare system.
It could be unbelievably refreshing and reassuring for an American currently living in the States without insurance or access to affordable healthcare.
9. EXCELLENT QUALITY OF LIFE
With all of the previous factors mentioned in this article summed up into one phrase -- excellent quality of life -- we feel that just about every aspect of living in New Zealand is top scoring.
Nowhere, not even New Zealand, is perfect (last mention, I promise!). However, the aspects of life that we deserve to feel content, fulfilled, satisfied, happy, healthy, and safe are far above average in New Zealand and that’s something to pay attention to.
You deserve to focus on the enjoyable things in life, not the things that bring you pain, suffering, and burn out.
More moments lived with a high quality existence are something everyone should have access to. Perhaps New Zealand isn’t the answer to all of your problems, but it can be the answer to a lot of them.
We truly believe this country is incredible and we’re grateful to have the chance to live here. If moving to New Zealand is something that peaks your interest, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected] so we can help you make New Zealand happen or GET ON OUR WAITING LIST for the launch of our upcoming relocation program: Zero to Zealand™.
Just because the borders aren’t currently open, doesn’t mean we can’t help you explore the options you have to move here when the time is right. It all takes planning, coordination, and organization. However we can help you with a relocation to New Zealand, we’ll be there.
All the best and happy travels,
Kelsey & The Kiwi Kit Team
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