‘Moving to NZ saved my life’
Brit Sarah Bernstone lists our public health system as the best thing about moving here. Forget ‘the tall poppy thing’ though.
What’s your name and where are you from?
Sarah Bernstone and I was born in England, lived in the Lebanon and Portugal as a child, and studied in Scotland.
What inspired your move?
When I married a Kiwi in 1997 it was always on the cards that we would one day bring our children to New Zealand to experience the classic Kiwi childhood he remembered so fondly. We made the move to Auckland in 2009, and he changed career radically – from managing hedge funds to running his own recording studio.
What do you do here?
I work as a receptionist and office mama for 2degrees; on my afternoons off, I try to get out to a beach with the dog.
What surprised you most when you first arrived?
How the ‘‘100% clean green New Zealand’’ image did not refer to anything tangibly ‘‘green’’ in environmental terms. On a more positive note – I loved the whole two degrees of separation thing. I took a call at work from my husband’s second cousin in Invercargill and I’ve met Rhys Darby twice (even got to be an extra on Tall Poppies).
What are the greatest advantages to living here?
I love the laidback lifestyle – I kicked off my shoes and never looked back! But for me personally, the best thing is the health system. I had my first mammogram at 46; they discovered DCIS, the precursor to breast cancer, and found it was growing very fast; within eight weeks I had had a successful mastectomy and the cancer had not spread. Had I been in the UK, I would not have received screening for another four years, and given the malignance of my cancer, even if I had found a lump maybe six months further down the line, it would have been terminal. Moving to New Zealand literally saved my life.
Disadvantages?
Distance - from everywhere – both inside and outside New Zealand.
How expensive do you find it compared to back home?
Food at supermarkets is pretty expensive – though eating out is surprisingly reasonable. However, there are so many free things to do here – going to beaches, surfing, tramping, swimming at waterholes etc.
What do you do in your spare time?
Exploring: I made it my mission for several years to visit 10 new places a year. I also enjoy new experiences like blackwater rafting in Waitomo, the harbour bridge climb, hiking up Rangitoto, to name but a few.
How do you find the shopping?
I am a huge fan of Savemart [recycled clothing store]. Fortunately, Kiwis are less judgmental so nobody comments when you are in last year (or last decade’s) clothing.
Favourite after-dark activity?
Movies in the Park or Silo Cinema at Auckland’s Silo Park in the summer
What are the top three things you recommend for visitors?
A trip to Rotorua. Ninety Mile Beach. A walk on one of Auckland’s west coast beaches – Karekare is our favourite
Besides family and friends, what do you miss most about home?
Home is New Zealand! But if you mean the UK, then it has to be Muller corner yoghurts!
What’s one thing you’d change about NZ?
The negativity among some of the population is frustrating, like the tall poppy thing.
Kiwis have a tendency to bemoan their fate a lot, without realising how good they have it compared to so many other countries.