‘We only meant to stay a year’
Swiss pair love Auckland’s diverse cuisine and chilled attitude’’ but hate its poor transport system.
Swiss couple Pia and Adrian love that New Zealand is familyfriendly but can’t get used to the poor infrastructure.
What are your full names and where are you from?
Pia Wittwer and Adrian Blaser from the canton of Bern in Switzerland. Pia is from Rueegsauschachen and Adrian from Fraubrunnen.
What inspired your move?
We came for Adrian’s post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Auckland in 2001. We were meant to stay for one year and just didn’t go back. Adrian had a one-year grant from the Swiss National Science Foundation.
What do you do here?
Adrian works at the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre and I retrained as an osteopath and work from home.
What surprised you most when you first arrived?
The ‘‘can-do’’ attitude of the Kiwis and the chilled ‘‘she’ll be right’’. You get a chance to try out new things.
What are the greatest advantages to living here?
New Zealand is a great place to bring up children as they have lots of choice and opportunity and work is far more family-friendly than in Switzerland.
Disadvantages?
Terrible public transport and protection of the environment could be better. Infrastructure cannot keep up with the amount of tourists or immigration and this has a detrimental impact on the environment and people living here.
How expensive is it compared to back home?
When we first came here, it was a lot cheaper than back in Switzerland. Now it is almost more expensive in most aspects, maybe other than fresh meat and insurance (and even they creep up).
What do you do in your spare time?
Spare time? What spare time? Seriously, we ferry our three children to all their activities and are involved with the Auckland Swiss Club. A bit of walking and going to the beach. Adrian enjoys sailing.
What are your favourite Kiwi foods?
We love the huge mix and availability of ethnic foods. Much more diverse than at home.
How do you get around?
Unfortunately car mostly. Adrian rides his e-bike to work now because of the traffic.
How do you find the shopping?
Auckland offers everything you could want. Some specialised stuff like hiking gear is much more expensive here than in Europe or the US.
Favourite after-dark activity?
Chilling out with friends over wine or coffee.
Your top must-do for visitors?
Walking in the bush or a proper hike if you have time (Nelson Lakes, Waikaremoana or Tongariro).
What do you miss most?
Easy access to other countries. NZ is a long way from everything (even a trip to Oz takes over three hours’).
How easy is it for you to go home?
With three kids, not easy. It is so expensive that the last whole family trip was in 2008/2009.
If you could change one thing about NZ what would it be?
Its attitude towards developing sustainable infrastructure and forward planning.
''New Zealand is a great place to bring up children.''