Fresh Start Abroad NZ

01/09/2026

🎶 “Dis heerlike lente, die winter’s verby…” 🎶
(“It’s wonderful springtime, winter has passed…”)

If you grew up in South Africa, there’s a chance you just sang that instead of reading it... 😅

1 September = Lentedag (Spring Day) 🌷

I have such clear memories of celebrating it at school — first as a student myself, and years later when I ended up working at that very same school alongside my gran, who was a kindergarten teacher there.

And for my non-South African friends, a little context: school uniforms are a BIG part of school life in South Africa. So getting a civvies day (normal clothes day) was always exciting. 😁

Around Lentedag, we'd usually pay something like R5 (roughly 50c NZD) and get to ditch the uniform for the day — but there was normally a spring twist.

Floral dresses, bright colours, shorts and light T-shirts, flowers in your hair… and sometimes we'd have a whole theme.

The kindergarten kids already wore normal clothes, of course, but we'd still make it special with floral or colourful outfits and spring themes. 🌻

And somewhere amongst all of those memories is my gran singing:

🎶 “Dis heerlike lente, die winter’s verby…” 🎶

It's amazing which little things from home stick with you after you immigrate.

Eight years after moving to New Zealand, I'm still in the Southern Hemisphere, so 1 September still means SPRING! 🇿🇦✈️🇳🇿

So today I brought a little Lentedag with me — floral outfit, flower in my hair and all. 😆 And judging by the sunshine this morning, I think New Zealand understood the assignment too. 🙌

🇿🇦 South Africans: What do you remember about Lentedag? Did your school do anything special?

🌍 Everyone else: Did you have a tradition for welcoming spring where you grew up?

27/08/2026

A little bit of South Africa made its way into our daughter's toy collection 🇿🇦✈️🇳🇿

About two years ago, when my Mom and Gran came over from South Africa to visit us, they brought these little Checkers collectables with them and told me to keep them until our daughter was old enough to play with them.

Well… I decided it's finally time. 😁

And I think there's something so uniquely immigrant about watching your child, who is growing up in a different country, play with tiny versions of things you instantly recognise from home...
Laager Rooibos. Vaseline. A BIC pen… and of course PRITT! Tell me you didn't have one of those in your pencil case at some point! 😂

They're just little toys, and it's not necessarily the things themselves that mean so much.

It's the fact that her Ouma and Oumagrootjie collected and flew them all the way to New Zealand especially for her. 🥰

That's one of those funny little parts of immigrant life I don't think you really think about until you're living it — your children grow up with a completely different version of "home" to the one you knew, but every now and then, the people you love bring a little piece of yours into theirs. 🫶

My fellow Saffas — which one of these instantly takes you back? ☺️

24/08/2026

One thing I’ve learned through migration — both from my own journey and from helping others — is that even when you finally have a plan, life can still throw unexpected delays into the mix.

This time, it’s very personal.

My mom has been working towards coming to New Zealand to complete the practical side of her qualification, and her property in South Africa has now sold. We thought everything was lining up beautifully.

Then the purchasers’ own property sale fell through, delaying settlement and suddenly creating a race against time for Mom to get here in time for her November study plans.

It’s one of those reminders that migration is rarely just about a visa.... It’s a hundred moving pieces that all need to line up.

We’ve updated our family Givealittle with where things stand now and our wider hopes for Mom, Gran and my brother.

If you’d like to read our story, support us, share it, or simply follow along, here it is. 💙

https://givealittle.co.nz/cause/from-fear-to-safety

And if you’re currently planning your own move, this is your reminder to leave room for delays wherever you can — because sometimes the part that holds everything up has nothing to do with immigration at all.

Helping my mom, gran and brother leave uncertainty behind and build a safer future, surrounded by family and support. ❤️

21/08/2026

🇳🇿 My first pay in New Zealand… $17.25 an hour! 😅

I found my very first NZ employment agreement from 2018!

I was 22 when I immigrated, came over with Residency as a dependent child under my dad, and had finished High School but had no tertiary qualifications.

Before leaving South Africa, I was working as a kindergarten teacher with my gran and earning around R4,000 a month (~NZ$400). My rent was only R180 (~NZ$18!), and my gran and I travelled to work together and shared some of the petrol costs.

Then, just over a month after arriving in NZ, I started my first job in Wellington as a Rental Sales Agent earning $17.25/hour.

I thought I'd hit the jackpot. 🤑🤣

Of course, I soon discovered that NZ rent, groceries, petrol and general living costs were VERY different too!

For comparison, the adult minimum wage was $16.50/hour in 2018. Today, from 1 April 2026, it's $23.95/hour.

Another adjustment I hadn't expected was pay rises and bonuses. Growing up in South Africa, I remember my parents getting annual increases and sometimes bonuses, so I assumed that was just part of working life.

In NZ, annual pay rises aren't automatically guaranteed, and sometimes you need to initiate that pay conversation yourself.

It's one of those little differences you learn when starting life in a new country.

💡 If you're planning your move, don't simply convert an NZ salary into your home currency. Research what that salary will actually buy you here — rent, groceries, transport and everyday living costs.

That's one of the reasons I created Fresh Start Abroad NZ — to make that homework a little easier. ❤️🇳🇿 Head to my website — I've put together information and tools to help you research and compare what life in NZ may look like before you arrive.
🔗https://freshstartabroad.org/thinking-of-making-the-big-move/

🌍 Where did you move from? Were increases and bonuses common there? And what was your first NZ wage?

17/08/2026

🌙 A little bit of midnight magic in New Zealand… ✨

For the last little while, we’ve had the most beautiful little Song Thrush singing his heart out in the middle of the night.

And I mean the middle of the night. 😂

1am. Everything is dark. The street is completely quiet. No cars going past. Everyone is asleep.

I open the door to let the dogs outside… and there he is.

🎶 Singing his little heart out as though it’s the middle of the day.

It’s such a bizarre thing to hear at that hour — but also strangely magical.

There’s something about standing outside in the darkness, when everything feels completely still, and hearing this tiny bird somewhere in the trees singing away when it feels like nobody else in the world is listening.

It almost makes you feel a little less alone.

And I think these are some of the things about moving countries that you can’t really put on a checklist.

We talk so much about visas, rentals, jobs, schools, bank accounts and all the practical things that come with starting over…

But then there are these tiny moments.

The first bird you learn to recognise.
The sound of your neighbourhood at night.
The seasons changing.
The little things that slowly start making a foreign country feel like home.

Eight years into my own Fresh Start Abroad, and apparently one of my favourite little pieces of New Zealand is currently a song thrush holding a private concert at 1am. 😅 🐦

And honestly?

I hope he keeps singing. 💙

04/08/2026

"The South Island is too cold!" 🥶

😅... I hear this from migrants all the time!

This morning it was -3.7°C in Blenheim with a heavy frost and bright sunshine.

At the same time, Dunedin and even parts of Wellington were seeing snow! ❄️

That's the beauty of New Zealand—our climate varies hugely depending on where you live.

Yes, some places (like Queenstown, Wānaka, Tekapo and Dunedin) can get regular snow in winter, while Marlborough and Nelson rarely see snow at sea level and are among the sunniest regions in the country, with around 2,400–2,500 sunshine hours each year.

So don't write off the South Island because you've seen photos of snow! Every region has its own climate, and it's worth researching the area that best suits your lifestyle.

I've put together a page on the Fresh Start Abroad NZ website with more information about New Zealand's weather, regional climates and what you can expect throughout the year if you're planning your move.

Go to:
🔗 www.freshstartabroad.org
→ Thinking of Making the Big Move
→ 2. Where Might You Live?
→ Compare the Weather & Cost ☀️❄️🌀💧

If you already live in New Zealand, where are you and what's winter like there? 👇

18/07/2026

🎉 A huge congratulations to Ivandee from Migrant Financial Services on being recognised as a Kiwi Adviser Bronze Tier Top Performer for KiwiSaver 2026! 🥉🇳🇿

This is such a well-deserved achievement and a wonderful recognition of the dedication, professionalism, compassion and care you put into helping your clients every day!

As migrants, we're often faced with financial systems that are completely different from what we're used to. Whether it's understanding KiwiSaver, insurance, mortgages, retirement planning, or simply knowing where to start, having someone who genuinely understands the migrant journey can make all the difference.

That's one of the reasons I'm so pleased to have Migrant Financial Services listed on the Fresh Start Abroad Business Directory. I wanted the directory to be more than just a list of businesses, I wanted it to connect migrants with trusted professionals who understand the unique challenges of starting a new life in New Zealand.

Ivandee, what a fantastic recognition! It's wonderful to see your hard work, care and commitment acknowledged, and I'm looking forward to seeing you continue to help many more individuals and families build a strong financial future. 💙

25/05/2026

😂👏... Weet nie eers hoe ek dit sou probeer verduidelik vir die Kiwis nie.

Kyk, as jy nou rêrig stupid wil voel, moet jy oorsee bly en vir ’n Australiër probeer verduidelik wat ’n car guard is.

Ek probeer nou die dag vir ’n Aussie verduidelik.

“Ja nee kyk… in Suid-Afrika het ons mense by winkelsentrums wat jou help parkeer.”

Hy kyk my dood ernstig aan.
“Werk hulle vir die mall?”

“Nee…”

“Werk hulle vir sekuriteit?”

“Nee…”

“Maar hoekom wys hulle jou dan hoe om te parkeer?”

“Uhm… om te help.”

“Maar kan julle dan nie self parkeer nie?”

En dis toe waar ek begin sweet.

“Ja nee ons kán… maar hulle help dat niemand jou kar krap nie.”

Toe vra hy:
“Maar hoekom sal iemand jou kar krap?”

Nou probeer jy mooi verduidelik sonder om jou hele land soos Gotham City te laat klink.

“Nee kyk… dis net… ekstra veiligheid.”

“Het julle nie alarms op julle karre nie?”

“Ons hét.”

“Dan hoekom het julle nog ’n man nodig wat langs die kar staan?”

En skielik besef jy hoe absurd dit alles klink as jy dit hardop vir iemand moet verduidelik.

Want vir ons was dit nog altyd normaal.

Jy ry in by ’n parkeerarea en onmiddellik verskyn daar ’n oom met ’n neon baadjie uit die bosse soos ’n Pokémon encounter.

Dan begin hy vir jou hande wys asof jy besig is om ’n Airbus op OR Tambo te land.

“Kom boss… kom boss… sharp sharp… links… links… stop!”

Intussen is die parkeerplek groot genoeg vir drie Hilux bakkies en jou kar staan nog skeef ook.

Maar nou moet jy vir ’n Australiër verduidelik hoekom jy vir daai man geld gee.

“Want hy kyk na jou kar.”

“Die hele tyd?”

“Ja.”

“Maar wat doen hy as iemand iets probeer doen?”

“…Hy fluit.”

En toe bars die Aussie uit van die lag.

Die ergste van alles? Ek mis dit partykeer.

Hier in Australië parkeer jy net jou kar en loop weg. Niemand help jou nie. Niemand sê “sharp boss” nie. Niemand draf agter jou trolley aan vir ’n coin nie.

Net stilte.

Dis amper hartseer.