Why did you go overseas?

Was there a job waiting for you, or more work opportunities there than NZ or your home country?

Was the pay better, were you just bored of your home country, running away from a criminal record, or stalker?

Just to see some of the world before returning home for the long run, or to begin your exploration, and never look back?

... Have you found what you left for?

I left NZ simply because i was following my heart and the person I love

After she broke up with me 3 months later I had to relook at why I was in Japan and decide if it was worth staying or not

I got a job, decided to stay and 11 months later I'm happy and things are back on track with my life and relationship. To boot I've saved a lot more than I possibley could of in NZ

Alllllllllll gooooooooooood!

Change - I needed change and in a big way!
I had a good car, job, appartment, GF, friends and social life.... Gave it all up to come to stinky London.
I experienced growing pains in the first 6 months and plenty of new adventures! I regret nothing (well, almost nothing).

I do ask myself if I was running from something, and I'm not sure I can answer that question.

Have I found what I was looking for? no.

i left NZ , to be totally honest (dont jump my throat ) because its dull, and the pays crap.....!!!
I dont think im ever coming back either..i cant really see the point..I came back once, but nothing had changed, so i left again

have i found what im lookin for..? HELL YES..excitement,adventure,culture,cheap drugs (well not so much anymore) friendly women......oh and all those gold paving stones

I left for a number of reasons change, time to move to bigger and better and I didn't run but had to walk away from a 6 year relationship. Sydney was meant to be a year stop over the next big bad city on the way to the UK from Ak. But it has turned out to be a great spot lots more oppotunity got a great job that pays really well that I never would have got in NZ. There is a good party life, made some great freinds and there are lots of lovely ladies......

To see old stuff, to see friends, to see new stuff, bored with NZ. That's why I'm heading back, and my girlfriend is coming too. YAY!

Change again. Was unmotivated and bored in Welli, not thats its a bad place, just needed a change i think.

To see friends. Had some good ones move over a few months before and missed them.

Experence. Was just time to see more of the world!

Have I found what I was looking for? Not yet. Still searching

Good thread

Was getting bored at home (plus a lot of my mates were here). Needed a change. Wanted to travel. Wanted to save money and pay off debt in NZ.

Its taken a few months to settle in but now that I have I am having the best time here. I won't be home for a very, very long time I think. I've paid my debt off back home, living comfortably, got a good job, great social life, met some fucking AWESOME people.

NZ has nothing to offer me at this point in my life. :o)

I left for a variety of reasons. Change, opportunity (both personal and occupation) but most of all a desire to "raise the bar" in terms of what I had to do to get by. I wanted to put myself to the test and see what I was capable of, and what I could achieve, discover and enjoy.

Have I found what I was looking for? yes and no. Some heartaches, but alot of good times too. And for now, I'm more than happy with what I've done in my short space away.

and for the future?
bring it.....

why has no-one else metioned the cheap drugs....??? am i on my own here...

Wanted a change from life in Welli, wanted to earn good money on a strong currency to help with my travelling. Wanted to get lost in a big city.

Have i achieved all that? Yes, tho sometimes the-being-lost-in-a-big-city isn't as cool i thought it would be. Learning to live in London has been a real challenge at times. The whole experience has been pretty positive overall, but there has def been the downtimes. I've learnt to have a sort of love-hate relationship with london - when you're up, its awesome, but when you're down, it can be a bit miserable.

But as much i love NZ, being in London has also made me realise how small and uneventful it really is. I doubt i'll be shifting back anytime soon, though i will pop back for visits.

I love being as independant as I now am and knowing that I've earned everything I have here. This is a tough city to live in sometimes but I wouldnt have it any other way.

I'm still discovering London in many ways and its still really exiciting. :o)

i think london is a city you could live in your whole life and still find out new things everyday..!!

some famous geezer said

"if your tired of london , your tired of life"

I was over there last year for 3 months getting a taste of London and thought it was amazing ! soooo much to see and do....

I liked it so much I came home, saved up and now Im heading back with my girlfriend and 4 mates, we will be there on March 29th !

Ive got 2 & 1/2 years left on my ancestry visa and cant wait to get over there, basically the resons stated by everyone hit the nail on the head, this is home (NZ) but it gets stale and theres not heaps to do.

Were all looking foward to a life style change !

and the record stores !

I consider London to be my second home. I miss it a lot. You can be yourself and not have to put up with peoples narrow mindedness and opinions, and try to conform to certain scenes and circles.

You can do you're own thing from the outset and fuck everyone else. The cool thing about that is, because no one their knows you, you don't have to put on a front, you can be your true self. Mind you I do that know, but London the first time round taught me how to do that, and find myself.

yeah man your right stuee, Ive got a couple of mates that have just completed their 2 years and are heading home and the difference in them personaly is amazing, they have come right out of their shells have soo much more confidence !

I cant wait, it'll be good to catch up over there stuee !

Aww.. now I want to go to london again... The move was planned, but was put on hold for a while. After this thread, and the email I got from Gatecrasher this (NEC, i think), I think I will have to re-initiate the plans.. may have to look at accepting that job offer...

Exploration. Its what drives many of us

i was pretty patriotic before i left NZ, but thats definatly died away now..!!
I dont think NZ is the paradise i used too..!!! its a nice place to retire though

London really grows on you I think. I can't imagine living back in NZ. Moving here was by far the BEST decision I have ever made in my life.

it is a nice cheap spot for a holiday tho..!! you geta lotof peso,s to the pound...

Yep - big ups to the pacific peso massive!!! Gonna go spend a few in a few weeks time! And then on to SE Asia, where the pound stretches a looooooooooooooonngg way...!

ill say..!! when you goto vietnam you get 5 KILOS to the £...

I'm heading to Thailand in December for 2-3 months

Word is that you can spend about $15NZ a day for EVERYTHING

My mate just got back and said that a day of elephant trekking and 4x4 driving (6 hours total) and two meals cost about $30NZ

thats about right, just dont book ANYTHING befor you go or youll pay twice as much..!!!
what sort of visa are you getting...?? the only visa ive ever had for thailand was only good for a month, iknow you can get extentions whike your in country, or do the old "cross the border turn around and come back trick" into cambodia or laos,but id like to be able to go with out my visa runningout for at least 2 months..!!

I was just gonna get stamped on the way in ...... I read in lonely planet that if you're from NZ its for 90 days

But yeah, I'm planning to go to cambodia, Laos and maybe vietnam. Heard you can apply for all the visas in bang kok
Any reccomendations?

im pretty sure the visa for thailand is onyl 28 days.....what issue is your lonely planet...?? the visa in my passport if one month only

maybe it was just me i had to cross over to cambodia and come back to get another visa issued..!! mind a a couiple of packs of marlboro will solve most problems at se asian border crossings...

there is a bit of a dodgy way of doing it as well

i was in chiang mai one year for three months, and never crossed a border once...

there are lots of travel agents on thanon moon muang, and most of these, for the price of what it costs on a bus journey up to the border, will take your passport up to the border, give the imigration guy a few bt and he will stamp it into and out of the country for them...

they normally have someone who goes up to the border with a few passports regulary... it is specifically for farangs who could not be bothered to go up there themselves....

make sure u get photocopies of your passport before u send it of and a receipt, just incase.....

From Thai Embassy in wellington website:

~New Zealand Passport Holders~

New Zealand Passport holders visiting Thailand as a Tourist for a period not exceeding 30 days do not require a Visa.
Note: Visa exemption only applies to those with following;
A valid passport
A confirmed ticket to leave Thailand within 30 days and
Process sufficient funds during period of stay (at least NZ$ 1,400)
New Zealand Passport holders visiting Thailand as a tourist for more than 30 days must obtain a Visa.