NZKF

[Laura]

Hi
I'm Laura and I practice kendo in Verona (Italy) with my boyfriend Francesco.
We are thinking to move to New Zealand in January 2011.
Now we are searching all informations about our trip (and what we need for apply for a visa)
We don't know exactly where go to live, so we have decided to start from the most natural thing for a kendoka: searching kendo dojos!
However I think we allow ourselves a little vacation to visit your beautiful country and decide where to stay. So the first weeks we will travel around.

We would like to practice with all of you!!
I can't wait for it!

Meanwhile I would like to talk with someone of you, because we are little bit scared about this project.
I would like to talk about kendo (of course) but also about NZ job situation, NZ life, and so on (so I can also improve my english )

Please, answer me!

[Robin]

Welcome, I'll try to answer any of your questions as there don't seem to be many other "members" posting on this forum.

Be sure to make a visit to The best Kendo club in NZ http://www.waikatokendo.org.nz/ in Hamilton. (That might help to get a few more replies for you. )

There aren't that many clubs in NZ so, who knows, you may get chance to visit them all.

Best wishes,

Robin.

P.S.

Is this your home club? http://www.ekkveronakendo.com/

[Laura]

Hi Robin!
Thank you for answer me!
Obviously we'll visit the best kendo club in NZ, we MUST do it!!
I've heard that Hamilton is a nice city ^^
It will be interesting to visit

Me and Francesco have taken the name of the city that have a kendo dojo and starting from these, we are looking for the rest.
Actually we are thinking about Nelson or Christchurch. We would like to pick a place in south island, but not SO south like Invercargill and so on...
Ok, I can't ask you what do you think about their dojos
But what do you think about these two places? I mean... the cost of life? the cost of houses? are the job situation good? Ok, maybe too much questions
I've heard that unemployment level in NZ is very low ^^

And also another important question.
Do you know something about animal importation?
I've a dog and 2 turtle.
I hope there will be no problems about them.
We already have A LOT of problems with the transportation.
In fact, we are thinkin to travel by ship It will be a VERY LONG trip, but funny (I hope)

http://www.ekkveronakendo.com is our website, yesss.
But is not still finished. And is not up to date
Our webmaster (my boyfriend) is a little lazy

[Robin]

Hi Laura,

Being an expat Englishmen I know a little about some of the problems you will face in your migration. For more help and information have a look here... http://www.emigratenz.org/forum/index.php

I think the main priority for you will be to find work (what do you do) and of the two places you mention, Christchurch and Nelson, I suspect the there will be far more opportunities for you in Christchurch. It is a large city where as Nelson is quite small. One of the Christchurch kendo clubs( http://www.kendo.org.nz/HTML/clubs/ckc.html ) was formed by Alex Bennett of Kendo World. http://www.kendo-world.com/

As for cost of living that is very dificult to say... when you first arrive you may think some things are very cheap as you convert NZ$ to/from Euro's but you have to remember you will be earning wages in NZ$ which may not be as high as you are used to.

For house prices look here ... http://www.realestate.co.nz/

Remember that there is a world wide recession and it is hurting NZ too.


I brought my dog over from the UK and it was pretty straight forward(lots of blood tests and forms to fill in at the vets though) and it was very expensive! It will cost more to bring your dog than it will for two of you.
I'm not sure about the turtle.

Best wishes and good luck,

Robin.

[Laura]

Are you really from England? Wow... another european person at the other side of the world ^^
I have been to London this summer
How do you bring your dog with you (in NZ)? By plane? I know that the maximum weight is 8-10 kg (with the cage). If the weight is higher, the dog is load in the hold [I don't know if this word is right] with the baggages and I don't want to.
My sensei is a veterinary and he has said to me that a high percentage of dogs (and animals) loaded there die. Because of the noise of the engines, and of the stress causated from a long period passed alone in that place, and so on.
I want my dog with me, not in another place

However, thank you for your advices. Christchurch was already the first choice on my mind.
But we haven't decided yet!
I hope there will be some good opportunity for us to find a job.
Now I'm working as a sous-chef, I like this job and I would like to go on with it (if I can). But I'm very adaptable, I've done many different jobs. I've studied languages and economics at the high school and tourism at university.
My boyfriend has a university degree in computer sciences (something like multimedial intelligent systems).
I've said to Francesco: "You could become a millionaire if you want, so I can do the kept woman!"

I think I've met Alex Bennet in Japan in october... I can't remember very well the name, but I think that was him. I have to ask to my boyfriend... he always remember the name of the people. I don't

Ok, now a very difficult question.
How is kendo in New Zealand?
I think that the most beautiful thing about being so few dojos would be that you are very close ^^ This is a great thing!!
What about kendo seminar and so on?
Here in Italy there are many dojos... and usually in this period there's a kendo seminar every week-end!
Sometimes we take the car and go to practise in dojos of other cities (in the evenings of the week that we don't have training of course )
And also we can take the plane and in an hour we can be in another country of Europe to meet other kendokas.
Here there's the possibility to see many different way to do kendo and we can learn a wide variety of things.
But New Zealand are islands!! In the middle of the ocean!!
I hope this will be not a problem for me, I'm always moving, I can't keep myself still
However, I think I'll have a lot of fun with NZ kendokas!

PS= sorry for my english, it's a little difficult for me to speak well... I'm a little "rusty" with the language

[Robin]

Hi Laura,

First thing ... don't apologise for your English, it is fine.

My dog(springer spaniel) was sent over by freight before we left England and was kept in kennels near Hamilton until we arrived. She survived the trip fine but did lose a little weight but that was a good thing because she was a bit fat to start with.

I think you both will find employment in Christchurch.

As for the kendo ... NZ is a bit isolated and because there are so few dojo's in NZ and they are far apart they don't meet up as much as you will be used to. There are not that many seminars or taikai but kendo is slowly growing in NZ and remember, NZ only has a population of around 4 million.
From Christchurch to Nelson is around 4 1/2 hr drive, Dunedin is around 4hrs and Invercargill 6hrs ... as for other countries ... it's about 3 - 4 hrs flight to Australia.

That's about all for now.

[Kawa]

Kia ora, (greetings, Hello)

There are roughly 14 dojos in New Zealand, though don't quote me on this!! I'm from the Auckland Dojo of which there are three within the boundaries of the city limits! I could be bias to say that the Auckland has the top ranked teachers in the country, but wouldn't be fair as I grew up in the Waikato region. And from my knowledge any dojo that you would visit would greet you like a member of our whanau (family), and not as a stranger to our shores. Your knowledge and appreciation of Kendo would be greatly accepted, and there would be no shortage of members willing to welcome your and your boyfriend - and your dog!! Hope your visit to Aotearoa (Land of the long white cloud - New Zealand) is a joyous one, and besides at least you get to learn some Te Reo (Maori) along the way!!

Ka kite ano (till we meet again, take care, goodbye till we see each other)
_________________
Kawatapurangi

- Remember, never be afraid of ones shadow, only the sounds that come from behind it... -