Jack Martin's Blog

Time for another update on the Martin adventure

The past few months at work have been really intense with a lot achieved in a short space of time. The global recession has started to really take root in New Zealand with shoppers holding back on spending, particularly on luxury items. Auckland stores however have improved in all areas and I now have a team of Managers and stores that I can be proud of and that will build a sustainable platform for growth going forward.

On the home front, the family are doing great and the boys are growing at an alarming rate. I can’t believe how big Corey is getting and how his personality is changing. Where has my baby boy gone? This year he has really started to get the Kiwi rugby bug and started to support the Auckland Blues Rugby team which play in the Super 14 league.  This is a mixture of Australian, South African and New Zealand teams and is without doubt the most competitive and physical league in the world. We went to many games this year and Corey was over the moon when we got to meet the team and get all of their autographs. Rugby is a religion here, similar to soccer in the UK, however the game is much more in touch with the supporters and is better managed.  This means that kids like Corey have access to meeting their heroes and All Black legends regularly without any egos or security getting in the way. As for me, I was more interested in talking to the Cheerleaders!!

Dylan also continues to thrive and I was really proud to watch him be awarded “Head of Academic Council” for his school year. He is also going through a lot of changes both physically and emotionally as he is making the transition into “the dreaded teenage years”, however he has really impressed me with his focus and his maturity. I don’t just have a son anymore; I also have a best friend.

His new role has opened up more learning opportunities for him and he has attended leadership courses to help him. Dylan also had a major project on Entrepreneurship and how to start a business. Not being shy, he asked me if I could “have a word” with Sir Stephen Tindall, the founder of The Warehouse to see if he could interview him. I sent Stephen an email, expecting him to be much too busy as he spends a lot of his time travelling as an Ambassador for his charity “The Tindall Foundation” which is dedicated to giving help to New Zealanders in need. He emailed me straight back and was more than happy to meet with Dylan. What a fantastic man who exemplifies what is great about the business he built. Dylan was very excited and proud to meet such a charismatic but also humble man and he learnt a lot not only about business but also about character. We were also delighted and proud when Stephen was knighted in July for his services to New Zealand - it was a great honour for a great person.

Dylan’s friend Mike, from the UK, came to visit us in April and we took the opportunity to do some travelling and exploring. We headed back down to Lake Taupo as there were a lot of areas we hadn’t seen on our last trip. We went hiking, climbing and a lot of other physical activity which I’m still recovering from.  But once again this beautiful country just blows me away around every corner. We climbed to the top of Mount Ngauruhoe which was fantastic, another extinct volcano.  Although there were still warning signs about tremors and gas explosions which were slightly alarming considering they were at the top of the mountain - so there wasn’t a lot we could do about it! The views were breathtaking, and the terrain was almost moon like due to the volcanic rock formations.

We also visited Huka Falls in Taupo which is New Zealands most visited natural tourist attraction.  At the Huka Falls, the Waikato River, which is normally 100m wide, is squeezed through a 20 metre wide gorge and over a 20m drop. Every second up to 220,000 litres of water gushes through the gorge and shoots out over 8 metres beyond to create a beautiful blue/green pool. The name Huka is the Maori word for ‘foam’, which is appropriate as the falling water and rapids certainly resembles foam, Dylan said that it reminded him of the scene in Lord of the Rings when the river rose up and swallowed the Ringwraiths that were chasing Frodo.

This year has also seen a major project completed in work. The Warehouse landed “Project Invigorate” which was a focus on putting the right people in the right place at the right time to serve the customer. This was a massive piece of work and incorporated a complete change to way that The Warehouse operated in the stores, how the management teams behaved and how the teams served the customer.

Every store and every team member was affected and it took almost 3 months to roll out in Auckland. I was very proud with how my teams handled the change and the support I got from the project teams. To celebrate, I got the Store Managers and the Project team together and we had a great day running an Amazing Race around Auckland, finishing off with a barbeque. We all had a fantastic night.

Another night of note was the “Big Night In” Telethon which was a charity event for the Kids Can charity which supports under privileged children in NZ.  The Warehouse was platinum sponsors of this event. It was a full weekend of TV events and was broadcast live on TV3. It’s very similar to the Children in Need night that the BBC run in the UK. I volunteered for the Friday night and was put in charge of “Door Security” due to my small frame and very shy personality! 

On the run up to the event, The Warehouse stores were a frenzy of fund raising activities and we had some amazing pledges from the stores. In total The Warehouse raised nearly $500k which was a quarter of the total $2 million raised. I had an absolute ball on the door, rubbing shoulders with the TV elite of New Zealand and getting to meet some great people. I was also very proud to play my part in the event. The highlight was getting to meet Richie MaCaw, the All Blacks Captain and although this is hard to say for an Irishman, the best back row forward in the world.

Life continues to roll along but better to roll in a beautiful environment, working for a fantastic company, watching your children thrive and excel.

It couldn’t get much better!!!

Wow, 2008 has been and gone and it’s now 2009

I’ve been a token Kiwi for over a year now and it’s time for another update.

The adventure continues and it’s been a very intense few months since I last updated you. Taking over the Auckland Region has been a real learning experience and has led me to change a lot of how I think and work. The marketplace is extremely competitive and Auckland customers are a lot more discerning when it comes to purchasing. The shift in the global economy has also had major impacts in the Retail sector and we’re seeing people spend less and be more selective. Christmas this year came very late as customers held on until the last minute. Every Retailer seemed to be offering deals upon deals and the choice was huge however, we were able to keep ourselves ahead and finished very strongly. In fact, we had our biggest day in history on Christmas Eve which was thrilling but also very draining. Auckland is a great city and is very diverse; each store has its own challenges and uniqueness. The Warehouse continues to challenge and inspire me and I’m loving it. I’ve also been selected for Leadership Development this year which will give me the opportunity to grow with this fantastic business. I ‘d like to utilise a lot of the skills that I brought with me and take on bigger challenges in the future and I’m being given the opportunity to do this.

We also moved house in December. The house in Albany was a great start for us to get settled however we wanted to get a bit more remote, closer to the sea and have more space. Having looked around for a few months and viewed a number of diverse properties, we decided on a move to West Harbour. The downturn in the housing sector also allowed us to look at houses that would have been outside our range when we first arrived. We’re still renting as I thought it prudent to wait until I have my residency before buying as the banks tend to be more favourable to you when you are a resident. We got a much bigger, more modern house with a massive garden and orchard with scenic views of the harbour and the city for the same rent that we were paying for the house in Albany. The sunsets are breathtaking.

It’s stunning and having a large garden means so much to the boys. They are out every night playing ball and jumping on their trampoline. I can also honestly say that we have found a home and are really settling in for the long term.

Caroline has changed jobs and is now working for Country Road, a high end apparel company in its Albany Mall store. She works 4 days a week from 9 to 2 which fits with the boys schooling perfectly. It’s great to see her have a little independence and make new friends. She also gets a large allowance and discount on all store clothes so needless to say she is loving it. I have never seen a wardrobe change so quickly!!!!

The boys finished their school year in December for the Christmas break, which is the equivalent of the summer holidays in the UK. Dylan did exceptionally well and got very high marks in his end of year exams at Pinehurst. He also received an award in Mathematics and has been put into the Academy classes in English, Maths and Science for 2009. We are so proud of him. Corey also did superb, winning the academic achievement award for the Junior School in Albany Primary. It’s amazing the impact that Dylan has on him and how much he pushes himself when Dylan does well. Corey is an absolute joy to have. I think back to my time in the UK and the pressure I was constantly under and how much this impacted on my ability to spend quality time with them. This move has been a revelation and the boys have grown so much this year and I have been there with them every step of the way. I would not have been able to say this if I had not made the move. That makes it worth it in itself.

With the boys having an extended break, we took the opportunity to explore more of Auckland. Out West is the Waitakere Ranges which is a huge area of natural forest, mountain ranges and stunning beaches about half an hour from the city. There are many hiking trails and our favourite was the Cascade walk which culminated in a huge waterfall at Fairy Falls.

We visited Auckland Museum and Auckland Zoo. The Museum is a great place to find out the history of New Zealand and about the Maori culture. There is also a fantastic War exhibition, which chronicles the part that New Zealanders had in Great War and World War 2. It’s amazing to see how many New Zealanders fought in the Wars especially given the distance to Europe in a time when all travel was done at sea. It was also good to give the boys a real understanding of the Country, its cultures and history. The boys loved exploring it and particularly liked the weapons exhibition.

The Zoo is also a great place to take the family. Rather than small cages, it has wide expansive enclosures that you walk around and you get very close to the animals. Corey loves animals and when I asked him what his favourite part was, he said “Everything!!!”

Christmas was weird this year as we celebrated it by having a BBQ with friends on a warm summer day. The Kiwi’s love Christmas and celebrate it exactly the same as back home but it’s strange to see Santa and Snowmen in 30 degree heat. Walking around in shorts and jandals with heavy sun block on listening to “Let it Snow” and “White Christmas” is a bit surreal. But I’d much rather have that than be cold, damp and dark back home.

Straight after Christmas, we took a week off and spent it in Omaha Beach which is North of Auckland about an hour from the city. We rented a bach, which is a Kiwi holiday home, a stones throw from the beach. The weather was glorious and the boys spent most days in the surf, body boarding and swimming.

Not far from Omaha is a marine reserve called Goat Island. You can go scuba diving and snorkelling there and the marine life is unbelievable. I took Dylan out and I watched him swim through shoals of fish. We saw manta rays, octopus, squid and numerous types of fish. We also went exploring the rock pools and Corey spent most of his time picking up huge starfish and crabs. He took a lot of convincing about returning them and not bringing them home as pets.

2008 was a year of tremendous change for us and we’ve achieved a lot in such a small space of time. We’re absolutely sure that the move we made was right and New Zealand has more than exceeded our expectations. If you’re considering a move here then hopefully in reading this blog, you’ll see how fantastic your quality of life can be. But I think the biggest impact on this is working for a Company that allows you to have the best of both. The Warehouse has lived up to every promise and my only regret is that I didn’t make this move years ago.

Bring on 2009!!!!!

I can’t believe it’s now 9 months….

I can’t believe it’s now 9 months since we arrived. It’s only when I sat down to write this that I realised how much I’d done since the last update.

My Mum, and brother Peter, came to visit us in July and stayed for 5 weeks.  My Mum never really flew anywhere until we started to move and thanks to the “pull” of the grand kids she has been to USA, Asia and now New Zealand.

Mum couldn’t get over how much like Ireland, New Zealand actually is.  I think she was expecting to experience a very different climate and culture but she was amazed at how familiar it was. She came over to celebrate her 75^th birthday with us and we kept it a secret from the boys. They were absolutely shocked and delighted when they came home and found their granny sitting in the living room. For the first time ever, we wanted to make her trip and her birthday unforgettable so we took her up north to see the bay of islands and the beautiful coastlines. We spent a few days in Paihia and then went up to Cape Reinga which is the most northern point. There is a lighthouse and stunning views there.  The Maori believe that it is where the spirits of the dead leave the land and travel out to sea and we spent time just sitting and taking it all in.

We came back via the west coast and went into Waipoua forest to see “Tane Mahuta” or the “God of the Forest” an ancient Kauri tree which is over 2000 years old. It’s an incredibly spiritual place and my mum got very emotional when she came upon the tree. She started to cry and said a prayer for all of the friends and family she had lost. It’s the third time I have visited this sacred place and I always leave feeling a sense of awe and wonder.  I’m sure Mum will carry the memory of the ancient tree with her always.

We also spent a week down at Lake Taupo which is in the centre of the North Island approx 4 hours drive from Auckland. I rented a house in Omori which is close to the southern tip of the lake and a town called Turangi. Although it was the middle of NZ winter, we got fantastic weather, it was chillier in the evenings but the house had a roaring log fire and the skies were so clear that we could watch the sunset on the lake and sit and reminisce under a blanket of stars. It was a 30 min drive to the village of Whakapapa which is at the base of Mount Ruapehu. This has some of the best snow fields and skiing on the Island and the views were simply breathtaking. Peter Jackson used the mountain to depict Mount Doom in the Lord of the Rings films. There are also some amazing hikes.  We went to the Tongariro Alpine crossing which has glacial valleys, rare plants and stunning volcanic formations. The trek took the best part of a day but was well worth it as the views were absolutely spectacular - we trudged through snow drifts and saw huge ice formations. What also amazed me was the attention to detail with public facilities, paths and even cabins for the hikers to stay in should the weather turn bad.

Changes have also come at work. I’ve now been tasked with the Auckland Region which covers all of the major stores in central Auckland.  Although I was sad to give up the Northern Region, I know my new role will give me the opportunity to help turn around the decline in the Auckland marketplace. The city has seen a lot of changes in the retail environment over the past few years especially with the opening of the large malls in Sylvia Park and Albany and the marketplace has become much more competitive. We have some awesome stores and fantastic teams in Auckland so I’m really looking forward to guiding then to success in the future.

Every year the Warehouse holds a Conference in each of its Regions as a thank-you to all of the staff and their partners. A time to come together, reflect on the challenges and celebrate the successes of the previous year and to have a bloody good night with your friends and fellow colleagues. Having been to many conferences with different companies throughout my career, many of which I can’t remember either the day or the content, I really wanted to do something special as a thank-you and a goodbye to my old Region and hopefully have them talking about until next year. I decided on the theme ‘Being Proud - proud of yourself, proud of your family, proud of your team, proud of your store, proud of The Warehouse and proud of your country. We held the conference at the Copthorne Bay of Islands Resort on the 20^th September and it was a magical day and evening. I was able to bring Caroline and the boys and they got fully involved which really drove home the family pride piece. We also had “a night at the Oscars” theme for the evening where everyone dressed up. I gave out oscars to store hero’s which were voted for by the teams and awards for Manager and Store of the year. We had over 500 people all of who had a great time and danced the night away.

Home life is also going really well. Dylan is continuing to excel in Pinehurst, so much so that we are considering putting Corey into the school next year. Dylan went on school camp to Wellington and Caroline volunteered to go too. I thought Dylan would have asked me but he said that I might embarrass him in front of some of the girls on the trip by trying to get him a girlfriend. There’s me thinking I was a cool dad !!!  They had a great time and went to Weta Workshops and Film Studios where the creatures and props from Lord of the Rings were created and they also visited Parliament buildings and had tea with the Governor General!

He has also got selected for the school basketball team and plays every week. Corey is also thriving and doing really well. He is growing so quickly and it’s amazing to see the change in him since we arrived.  He is so confident and out going. I’m really looking forward to the summer and spending time with them at the beach. Caroline decided that with the boys doing so well, that she would go back to work for a day a week to make friends and have something for herself. She is working in a kids boutique and is loving it.  My only concern is that currently she is spending more than she earns in the shop. Which thinking about it, is a great way to run a business, perhaps The Warehouse should employ a lot more Caroline’s!

My adopted team the All Blacks won the Bledisloe cup this year which is the tri nation tournament between Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. I got to see the home games played at Eden Park with the boys and you cannot put into words the atmosphere and the emotions when the All Blacks do the Haka. I can’t wait until next years super 14’s and tri nations.

I finally got time to get my New Zealand drivers license. I had been told about test papers that had to be done but Caroline found out that you can get your license changed through the AA (Automobile Association). You simply visit the shop, produce your current UK license, your passport, a bill with your address in NZ on it and pay $44 (£20). They give you a quick eye exam and take your photo and that’s it!!! All done in half an hour.

In summary, life continues to be great, family are happy and my job is challenging and rewarding.

My Dad used to say, “life unfolds and with it brings infinite possibilities” - in this country, how right he was!!

I will update you soon….

I have now been in New Zealand for almost 5 months…

I have now been in New Zealand for almost 5 months so I thought I would update you all on my progress. What a journey this has been and what a great adventure we are having. New Zealand has definitely lived up to all of our expectations and we are really enjoying life. One of the challenges I set myself was to get out and see this beautiful Country and what it has to offer. I didn’t want to fall into the trap that I have in the past where work takes over everything and you put your head down and when you finally lift it, a year has gone and you haven’t achieved anything that you set out to.

My colleagues at the Warehouse have really encouraged me to get out and travel and have given me the confidence to do this. The work life balance is definitely not a myth here, its reality and I have done more in the past 5 months that I had done in 5 years in the UK. The weather has also been great and the warm summer has extended into autumn. As I am writing this, the Warehouse have started their winter sales in earnest but yet it is averaging 20 degrees here during the day and there are some people still walking around in shorts and flip flops. If this were the UK, we would be freezing in the rain and snow and feeling sorry for ourselves. Covering Northland has given me a great opportunity to see this beautiful and picturesque part of New Zealand. I took the family up to Paihia which is a seaside town situated in the Bay of Islands which is quite simply stunning. We spent 4 days there, swimming, kayaking, parasailing and exploring. We also went Dolphin watching and got to swim with them. Can you imagine the sense of wonder and awe my kids got from being up close to dolphins in the wild, it was amazing.

It is also home to Waitangi were the Treaty of New Zealand was signed in 1840 which I really wanted the boys to see as it gave them a real understanding of how New Zealand became a Country and how important the Maori culture is to its history. Corey and Dylan loved watching the Maori dancing and were happy to become honorary warriors and participate in the Haka.

We also went to Manganui, which is a small village further North, which has a restaurant with the reputation of the “best fish and chips in New Zealand” which we were happy to put to the test and were not disappointed. I took the boys to the pier and we got our fishing rods out. In New Zealand, you can “drop a line” anywhere in the sea and fish and it was amazing to watch Corey pull out a snapper after only a few minutes. The water was crystal clear and teaming with fish and we spent a few hours catching them and throwing them back.

We took a week out and went to Rotorua, which is about 3 hours south east of Auckland. On the way, we stopped off in Matamata at the Lord of the Rings, Hobbiton movie set and had a guided tour around Hobbiton. Dylan is a real fan of the films and he said it was the best trip he had ever done as he got to stand at Bag End and at the tree were Bilbo disappeared. Our guide was very knowledgeable and told us lots of stories from the time of the filming, it was a magical experience.

Rotorua is a large town situated on 2 lakes, which are the centre of volcanic and thermal activity. We rented a cabin in the Blue Lake holiday park, which was great and had everything we needed. I got up every morning and did a 5km run around the Blue Lake through the forest park. We visited Hells Gate, which is a thermal spa, and volcanic landscape park and the boys got to see nature at its best. Mud pools, sulphur lakes and hot pools. They also got to participate in a wood carving class and made their own Maori plaques. Other highlights of the trip included a visit to a Maori village, watching and holding Kiwi birds at the sanctuary and the cable cars and luge which is a race track down the side of a mountain which the boys absolutely loved although I ended up with a few scrapes and bumps from trying to go too fast around
tight bends.

Life settling in has also been good. There are always worries when you first move such as will the kids settle into school without their work being disrupted and will the wife be able to find friends to socialise with and be happy. The schools are great and Corey was happy from his first day at Primary school, he made friends easily and has been doing fantastically well. The school have recognised his ability and have tailored schoolwork to stretch and challenge him. Caroline has also made friends with a lot of the mums and has a great network of friends now. Many of the parents are in similar circumstances to us as Auckland has a lot of migrants and locals and she has found it very easy to find friends who share similar interests to her.

We took a slightly different tact with Dylan as he had always been very strong academically and the worry was that the state school system would not be challenging enough for him. Having spent a few years in Hong Kong, he was already almost a year ahead of the New Zealand curriculum and we decided to move him to Pinehurst Academy, which is a private school with the Cambridge curriculum. This has proved an excellent investment as Dylan is excelling and is really focused. He has made lots of friends and is very happy and content.

Work for me has also been everything that I hoped it would be. The Warehouse has promised much but has also delivered. I spent the first 5 weeks doing inductions and meeting lots of people especially in the Support Office in Auckland. I have since then been let loose on my Region were I have been getting to know all of my teams and to slowly understand New Zealand retail and the customer. Life is a lot less stressful here and the marketplace is a lot easier to work in. That’s not to say you are not pushed and work hard but rather that you have more time to appreciate things and plan ahead. I can honestly say that I am finally getting to enjoy making a difference and feel as if my contribution is valued. All too often in the UK, there was no time to do this - it was always moving from one problem to the next. I currently manage 11 large format stores from Downtown Auckland, through the North Shore to Waipapa and Kaitaia in the North. The Warehouse has a great history and heritage with New Zealand customers and I feel very proud to work in such an iconic business. The people have been very welcoming and helpful. It’s been also great to be able to share experiences from my previous roles, which my colleagues have really embraced. The New Zealand economy has slowed recently and Global issues such as fuel and commodity prices have had an impact. This is why we have decided to rent for the first year as many are advising us that house prices will fall and we will get a much better deal in the future. Driving is a breeze as everything is so familiar and on the right side. The only thing you have to watch is the give way rule, which takes a bit of time getting used to. I can drive on my UK license for the first year and have already started to plan for the NZ test. My work permit allows me to be here for the next 2 years and I will be looking into applying for permanent status next year.

As you I am sure aware, Rugby is a religion over here and I have even blown the dust of my boots and started playing again. Alas! the mind is willing but the body is currently in shock and trying to remind me that I am not as I used to be. I have taken the boys to Eden Park, which is the Mecca of All Black Rugby to see the home side; the Auckland Blues play in the super 14 series against South African and Australian sides. Although they didn’t win the title, the games were very competitive and the atmosphere at the ground was brilliant and very family friendly. I have also got tickets to the All Blacks vs. England game and cant wait to see my newly adopted country destroying the Poms although I had very different loyalties when the All Blacks played Ireland.

Life is good, work is challenging but fulfilling and we are really happy. I will keep you updated on my progress.

Hi, my name is Jack Martin and I am a Regional Manager for the Warehouse.

I joined the Company in January 2008 and have just emigrated to New Zealand with my wife and two kids. Changing jobs is a daunting experience but changing jobs and moving to the other side of the world is life changing. You are more than likely listening to this because you are interested in the prospect of living and working in New Zealand and are hopefully considering the Warehouse as a possible employer. I thought it would be helpful if I recorded this blog to share my experiences with you which I hope in some way you will find useful.

Change comes to all of us at times during our lives; we all strive to improve our situation and quality of life such as changing jobs or changing home. Every so often we come to a crossroads on our journey and decide whether to continue down the same path or go down a different road, for example, when we weigh up if the job that we are doing is enjoyable and challenging or the Company we are working for is giving us the development and career progression that we want and deserve.

I had come to the decision that I was not going to get everything that I wanted from the Company I was working for in the UK and that it was time for a change. It was also at this point that I took a real look at what the next ten years looked like for me and my family. I had for several years been unhappy with the way the UK was changing, crime was rising and safety and security was eroding. Being the dad of two young children, I really worried about the future and the ability to keep them safe. I also found that society was changing and becoming much more withdrawn and that public services were stretched with the changes in European borders and immigration control or the lack of it.

I wanted and needed to change. The biggest worry I had was that I was spending all this time working really hard and my kids were growing up without me in an environment that wasn’t giving them a real quality of life.

I had as many of us do, thought about working and living abroad, but hadn’t really considered it as reality up until now. I suppose the easy thing was to weigh up the pros and cons. I could think of a hundred reasons to stay in my job and in the UK and only a few reasons to move but the few to move were much more tangible and motivating. I did however have three other people to consider and it was vital that everyone was onboard especially my wife as this had to be a joint decision.

I had made a move earlier in my career to the USA and had made the decision myself. I thought that if I made myself happy and was doing something that I enjoyed that everything would fall into place and that my wife would be happy to. I learnt to my cost however that putting up with it because she loved me and wanted to make me happy was not the basis for a successful move and it ultimately didn’t work and we returned home.

This time it had to be a joint decision and had to include the kid’s thoughts as well. Dylan, my son is twelve and had his independence and network of friends so there was absolutely no point in moving him if it was going to worsen his quality of life and effect his education. I had to ensure that he felt engaged and that he had been part of the decision. It was much easier for Corey as being 6, everyday was an adventure and moving was only a small distraction.

So began months of soul searching and decision making, where should we go, what opportunities are available and also the impacts such as, should we sell our house and what about our extended family. We both come from very close families and Caroline was uncertain how the move would effect her Mum and Dad and how she could keep that closeness that she had and also get over the hurdle of them seeing the grandkids regularly. I suppose everyone who moves abroad goes through this, I think it comes down to personal circumstances and how heavily you rely on them. You can see your family everyday and not spend quality time with them, the thought of being able to offer them an amazing experience to come out to New Zealand for an extended holiday and how easy it is to talk on videophone with Skype and Messenger on the pc, made the decision easier but still painful.

It was also vital that I had a job secured as part of the move otherwise the step would be too big.

I had years earlier, toured New Zealand and Australia in my Rugby playing days and always remembered the familiarity and affinity I had with New Zealand. I also had many friends and colleagues who had family or friends who had emigrated there and were very positive about it, the people, the culture and above all, the quality of life. It also helped that my son was a huge Lord of the Rings fan. It also helped that simple things like being able to speak the language, driving on the same side of the road as I was use to etc made it much more appealing. We did a lot of research, looking on the web, buying books etc and got a real feel for the move as much as you could from not actually visiting. Working in retail, I had looked at the big retail companies and one really stood out to me and that was the Warehouse. A business that is ingrained into the culture of the country and is a kiwi success story, built by kiwi’s to improve the lives of everyone in New Zealand. The story of how Stephen Tindall had setup the business and grew it into the largest GM retailer in NZ really appealed to me and I knew that I had to contact them.

So I applied on the website and they got back to me almost immediately.  During the early communications, it impressed me that they really cared about me and my decision making and ensured that I had all of the facts about emigrating. Lloyd and Shari from the HR team were fantastic and keep in regular contact with me, so much so that I did not contact any other retail company; I had found the one I wanted to work for.

But how could I make this decision without actually seeing and experiencing the Country and the Warehouse, the truth is I couldn’t and I decided to jump on a plane a come out. Twenty four hours is a long journey and the largest I have ever made but its amazing how international travel has become so easy.

The world is a much smaller place now and travel is much easier. I flew to Auckland via Los Angeles in September for a week and it was definitely worth the effort. From the moment I stepped off the plane I knew that it was right. Shari had setup some stores for me to look at and took great pains to apologise for the weather as it was a very chilly 20 degrees. The first thing that struck me was how green it was, much like my homeland Ireland. Auckland is a dynamic city were lots of different cultures meet and where you are never far from a beach. I also found the people very friendly and engaging.

The Warehouse was a great business with lots of opportunity and I knew that if I came to work for them that I would be working in a challenging and rewarding environment and that I could really add value. The trip also quelled the uncertainty piece and the lots of unanswered questions so all in all well worth the investment. I suppose it also showed the Warehouse how serious I was about the move. I am sure there are lots of people who express interest but shy away when it comes to the crunch, or even some who sell up and come out having never visited or done enough research and then find it difficult to settle.

The school system is quite easy although on the web, its looks daunting. Basically where you decide to live is where your kids will go to school. They rate the schools by decile out of 10 and for example nearly all of the stores on the North Shore of Auckland are rated 10 out 10.

So I returned from my trip really buzzed up and excited and after sitting down with Caroline and the kids, we decided to go for it. The Warehouse made me an offer and I accepted. I should say that if you are expecting to achieve a similar salary to that in the UK then you will be disappointed however quality of life, wide open space, beautiful scenery, temperate climate and great people more than makes up for this.

And this is where the leap of faith happens. Any offer of employment is subject to you getting a work visa and I had to hand in my notice before I had this. The great thing is that the Warehouse is an accredited employer which employs you on the talent category. Basically this means that all of the initial letter of interest and points system through immigration is not needed and you can go straight to application, all you need is a copy of the accreditation letter which the Warehouse provided me with to submit with my offer of employment.

 A lot of people will pay immigration experts hundreds if not thousands of pounds to manage this for them. I decided to do this myself as the process seemed pretty straight forward and my UK employers asked me to work 3 months notice which gave me time. I printed off the application forms from the NZ immigration website. I needed 2 full working visa applications for myself and Caroline and 2 student applications for the boys. The biggest waiting on the process is for the Police checks which take a minimum of 40 days so my advice to anyone who is even thinking of applying is to do that straight away. It only costs 10 pounds in the UK but could really slow up the process if done later. You apply for these through the Metropolitan Police website. Being married I also needed the supplementary partners form which needs to be signed by a Justice of the peace, this isn’t a Police officer but someone who has been sworn in by the courts, most solicitors can do this. You need to provide evidence of partnership with this so I included a joint bank statement, a copy of the mortgage in both our names and some joint bills such as Council tax. I also included work references which I had obtained for this purpose as they do not accept a CV.

The main applications have to have photos attached and you will need at least 4 of each for medicals etc. You have to include a full medical form and chest x-ray which you print off the website and take with you to be completed. We found a doctor and medical centre from the approved list on the immigration website and got an appointment almost straight away. The medical is very detailed so it is better to be honest from the start and ensure that you give them a full history as this could slow up the process if they find something you haven’t disclosed.

It may sound daunting to have full medicals and x-rays but it also reassures you that New Zealand has a very stringent immigration process. The Doctor was really helpful and gave us lots of advice. Medicals and x-rays cost us 700 pounds and the visa applications cost 300.

You can submit your application by post but I decided to do it face to face at New Zealand House in London. This was much better as it gave me a friendly face and contact to check on progress. They take your application to process and then contact you to update you. I had a girl called Kim who was great. It’s better if you can get a rapport going with them as they tend to be much more amenable. We had our visas within 3 weeks and went home to Ireland to spend Christmas with the family before flying out.

We also decided to sell our house in England as part of the move. For me, this move was a life changing one and I didn’t want to make it easy to come back if it proved difficult at the start. Having the house would have kept a connection with the UK and we wanted to make this work and so the commitment was secured with the sale of our house.

So, we finally arrived on 3^rd of January and started our new life. The Warehouse gave me 2 weeks to get settled before starting which gave us time to find a nice home and checkout schools etc. We decided to rent a nice house in Albany which is a suburb on the North Shore of Auckland. As its summer here, the schools didn’t open until the first week in Feb and we just basically went to the open day and enrolled the boys. Dylan goes to Albany Junior High which is an intermediate school and Corey goes to Albany Primary. It was really easy and the boys love it. Caroline also has really embraced the change, there is so much to see and do here. Great shopping, coffee shops and restaurants as well as the beach. We have also enrolled the boys in sporting and drama clubs as you are spoilt for choice. The kiwi’s live to work and everything is geared around lifestyle and outdoors. House prices are much more affordable and you can get a nice 4 bedroom house in a very safe and well serviced estate for half the price of the UK.

The Warehouse is a great place and has more that met my aspirations and I am really enjoying learning the business. My region covers the north tip of the North Island which contains some of the most stunning coastlines and scenery on the planet and I am getting paid to drive through it everyday. We have some great people working here and I am looking forward to building my life and career in such a fantastic and rewarding place. The boys are having a ball and we have squeezed more into the past 5 weeks than I had done in 5 years in the UK.

I can honestly say that I definitely made the right choice.