By Brett Corlett | Soft Landing Podcast
Introduction
In this blog post, based on Episode 6 of the Soft Landing podcast, I share how my family finally began to feel at home after months of uncertainty. From settling into our third rental, unpacking our container, and maintaining a Kiwi garden, to navigating school and kindy enrollment, this episode reveals the real emotional and practical journey of finding stability in New Zealand.
What This Episode Covers
– Moving into a third rental and setting up home
– Receiving our shipping container and unpacking
– Garden maintenance and learning how to mow lawns
– Getting kids into school and kindy
– Building community and feeling safe
– The joy of holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween in NZ
– Moving again after being given notice and not panicking
– Tips for future immigrants about mindset, routines, and thriving
Highlights from the Journey
After three moves in six weeks, we finally settled into a rental where we could breathe. We built flatpack furniture, scouted secondhand deals, and waited patiently for our container to arrive, packed with sentimental treasures and items that would make our rental feel like home.
Learning how to mow the lawn, manage garden waste, and handle New Zealand’s recycling system were all new challenges. I share the importance of buying the right tools, including battery-powered lawnmowers and weed eaters and the lesson learned from using an electric mower with a cord!
Schooling was another milestone. We delayed enrolling our son until he was emotionally settled, placing him in a local public school with the intention to eventually transfer him to a semi-private school. Our daughter started kindy and later moved to one more aligned with her needs. Government-subsidized 20-hour kindy care helped make this transition smoother.
Community life in New Zealand stood out as one of the biggest blessings, kids walking to school safely, beach visits just 3km away, and community events like food truck evenings, Christmas light competitions, and neighborly generosity. These moments solidified our sense of belonging.
Even when we were unexpectedly given notice to vacate just before Christmas, we didn’t panic. With a reliable process for securing rentals, we quickly found a new home in the same neighborhood, keeping our school routines intact and continuing to grow roots in New Zealand.
Final Thoughts
Adjusting to life in New Zealand isn’t easy. It takes time, emotional resilience, and practical planning. But for us, every challenge has been worth it. We are now on track for permanent residency and working toward citizenship. More importantly, we feel like we finally found a place to call home.
🎧 Listen to Episode 6
📢 Stay Connected
I’d love your help.
The Inner Circle App is coming soon — a free space for migrants to connect, learn, and belong in New Zealand. We’d love your input! Help us shape it so it truly supports your needs.
https://forms.gle/FuTEd7cMwv7jzSK56
Follow my Soft Landing podcast and subscribe to my YouTube channel @softlandingnz for real stories, walkthroughs, and practical tips for newcomers to New Zealand.
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