Mark & Judy Graham, London

Mark and Judy Graham wanted to get out of London. Traffic congestion, crowds, difficulties keeping in touch with friends just a few miles away, and a lack of open space in which to bring up their daughter were all taking a toll.

So they moved to New Zealand. Only it wasn’t quite that simple or decisive.Their first glimpse of the Kiwi way-of-life was in mid-2004 when they attended a weekend Opportunities New Zealand expo in London. “We wondered what everyone was doing there,” says Mark. “There were thousands there, all busy talking to employers, recruitment and immigration people.”

“We weren’t really looking to move to New Zealand at that time. But one of the people from Immigration New Zealand asked me if I wanted to see if I had enough points.”

After answering questions about his age, occupation and qualifications (Mark had a   Masters in furniture design) he found he easily reached the minimum required for entry as a skilled migrant. But the time was not right for the Grahams to move. Their daughter, Jorja, was only 13 weeks old (now aged two-and-a-half).

However, the wealth of information they gathered at the expo from employers, recruiters, service providers and government agencies, provided ample opportunities for further research. It wasn’t until they attended a second Opportunities New Zealand Expo the following year that they seriously began considering a future in the south-west corner of the Pacific.

Judy wondered whether her midwife training would be in demand in New Zealand. She need not have worried. Health sector recruiters had her firmly in their sights.“They asked me at the expo if I had already completed a job interview and I said it had not been arranged yet,” she recalls. “They then asked me if I could do one straight away.”

“I had my job interview in a room above the expo, while Mark looked after Jorja.“That wouldn’t happen in the UK. That’s what we like about New Zealand — no-one stands on ceremony when they want to get things done.”

After paying about £400 ($1112) in health examination costs and immigration fees, Mark, Judy and Jorja arrived in New Zealand in June 2006. Mark accepted a job offer from an Auckland bathroom design company and Judy took a midwife post at Middlemore Hospital.

They advise other would-be immigrants to “just go for it”.

“If you are seriously considering New Zealand, you have just got to do it rather than just thinking about it,” says Judy.