Foreign Paradise and Holiday Destination: Why Germans Migrate to New Zealand

Living in a place where more than a million travelers from all over the world go on vacation every year: this idea is becoming more and more attractive to many Germans, especially in times of nerve-wracking weather events, which are becoming increasingly common in this country. Many people have changed their lives years ago and moved abroad, like Christina Schriegel.

The architect decided to make a “fresh start in New Zealand” and set up her own carpentry shop in Raglan on the North Island with her husband Sascha Kreismer. “It’s a kind of freedom to get out of my comfort zone that I feel here,” she enthuses in the film for the ZDF series “Hello Germany.” New Zealand is generally a country where many things can be achieved. Annie Brock explains why they made this decision in the new third episode of the second season of “Hello Germany: Emigration Adventure.”

The popular ZDF documentary series, which premiered in 2023, follows people who have found happiness abroad. Thomas Schmieder, from near Lake Constance, gave up his old life in Germany for the country with its harsh landscape, snow-capped mountains, seemingly endless beaches and mighty volcanoes.

What others often casually express as a wishful alternative to the desperate exhaustion of dreary office life, the media economist has turned into reality after initial troubles. His heart beats for Auckland: “I dreamed of big cities even as a young boy,” he says in the report. “New Zealand doesn’t have many big cities, but I think Auckland has a good balance of nature and a big city feel.”

Brooke also portrays a family who have built a life for themselves: Catherine Hiller lives with her 13-year-old twins and her partner Rodrigo in Nelson on New Zealand’s South Island. What began as a homemade rye bread they sold on the side of the road eventually culminated in their own shop. “Every day I look out to sea,” the immigrant says excitedly, “and I feel gratitude in my heart.”