Eight new New Zealand citizens at the Carterton Event Centre ceremony on Wednesday. PHOTOS/KAREN COLTMAN
KAREN COLTMAN
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The biggest difference between London and Carterton for new citizen Natasha Robinson is that shopping is much harder here.
“I have to be good at online shopping to get the things I like, and I am definitely getting better at it,” she said.
Robinson said the other huge adjustment had been New Zealand’s small population.
She lived in London with a population of nearly nine million before living in Carterton with a population of just 9000 people.
“London is heaving with people and, well, Carterton is pretty different.”
But for her it was Kylie Mole from Carterton’s Balter Bar who got her back into the swing of things.
“Kylie has been amazing and got me socialising with other women and we all went out to music festivals and various boozy expeditions. I have loved that.”
Before coming here, Robinson’s husband David had spent 11 years working as an inventory officer and explosive ordinance disposer for the British Army.
He said it had been a pretty easy transition between the two armies.
He has spent five years at the Trentham NZ Army base, but is off soon to a new placement at the Waiouru Military Camp.
Their daughter Amber Rose was one year old when they arrived and is now six.
She is counting down to Christmas but was surprised that Santa would find her.
She was very clear about what she would like to see in her Christmas stocking next Wednesday.
“I want a real puppy,” she said.
Carterton Mayor Greg Lang, who is now a justice of the peace, oversaw Wednesday’s citizenship ceremony.
Eight immigrants swore an oath to the Queen and New Zealand and were then announced to be New Zealand citizens.
They have all been residents for at least five years.
