Benoit, 33, programmer for Telecom, lives in Wellington since 5 years.

Benoît sitted on the waterfront, behind him Mount Victoria. Lunch break, pic nic outsider while I’m interviwing him.

See the photos : Benoit

Can you tell me your story « before New Zealand » ?

I’m originally from north of France (Lille). I have aldways been attracted by travelling. While I was studying (which level, university?) I’ve traveled as much as I could. I had a 6 months internship period in Bavaria (Germany) and in Canada (Montréal).

Does that mean you speak fluent german then ?

This pyramid is divided in two, one represents the North Island : Te Ika-a-Māui (the Maui fish), and the other the South Island : Te Wai Pounamu (jade water) or Te Waka-a-Māui (the maui waka). The top is green like the Jade stone, traditionnal from New zealand. The country would have been discovered in 900s by the polynesian sailor Kupe, who fisrt saw the clouds cover on the country, which explein its mauri name Aoteroa (« the long white cloud »).

Yep, a bavarian-german !

Then in 1999 I came back to France and worked. It didn’t go well with me, but in 2001 I’ve become a consultant and have been sent all over Europe. It saved me beacause in Paris I felt I ws dying. So I went again to Bavaria in 2001, to Austria in 2002, to England in 2003…

Did you go back and forth or did you live over there ?

I left on mondays and came back on fridays, slept in hostels. I’ve also been to Swiss, Belgium, Spain… We’ve had moved on from Lille. In 2005 it started to become difficult for my relationship, to build something lasting, so I’ve stopped this job. I knew that I wasn’t interrested in staying in France. I am with Seb, my partner, for 13 years but he isn’t a big fan of travels… Whereas for me that was necessary. We finally agreeded on the fact that we’d move away. We first thaught about staying in Europe, I wanted to live in Stocklholm, and he wanted to go to Barcelona. But for him short days in Sweden couldn’t have worked and for me Barcelona was a too big of a city. So we compromised on Munich (Germany). But while we were talking with a friend we realized that if we wanted to have a new start it was better to do it somewhere we both really wanted to be. So we finally decided to go to New Zealand. That was really a dream destination.

So in 2005 we arrived in Wellington (for the first time), we gave us 3 months to see how we liked it and if we could find some work. We have both been 100% happy. We came back to France in december for Christmas and to pack up our staff. In january 2006, we were in Wellington with a job and living in the house where we still are.

Everything happened really fast then !

Actually we fisrt rented the house and have started to buy it since the beginning of the year.

And so is your life here ?

I’ve asked to Benoît that he takes me somewhere he likes to go. It is Breaker Bay, 5 minutes from his place. Some nice fresh air !

Well, first my goal was to travel. When I was talking about it with my parents they weren’t really happy to see me going that far away… but I had the experience of Canada (while I was studying) and could remembered that after a while I needed to come back. So I told them that we would stay here for 2-3 years and then probably come back. But we didn’t excpect such a good life here and that we would feel so good. It has been 5 years now. I think that if we go back to France, it will be because of the circumstances. However, to live closer to the family by living again in an European country, why not. Well, we’ll see.

How do you find your integration ?

I find the mentality here really easy, very welcoming, very flexible. I am fascinated by the kindness of the people here. To explain better what I am feeling here I will explain how I perseve things in France, where I feel that sometimes the way the society is going, the way relationships are organised have made us forgotten about a kind of humanity. Sometimes we forget why things have been made in such or an other way. I understand better the society here, it matches better with my sense of self. Here there are as many indian people, as european people, as asian people… So naturally there are not as much identity matters as in France.

Breaker Bay , Wellington.

Are you talking about rascism ?

In the kitchen a bottle of Calvados on the shelf… A little bit of France here !

Yes about rascism, segregation… Here evreybody is coming from somewhere else. Even « natives » kiwis have actually foreigners grand-parents. People I’m hanging out with here are danish, english… I even have the feeling (although it sounds crazy !) that there is a better european integration here than in Europe itself ! where we are questionning a lot…

A day during a meeting at work, we’ve realised that we were all from a different origin around a table of 10 people, without any kiwi !

So in terms of integration I find it really easy.


What are you missing from France ?

First of all my family and friends. It would be so nice sometimes to share a beer with people from there here ! Also traditionnal sundays with the family… But nowadays there are subsitutes, with Skype for exemple, but it doesn’t replace all.

When I went to live in Canada it was the IRC (connection via a modem). We were writting a line and it took a while to come. It

Billboard of the café that Benoît was running : « Mon Ami » (My friend).

was really frustrating. And phone was very expensive. Now it’s much easier : yesterday I was talking to my mum and could ask her opinion about the color of the house wall that we’re gonna paint again. But it’s still not the same as being together around a table, to share a pic nic, or some time together…

I’m not complaining about food here but French food is still French food ! New Zealanders are becoming more and more gourmets but my dad is a great cook and you can’t replace it !

Otherwise I don’t miss the French mentality. However I don’t throw everything away. We have for exemple, without no hesitation, the best social system in the world, although we are still complaining about it.

What have you kept of your « national identity » ?

I find it really difficult to feel like « belonging to one country ». I used to feel like european, but that wasn’t really it. I have been

travelling so much that I’m not feeling really linked with a country. My education is French of course. But today I’m feeling more like a citizen of the world.

At work my reaction are often more « bloody » than most of all, and I think that it’s my latin heritage ! It can be a problem as I’m getting easily angry, I’m imposing myself. Whereas that here things are done more by « shapes ». To make a kiwi be angry at you need to really push him !

Once a week Benoît is riding his bike to work.

But now, I’m 33, have spend 5 years here, which is 15% of my life, a thing that I can’t neglect. Living abroad is an obvious fact to me, so if we would have to come back to Europe, we would prefer to live in another country than France. Cultural exchange has become really important to us. It could be in Irland, Scottland, Bavaria… Somewhere with lots of nature !

The funny thing is that the French I’m hanging out with here are coming from different horizons with sometimes very different personnality than me, and maybe that if I would have met in France we would have never become friends, and have anything to talk about. But we are sharing a similar opening of the mind, an interrest for what is « besides ». It’s very enriching.

Do you feel well-integrated to your new town, the country, a local community, its culture, language, traditions ? …

I’m feeling well-integrated. I have first been astonished by the fact that after 3 months I was living here I got a letter to subscribe to vote for the next elections ! They’ve asked me my opinion, to participate, which I’ve found unbelieviable ! It was a sign. Here the population is so divers that I’m feeling like a piece of the puzzle.

There are, however, white people (« pakeas » as mauris said), and maoris people who aren’t really going together. I think that’s a shame.

But compared to some other communities in France that are not well-integrated or arboriginal in Australia, it isn’t that bad.

The Red Rocks walk is 20 minutes from the city center, so far away already from the swirling human atmosphere.

The Red Rocks walk is 20 minutes from the city center, so far away already from the swirling human atmosphere.

About my activities here I have opened a café two years ago, nammed « Mon Ami », downtown.  As I’m working in the informatics area that was a new experience for me. We opended in September 2008 but the recession arrived two months after. The beginning was really positive, but we had to close after 2 years because of the recession. Formal matters are really easy here, nothing as complex as it is in France ! Thanks to this experience I’ve met lots of people.

I’ve also been involved with re introduction of kiwis (birds) in the nature around here. I went to pick the traps up (hedges, ferrets, small rodents…) for 6 months.

I have also played rugby. But as I’ve started when I was 30, whereas they start when they are 6 here, it wasn’t easy ! I really enjoyed the atmosphere, but had a big back injury. So I had to stop sports for a year. But I still have been playing for a year and a half. I’ve never had to spend that much time in the emergency ! It’s a very typical aspect of the life here. The welcoming was great, the team had integrated me right away.

And then I’ve opened the café, which took all my time, as I was still working as a programmer during the day.

Dawn time, lookout from the living room, before going to work.

What’s about the English language ?

I already spoke English for several years so I wasn’t worried about it. But kiwi accent is quite difficult to understand ! I have a story about it… When I’ve joined the rugby team I first didn’t understand them at all. So when they asked me something I used to answer « yes » more or less to everything. A day I’ve been thus taken on the yearly rugby trip. Five months after I said yes, they told me « It costs that much, we are leaving next week-end to Australia ! ». As I didn’t know how it would be I have been surprised !  A lot of alcool, a very touristy place… Unbeliviable experience ! Bayley’s in my coffee at 4 a.m. It was tough (lol !) At 2 p.m I was waisted !

The Batch Cafe, Owhiro Bay, Wellington.

Have you already felt any discrimination ?

Once, last Saturday, first time after 5 years. I went to rent a car, have shown my French driving licence, that is usually accepted everywhere here (and by the law). But because it was a French ID he didn’t want to take it. But it’s a minor problem.

Otherwise we are regularly teased about rugby, the Rainbow warrior, but it’s not discrimination, it’s more like a game.


Do you live surrounded by French or people from all over the world ?

All over ! lately because I’ve been very busy with the café, my network hasn’t really grown, as I was working all the time ! When I first arrived I maybe had more foreigner friends, and lately more French friends. Probably because I was looking for something easy.

Benoît likes to walk along Wellington bays and to stop sometimes at the Bach cafe, pretty place, warm and welcoming. Here are two new zealanders met at the terrasse. The woman is actually from England but lives for 40 years in New Zealand. This couple is reflecting the majority of the population : with a mixed origin and out going : after a smile the conversation starts!

There is a kiwi family with whom we are really close. They have helped Seb to improve his English, and then we’ve become friends. We are sharing a common passion, which is sailing. We are going for expeditions together sometimes. Our fisrt Christmas here was with them, which was very important to us.


How often do you go back to France ?

Until now the longest we haven’t come back was for a year. We went back on July 2010 and 2009. And we are going for about 15 days to 3 weeks. We used to try to come back every 9 months but because of the cost we can’t really afford it anymore. Also here we are having only 4 weeks of holidays per year so I have to ask for unpayed holidays.

from June to November there are dozens of wild seals that are resting along the beach.

And finally… Do you have any recommandation to give to people who would come to visit New-Zealand ?

What to recommend ???!!! Most of my favourite places are in the South Island. I like Karamea because of this « Nowhere » feeling that it brings while I’m overthere. I like Still water bay, for the same reasons.

The Red Rocks walk is 20 minutes from the city center, so far away already from the swirling human atmosphere.

Catlins is an amazing place too, but for people who have lots of time, so it goes slowly overthere.

Finally if you want to visit the fjords in the Fiordland, I recommand to go to the Doubtful Sound by kayaking, from Te Anau, at least for 2 days. I shouldn’t tell it because it may bring people, but really it’s worth it, and it’s not really expensive either, and you don’t need to be super  fit to do so, just reasonnably fit.

Leave a Reply