Single-minded success - Settlement Support

Single-minded success
■ Story by Emma Jelsma, photography by Bryce Zhang
For Julia Nüchter, the decision to settle in New Zealand was an idea planted sixteen years
ago when she travelled here for a three-month working holiday. After only one week in
the country, she knew she loved it. Julia applied for a visa extension and spent a happy
year here before returning to Germany to complete her education.
Ten years later she visited again, on a round-the-world
trip with her partner Uwe Krohmann. New Zealand was
intended to be a stop-off, including what would prove to be a
life-changing visit to Northland.
At a farm stay in beautiful, secluded Helena Bay, Julia and Uwe
were told about the gallery with spectacular views and lovely
gardens that had just opened up on the hill. They visited and
enjoyed meeting the owner, Peter Brown, but wondered how
he would manage there all alone. Surely the gallery needed a
café alongside to refresh its visitors? The idea planted a decade
earlier had begun to develop.
www.immigration.govt.nz
Julia and Uwe moved on, but they did not forget Helena Bay.
As Julia says, ‘You know how you have those crazy ideas when
you’re travelling? We said, if we do go back to Germany and we
don’t like it, we could always go up north and open that café.’
Six months later, with the car sold and the next leg of their
travels booked to Australia, the couple took one last trip ‘up
north’ and broached the subject of a café with Peter. When he
said it would be a great thing to do, but he had no idea how to
go about it, Julia and Uwe took the plunge. ‘We might be keen...’
they said. There and then, over a cup of tea, a plan was formed.
LINKZ | ISSUE 48 | 2011
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