Primary teacher joins exodus to chase Kiwi dream overseas
April 2 marked the end of Term 1, but for 25-year-old Lily Zee-Verner, it also concluded a three-year tenure at her north Wellington school. While students headed off for the holidays, Lily and a colleague prepared to relocate to rural Queensland – joining a growing exodus of New Zealanders seeking better prospects in Australia and overseas.
“I am really sad to leave this area, these children and, of course, my friends and family,” says Lily, as a five-year-old student tugs at her hand.
“I absolutely love my job. This is my dream career. I love teaching at this school and these children.
“But I also have some aspirations of my own to one day buy a house and, unfortunately, in this economic climate, it’s just not possible. Hence, I am making the move to Australia.”
Lily’s departure reflects a broader national trend. Data from Statistics New Zealand shows that 48,000 New Zealanders departed for Australia in the year ending June 2025, accounting for 61 per cent of all migrant departures. More than half of those leaving are aged between 20 and 39.
Lily noted that many of her former classmates from teachers’ college are already working in Australia, drawn by better pay and working conditions.
“A lot of people my age who I know through teaching are also thinking of leaving in the next couple of years,” she said.
“If I could stay in New Zealand, I absolutely would. But moving over to a different country where I’d be paid $30,000 more, I sort of had to decide what’s best for myself in this situation. Given the current state of the New Zealand education system, this is what is best.”
ENDS