Dr Liza’s Vet Tales Excerpt – Hired as a Vet in NZ!
After I graduated Ash and I spent a few weeks packing up our things, scuba diving our favourite sites and spending time with family and friends before we finally headed for the land across the ocean, at the “gat end” (translation = bottom end) of the world, New Zealand. I was heartbroken to leave my friends, family and magnificent Africa and remember the lyrics of Sarah Brightman’s song, which my grandmother used to sing, ringing in my ears as I made a final phone call from the airport to my family “It’s time to say goodbye”.
Having said that, we were both looking forward to a new life together in another land where a different kind of beauty abounded. In contrast to Africa’s wild and rugged beauty I view New Zealand as peaceful and pristine with some areas truly untouched by man having lush dense green forest with ancient trees and ferns and rivers running through – if a dinosaur were to stick its head out I wouldn’t be surprised!
When we arrived Ash’s new boss picked us up from the airport and took us to a motel that he’d organised for us for a couple of days. As if it were meant to be, his new workmate offered her in-law’s cottage that was available to rent. We went to see it, walked in to experience a breathtaking view of the sea and islands and we were sold! We spent the next few months living there until our dogs arrived from their quarantine and we would need to find a house with a garden.
We were amazed at New Zealand’s cosmopolitan society where poverty hardly existed relative to our life in Johannesburg where poor and homeless people abound. In Johannesburg, many poor people stand on street corners asking for donations to support them and rumour has it that some people manage to make a decent living doing this. Some people obviously need the help with some clear issue crippling them like having only one leg or being blind. Many of these people carry a sign saying something like “I have no job, am crippled and have a family to feed, please help me” to help convey their message.
Other people do this because they see an opportunity and necessity is the mother of invention in a land like Africa. One such chap carried a sign saying “3 wives, 16 children, 5 hungry dogs, 3 skinny cats and still horny, please spare some change”! With his dazzling smile, I couldn’t help but want to help him! Thankfully these days there are organisations in Johannesburg to help find these people jobs.
The obvious differences in security in New Zealand were refreshing. In Johannesburg we all lived behind high fences with barbed wire or spikes on the fence and gate in addition to having elaborate alarm systems and security response. We would drive around with our doors and windows locked and especially at night stop at traffic lights or stop signs with caution in fear of being hijacked. None of this was of concern in New Zealand where we could even leave the front door to our home open without concern and it was very refreshing to experience! We found New Zealanders helpful and friendly and enjoyed learning about the people and places in our new home land.
Finding a job was relatively easy for me, since there were a number of positions available. I resorted to the good old internet and saw a job offered for a vet with two to three years’ experience with an interest in specializing in medicine at a practice which was right near to where we lived. They had been looking for a vet for about 5 months and although I didn’t yet have experience, I needed to somehow get some and believed that I could prove my worth with my enthusiasm and willingness to work hard.
And so I phoned them up and spoke to the vet there. He eventually asked how much experience I had and when I told him that I’d just qualified he had a good chuckle at me – I heard it over the phone! Anyway, he said that I should go in and see them the next day. I did just that but interestingly enough that vet who I had spoken to over the phone wasn’t there as he unexpectedly had to go to the emergency hospital with a pulmonary embolism… maybe it was something he said?
I met with the other partner and then a little later with the third partner at the smaller satellite clinic a couple of kilometres away, which seemed to go well. All that was left to do was to meet the “chuckling Dr” which I did the following week and after a lengthy interview I was hired!
To read more about my adventures, read Vet Tales available as a book or e-book from https://www.drliza.co.nz/shop/