Name:	Mark
	Nationality:	English
	Profession:	Doctor
	Migrated to NZ:	2004

When Mark migrated to New Zealand from London he chose Wellington as the city he wanted to live in.

He had been offered several high-level jobs in Accident and Emergency (A & E) departments around New Zealand. After doing internet research on New Zealand's cities, he decided on the capital because of its physical location and lifestyle options. He is now a registrar at Wellington Hospital’s A & E department, and he has never regretted his choice.

Academic Qualifications

Mark has three university degrees - in medicine, sports medicine and medical anthropology. Now that he has decided he is in New Zealand for the long haul, he is studying for an Australasian postgraduate qualification in emergency medicine.

He loves the variety and occasional excitement of his work. “One minute you might have to treat someone after a serious car accident and the next you are dealing with a child with a cough,” he says.

Outdoor Sport

Mark admits to being keen on all sport. “I’ve taken up surfing since I’ve been out here and I mountain bike, road bike, sea kayak and go running. I’ve done a couple of adventure races – and I snowboard and play golf.”

Sick of the grey skies and grime of London, Mark was lured to Wellington by the prospect of sun, sports and meeting others of like mind. He knew he had made the right step when, soon after his arrival, he went on a 25km mountain running race in the Coromandel Peninsula. “Everyone at home in England thought I was mad, but here they all wanted to join in,” he says.

“The great outdoors is only next door,” he says, explaining that after a night shift he loves to take the 40 minute round-the-bays run home to Hataitai. After an earlier shift, he will go out on his bike and in the summer months surf the waves of Lyall Bay. In the winter, he’ll regularly take off to the mountains, which are only four hours drive away, on his days off.

Vibrant City

Mark is also a lover of Wellington's galleries, bookshops, cafes and night life. “I have travelled to a lot of cities and I think Wellington is a great city. It has the café culture and buzz of San Francisco, with very good live music at Indigo, Sandwiches and Bar Bodega. Everything is here and it’s so easy to get round – it’s such a compact city.”

Even though his life is so full, Mark now feels much more relaxed than ever before.