Lu Hunter - New Zealand is my promised land
By Katie Oliver
Lu has always felt drawn to New Zealand, growing up in Beijing, China.
From an early age, Lu displayed a remarkable proficiency in English, a skill that would prove pivotal in her life’s trajectory.
When she was just nine years old, her mother made an attempt to move to Aotearoa for a better life but was denied entry. She was told she didn’t speak English well enough. The immigration officer told her mother to wait until her daughter grows up and to move to New Zealand together. This was just the beginning of Lu’s journey to New Zealand.
During her high school years, she travelled to Canada to represent China with her choir. There, she met a school from Wellington, and was quickly reminded of her desire to move to New Zealand one day.
It wasn’t until her early twenties that Lu made the decision to travel to New Zealand for a working holiday. She immediately loved it. In Auckland, she worked as a journalist.
Lu met her husband and started building a life for four years, until she realised there was “another New Zealand” waiting for her in the South Island.
Lu and her partner made the decision to relocate to Selwyn. As this episode reveals, for a myriad of reasons, Selwyn quickly became their home and Lu’s journey with New Zealand continues to unfold.