5 ways to make new friends in Auckland - an article from Our Auckland
The following article featured in Our Auckland. Scroll to the end for the link to the original publication.
Moving to a new city is exciting, but it can be challenging, especially if you don’t know many (or any) people in your new home. Luckily, there are services and programmes available in Auckland to help make the transition easier for migrants and immigrants.
From local markets to language classes, there are heaps of ways to make the most of your new city and make new friends while you’re at it. Check out these five ways to get to know Auckland and its people ahead of International Day of Friendship on 30 July.
1. Remove language barriers
A big move can be especially challenging if you’re unfamiliar with the languages spoken in your new hometown. Auckland Council Libraries offer services tailored to people with varying levels of English proficiency. The beginner classes at Highland Park Library are specifically for New Zealand permanent resident visa holders or Work Visa Partnership visa holders, while Avondale Library offers an English-Mandarin Conversation Group, and Epsom Library has a Conversation in English group where second-language English speakers can practice speaking with local residents. Ask your local librarian what programmes are available near you and what resources are available to support your English learning. Many Auckland Council community centres also hold English language classes – check with your local centre to see what’s available.
If you’re interested in learning New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) or te reo Māori, there are a range of Māori language programmes, as well as sign language groups such as North Shore Signers Club at Birkenhead Library. If you’re keen to speak your mother tongue or want your children to meet people from your own culture, many community venues hold workshops in overseas languages. Look out for Farsi storytime at Mt Roskill Library or Clay Making Workshop for Mandarin speakers at Mairangi Bay Arts Centre.
2. Social sports
Sport and exercise are something that unites many different cultures around the world, and there are many ways to keep active in Auckland while meeting new people. Auckland Council Pool and Leisure Centres offer a wide range of group fitness classes, so there’s something for everyone, whether you’re a ballerina from Bahrain, a boxer from Bangladesh or a cyclist from Sydney. If you prefer to exercise to music there are dance fitness classes such as Zumba and the high-energy Les Mills Dance class, activities for core strength and flexibility such as Pilates, barre and yoga, and high cardio classes such as BodyAttack, cycle fitness and boxing.
Team sports hosted at Auckland Council Pool and Leisure Centres offer social and casual gameplay, such as basketball, badminton, pickleball, tennis, volleyball and water polo. While you might be too out of breath to talk during your exercise, why not invite your fitness friends out for a coffee after class, or celebrate your victory (or commiserate over your defeat) with your team after a game?
3. Meet the makers
One way to get to know the locals is to shop local and shop green. Wesley Community Centre is home to Wesley Market every Tuesday and Friday, where vendors sell their homemade wares and produce. By shopping locally you can cut down on excess packaging and food miles, and while you’re at it you can meet friendly faces, taste something new or perhaps find familiar flavours from home. If you’re looking for a bargain, you’ll love the ReUse Market, a popular central city flea market held on the second Sunday of each month in the Victoria St carpark. Pick up some affordable homewares, or perhaps sell or donate some of your old unwanted items.
The Kitchen Project is another initiative that supports local makers. This Council-funded kitchen incubator mentors artisan food entrepreneurs, offering the use of commercial kitchen spaces and professional development advice to help take their ventures to the next level.
The initiative is inspired by La Cocina in San Francisco – one of the most successful kitchen incubators in the United States. Many of the graduates from The Kitchen Project sell their products at local markets or have their own stores and are keen to share their stories with customers.
4. Friends of Parks
One of the great drawcards of Tāmaki Makaurau is the wonderful natural environment. Why not give back to your favourite local park by volunteering? Many regional parks hold regular planting days where volunteers can help plant hundreds of native trees and shrubs – you can bond with other volunteers while digging deep. Look for updates online or signs around your local park for upcoming planting days, and keep an eye out for other conservation groups or join the Friends of Parks programme.
There are many other volunteer opportunities around Auckland, including at events or venues like Auckland Maritime Museum and Auckland Zoo.
5. Migrant support
More than 1.7 million people call Auckland home, and the region has experienced significant growth and increasing diversity during the last decade. To put out the welcome mat for recent migrants, former refugees and international students, five local boards – Whau, Kaipātiki, Albert-Eden, Ōtara-Papatoetoe and Puketāpapa – are working alongside Immigration New Zealand, the Ministry of Ethnic Communities and the Human Rights Commission on the Welcoming Communities Te Waharoa ki ngā Hapori programme. It’s designed to create a friendly and hospitable environment for new New Zealanders through community initiatives that promote inclusivity and cultural diversity.
Belong Aotearoa and the NZ Ethnic Women’s Trust are two organisations funded by Auckland Council and which support new migrants and former refugees. Belong Aoteatoa’s support for new migrants includes multicultural playgroups for mothers with young children, employment readiness programmes and mental health support (see their Facebook page for regular updates). The NZ Ethnic Women’s Trust offers a range of services including sewing and business courses, driving classes and after-school programmes for students. There is also a community garden where migrants can meet new people and grow food, including some crops indigenous to African and Asian cultures.