New citizens are loving life in Masterton

PROUD: Exchange students Aki Sugihara, left, and Maja Helles, with new citizen Tomaz Gasper, Slovenian, his daughter Georgia and his wife Jayne. PHOTOS/LYNDA FERINGA

Four Masterton residents embraced New Zealand culture as they became citizens at a special ceremony held at Te Rangimarie Marae on Thursday.

The nationalities that were represented among the new citizens were Indian, Slovenian, British and Vietnamese.

Tomaz Gasper from Slovenia said it was an easy choice to become a New Zealand citizen after moving to New Zealand almost 30 years ago after his parents died.

"I met my wife Jayne in Greece on an Island about 30 years ago and she is from Wellington.

"We lived in Europe together for many years and then when my parents died I didn't have anybody left.

"I didn't have any brothers and sisters, no parents, only extended family and none were very close. I was the Last of the Mohicans as they say.

"And Jayne wanted to go home so we kind of came here as a try. We didn't know we were going to stay, but we did."

Mr Gasper said he "didn't ever really look back" after the shift to New Zealand.

He moved to Wairarapa in 2000 and has been living in Masterton for 10 years where he does plumbing and pest control contracts, and grows organic vegetables to sell at Masterton's Farmers Market.

"Masterton is a good combination of rural and urban.

"It's a good place. It's quiet, you know and it's well represented with shops. It's very comfortable living.

"And it was just so many years I have lived here it seemed time to do something. As I'm not going to go back to live in Slovenia ever it seemed like quite a clean cut choice to become a citizen from the beginning.

"My two children Georgia and Bruno were born here and everything just stabilised after that. I don't seek anything else and am happy to be part of this country.

"I love it here, I really do. Especially because I'm a very keen gardener and for me the country is very attractive."

Mr Gasper's wife Jayne, who is the Dean of International Students at St Matthew's, attended the citizenship ceremony along with their daughter, Georgia, and their two exchange students Aki Sugihara and Maja Helles.