29 new Kiwis proud to call Rotorua home (+video)

Charmaine, Bryan, Pieter and Derick Homan from South Africa are now New Zealand citizens, after living in Rotorua since 2007. Photo / Stephen Parker

Rotorua welcomed 29 new citizens yesterday afternoon in the Rotorua Lakes Council Chambers.

Families and individuals from as far as Egypt and Sweden are now calling New Zealand home.

The new citizens, their family and friends were treated to a number of musical items from Kawaha Point Primary School's kapa haka group.

Each new citizen or family was given a totara seedling to symbolise them making their roots in Rotorua, mayor Steve Chadwick said.

Some addressed the crowd with their stories and how they came to live in New Zealand.

Charlotte Harman, originally from Fiji, was proud to be a New Zealander. "I have lived here for nine years, I moved to make a fresh start in my life. I have lived in Rotorua for five years. It is a pleasure and a privilege to become a New Zealand citizen."

The Homan family from South Africa emigrated to Rotorua in 2007.

Derick Homan said he and his family, wife Charmaine and their sons Pieter and Bryan, were happy with the shift.

"It's the children, they can't play outside in the streets [in South Africa]. Safety is the most important thing for us ..."

"I first decided we were going to come here on a visitor's permit, we had friends close to Whakatane. We wanted to stay for two years, I was offered a job and then we decided not to apply for another permit but to apply for citizenship."

Mr Homan, who is a fitter and turner, arrived in New Zealand on a highly skilled work visa.

He said he was supporting both South Africa and the Black Caps in the Cricket World Cup semifinal yesterday, and would be pleased if either team won, and went on to win the World Cup.