Michael Rayner said he was on the last immigrant ship to New Zealand from Britain and arrived in December 1975 when he was 2 years old.
Mr Rayner said when he was about 25 he went travelling for 11 years before returning to New Zealand. He visited more than 150 countries and lived in about 10.
He now teaches at John Paul College.
"New Zealand is home and for me, coming back, it's the only place I would really want to raise a family."
He was supported at the ceremony by his wife Abi Banford and their two children.
The ceremony also included kapa haka items from Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Ruamata School. Each new Kiwi family or citizen received a book and a seedling.
Mrs Chadwick said the New Zealand native plant symbolised putting down roots in New Zealand. The women also received a corsage.
Those who became citizens included two Fijians, seven Filipinos, two Koreans, one Cambodian, one Czech, nine British, one British/Irish, three Indians, one South African, two Finnish, one American, two Sri Lankans, one Chinese, one Irish and one Thai.
