I am Willi Olsen, I am Faroese. I was born in the Faroe Islands (a self-governing archipelago that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark).
I came to Hamilton with my Romanian wife, Daniella Budure Olsen. We have two children: Andrew and Laura who are both students at Rototuna High School.
We moved originally to New Zealand for education, so that Daniela could get a higher degree and because we have some friends living in Tauranga, that’s where we originally moved to. But with the driving every day and a job opportunity in Hamilton, we decided to move. It was a hard decision going from known surrounding to the unknown.
The faith community in Arise church made us feel very welcome to Hamilton. We were soon embraced, welcomed and invited to people’s homes. The acceptance of us as a family meant so much to us.
Willi is a founding member of Rototuna Rotary. One day when he needed to move some stock in a warehouse, Bryan – a busy businessman and fellow Rotarian offered to help. And Bryan spent a few hours to help.
A couple things why we like about living in Hamilton now: it’s pretty easy to get around in Hamilton by car, good bus connections, young vibrant multi-ethnic communities and a rich faith community as well. We live only 5 minutes walking distance from Rototuna High. Not that we go often to the beach, but Raglan is close and Tauranga too. To us, Hamilton is very central as Auckland is a short drive away. We live in the city, but only a short drive away from absolute unspoiled nature.
Home, where we live, is the best place in Hamilton. The second-best place in Hamilton is at our friend’s places. We are very appreciative living close to RototunaHigh, it’s a great school with great outdoor facilities.
