“I started my diploma in February 2006 and I really enjoyed it, the course was fantastic. The teaching was generally excellent and people in the department friendly and approachable. The structure of the teaching at Lincoln is just like at home, but the teachers here are very open and accessible – they give out their email addresses and encourage students to get in touch.

“I’m really pleased with the course. I did lots of research into where would be best to study this subject – I looked at courses all over the world, including Canada, France and Australia – but the more I looked at this one, the more I liked it. Lots of people in the wine industry have studied here and the University has a great reputation in this area. It was a pretty intense course – about 25 hours of teaching a week, plus time spent working with the vines as well as lots of field trips and a work placement. But it was exactly what I wanted.

“I did my undergraduate degree in the UK, and in lots of ways I think university in New Zealand is not really that different to university in the UK. The language is the same and the atmosphere is very similar. I found it really easy to come over and just slot in. Kiwis are so friendly – whenever you need help with things, whether it’s buying a car or finding your way around, someone will come up and offer to help. The other good thing is that things here seem cheap, particularly when you’re bringing over British pounds! I lived in a shared house in Christchurch and drove the 15 or 20 minutes out to the university each day. Food, shopping, accommodation, having a car – it all seems really affordable here.”