Debbie Knowles: 'Crux will rise again'

Debbie Knowles worked with Crux as our Queenstown based sales manager.

A bittersweet goodbye. It sure has been an incredible journey, and I’m deeply grateful for the support of my colleagues, our dedicated advertisers, and every reader who has engaged with Crux along the way.

I joined Crux in May 2023, but my New Zealand journey began long before that. I first came to New Zealand in January 2015 on a working holiday visa, spending three and a half years at Raeward Fresh. After that, I returned to the UK to study law, only to quickly regret that move. Of course, Covid and lockdowns occurred which hindered my plans, but I eventually returned to New Zealand last year, taking a leap of faith. Crux became accredited to sponsor me, and what an absolute ride it’s been.

Unfortunately, the process around my redundancy has been challenging. Immigration guidance has been contradictory - suggesting in one breath that I should look for a new job immediately, and in another that I should make immediate plans to leave. Like many migrants, I feel in limbo and it’s tough to face the prospect of leaving my home.

But this isn’t just my story - it’s shared by many migrants who have dedicated a number of years to New Zealand, only to face abrupt uprooting. I’m grateful to be single and still young enough to be able to take my next steps in Australia on a working holiday visa. But not everyone is in the same position to be able to just do that or similar, especially those with children. Queenstown, as we know, relies on its migrant workforce, and I believe more needs to be done to support us all through these challenging and ,quite honestly, utterly heartbreaking times.

My time with Crux has been a gift. I’m leaving with incredible memories, newfound confidence, fantastic professional development and the pride of working with a talented, passionate team. The connection I’ve had with our advertisers and the moments of laughter reading Crux stories and our audience’s reactions will stay with me. I’ve had a fair few chuckles from my desk.

Each one of you has helped shape Crux, whether you were a subscriber, advertiser, or reader. Thank you all so much.

I believe Crux will rise again - and maybe one day, I’ll be back.

And to every migrant working tirelessly to secure a future here - keep at it.

Read: Crux to cease publication – for now