Yes, I too gave that some consideration but discounted it. Although he may have.
I know that while employed in USA, he returned to his family on several occasions.
Hi q98
What was your reason for discounting "it" ?
* Was there some "sort of pattern" in him making return visits to his family ? You say "several occasions" ?? When ?? Dates ??
Presumably he was returning to Scotland was he ?
* Have you traced him entering the USA, at all ?
When we are unable to find records of persons travelling to / or entering New Zealand, then we have to cast the net a little wider ... and explore other possibilities.
Did they arrive in Australia firstly ? (If they did, then they were able to travel freely to NZ without the need to go through the Immigration process. They might simply just appear (if at all), on a passenger list as "Mr J. Bloggs - disembarking at Wellington" - no age, no occupation .. ).
In the era you are searching, mid to late 1920's - early 1930's, the detail given in passenger lists isn't always particularly helpful.
~ Lu