I moved to... New Zealand

One couple's relocation down under

We used to live in Loxwood, West Sussex, which is 20 minutes from Guildford and Horsham. We came out to New Zealand on our honeymoon, and our first thought was how fantastic it was. Our second though was - perhaps we should live here! We’d grown tired of the south east of England with the hassle of everyday life, and wanted to get away and try something different.

It was only after we came to New Zealand for a holiday that we even considered moving here. It’s easy to generalise but New Zealand seemed to offer all the best things the UK had but with only five million people so you could actually get on with enjoying your life. So, after sorting out the paperwork and financial side, we had a big party with all our friends and a quiet goodbye with the families before going.

We found settling in pretty easy really - Kiwis are fantastically friendly so it’s difficult not to get on with them. It’s a bit more laid back as well. I mean, could you imagine British Gas not billing you for four months, and not pushing you for a direct debit to be set up? About 90% of all people here are employed in a company of less than five people, so it’s fantastic not to be stuck in a two-hour queue to a voice-generated call centre and instead actually speaking to someone who is happy to give you their name.

For work, we’ve started up a fancy dress shop business here, which we just couldn’t do in the UK. Generally people work to live and not live to work, so there is always something going on that we’re invited to. We don’t sit in traffic jams and fight to get on a beach whenever we want to do something, so life is a lot less stressful.

New Zealand without doubt has fantastic opportunities if you enjoy outside pursuits; everything is so easily available that you have no excuse but to try some of them. Overall people make more time for family and friends, so whether you enjoy kayaking or just a good coffee with your mates the choice is yours. And where else can you live ten minutes from a city with all the outdoor activities you could want on your doorstep and no one to fight to get on and do them?

WideWorld would like to thank Foreign Currency Direct for getting in touch with Rick. If you're thinking of relocating, try visiting their site at  www.currencies.co.uk