Michael and Marrisa Dawes wanted something more from their lives so in 2006 left Darlington with their daughter Bethany for a new life Down Under, as Michael tells Richard Webber.
“We’re often asked why we opted for a new life in New Zealand and the answer changes every time, perhaps because there is so much the country offers. But one thing I’m sure about is Marrisa and I were ready to do something different.
We worked in IT for local government and weren’t particularly happy but knew that if we were going to make a move, it had to be significant because finding a job and house in a different area of the UK didn’t appeal. That’s when we turned our attention to living overseas, finally setting our sights on New Zealand.
We sold our house in Darlington and arrived in September 2006, just a year after making a recce and realising quickly this was the place for us. We’d narrowed our choices to two: Australia and New Zealand. Although Oz contains some beautiful places and wonders of nature, we decided that large snakes and spiders weren’t for us. When we checked out New Zealand, everything seemed right. The pace of life, environment, wine, culture – it was a place that ticked the right boxes.
Initially, we rented a property in Wellington, but in January 2008 moved out of the city to buy, knowing we’d get more for our money. Home now is a three-bedroom house with landscaped surroundings in Silverstream, a suburb of Upper Hutt, which is part of Greater Wellington. We’re not overlooked and have lots of outdoor space on our doorstep.
All the amenities are close and there’s an awesome community spirit. It’s also two minutes to the river or bush. Because it’s rural, there’s a great farmers’ market on Saturdays where you can buy fresh produce. Many suburbs are self-contained so you don’t need to go far to get what you want.
With cost of living lower here, Marrisa is able to stay at home to look after Bethany, who’s five, while I’ve found a job in IT. The working culture is very different compared to the UK. I have more meetings in coffee shops than offices, not that I’m complaining, and there’s a great push by employers to maintain a work-life balance, with many companies adopting flexible working hours.
Everyone is so friendly. When Bethany was still in a pushchair, we visited Auckland. One of her shoes fell off which neither Marrisa nor I had noticed. A man, who was obviously very busy, ran across the road, dodging cars and cyclists to pick up the shoe before chasing after us. People want to help.
But that friendliness is just one of New Zealand’s selling points. One of the biggest attractions is the low population. There are just over 4 million people compared to Britain’s 60 million plus, so there is much more space. Other positives are the environment, relaxed atmosphere, simple lifestyle and opportunities to do things you’d never normally get the chance to do.
As a family, we enjoy exploring the fantastic scenery and taking our rescue pup to scenic reserves, the hills and beaches, where Bethany loves to swim. There’s so much to see and you don’t have to spend a fortune on activities to have fun. The weather works in our favour, too, because although it changes on a daily basis, with Wellington sometimes experiencing all four seasons in a day, summers are warmer and winters milder.
So far, there isn’t anything we dislike. Of course, the rose-tinted glasses were removed a long time ago after the ‘holiday period’ subsided. Having been here a few years, we’ve seen the news reporting crime and problems, but it’s no worse than elsewhere.
Read the full article in our March 2009 edition.
