‘Feel-good’ life in Blenheim
John and Patsy Nelson (and black labrador Bess) swapped rainy Scotland for sunny Blenheim, Marlborough.
Myself, my wife Patsy and our black Labrador moved to Blenheim in November 2011. We had visited New Zealand a few times in the past and decided we wanted to leave behind the cold and wet Scotland for a more outdoor lifestyle.
What do you do here?
I work as a computer systems engineer at pcMedia in sunny Blenheim. My wife Patsy works with people with learning disabilities for IHC.
What surprised you most when you arrived?
We loved the wide open spaces and wall to wall vineyards here. Huge blue skies and wide roads with so little traffic.
What are the greatest advantages to living here?
We have a lovely climate and there is just a great feel-good factor living here.
Disadvantages?
I guess we are far from anywhere and there is not much history or old buildings here. We also miss the two-hour cheap trip to almost anywhere in Europe.
How expensive do you find it compared to back home?
It is all relative I guess. Some things are expensive, such as regional air travel.
What do you do in your spare time?
We love walking with our dog along one of the beaches or rivers here. We are also in a quiz team and we constantly entertain visitors from overseas. So far we have had 60 different people staying with us! In winter we like to ski and are only two hours from the slopes.
What are your favourite NZ foods?
We love the blue cod here and also the fresh fruit and vegetables you can get at the local markets.
How do you get around?
We live a 10-minute drive from anywhere in town and have a car, but can walk to most places.
How do you find the shopping?
We have all the major supermarkets and local markets are nice to visit.
Favourite after-dark activity?
Blenheim is a quiet town and we often go to see a show at the local theatre.
What are the top three things you recommend for visitors?
The mind-blowing Queen Charlotte Track/Drive is a must, as are the 40 or 50 world-class wineries which are on our door step.We are also an hour away from whale and dolphin watching. Not to mention the Abel Tasman National Park.
Besides family and friends, what do you miss most about home?
The time zone plays havoc with me watching football but there is always Iplayer. We don’t really miss anything, to be honest. The world is a smaller place now.
How easy is it for you to go home?
It is over 24 hours in the air to Scotland which is usually three or four flights, and not much change from $2500 each. You need around two or three weeks to make it worthwhile. We have only been back once in five years.
If you could change one thing about New Zealand, what would it be?
Aotearoa is as good as it gets and we like being down here away from all the world’s troubles. If I could change one thing, some of the news channels, particularly the sport section, worship America too much. This is not a major problem though, considering the problems of the world – it is just an opinion.