New life in the regions
What happens after you relocate and realise that you have to create a new life in a new place? Gill South finds out.
It’s pretty exciting to sell a house in Auckland or Wellington for squillions and move to a new place in the regions for half the price, with a wonderful new lifestyle beckoning.
But what happens after you unpack and you look around and realise you’re going to have to build a new life from scratch – from finding a local GP and hairdresser to a network of tradespeople to come to the rescue when something goes wrong – all those connections you took for granted in your hometown.
And how do you go about making new friends to really feel integrated? If you have a young family, the connections usually come pretty easily through schools and activities, but when you are in your more mature years, it’s not so easy.
Wayne and Sue Dymond have been living in central Gisborne for a year. They moved this time last year from Auckland, after Wayne turned 58, having rented the home out for four years before that.
It’s a fixer-upper villa ‘‘with good bones’’, so the couple have spent around 80 per cent of their time doing it up during their time there so far – Wayne was nursery manager at the Auckland Botanic Gardens (so he’s pretty handy), and Sue is good on interior design.
When they were looking for a place to retire early to, they considered Paihia and Napier, before opting for Gisborne. Wayne wanted to be by the sea and Sue didn’t want to be in a coastal town that shut down in the winter, and they both liked the ‘‘vibe’’ of Gisborne.
Being there during 2020’s Covid-19 lockdown wasn’t a bad time to get to know people in the community.
‘‘We moved here and thought it’s going to take a lot [to get to know the place], but the neighbours were wonderful,’’ Wayne says.
The people in the street were pleased that the Auckland couple were doing up the home, and have warmly welcomed them.
‘‘It’s been a lot of fun,’’ he says. It’s taken a year to find all the tradespeople they’ve needed, but this year will be a lot smoother, he says.
He and Sue have had plenty of company, he says. ‘‘Neither of us have been bored.’’
The couple are often out walking their dogs – it’s a nice and flat walk to the city, and the beach is just 10 minutes away. They like Muirs Bookshop, the local wineries, and the Dome Cinema among other places.
Wayne says the minute he gets
bored, he’ll be looking for parttime work. He’d be happy to do picking at a vineyard, he says.
Real estate agents a good source for connections
Bayleys’ agent Jenny Murray has introduced the Dymonds to the Gisborne-Ta¯ ta¯ po¯ uri Sports Fishing Club, where they go to dinner from time to time.
She is heartened by people coming to live and bring their businesses to Gisborne.
It used to be more people buying investment properties.
Events can be good opportunities to find like-minded people, says Murray. Gisborne just hosted the Essence of Taira¯ whiti festival, where celebrity chefs and winemakers
showed their wares.
‘‘It’s a really good chance to talk and mingle,’’ Murray says.
Esmae Farrington, a seasoned Bay of Islands Harcourts agent, who often helps out-of-towners buy luxury properties, says she’ll find out what’s driving the move.
‘‘I’ll find out more about what they want from life, and give them a picture of where they might want to live,’’ she says.
People have typically done their research on why the Bay of Islands might be a good place to move to, she says. Golf is a big draw, as is horse riding and, of course, the fishing.
A lot of semi-retired folk move to the area for the game fishing, she says.
There is also a strong art community in Kerikeri, Farrington says. And most communities are active on social media.
Volunteering a good way to start
When you are freshly arrived in your new town, it can pay to attend some community meetings and see what appeals.
Jane Solly, an administrator for Volunteer Nelson, the Nelson Newcomers Network and Found Directory, says sometimes it will take newcomers to Nelson a year before they come to a coffee-andconnections meeting.
‘‘They mentally come to a crossroads and overcome that first hurdle,’’ she says.
For those with interests they’d like to pursue, Solly points newcomers in the Nelson-Tasman area to the Found Directory, which will help them identify a community group or club.
Volunteering can be a good way to make connections in the community, she says, who directs people to the website, volunteernelson.org.nz.
‘‘It’s a fabulous transition for people who are approaching retirement, but don’t want to be suddenly left without a sense of purpose and identity,’’ she says.
‘‘We moved here and thought it’s going to take a lot [to get to know the place], but the neighbours were wonderful. It’s been a lot of fun. Neither of us have been bored.’’ Wayne Dymond, left, seen here with wife Sue
Planning ahead on your new life
If you want to avoid the feeling of mild panic when you reach your new regional destination, Start With You life and business coach Karen Ross suggests people make a life design for these kinds of big changes.
This could involve drawing up what your ideal week looks like, says Ross.
What’s important about connecting with people is to think about things that you’re genuinely interested in, she says. It could be evening classes, yoga groups, or a gym with a good community.
Ross, who moved from Auckland to her hometown of Whanga¯ rei five years’ ago, would like to move to the countryside, near Matakana or Warkworth next.
She says you’ll know within a year, if it’s been the right move.