The family don’t plan to ever return to the UK
A couple who relocated to New Zealand in the hope of providing a ‘better future’ for their children have vowed never to return to the UK – and said there’s only one thing they miss.
Ed Porter, 35, and his wife, Kim, 34, were living in Henley-on-Thames, South Oxfordshire, when they booked a family holiday in a cabin in 2024, and were taken aback by the £1,200 cost. This led them to question how much more expensive life in Britain would become for their children, Elijah, 12, and Willow, seven, especially when it came to purchasing a house.
The parents decided to move the family to a secluded village in New Zealand for a scenic rural lifestyle, improved financial prospects, and a more secure future for Elijah and Willow.
They completed the £30,000 move to Warkworth on North Island in June after a year of planning – and now Ed and Kim say they could never imagine themselves returning to the UK, reports the Manchester Evening News.
The family now describe their life as “idyllic”, living in a five-bedroom beachfront property costing £1,600 a month to rent – and claim the equivalent in the UK would cost around £2 million to buy.
Ed and Kim said they love the “positive” community spirit, the warm and respectful nature of their Kiwi neighbours, the pleasant weather and stunning scenery.
While they admit they “miss a Tesco shop”, the couple say New Zealand even boasts a ‘thriving pub scene’ that can rival Britain’s – with excellent pints costing less than £3.
Ed, who works in property, explained: “We started thinking about the future of our children in terms of having their own independence with buying properties in the future. We initially considered a move to the States but that has its fair share of problems too, and we settled on here.”
He added: “The move was very nerve-wracking and an emotional rollercoaster – but we love it. We’re blown away by how welcoming everyone has been, and we can already see ourselves growing old here. You’re never more than ten minutes from one of the beaches – which have crystal clear turquoise seas and white sands. Plus pints are £2 something and the the pies alone are worth moving for. It’s a slice of paradise.”
Prior to departing the UK, Ed and Kim’s independent coffee shop was facing challenges. They concluded that looking into an international move could improve the family’s financial situation whilst offering them a different lifestyle.
After settling on New Zealand, they began the process – completing applications for £600-per-person visas, £195-per-person medical checks and £100-per-person document verifications. They also arranged a rental property and commissioned a £12,500 shipping container to move all their furniture and possessions on an 11,500-mile voyage to their new home.
After shutting down their coffee shop, both Ed and Kim set about creating new careers – Ed moved into property while Kim took on a self-taught position in website development and data entry.
After spending a month in an empty house once their belongings had been collected for shipping, the nervous but excited family took their £830-per-person flight on June 26 and said goodbye to Henley-on-Thames for good.
Ed said: “We didn’t even go for a trip there to visit before we moved. We just had a gut feeling it was where we needed to be. The first two weeks were a roller coaster – we kept thinking one day how amazing it was, and the next we’d be questioning if we made the right decision. But once the kids came home from their first day at school and told us they loved it, we finally gave a sigh of relief.”
Ed lauded the “welcoming, helpful and kind” local community – alongside the “positive” attitude that New Zealanders have. He said: “The kids walk themselves down the lane, and get the bus to school and back. Other British expats here have compared it to England in the 1970s. The kids cycle home and throw their bikes down without locking them up, doors are left on the latch, neighbours share food – people have time for each other. It’s just this amazing rural community.”
Ed shared that the family were surprised by certain aspects of Kiwi life – including their “dark humour” and propensity for going barefoot, even in supermarkets. Pub culture is also thriving in New Zealand, with Ed’s local community regularly gathering for pizza and pints.
He revealed that the priciest pint at his local pub costs “£2-something” – a fraction of what he used to pay in Henley-on-Thames. He said: “Everyone loves a drink here and it wasn’t hard to find a decent English cider either.”
The couple currently live in a five-bedroom rental property with sea views, but have plans to buy land in the future. The family are on the lookout for a smallholding – a property surrounded by land – where they intend to build two additional homes for Elijah and Willow.
Ed said: “I can’t see us coming back – we can see ourselves growing old here. If our kids want to travel, back to the UK or Europe or America, they can do – and they’ll have this safe HQ back in New Zealand. We’re not wealthy, we just had a dream and we did it. It took us 12 months – nothing happens overnight. But we paid around £30k – less than some people pay for a car – to buy a decent future for our children.”
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