My Backyard

It is easy to forget or overlook what is right in front of you and I think many New Zealanders do this on a daily basis. Occasionally however we are reminded of why we are quite lucky to live in a country like this. I was personally reminded of this yesterday, when I was lucky enough to join my youngest daughter (Miss 9) on a school outing to Okoromai Bay and Shakespear Regional Park, to plant some grasses along the dunes.

These two amazing locations happen to be about five minutes drive from my house, and the school is even closer, so myself, some other willing parent helpers and several teachers, along with 80 or so very excitable children trekked from the school to the park, to help save the planet.

The cover image for this article was snapped along the way, in between trying to herd those children down the road that leads to Okoromai, which then eventually leads you on to Shakespear Regional Park, which is actually an open wildlife sanctuary. The sanctuary is surrounded by a predator-free fence that goes up about eight feet and then down in to the ground a few feet as well, to keep out nasty critters that might want to prey on the native birdlife. However the entire area is accessible on foot through dual gates (to keep those critters out) and also by car, through an automated system.

The area is full of walks, beaches, a campground and the most stunning views of not only the ocean and surrounding forests, but also many of our native bird species. As it is an open sanctuary, birds migrate back and forth, however it is also home to the little spotted Kiwi, who were introduced there, and now thrive in the predator-free environment.

This fantastic spot is closer to my house than the nearest petrol station and yet we often forget how close it is or how lucky we are to be able to access it whenever we like.

Yesterday however I was able to enjoy it and also help preserve it, and what really stood out for me, was that amongst the local children were roughly 20 or so exchange students who were invited to the school for an “international experience”. For some of them (at least the ones who weren’t on their tablets), it was almost as if we had dropped them off on Mars.

Many of these children, I would assume, have probably spent very little time near or on on a beach and fewer of them would have ever had the opportunity to plant grasses on the beach. However thanks to the park rangers, we were all given that opportunity yesterday - a bit of a win-win for the park but also for children.

I was in charge of four children (Miss 9 included) and I wasn’t quite sure how this was going to work out, particularly for the one child who was an exchange student from China. However I was very pleasantly surprised to see this nine-year old, roll up her sleeves, picking up the grass seedlings, digging holes and getting as sandy as the rest of us. However it did take a while for her to get to that point, given she spent a good 20 minutes staring out at the ocean and simply experiencing the freedom of being at the beach.

As New Zealanders, we forget that many people, don’t get to experience the world in the same way that we do. For most of us, the beach is our backyard and a place we go to regularly. For many migrants however, a beach is somewhere you might be lucky enough to visit once a year, if at all. As the world becomes more populated and cities become larger, more vertical places, a lot of migrants miss out on the opportunity to experience the world in the same way we do. In some cases, its just not safe to visit beaches in other parts of the world, where pollution and waste has destroyed that experience.

It did fill me with a sense of pride to be able to share that experience with these exchange students and it also reminded me of just how lucky my children are, but also how privileged I am, as a parent, to be able to give them that experience.

The Lifestyle Lure

Migrants move for a variety of reasons, many of them related to their economic situation, or the education opportunities for their children - however in amongst all those reasons, New Zealand is also able to offer an amazing lifestyle for the entire family. People often ask me if New Zealand is “a bit too slow”, and will they be able to adjust to a far easier pace of life. I often laugh at this (internally of course), because my life is pretty hectic and I only wish it would slow down a bit.

We Have A Lot To Offer

New Zealand has a lot to offer migrants, who often come here to escape a much faster, stressful pace of life.

The way I sum it up for those looking to make the move here, is that New Zealand offers you the choice. You can of course be busy, and many of us with full time jobs or businesses to run and children to support are usually run off our feet.

However, we don’t impose that on people, instead people chose that for themselves. A good comparison is somewhere like Singapore, where productivity and being busy is a national imperative. I often used to joke with Singaporeans that they are born, they study, they work and then they die…with very little time in between. They would often laugh at that comment, but quietly be nodding (internally of course). In many countries, you dont really have a choice as to how quickly your life moves and if you slow down, you are left behind.

In New Zealand, we are still competitive and driven - ambition is very much part of the culture, but there’s also a deep respect for balance. Here, you can choose to lead a slower, more intentional pace of life, where productivity isn't measured by burnout, but by focus, efficiency, and quality of output. That ability to prioritise both lifestyle and meaningful work is one of the key reasons many people choose to relocate to New Zealand.

Location, Location, Location

One of the first hesitations many migrants have when considering New Zealand is the distance. We’re often referred to as being “the edge of the world” (and you might end up falling off) - and for those with family or business ties in Europe, Asia, or the Americas, the thought of being 10,000 kilometres away can feel pretty daunting.

But talk to those who’ve made the move, and a different story appears, largely because New Zealand has a way of drawing you in.

Come For the View…

…stay for the lifestyle. You can still be busy in New Zealand, but at your own pace, not someone elses.

What initially feels like isolation quickly develops in to a sense of freedom and that same geographic distance can be pretty comforting in a world that seems relatively chaotic.

Distance also brings perspective. The pressures and pace of larger cities fade, and in their place is a lifestyle that feels more grounded - connected to nature, to community, and to what really matters. Many newcomers arrive for a short visit, hoping to see a Hobbit or two, but end up developing a bit of a love affair with the place. I am often approached by people whose first comments are, how they once visited New Zealand and couldn’t wait to come back here - this time permanently.

And why wouldn’t you? Moving to a country where your children grow up barefoot on any one of so many beaches that we have access to, where you can literally disappear into the wilderness without another human being in sight, is a chance to reclaim a simpler, freer way of living - one where nature is your neighbour, time feels less rushed, and everyday life is filled with a sense of space, safety, and possibility.

Yes, we’re far away, however for those who make the leap, the reward is a life that’s close to everything that counts.

Come Check It Out

New Zealanders are lucky, there’s no doubt about it, however with that luck comes a kind of quiet familiarity. The beaches, the bush, the clean air and uncrowded spaces become part of the everyday for us. It’s easy to forget that, for much of the world, these things are rare, and even extraordinary.

For many migrants considering a move to somewhere else, the moment they first see a pristine coastline with no entry fee, or watch their children play barefoot and carefree in nature, something shifts. What felt like distance becomes freedom. What once seemed remote begins to feel like refuge. Ultimately for many, what started as an escape becomes a home.

Maybe it's because we grow up with salt in our hair and sand in the car that we forget how special it is. But for thousands of newcomers, New Zealand’s beaches are not just a day out - they’re freedom, joy, and sometimes even salvation. And maybe it’s time we saw them through those eyes again.

Until next week…