People & Places
A home in the bay
With four children, three cats, two horses and a dog, Gary Greenwood tells Patricia Curmi how he avoided his emigration becoming a real three-ring circus
Speaking to Gary Greenwood on the phone, it's obvious that he is a happy man. With a reverberating laugh and a voice tinged with the slightest Kiwi accent, the warm and friendly former Londoner reels off hilarious anecdotes about life in New Zealand. He also talks eagerly of his adoptive town, Kerikeri, where he has settled with his wife Lynne and their four children Ashley, Amy, Bradley and Joshua in 2005. The idyllic countryside and small community of Kerikeri, home to around 6,000 people, is undoubtedly a far cry from the hectic pace of London, and Gary makes a good case for the benefits of escaping the rat race to gentler climes. "There are many reasons why we left the UK. They are probably the reasons why most people leave: cost of living, crime, and the better lifestyle on offer in New Zealand."
As Gary describes his previous job in the British prison service it's difficult to imagine the animated voice at the other end of the phone as a Mackay-type character from Porridge ordering inmates about sternly and wearing a stuffy, buttoned-up uniform. He switched careers in New Zealand, and after a training course in which he gained his real estate diploma, Gary is now an estate agent selling properties in the Bay of Islands. He says of his job change, "It [real estate] has always been something I have been interested in, and that's the best thing about this area – you can pretty much do whatever you want." The Greenwoods initially emigrated to New Zealand on an Investment visa, which, along with the basic requirements of good health, police checks and a maximum age of 54, has several conditions.
Applicants under the Investor Category must have NZ$2 million (approximately £670,000) to advance to the New Zealand Government for a minimum of five years (with a penalty for early withdrawal) and they must also have at least five years' business experience. Gary's emigration process was luckily fairly straightforward, and he managed to get through the paperwork without using an agent. "We chose the investor category as our route and completed all the paperwork ourselves, it wasn't difficult as Immigration New Zealand were really helpful and told us exactly what they needed; and it only took nine months to get our visas."
The Greenwoods decided on the Bay of Islands after a research trip, which Gary believes is absolutely essential. "We were lucky enough to be able to afford a trip before we moved here, but it's so important to visit first because you just don't know where is right for you without one," he advises. The trip convinced him that the Bay of Islands was the perfect place to live. "We chose the Bay of Islands because of the climate in the winterless north and the 144 islands just off the coast." Natural beauty and atmosphere aside Gary also saw the investment potential of Kerikeri and the Bay of Islands. Increasingly popular with migrants and tourists alike, property values are creeping upwards, though it still remains an affordable option. "It is one of the fastest growing areas in New Zealand," he says. "As for property prices you can buy a detached home from AUS$300,000 (roughly £100,800) which isn't bad for one of the best locations in the country."
Gary is full of the 'can do' Kiwi spirit and this is no more evident that when he talks about how he moved his family pets en masse to live in New Zealand. Not a man to do things by half, it seems, Gary decided that none of his animals were going to be left behind when he emigrated. As well as this the Greenwoods shipped all their furniture out from the UK. He cheerfully lists the family pets he took along for the ride,"We brought our dog, three cats and our two horses, Libby and Rosie. "Once we had our visas we then had to plan the best way to get everything out to New Zealand." When choosing who to use as a removals company, Gary and Lynne went with word of mouth to get value for money. "For our belongings we chose a company called PSS as they were recommended and worked out the cheapest," he says. "The horses travelled with a company called IRT who took charge of everything to do with the horses. For our domestic pets we had to fill in loads of forms, make several visits to the vets and all within a strict time frame, so they took more arranging than the horses and even us!" And how did the family find the move after all the paperwork organising and arranging? Gary says, "The whole move went smoothly, even down to us buying a car on the Internet and arranging for the car company to deliver it to Auckland airport on the day we arrived."
Like most migrants who have made the move, the importance of research and planning can't be stressed enough by Gary. Going headfirst into the process without knowing each step in detail is asking for trouble, but this is especially difficult with animals to transport and house on arrival. Gary agrees, "The best advice is to plan, plan and plan more." Sometimes, a little fortune is always welcome and with Kerikeri the Greenwoods had lady luck on their side. Not only was it looking good property-wise, the children were able to go to good schools. Moving to an area with good educational opportunities is obviously top of most parents' lists, but Gary thinks this is not even an issue in Kerikeri, as the area excels, as well as having some unorthodox takes on school uniforms. He explains, "With children one of our priorities was schools, and we struck gold with Kerikeri as they have some of the best schools in the country. "All our children are very happy in school, especially the younger ones who don't wear any footwear to school, and what a fortune we have saved on not buying school shoes! My daughter has recently returned from a school trip (in school time) where they camped for three days on Coopers Beach. "The school's cost for this trip was only NZ$35 (around £12)." But, as is often the case in the Land of the Long White Cloud, it's the little extras in day-to-day life that make the biggest impression. While afterschool clubs in the UK might be centred around some outdoor sports (weather permitting, of course) in New Zealand there is the space and culture for kids to do far more in the way of extra-curricular activities. "My children went to good schools in the UK, but here the high school, in addition to the basics, has its own equestrian team and teaches sailing to those interested – tell me another school that offers this."
Another thing about Kiwi life that Gary has noticed is the balance Kiwis manage to strike up between work and fun. He says, "The philosophy here is less work, more play." Unemployment is low, as Gary notes, and there is less crime. A recent spate of car robberies made front page news in the local papers. Gary remembers, "When the criminals were caught it turned out they had travelled up from Auckland – they weren't locals." Unsurprisingly, the smaller, more remote Bay of Islands area is filled with local characters and plenty of examples of small-town easy living. Gary chuckles as he describes how a local train driver stopped on a level crossing to pop into the shop for a pie, much to the amusement of waiting drivers who would have been "honking and yelling" if it was in the UK. Asked about any downsides Gary says the only one he can think of is that you are not spoilt for choice when it comes to shopping, but, he says, "People ask me what I miss about the UK, and my answer is absolutely nothing. To us this is a perfect paradise."
Getting it right first time
As with a move to anywhere in New Zealand, it pays to get advice from the locals, especially if the locals are recent expats who know what mistakes to avoid making. Gary Greenwood gives you his top tips for settling in the Bay of Islands and for buying property there.
Do a pre-visit if you can afford it.
If you have children get them into school as soon as possible. That way, they make friends you get time to get everything else sorted. And remember, in New Zealand they have they terms here.
If you hire a car make sure the final destination has a branch to return it to, otherwise it can be a long drive back to Auckland.
Make sure you have accommodation arranged for you in New Zealand before you leave the UK
Be selective when it comes to choosing areas to live in; don't be persuaded to move to a run down area by cheap housing.
Don't rush into buying the first home you see, some estate agents can be very pushy.
Always get a survey done and request a Land Information Memorandum (LIM) report. A LIM report is issued by the local council for the area in which the property is situated and contains information the Council holds in relation to the property.
Be aware that houses are built differently here. Many are made from wood which isn't a problem, but they just don't feel as solid as UK homes.
Find a good solicitor.
Find a good agent who will have access to all the properties available and be happy to show you them all.
Read other articles about Brits who have emigrated to NZ:
Child's play for the Binns
Real bright Sparkes
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