Shifting to the West Coast a huge success

Relocating from Auckland pays off for family.

By Lisa, Jayne and Harper Bronkhorst-Barrett.

Our story may sound familiar to many people who have lived in large cities.

We are a family of three, and regardless of Auckland’s growing unaffordable property market, we managed somehow, to find ourselves on the property ladder.

Despite living within close proximity to work, we were still not living the kiwi dream. Our two bedroom townhouse had no garden for our daughter to play in, and the Auckland traffic managed to affect the lifestyle we desired.

We decided to have a family meeting about moving out of Auckland, and residing in a lesser populated community. This was with the view of improving our lifestyle and being able to spend more quality time together as a family. We ensured our four year old daughter was included in the decision making process.

We are both Registered Anaesthetic Technicians, so our first challenge was to find employment in a smaller town. An opportunity arose on the West Coast at the District Health Board (DHB). We investigated further, and the response we received was very warm and friendly. It was this reaction that led us to apply for the position.

The West Coast ticked many boxes that we sought after; affordable housing, less traffic, a close supportive community, and good primary schools. However, the deal clincher for our daughter, was the promise of owning a home with a garden big enough for a trampoline!

The West Coast DHB was instrumental in making our move here as stress-free as possible. Over the last 10 months, our transition and integration into a smaller community has been pleasantly easy, and very welcoming.

When we told our friends we were moving to the West Coast it was met with some scepticism. One of the major concerns seemed to be about the amount of rainfall the West Coast is renowned for. We have however been pleasantly surprised with the weather. Yes it rains and when it rains, it rains a lot, but we do have a lot of sunshine too, and this allows plenty of opportunity to enjoy all of our outdoor activities.

We are currently building our new home, and our daughter has happily settled into school life with thanks to the wonderful staff at Paroa School.

Our lifestyle has greatly improved. As a family, we are able to do more together now, as we have more time to spend doing the things we like. The outdoor lifestyle suits our family very well, and we enjoy spending time on our bicycle’s exploring the stunning West Coast Wilderness Trail. There is so much to do and see, and we never grow tired of the rugged, untouched beautiful environment we have on our door step.

Overall, our move to the West Coast has been a huge success and one that we would recommend to anyone considering a change for the better.