North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Good Evening, I'm new to this forum but have spent a few weeks reading up on various discussions but haven't found one relating to my query.

My partner and I are visiting New Zealand in November 19' to see if it's somewhere we could see ourselves moving too in the near future. We have toyed with the idea for a few years but it's never materialised so this year we have already booked our flights and have started to research job opportunities, housing, things to do and climate etc.

We are flying to Auckland and so far we have decided to visit the following - Whangarie, Tauranga, Hamilton and possibly New Plymouth...

i understand the weather in the North is warmer and a lot milder, but I wondered if anyone could advise me on the best areas for say lower 20s in the summer and mild in the winter?

I'm thinking Whangarei may get high 20s and possibly Tauranga, so is it advisable to aim further towards South (middle perhaps) love being outdoors and my partner is a keen fisherman (mainly fly fishing) so being somewhere that doesn't get too humid would be an important factor to us.

We currently live in South Wales so have more than our fair share of rain and grey days (major factor for the possible move)

Finally, we have two dogs who would also be making the move if we decide to take the plunge - are there lots of dog friendly things to do?

Thanks in advance 🙂

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

horray for another taffy, and one from the valleys as well (ex Ponty me - House of Pain Ponty, not that other one - lol)
Good win on saturday :thumbsup:
Nowhere here is like the valleys except perhaps the western side of the SI. And you're not going there so no matter

So, West Wales weather is a line from Wanganui to Dannevirke South.
Pembs weather is Bay of Plenty
North Wales weather is the centre bit.....nice if you don't like the heat, love the snow and a drop of rain.
Valleys weather......er, there aint none ,cept for perhaps an August valley's thunderstorm and that would be everywhere up north, hot, humid and damp.

Thing to remember is no matter where you are, (except perhaps the west coast of the south island), summers are hotter and longer, winters are milder and there's more rain than you'll see in the valleys, only it comes in massive lumps rather than a persistent drizzle

But it horses for courses isn't it, suppose its what you are looking for.
Miss out Hamilton - it's called the 'tron' for a reason - Gurnos on prozac
Tauranga is rapidly becoming a mini AK.....and that's a reason in itself not to go
whangarei is a nice enough place but I've not been enough to get an opinion.
NP is like a lot of towns in NZ, out there on it's own. it has is all, all be it in limited supply, but when you live there you'll become "Are you local"? Ex Royston Vasey if you get my drift? (NP, Gissy, Napier, Palmy, Taupo......they're all in that club)

but anyway it will be nice to see another dragon flying.

Hwyl fawr

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Nelson most likely has sunnier & warmer weather than Wales. It's weather is also a bit more even than say Auckland.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Hawke's Bay maybe? I've always thought that would be a great place to live.
Friend just moved to New Plymouth - that seems to tick a lot of boxes.
Otherwise, you could consider Taupo or Rotorua? Good fishing in the middle of the North island.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

TBH I'd say everywhere in NZ has much hotter summers than anywhere in Wales. Its not just the air temp we have to consider but also the much much higher intensity of the sun that can and does burn much faster

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

​​​​​​Thank you so much for the welcome, I live in Tonyrefail so can fully appreciate your comparisons of places.

The game was awesome and much needed too 😁 apparently we are No 2 in the world now with NZ in the lead!

Gosh there are so many places to chose from, I suspect it will be a lot easier to decide where to go when we get there. I like the thought of a small safe quiet town (maybe 20 minutes from coast). I don't like busy places, take yesterday for example, the first half decent dry day (8*) in weeks. We took the dogs to Barry Island at 8:30 (before the crowds) but everyone else has the same idea. We both said yesterday, wouldn't it be nice to find some quiet beaches where the dogs can run free with a lot less hussle and bussle!

Cym - how long have you lived in NZ? What are the differences you see compared to SW valleys?

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Bearskin, Bevs & justcol, thank you for the tips and advice. I'll add these to my research list.

Is NZ dog friendly i.e. is there lots of places where they accept dogs?

Thanks again,

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

some towns don't allow dogs in the CBD or main streets of some smaller ones and some beaches have restrictions during summer and there are a few places where restrictions are in place to protect native
However there are plenty of dog areas in most places, I've got 2 and have never had a problem

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

In reality , you will go where the work is offered.

Start with that.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Not really. It will all depend where the work is. What visa is possible. What your occupations are.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

"Gurnos on prozac"

::marw chwerthin::

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I have no idea what that means.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Gurnos is a somewhat *special* place in South Wales. Comparing it to Hamilton cracked me right up!

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

haha
but i was right though, eh:eek:

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Rainbow
easy answer first, came here in Sept 05 and been here since. Only been back once to 'ome and it was a big struggle to get back on the plane to come back to NZ....not because I dislike it.....NO.....because I miss my family so much. I had a wander around Ponty when we went back and didn't recongise the place. It's become a dump. (some might say it always has been......but some of us know better:rofl:)
Anyway compare with the Valleys?
There's none. There easy eh!
Imagine my face if you will when we first came here and went to Mitre10, kiwi B&Q, looking for a new door.
The conversation went something like this.
Me and her looking at two doors, along came some grandad .
"May I help you"?
"Yeah butt, where's the doors"
Grandad looks puzzled and points at the two doors.
"Aye, but where's the 'DOORS' butty"?
"These are doors" says grandad
"I can see that butty, I can see you have TWO doors, so where are you hiding the rest"?
"rest"? He says

So you getting the picture?

Now if you live in the city like AK or Tauaranga then there will be more builders merchants, electrical shops, plumbing shops, so on and hopefully more choice.
You live in the out on their own places like NP, Napier, Gissy then choice is a lot less.
And you'll think to yourself WTF, but eventually you'll get used to it and before long you'll be kiwi and accept it:sneaky:

The other thing to be aware of, is nothing here runs into another, No Porth/Pandy/Pentre/Herbert ribbon. Everywhere except AK is separate. And sometimes the distance in-between is really a long way.

So to give you something of a comparison with towns
Tauaranga = Bristol perhaps Swansea
NP = LLanelli
Gissy/Napier = Carmarthen
Palmy = Ponty (especially with the students)
Wangers = Zooport - but that's just me hating both places....but trust me I'm right (stand by for all Wangers and Zooport lovers to tell you different)

The thing to also be aware of there's nothing like Barry or Porthcawl here (shame Knights arms - miss that place) but there's heaps of beaches. For me the east coast is way way better for beaches - Anywhere from Napier to Castlepoint

The other thing to know is, in my opinion, kiwi's aren't dog lovers like what we are.
We used to walk our dogs everywhere in Wales. Here they can't go in any national park and most popular beaches are not permitted during peak periods. much like camps sites that say they are pet friendly - yeah in the low season when they want anyone's money.
But bring your fur babies - they'll be your link to 'ome and you'll need it

Keep asking the questions

(is sweaty betty's still open?)

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I've only driven over a few times but surely it must be possible to find empty beaches in Wales? Unless you're willing to drive very far or really live in the middle of nowhere, even the beaches in NZ can be crowded (depending what your used to), because most people have to live where the work is.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Not on a half decent day no. Everyone has the same idea which with our weather you can't really blame them. I also don't intend on driving 2 hours plus to find a beach that's possibly a lot quieter.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Your comparisons are really funny! 😊

​​​​​​From memory isnt sweaty Betty's in Ponty? Not sure if it's still there - I know princes' is ( they still do the most amazing rolls and cakes).

When we come over we are going to explore both North and South as I think the South will suit us better.

If we do make the move, we won't be basing it around 'you have to go where the work is approach ' as some on here have suggested. We have lots of years ahead of us to decide and qualifications that exceed the 160 pending job offers. We see this as an opportunity to at least apply for jobs in the areas we eventually shortlist.

Really looking forward to visiting in November now 😊

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Hhmm. That rather depends on what your occupations are & I am not being nosey on this.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Thank you!

Gosh I didnt realise the temperature exceeds 30. I've been doing a lot more research in the South Island, milder temps etc. For me I guess dry weather is more important than a high temperatures (I tend to holiday in the winter months and stay at home in the summer because I am not a fan of extreme heat).

What I have found confusing is the national average for sunshine in Nelson is 4hrs in Dec & Jan, is this correct or am I missing something?

Your contributions are very helpful - thank you all.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I think that's the same everywhere to be honest. As soon as you have a beach with facilities there will always be people and unless you're willing to drive, even in NZ there will be people on a beach depending on location (population). I suppose as you're stuck between Swansea & Cardiff there aren't that many choices but be prepared to drive, as distances are a lot further. We're in Ireland, so are used to driving and probably drive 2 hours every 2nd weekend. This Saturday it's not beach but shopping in the UK (Belfast). Just thought that when we drove through Wales there were many empty beaches.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

You're missing something . It is more like 6/8 hrs a day. I wouldn't concentrate on sunshine too much. It's merciless & if you are sensible you will not be out in it too much during the summer. Our area also hit the 30's and most folks kept inside with the air con on. It is just becoming more comfortable now we are into Autumn.

New Zealand is a series of micro climates. Not all are temperate. Some is sub-tropical. There will be rains. It isn't called the land of the long white cloud for nothing.



If you cannot take heat then South is likely better. If in your head NZ weather is like Med weather then perhaps have a rethink. I am not saying you do think that but many seem to have that idea for some reason.

I will go back to this
Not sure what you mean here. Are you intending to emigrate soon ? From that it sounds like this is more a general feeler.

At the moment you may well count up 160 points with a job offer , however NZ immigration policies change twice a year. They may put up the points auto selection criteria. They may alter the shortages lists.
Do not underestimate the difficulty of obtaining a full time long term job offer even if in New Zealand. That will depend on the skilled occupation and where the shortages are.

As you have dogs you should investigate where any dog friendly beaches are. Bear in mind the sun and the heat with them also.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Thank you Bevs, that's really informative. My husband is a electrical engineer in waste water and will be looking for a similar job if we decide to try for a visa. Our visit in November is to see if it's an improvement on what we have at the moment (mainly better weather). We don't plan on moving right away as we want to clear the mortgage beforehand so we have at least £250k for property when we move.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Hhm. I actually think you would be happy with the change in weather in most places around New Zealand. You could explore the idea as far south as Dunedin. Good city & its weather is not that of Wales. There would be snow on the ground in winter perhaps but there would be equally long warm sunny days throughout the year . They do not get the rains that some areas get. Christchurch is another area . I think from what you write you might find the Nelson weather too hot at times but one does adapt. I don't like the glaring sun hot weather here but there are many months when this is not the case. It is about adapting and not seeing 'summer' as the best time of year .

On a practical note I cannot see Waste Water Engineers on any occupational shortage lists . However a job offer from an accredited employer would do the trick quite well.
Looking at rates of pay, I would suggest you factor that in to areas of interest. Costs of living can vary quite a bit here in New Zealand as can property prices.

To me the South Island is far more rural than the North Island. I'm thinking waste water and effluent here. :p It has less people overall. I'm thinking beaches. Dog friendly beaches are about but best to check if and where they are. It being less people means more protected wildlife on said beaches = not good for dogs off leads.

Clearing a mortgage is a great idea. I would always go for the no debt option if at all possible.

My gut thought for you guys would be look South. Canterbury.

Stantec Ltd for instance is an NZIS accredited employer in that region.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I will certainly look into this - thank you. I may have worded his title incorrect, he is a qualified electrician with high voltage in this role too so may have to apply as an electrician.

I think South is a must for us with regards to less heat etc.

​​​​​​With regards the finances we are overpaying the mortgage in huge chunks every month so we can be mortgage free wherever we end up. 😊

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Hi Rainbow,

The climate out here in aucland is very hot compared to the UK. Don't be fouled with the average temp on Google.
Its been at 30 degrees out here almost everyday since before xmas. It feels alot alot more hotter aswell it's just cooling down the past week its still hot. Also i have never worn Sun cream in my life hardly and never burned till I come here. I have to put sun cream on every morning factor 50 and still get burnt ears and nose most days. The weather is alot more predictable thou you dont have crazy temp changes like back home. I'm from Scotland and its alot nicer weather and more predictable here.

The places that you are going go visit are really small places. which means there be alot less work in these areas.
Places like New Plymouth and whangeri are like small towns back home and you can't just drive to next town or city as its like a 2 or 3 hour drive.
They are lovely areas and would be great place to live the problem would be securing local work in these areas.
If you go on Indeed NZ and have a look how many Electrian jobs have been advertised in these areas the will be few and far between.
Also the south Island was hotter when we had heat wave last month. think it was 35 degrees.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Hey Guys,
I've sent you a private message - rather than clog up the board with the ramblings of a deranged ex valley, trog. lol
Sweaty Bettys, off of Taff Street, the place to go after a great night out at club y bont.
Daren't go there sober! God forbid

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I assume this was your first Summer in Auckland? This year has been exceptional. In my experience over the past fifteen summers, I have never know it to been this consistently hot and sunny for so long. I heard that this has been the third warmest summer ever in NZ and is not really representative of what usually passes for summer here.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Forget the weather outside and look at the accomodation. In the hot weather you can find shade, get air con or a fan. However, in the winter you may find yourself in a damp, uncomfortable freezing house that seemed ok in the summer. There's no such thing as bad weather just bad clothing and in NZ that extends to bad accomodation. Drafty uninsulated sheds are not easy to keep cosy.

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

Based on that theory there would be no one living south of Whangarei !!
or you could use just a modicum of common sense and take that into consideration when looking at houses to rent or buy, I know I always have :thumbs_up:

re: North and South islands - Climate Advice & wher to live for lifestyle
 

I do get this is very true of some houses and accom but it is certainly not true of all and most houses and accom.
Our cedar clad house is 40+ years old. It had insulation. It is cool in summer and warm in winter yet has just a log burner to heat it. We have doors and windows open year round.

It may be the OP will be looking to build their own home. Who knows.

Further south will give more options really as real estate is not as dear .....except for Nelson that is.

Rainbow74 -where to live in New Zealand. Climate/Temperatures
 

Great post by the way!

We are considering the Nelson area. We are in our 40s and if we did make the move it would be in a few years time. For us we are looking for a better climate and the ability to do more outdoors ( we tend to holiday a lot more in the winter months to help with the ever nagging low mood that the dark months bring) . We plan to be mortgage free beforehand so we can rent for a while in NZ before selling our property in the UK. I think because it's later in life for us we don't want the stress and worry of starting again financially and this will act as a comfort blanket so to speak.

Can I ask if the weather in Nelson gets really hot in the summer or does it maintain mid 20s? I've researched weather apps etc but think they may not be as accurate as asking a person who actually lives there (We have written the North Island off for this particular reason as we are looking for an improvement in climate but not necessarily extreme heat).

​​​​​​Do you find the area friendly and are there plenty of coffee shops \ restaurants, things to do etc in suburban areas?

We are travelling to NZ in November to see if it's somewhere we would like to live in the near future, so I'm trying to obtain as much information as possible, both positive and negative.

Thanks in advance for your input.

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

I live in Nelson and Tasman.
The past two years it has been stonking hot during summer. This region recorded the highest sun hours. Note that I wrote sun hours not sunshine hours. Sunshine has people thinking of lazy hazy european type summer days . I'm talking burn time of minutes. Slip, slop , slap ; Cover up ,stay in the shade.

We are in mid-autumn now and last week we were hitting early 20s during daylight hours. During January we were regularly hitting 30 and over. The area was in severe drought . This means water cuts of course. No flushing the loo until absolutely necessary . Incredibly short showers. No watering gardens unless by bucket and preferably grey water. The public swimming baths in Richmond was emptied ( water used elsewhere) and remains empty even now. Restrictions are now off but we are councilled to still conserve heavily & use wisely.
There were several worrisome bush fires this summer. Domains, walking/cycle tracks and a beach or two were closed for public safety and rightly so. A village was evactuated. It was no fun . My husband volunteers with Civil Defence here.
There were concerns for heat stroke in the new airport terminal :lol:

We have seen a change in the weather since we have been here. Summers are definitely hotter and windier. Hopefully writing that will put the mockers on another summer like the last one.

Don't get me wrong here & I am aware that might paint a bleak picure in a way. It is not doom, gloom, hard. People were still doing 'stuff'. Going to the beaches that were open like Tahunanui . They were cycling and kayaking etc . Just maybe not so much so during the main hottest parts of the day & being careful as to where & what. Being sensible.

It will be Autumn and Spring which may feel the better , more settled weather for this area really. Although we do get rains. For winter one gets snow out on The Ranges but no snow on the ground. There will be a nip to the air but there will be sun. It can still be shorts weather on occasions . One does not need a coat for instance. A fleece will suffice.

I am not really sure what is meant by ' is the area friendly'. Nelson and Tasman is a widely spread out area. City, suburbs, villages. Yes there are restaurants and cafes just like there is anywhere. What is meant by 'things to do'. There is a cinema, swimming baths, a few small galleries and a little museum. There is a small theatre , a venue <---- not much seems to go there though, and a sports stadium <--- though not much seems to happen there either these days. They have fayes, fetes and little festivals etc.

It is a 30 min flight from Wellington. An hour flight or 4/5 hour drive from Christchurch . Hanmer hot springs is 4 hours away. Rainbow ski field and The Lakes is about 2 hours drive away. Blenheim which seems to attract more performing arts & shows for some reason is a couple of hours drive. Golden Bay over Takaka Hill is a good hour drive into a quiet pastoral area with plentiful beaches and scenery. Hippies get lost over there.

When it comes to friendly, it really depends what you mean by that. Store and shop staff for instance are trained , American style , to ask 'how's your day been'. I suppose that PR could seem friendly. I think like anywhere you will get friendly people that may become a friend and those that will be friendly enough in passing but already have their own family/friend circles. Horses for courses and all that. A village may give more community spirit . Or if you are a church goer. That's is quite big really here. If you join a sports club. Go hunting. Get involved in local volunteer groups. All the sort of stuff one does or did before emigrating.

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

Would totally agree with BEVS post. Don't be fooled by the temperature listed on metservice - the sun is fierce and makes it feel like you're standing in front of an oven at times. I find the summer heat (at its height in Jan / Feb usually but can extend Dec and March) quite wilting and being pale and English am continually paranoid about sunburn (not to mention wrinkles haha). The heat is less tropical and humid than the far north but do not underestimate the strength of the sun. I fear we'll have more droughts in the future (hopefully no more fires as that was certainly a very stressful experience - we live in that village that was evacuated!).

It is a beautiful area for outdoor pursuits and there are a lot of very active people here. As BEVS mentioned there are clubs you can join to meet people. As we're in a bay the sea is calm which is perfect for paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming. There are some lovely walks with stunning scenery - however, for me doing these walks in the summer feels impossible. The national parks get very busy with tourists and the heat makes me just want to lie on a beach. Also I avoid the Lakes in the summer as the sandflies are vicious (goodness I sound a bit pathetic now!). Spring, winter and autumn are great for walking though.

Nelson it a nice city more boutiquey (if that's a word). Richmond is a suburban sprawl (realise that's slightly contentious and likely to be disputed by anyone who lives in Richmond - which we used to) but it's true - there are the necessary shops and leisure facilities but no character. I suppose it depends what lifestyle you want. When we moved here 9 years ago it was relatively quiet, it's got a LOT busier since then. I commute to Nelson everyday and spend more time commuting than I did when we lived in SE England!

Finding work can be a challenge - depending on your profession - there's an article in the Nelson Mail today about lack of skilled employment opportunities in the region.

Excellent cafe culture - if we moved away the coffee would be high on the list of things I'd miss. There are a lot of other expats - Brits, Europeans, Americans, South Africans. Weirdly we seem to have more expat friends than Kiwis. Which is not to say kiwis are not friendly it's just a bit of a cultural / understanding type thing.

Check out housing when you come over - it's expensive and you don't want an older house unless you like to freeze in the winter and boil in the summer - or are prepared to add insulation / double glazing etc (all of which are very expensive).

It's hard to get a true measure of a place from a holiday - November can be amazing - warm and sunny without the crush of summer tourists. I'm sure you'll be wowed by the scenery which is stunning but my advice would be to dig a little deeper. Consider the price of groceries if you were spending an NZ wage not UK pounds. Go to some open homes on the weekend and check out houses. Look at the job market - although annoyingly job adverts never tell you the salary here - however, Nelson is known for 'sunshine wages' and there is an over reliance on the fact that people will take a job because it's Nelson i.e. sunny lifestyle.

I suppose it's important to think carefully about what you are hoping to achieve out of a life lived down under compared to what you have now in the UK. :) It's a long way away from anywhere and for us that is something we'll never come to terms with (I realise that's a fairly obvious point but somehow it has become more apparent with each passing year). Oh and Christmas in the sun sucks (after the first couple the novelty wears off).

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

Meant to add this link.

Time and Date Nelson weather graph . I set it to January 2019 so you could look. To me this shows more realistic temperatures. Of course it doesn't take into account humidity , wind ( which can be warm/hot also) Sheltered , coastal. All the usual sort of stuff that effects temps .

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

vicejw Rainbow74

Bit concerned we both sound a bit damning in a way. It isn't actually like that really. It is simply different.
If I were to move UK to NZ again. I would forget worrying about snow on the ground in winter and likely move to Dunedin. Much more my style. Where I come from in the UK we did not often have snow on the ground in winter. It was not eternal rain and the long summer evenings more than made up for the short wintery nights. My life there was more outdoors there TBH than it is now.

Dunedin still has lovely summer days. It has good changes of season . It is still not anything like the south coast of the UK nor the Med but it is less isolated in terms of getting anywhere and seems to have a bit more go overall.

If it was me and it is not, I would focus right away from weather and sun. Sun is not a good thing here at all. Focus on what you want from a lifestyle . The weather and the sun you can work around.

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

Thank you both for the in-depth responses.

I really want to avoid 30* heat so maybe I need to focus further down south. You have definitely given me something to think about it terms of what I want from the move too.

🤔

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

You say it will be in a few years time but if it's really just about the climate, I certainly wouldn't move to the other side of the globe at your age (sorry about age:-) but you say: I think because it's later in life for us we don't want the stress and worry of starting again financially and this will act as a comfort blanket so to speak.
Even if sunny, you will still have the shorter days in winter, it still rains and life is life. It's far easier to downsize in the UK and with that money you can easily afford a holiday pad in Portugal /Spain, be it renting or buying. Around Porto you'd roughly have the same amount of rain and sun as Nelson and the sun isn't as aggressive, even though it might be hotter. Then you have the Costa Brava in Spain, which can still offer cheap housing in parts and with 2400 hours of sun 500mm rain per year + they don't see the really hot temps. And even after that, you will still have enough cash to go on holidays.

Re: Should we move to NZ?
 

Excellent response from Moses2013.

The "comfort blanket" thing worries me a lot. Moving country is one of the most challenging and difficult things a person will ever do in their lives. New Zealand is not a tropical South Seas England. It is its own country with its own culture, traditions, and way of doing things. Brits do not just slot right in, and the migration failure rate is relatively high compared to other countries (for a combination of reasons).

You may find that for your "comfort blanket," you throw hundreds of thousands of Pounds down the sinkhole and end up isolated and cut-off from your family and friends in your golden years, without much recourse except to throw a whole lot more money at trying to move back. By no means a remote or uncommon scenario. NZ is not the low-risk option in the scenario you outlined.

Porto or South Spain should be the "comfort blanket," for the reasons mentioned by Moses2013.

That's without even getting into the cost-of-living, or what happens when you get bored with Nelson. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are 11 hours away. Melbourne is four hours away from Auckland - also not right around the corner.

NZ suits specific personality types and not others, and the financial aspect needs to be planned especially carefully. If you don't go in with your eyes wide open it can end up disastrous for you.