Approximately half a million individuals departed the UK to reside overseas during the previous year, and this trend isn’t limited to older adults. According to a study conducted by the British Council, 72 percent of those aged between 18 and 30 are open to relocating and working abroad, citing factors such as chilly temperatures, expensive living costs, and excessive prices. childcare a shortage of work-life balance and even unfavorable dating opportunities among their reasons for departing from the UK. The i Paper's Expat Files features British individuals who have made the move to live somewhere else, highlighting both the challenges and successes they encounter along the way.
Artistic director Olivia Woodgate, 31, departed from the UK towards New Zealand In 2021, along with her boyfriend George, who is 31 years old. She has now returned to London and explains to Maybelle Morgan why she was eager to come back.
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The unexpected announcement of our best friend's engagement—shared during a choppy FaceTime conversation across a 13-hour time zone gap—made us realize we should return to the UK. For the last two years, we'd been residing in New Zealand, fully embracing everything amazing about its stunning natural scenery, beautiful landscapes, and thrilling outdoor activities. However, as days passed and updates from friends' achievements and weddings began arriving rapidly—as often happens once you turn thirty—we found ourselves feeling extremely lonely.
I was thinking we should be there right now," I recall. We were losing out on everything. The initial openness and hope upon arriving in New Zealand—“let's find out what happens—if we like it, perhaps we'll settle down”—had disappeared. At the end of the FaceTime call, we told our friends: "Don't get married before we return.
It all began in 2020 when my partner George suggested relocating to New Zealand. We initially met as roommates and later entered into a relationship during that time. Covid Lockdown. We resided with three others in a four-storey house located in a mews area of Camberwell, South London, featuring a lovely garden. However, almost two years of remote work as an art director for a publication felt suffocating. Each of us paid £800, but we weren't able to access our garden. Eventually, George moved into my room to help reduce costs, although it became very challenging — we were constantly around too many individuals and lacked the necessary space for our evolving relationship to flourish.
After spending three months in a single room, George remarked approximately: "Something has to change; this isn't viable anymore." He was employed as a physical therapist, though he was currently on unpaid leave and felt extremely restless. "I had this wild thought," he mentioned. "What if we simply leave the UK for, maybe, a year?"
New Zealand repeatedly came into discussion. Being a physiotherapist, George was eligible for a rapid three-year temporary health care visa, and I could join him under a partner visa. Neither of us had visited before or had acquaintances there, yet within just three weeks, we made our decision. We departed in February 2022.
We arrived in Auckland, the biggest city in New Zealand, and lived in an Airbnb for six weeks as we settled in. George started working immediately while I focused on applying for a work permit and searching for a car and apartment.
New Zealand faces a housing shortage, making rentals costly due to the prevalence of individual, separate homes. For our initial year, we resided in an apartment within a former elderly care community, surrounded by many senior residents, where we paid $625 (£300) per week—approximately £1,200 monthly for a studio unit. Despite having shared facilities like a swimming pool, tennis courts, a sauna, and a personal terrace, it felt quite confined.
Initially, securing employment was challenging due to limited opportunities at the desired level. Fortunately, an opening emerged at a high-end auction house. In general, wages in New Zealand tend to be significantly higher. I was earning approximately £30,000 while working at a publication in London, and I found myself managing from one paycheck to the next.
In New Zealand, my initial salary was $85,000 (£42,000), yet from day one, there were plenty of opportunities for advancement, excellent promotion prospects, and regular raises. After nearly three years with the auction company, I was earning $115,000 (£55,000). I continued to work diligently, but the key change was that once I closed my laptop, my personal life had transformed entirely. Alternatively: My first salary in New Zealand was $85,000 (£42,000), but right from the start, there were many chances for growth, strong promotional moves, and significant increases in pay. By the time I left the auction house after just under three years, I was making $115,000 (£55,000). Although I remained dedicated, the main distinction was that when I turned off my computer, my lifestyle appeared totally changed. Another version: While in New Zealand, my starting wage was $85,000 (£42,000), however, immediately there were numerous paths for development, solid career advancements, and good salary increments. After close to three years at the auction firm, I reached an income of $115,000 (£55,000). I kept putting in effort, but what made all the difference was that when I switched off my laptop, my overall way of living felt completely distinct.
New Zealand is vast with very little public transportation available, which led us to purchase an SUV since we planned to go car camping during our weekends. We intended to snorkeled, hike, and stay in isolated cabins. In New Zealand, people are constantly engaged in activities like hunting, fishing, boating, and scuba diving. It felt really rejuvenating coming from London, where most people spend their weekends smoking, drinking, waking up late, and feeling down.
My entire life turned around and my way of living transformed. I gave up alcohol. My weekends grew incredibly precious since there were so many things to experience.
A year later, we chose to depart from Auckland and relocate to Christchurch, which would now place us just 30 seconds away from either the beach or the mountains. In Auckland, all places — dining spots, stores, and pubs — tended to shut down early. It was common to go out for a single drink after work and then head back home.
In Christchurch, we discovered a large two-bedroom apartment featuring an impressive ocean vista of Sumner Beach, at a price comparable to our former studio in Auckland. It provided us with additional room to expand and accommodate visitors. At that time, my position enabled me to work from home, which was very convenient.
The most challenging part for us was being separated from our close circle of friends and family, and forming and keeping new friendships proved difficult throughout. While in Auckland, I met local individuals around my age at work, but several expressed their desire to move to London or other European cities.
Many individuals were traveling through, similar to ourselves, and due to the absence of a comparable pub tradition, there weren't many spots to connect with local youth.
In total, it took us two years during our stay in New Zealand to realize we wouldn't attempt to extend our visas or remain beyond the initial three-year period. Although I had experienced great fortune in my job, this did not change the reality that I sensed a limit to professional growth opportunities within New Zealand, where there were very limited high-level creative positions, leaving me increasingly dissatisfied.
We ultimately departed from New Zealand during Christmas 2024. Fortunately, prior to our travel plans, we had purchased an apartment in Bristol — we received the keys just two weeks before our flight to New Zealand — and managed to rent it throughout our absence.
Once our monthly mortgage was settled, we usually had around £500 remaining to assist during difficult periods. During our absence, we hardly used this amount, which eventually helped with the deposit for the current flat we're living in—a single-bedroom apartment in Streatham rented at £1,600 per month.
I'm presently engaged in freelance projects for a high-end fashion brand, working five days per week with four of those spent at the office. The most unusual aspect of returning has been observing how the workplace environment in London has evolved. Remote work wasn't something considered prior to my departure, but now individuals frequently leave midday to collect their children or attend personal engagements. It seems as though a switch has flipped—people are genuinely balancing their lives alongside their professional responsibilities.
I'm also pleased to be back in UK grocery stores. The quality of food available in the UK is significantly better when it comes to supermarket products. Naturally, you can find amazing fresh seafood, yet many items in New Zealand were limited by seasonality and often came at a higher cost—especially during winter, where ingredients tended to be smaller and priced twice as high as usual. At times, dining out ended up being less expensive, which meant we indulged more frequently. Simple restaurant outings typically cost around half what they do here in the UK. For example, if a burger costs approximately £15 in the UK, the equivalent would set you back $15 in New Zealand. Ground beef might reach £12, and during colder months, we avoided bell peppers since they could cost £3 each and were very tiny.
I'm really fortunate that many of my friends from New Zealand have relocated here recently. Just this morning, I received a message indicating that some of our closest friends back in New Zealand are planning a European summer trip. While we were living there, we formed around nine lasting friendships, mostly with couples. Two of them are currently in Australia, two in Ireland, four still in New Zealand, and one has moved to London.
Ever since returning, our friends have experienced numerous ups and downs—engagements, separations, and paths toward starting families. Being present through everything holds great significance.
New Zealand had a truly transformative impact on my life, yet the one decision I might reconsider is moving there at a younger age. It appears to be an ideal location for slowing things down, starting a family, or retiring. I'm content being back here.
Our acquaintances have fulfilled their commitment as well. They're tying the knot this summer. We're eagerly anticipating it.
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