It’s Never Too Late to Retire
Date: 01/15/2008
Nelson, known locally as Sun City, will soon be home to 102-year-old British expat Eric King Turner.
Tuesday, Jan. 15, 2008
Read more about retiring overseas in International Living Postcards--your daily escape
Are you ever too old for an overseas adventure? Now on his way to a new life in New Zealand, one retired dentist doesn’t think so.
World War II veteran Eric King-Turner has few regrets about leaving Britain for Kiwi Country. “The way of life is very much the same as it is in Britain, but it is not so crowded--and the weather is certainly better.”
Eric will be settling in Nelson, in a bungalow beside a beach overlooking Tasman Bay, with his New Zealand-born wife Doris. Nelson is one of New Zealand’s most beautiful coastal towns. As well as being one of the sunniest spots on the South Island, the Nelson Lakes and Abel Tasman National Park are on your doorstep.
Lots of Brits immigrate to New Zealand, but what’s unusual about Eric King Turner is his age. At the age of 102, he’s Britain’s oldest-ever emigrant. His wife is 87. The sprightly couple first met in 1993 when Eric was on a fishing trip to New Zealand. Both widowed, they married two years later.
In order to gain residency in New Zealand, Eric had to prove he was in good health and also produce evidence he was in a long and stable relationship with his wife Doris. The immigration paperwork took five months to process.
Before setting out on the 12,000-mile journey by cruise ship that will take them to their new life, Eric said, “What's important is that when I'm 105, I don't want to be thinking, ‘I wish I had moved to the other side of the world when I was 102.’” He also advised: “I would say to anyone that if you want to do something, you should do it straight away, while you can.”
I visited the Nelson region on my last trip to NZ. I stayed in Richmond, one of the country’s fastest-growing small towns. This town of 11,000 people is around 20 minutes' drive from arty Nelson with its galleries and street cafes, 10 minutes from sandy Rabbit Island beach (a favorite with locals), and 10 minutes from Seifried’s winery (fabulous vineyard restaurant plus award-winning Rieslings and Sauvignon Blancs from the cellar door).
There are 20 or so wineries in this area--which is probably why I never got around to tramping the Abel Tasman National Park coastal trail. All rocky headlands. lush native bush, limpid aquamarine waters, and golden sands, I’m sure its walks are a wonderful experience for those who prefer fresh air to wine cellars...
Richmond house prices are by no means NZ’s cheapest. That’s not surprising, given that its residents enjoy around 2,400 annual hours of sunshine. A cheery three-bedroom bungalow in the heart of Richmond is NZ$285,000 (US$223,000) through First National. South of Nelson, in the small coastal town of Westport, I found a neat three-bedroom bungalow in the small coastal town for NZ$175,000 (US$135,000).
Venture farther south to Christchurch, New Zealand's most English city, and you’ll find many gothic stone buildings. A one-bedroom city-center apartment is on the market through Grenadier for NZ$135,000 (US$104,000).
In Wellington, New Zealand's capital, a furnished studio apartment in the Central Business District is NZ$105,000 (US$81,000). It's in a complex leased to Massey University and brings in an annual rent of NZ$8,740 (US$6,734) less rates of US$924. Through realestate.co.nz.
Steenie Harvey
For International Living
Editor’s note: If the idea of a new life in New Zealand appeals to you too, you’ll get the low-down on living here full- or part-time at IL’s Live & Prosper in New Zealand seminar this coming March.
Read related articles:
- How to Get Residency in New Zealand
- I Found My Paradise in New Zealand
- Escaping From 14-hour Work Days for a Better Quality of Life in New Zealand