Barbecues, beaches and bodyboarding – living the dream down under

For over 10 years, my wife Susan had been saying we should try life ‘down under’.

Although our home country of Scotland is a beautiful place and my family are a tight-knit bunch, the long dark winters and short summers just didn’t allow for the kind of outdoor lifestyle we wanted. 

The cold and rainy weather made it increasingly difficult to tear my daughter and two sons away from their PlayStation games and YouTube channels. It seemed like it was time to consider a change. So, with a view to finding a more outdoorsy lifestyle, broadening our horizons and embracing new challenges, we finally made the move from Scotland to Auckland in 2018. 

We lived in the beachside suburb of Browns Bay for 14 months but have now settled further north of the city in Gulf Harbour, on the beautiful Whangaparaoa Peninsula. Although climate and lifestyle did have a lot to do with the move, New Zealand’s reputation as being friendly and welcoming, coupled with the overall more relaxed atmosphere was a big draw too.  

  
A new home away from home 

I first visited Auckland alone after securing a number of job interviews through LookSee Build – a construction and engineering specialist recruitment service. As soon as I arrived, I knew this was going to be the perfect home for us. I just loved the idea of being surrounded by fantastic tranquil beaches, while also having the option of a modern bustling city within easy reach. 

My employer, Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities took care of all of our relocation needs on our behalf, from visas and temporary accommodation, to the shipping of our belongings. They even provided us with a rental car for the first two weeks until I bought our own. 

The kids were enrolled at their new schools within a few weeks of touch down, which really helped them settle in quickly. The transition to Kiwi life was also easy for me as I was at work within two days and able to meet new people straight away. It took a little longer for my wife to settle in as she didn’t have the ready-made circle of friends that the children and I had made through work and school. However, when she started volunteering at the Salvation Army and joined the PTA, she began to meet people and make new friends.
 

A meaningful career 

As Programme Manager within the Construction Group at Kāinga Ora Homes and Communities, I’m responsible for the construction of several large scale developments totalling 300 new homes throughout Auckland. I also oversee the demolition of old stock housing to make way for new developments in the regions.  

As an organisation, our priorities include addressing homelessness and making homes more affordable for New Zealanders. As well as being a world-class public housing landlord, Kāinga Ora also partners with the development community, Māori, local and central government, and others on urban development projects of all sizes. I’m proud that in my professional life I work for a company that really makes a difference to people’s lives, and I have a team of very diverse and talented people by my side every day.  
 

Something for all the family 

The kids love the warmer climate here in New Zealand and have now become addicted to bodyboarding at Orewa beach. Our love of the beach began when we were living in Browns Bay where we had the option of four lovely beaches, all within walking distance of our house. Now, at our new home in Gulf Harbour, we have Shakespeare Regional Park, two golf courses and numerous beaches on our doorstep – we really are spoilt for choice.

We can take weekend morning walks with the kids and enjoy first-class fishing and kayaking. It really is the outdoor lifestyle we had dreamed of. I’ve also ditched the car for my daily commute in favour of the 50-minute ferry ride into central Auckland - what a way to travel to work.

We also like to eat out and there’s no better place to do that than in Auckland by the sea. Whether it’s at the Viaduct Harbour or Wynyard Quarter, bars and restaurants in the city, or at our local haunts in Gulf Harbour, the food and atmosphere are always spot on.  
 

Loving the outdoor lifestyle 

The biggest difference we’ve felt since moving to Auckland is that we do far more as a family, and 90 per cent of it is outdoors. I personally love that I do a lot more barbecuing and I no longer need to set up the gazebo to keep the rain off the food! 

How I get to work is rather different from back in Scotland. No more traffic jams for me, I now get some fresh sea air on the ferry. There are worse things to look at than the sunrise behind a volcano every morning. 

My kids’ commutes have changed as well. They enjoy far more freedom here, as they walk to school themselves and enjoy being active and outdoors in their spare time much more too.

We no longer feel the need to go abroad for a holiday, as we’re now living in a beautiful beachside location. I think we’ve truly found the Kiwi dream and the whole family is loving it.
 
Mark Brennan is a Programme Manager in the Construction Group for Kāinga Ora – Homes and Communities. He and his family moved to Auckland from Scotland 14 months ago.
 

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