A British woman who swapped Yorkshire for New Zealand says the move was 'completely worth it', despite working an extra 20 hours each week and living in a smaller flat.
Liv Dainton and her partner Cameron Ellenor, both 27, originally from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, relocated to Queenstown, New Zealand in February 2025 after Cameron was offered an engineering job.
Longer hours, new lifestyle
Liv left her 37-hour work week as a financial accountancy recruitment consultant to work in traffic control, often waking at 4.30am for 60-hour weeks. Despite the longer shifts, she says her old role was 'more stressful'.
Liv said: 'I used to be suited and booted and making money and now I’m wearing a high viz jacket. I would say recruitment is much more stressful, but in a positive way.'
She added: 'It’s a very rewarding and motivating career. My job is intense and exhausting but it’s how I met most of my friends. I wouldn’t have made the friends I have now without this job.'
Downsizing and costs
In the UK, the couple rented a three-storey, three-bedroom semi-detached townhouse for £750 per month, plus £210 council tax and £40 for Wi-Fi. In New Zealand, they pay $2,490.20 NZD (£1,080) a month for a one-bedroom, one-bathroom studio apartment in Queenstown. Electricity costs $135 NZD (£60) and Wi-Fi $69 (£30) per month.
Liv says she earns 'a little less' than in the UK, leaving her with less money at the end of the month, but she loves her new home.
She said: 'New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places you can ever go to. The beauty is ridiculously insane with all of the mountains and lakes, you don’t get used to it.'
Cultural differences
Liv noted that people walk barefoot everywhere, including supermarkets and petrol stations, and children go to school barefoot. She also feels safer than in parts of the UK, saying: 'In New Zealand, you can leave your front doors and cars unlocked. I’ve done nine house sits and five of them don’t even have a front door key. You don’t have to legally pay for car insurance, as long as you have the car owner’s permission, you can drive anyone’s car.'
Nightlife is limited outside Queenstown, with Liv adding: 'In the north island, nothing is open past midnight. It’s only in Queenstown where I have experienced proper nightlife.'
Tips for moving abroad
Liv shares her experiences on TikTok (@livdainton, 26,600 followers, 1.7 million likes). Her advice: 'Save up, be open-minded and prepare to be resilient about moving far from friends and family… You miss out on big milestones like friends getting married and having kids so you’ve got to think about the distance.'
The couple plans to travel more, and Liv hopes to start her own recruitment company and earn money from TikTok full time from anywhere in the world.
