Guide to living in taranaki

When Debbie Taplin opened an engineering magazine in 

2005, she saw two adverts – one for the Worcestershire 

County Council and the other was for New Zealand. 

Figuring that once her furniture was packed up it didn’t’ 

matter how far she went, she applied for the job in 

New Zealand, and soon had job offers in Auckland, 

Wellington, Christchurch and New Plymouth.

A 24-hour visit to New Plymouth was all it took to convince her 

that the region’s pace of life was perfect, so she accepted the 

role on offer, and made the move.

“My new employer, the New Plymouth District Council, helped 

me through the process, with a relocation allowance and 

advice,” Debbie says.

“Taranaki is extremely peaceful and where I live is even more 

so, with no through traffic.”

Debbie purchased a private 1250m

2

 section and built a house 

in Inglewood, a 20-minute commute from work and a far cry 

from her former commute of up to an hour. She is loving the 

extra time she has available to fit in lifestyle, and the cats are 

loving the extra space.

Weekends are typically spent relaxing, running and cycling on 

the region’s many pathways, as well as playing the saxophone 

– a new skill Debbie has been able to pick up since arriving 

in Taranaki.

When it comes to advice for new residents, Debbie suggests 

going straight for permanent residency, avoiding the need to 

resubmit work to residency visa applications.

“I’d also recommend you take a full New Zealand tour before 

starting work. Taranaki’s a great place to explore the country 

from, but there’s a lot to see.”

And also, it would seem, to keep a degree of flexibility in your 

long-term plans for those unexpected opportunities that life 

in Taranaki might present.

“I only ever intended to stay here 3 years, 4 max. I have been 

here 9 years now and have no real intentions to leave. I even 

ended up married to a kiwi which was never part of my plan.”

 Finding the perfect 

lifestyle

Marcia Haigh and Matthew Millard

Regular visitors to New Zealand Marcia Haigh and 

Matthew Millard shifted from the UK in search of a new 

lifestyle. When they didn’t find exactly what they wanted 

in Auckland, they took a drive to Taranaki. 

The couple decided to pay New Plymouth a visit, and drove 

down on a day when the rain was horizontal and the city was 

far from its picturesque best. 

“The next morning we awoke to glorious sunshine, blue sky 

and awesome views of Mount Taranaki. Two months later we 

were back for good!” 

“Right away we both loved the feel of New Plymouth. During 

the day there was a real buzz and a vibrant main street with 

lots of museums to explore, and in the evening plenty of 

places to eat and go out,” Marcia enthuses. 

“And then there’s the natural beauty of the place, from the 

awesome coastline to the beautiful mountain!”

“Those who had visited only had positive things to say! There 

was no one thing that made us certain Taranaki was the right 

place – but the region had something that really got under 

our skin and it just felt right.” “That said we do miss the UK’s 

public transport system,” says Marcia.

When it came to finding a place to live, Marcia and Matthew 

are now the proud owners of a lifestyle block on the outskirts 

of Inglewood. 

“We wanted to live in a rural environment and have some 

space, and to be able to make the most of the milder climate 

than we are used to. Here the snow stays where it belongs – at 

the top of mountains!”

“The move from being city dwellers to living on a lifestyle 

block is the biggest change we’ve had to make since moving, 

but that’s why we came!” 

“If we were to do anything differently, it would be to bypass 

Auckland and head straight to Taranaki, and maybe get jobs 

before coming out to help the immigration process.” “Other 

than that, just do it!”

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Charlie Lewis and his family, wife 

Natasha and kids Sammy, Daniel 

and Calum, swapped sides to 

New Zealand in April 2012, first 

to Wellington, and a year later to 

Taranaki. Coming from Solihull, West 

Midlands, in the UK, the family has 

since grown with the addition of Elise. 

Despite this, when Charlie found a job 

advertised in New Plymouth with the 

highly regarded orthopaedic department 

at Taranaki Base Hospital, his interest 

was piqued.  

“Friends were really positive about the 

quality of the mountain and surf, and 

moving to a brand new hospital helped 

the decision,” Charlie says.

“Plus Taranaki seemed to offer a 

wonderful place for our children to 

grow up, with easy access to the great 

outdoors, and a good lifestyle. There’s 

so much space here, a lack of traffic, 

better weather and really good working 

conditions.” 

In 1999 Sarah came to New Zealand 

from London to visit a friend living 

in Auckland, and rushed home to 

pack up everything and make a 

more permanent move. In 2013 she 

made the move to Taranaki, with her 

11-year-old daughter.

“I was working in IT and that was ahead 

of the whole Y2K boom, so I found it easy 

to get a good job. It wasn’t until after I’d 

arrived that I stopped to think about Visas 

and the likes. Fortunately, the demand for 

IT skills was high, so it was easy.”

Since then Sarah’s brother and his family, 

and her parents have also made the 

move to New Zealand.

“I love New Zealand. It’s just so easy to 

live here,”

Now, Sarah has followed her heart to 

“Oakura is lovely. The village atmosphere 

here is great, we’re in a fantastic 

neighbourhood and so close to the sea. 

It’s such a contrast to our former lives, 

and so much easier as a family!”

Plus it’s only a 10 minute commute along 

a scenic coastal road. “I used to drive up 

to an hour and a half on the busy M40!”

“There’s a lot on offer in Taranaki for 

young families. You do adapt quickly, and 

the slower pace of life and ease of getting 

places mean you have more time.” 

“It’s very easy to become part of the 

community here – there’s so many 

people from Europe and the UK that 

sometimes it doesn’t even feel like you’re 

in New Zealand.”

Since arriving in Taranaki Charlie has 

been able to play a lot more golf and take 

up fishing, while all the kids are now avid 

surfers.

 A great place to raise children

The Lewis Family

“To anyone looking to 

move to Taranaki, do 

it. You won’t regret it, 

but if you do you can 

always move back.”

 Finding a new world 

Sarah Lee

Eltham, finding the lifestyle even easier.

“I drive 55km to New Plymouth, but my 

friend in Auckland drives 25km from 

Botany Downs to the CBD, and it takes 

her half an hour longer. There’s just no 

traffic here.”

Finding a job in Taranaki was easy. “I 

applied for three, and was offered two 

of them, starting as soon as I could 

get there.”

Sarah, now running her own recruitment 

business, has been able to share her 

enthusiasm for the region and how 

easy it is to do business here – she has 

even been known to hold recruitment 

meetings in the local pub.

“Everyone here is approachable and open 

to referrals,” Sarah says, “There’s just a 

great community network here.”

“Good private schooling is very expensive 

in Auckland. Here we’ve found a very 

good school just up the road that offers 

similar benefits, but at a fraction of 

the cost.

When it comes to advice for anyone 

else looking to make the move, Sarah 

advises just doing it. And keeping an eye 

on cheap Grab a Seat fares, as the road 

between Auckland and Taranaki could do 

with some smoothing out.

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Case Studies

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 Inspired by the legendary 

landscape 

Wayne McDonald

Wayne McDonald arrived in New Zealand in August 

2012, attracted to the country’s stability, safety and 

environment, and chose to settle in the North Island  

city of New Plymouth, where his fiancée grew up, for  

the family ties, natural beauty and outdoors lifestyle.

A couple of days after arriving, Wayne began the hunt  

for a new job, and using a range of online resources  

including the Venture Taranaki jobs website  

www.taranaki.info/liveandwork and knocking  

on a few doors he quickly had interviews at a high  

street bank and a leading recruitment firm.

“After reading about a position on Venture Taranaki’s job site 

I contacted Amy at recruitment agency Inspirec and had an 

interview the next day,” says Wayne.

“The interview was really positive and I was welcomed back 

for a second interview two days later. An offer was made and I 

jumped at the opportunity and to join an extremely ambitious 

and fun team with a really exciting working environment. It 

took me a week and a half to find a fantastic job.”

“The future looks really exciting in New Plymouth. The 

outdoors are just so easily accessible, and we’ve got friends 

and family coming out in February for our wedding. I really 

look forward to taking advantage of the fantastic golf courses 

around the city and I’m even planning on learning how to 

surf,” Wayne says.

Wayne has since married his Taranaki born partner, bought 

a house, had a son and taken over the management of the 

recruitment agency business, and still loves his life here.

South Africa

 Wish we’d moved  

here sooner! 

Strydom family

The Senior Electrical and Instrumentation Engineer 

shifted from Centurion, Gauteng, in the Republic of 

South Africa to New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand in 

early 2008. 

Employment was the driving force behind choosing New 

Plymouth, but the short drive from the airport to his 

job interview was all it took for Johan to all in love with 

New Plymouth.

“The countryside was beautiful, and it was clear there was 

enough rain – not something I was too familiar with.”

“It was instantly obvious that there is a lot more respect here 

– for others, property and life in general,” says Johan, “but 

our cultures don’t differ that much, so it was really easy to 

become part of the community.” “My one son and his wife 

have since joined us in New Plymouth.” 

“It was all pretty straightforward once we decided we wanted 

to make the move. The hardest part was making the decision 

to go.” The move took around two years from having the idea 

to getting a job and settling in New Plymouth. 

The family now owns a modern 5-bedroom house in the New 

Plymouth suburb of Frankleigh Park, that has views over the 

surrounding area and is “far enough from the town to be quiet.”

”The location is fantastic. There is a corner shop and take 

away within easy reach, and a sports ground with play park 

down the street.”

While the weather is constantly changing it has a “good 

amount of rain” – a welcome change from South Africa.

The greater feeling of safety and security of his new home 

also comes through. ”I feel safe when driving. There’s just no 

risk of being hijacked. I feel safe sleeping in a house without 

burglar bars.”

Would Johan have done anything differently? “I would have 

done it earlier in my life. This is great!”

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Tonya and Gerard Callebaut made the move to Taranaki 

from Cape Town, South Africa in 2007, having avoided 

the lure of Australia.

When it came to choosing where in New Zealand to move 

their lives to, Tonya and Gerard feel that Taranaki chose them, 

rather than the other way around.

“We didn’t want a repeat of 

Cape Town’s traffic woes, so 

ruled out Auckland,” Tonya says.

“From there I Googled, Engineer and Oil and Gas job 

opportunities and this little place called New Plymouth kept 

on popping up, so New Plymouth it was!”

“Leaving the dream home we built in scenic Cape Town was 

also difficult, but a few days after we arrived I was able to 

safely walk with my toddler to a park without feeling uneasy 

and it just felt right.”

This safety aspect was seen as major attraction in coming to 

New Zealand, while New Plymouth offered small city living 

with big city employment opportunities, plus good schools.

While Gerard was able to continue as an engineer, since 

starting his own consulting business, Tonya launched her own 

online business in 2012 which has taken off.

“There’s just no comparison between our old and new 

workplaces. The traffic was terrible and really ate into our time 

beyond the office. In New Plymouth we can cycle to work and 

get in a swim or walk at lunch, though now we’re both home-

based we can fit work around family life.”

“It must be one of the few places left in the world where kids 

can ride a bike or scooter to school on their own and walk up 

the road to play at their friends for the afternoon.”

 Proving the grass is greener for good reason

The Callebaut Family

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Case Studies

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 Home sweet home

The Markhams

Growing up in the shadow of Mount Taranaki left such an 

indelible mark on Leighton and Duchesne Markham that 

they just couldn’t stay away. 

Duchesne left the province to move to Auckland in 2008 

for university, while Leighton followed after the couple were 

married in 2011. 

“We had a great network of friends and our careers were 

going well in Auckland, but there was always something about 

Taranaki that just made us want to return – it always felt like 

we were home here,” Duchesne says.

Duchesne says that apart from wanting to be closer to family, 

the couple were drawn to move back home for the lifestyle.

“Here, I’m home by 5.15, and that’s even factoring in that I bike 

to and from work now, so don’t need to go to the gym. Then 

it’s dinner with friends on the beach or gardening at our new 

house before it gets dark. The post-work options are limitless 

and we love making the most of our newly gifted time!”

“Leighton has really enjoyed catching up with colleagues and 

looking after familiar projects, while I’d always wanted to work 

for Venture Taranaki so I was thrilled that a job came about 

just when I was looking.”

On top of a new lifestyle, Leighton and Duchesne could afford 

to purchase their first home in New Plymouth after making the 

move, making their friends very envious.

The couple say they are enjoying being a part of the Taranaki 

community too.

“The whole process of moving back to Taranaki has been 

incredibly friendly and welcoming. We’ve enjoyed spending 

time with family and old friends and we’re also making an 

effort to meet new people including welcoming even newer 

people to the region and helping them settle in.” 

Duchesne’s advice for anyone thinking about moving to 

Taranaki is “DO IT!”

New Zealand

 A well-kept secret

Daniel ‘Chuck’ Norris

Daniel ‘Chuck’ Norris moved to Taranaki from Sydney 

with his partner Laura in April 2014, coming home to 

New Zealand, but choosing to look beyond his native 

Tauranga.

“It was time to come back to New Zealand and put some roots 

down, but while I was very aware of what New Zealand had 

to offer, I was surprised how little I knew about Taranaki. It’s a 

well-kept secret!”

“The lifestyle was more relaxed, and access to activities suited 

what we were seeking to do in our personal time. This made it 

an easy decision to shift home from Australia,” Daniel says.

“It’s also worth setting up a bank account in New Zealand 

prior to arriving. This helps with money transfers and also 

receiving wages from new employment.” 

While he now travels from New Plymouth to Hawera most 

days – a commute of 74km – it can take half an hour less than 

his former 54km commute in Sydney. 

Daniel and Laura have bought a 1900 villa in New Plymouth’s 

CBD, and love the central location. 

When not indulging in the great Kiwi tradition of DIY, he 

spends his time walking the dog on the off-leash beach or 

heading to the region’s parks and cafes.

It was easy to fit into local life. “I love how friendly Taranaki 

people are, though you have to adjust to that coming from a 

big city. It’s occasionally nice to just get lost in a bigger city, 

but doing that on future holidays will be enough.”

Daniel still gets a laugh when he has to pay for parking in 

Taranaki – he got $48 in change from the $50 he handed 

over for a recent 4-hour stint at the local mall. “After living in 

Sydney I had assumed that $50 wasn’t going to be enough.”

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Jamie Cameron grew up in Taranaki 

and left first for his OE, then came 

back to play rugby, then left again 

to further his career. Now he’s 

back, along with his wife and two 

children, and wouldn’t want to be 

anywhere else.

Having spent the last two years on the 

Gold Coast, and the two years prior to 

that in Perth, Jamie is very clear on why 

he’s back in Taranaki.

“Things were going very well 

professionally, and I was enjoying the 

challenge of hard work, and the rewards 

that came with it,” Jamie says.

“The flipside was that I was always 

travelling and spending a lot of time on 

the road, but I really didn’t like being 

one of those dads who wasn’t there for 

his kids.”

“I loved growing up a Kiwi Kid, and 

wanted my kids to have the same lifestyle 

and opportunities, so we made the move 

back to Taranaki first and foremost for 

our family.”

And now they’re back, Jamie, his wife 

Denise and kids George (13) and Jake (7) 

are loving life and how much easier it is 

to live here.

“You don’t appreciate how good it is 

here until you live away, particularly as 

a family.”

The family are finding that life in Taranaki 

offers benefits beyond the easy lifestyle.

“You can get to the library, the beach 

and the museum after school, it’s not a 

case of spending an hour in the car to 

get home.”

When it comes to school and cost of 

living, the differences have also been 

noticed.

“Taranaki offers everything you need with 

the added bonus of a quality of life you 

don’t find in the big cities. It’s important 

to be clear your motivations for shifting.” 

“While bigger markets offer more career 

opportunities, it’s not always about that.”

For the Cameron family spending more 

time with your family, in a landscape full 

of adventures, is a pretty compelling 

motivation.

 All the right reasons

The Cameron Family

 Returning home  

to Te Maunga 

The Capper Family

Wayne Capper is one of a growing 

number of people returning to 

Taranaki to give their kids the 

upbringing they fondly remember.

Wayne returned in January 2013 from 

Bunbury in Western Australia, with wife 

Arianna and children Anahera, Taiora, 

Tiana, Kahu and Tipene, who range 

between 3 and 13 years.

“I was raised here, and for me and my 

family coming home was the perfect 

choice and best fit when it comes to 

whanau and lifestyle,” Wayne says. 

“While we were living away I thought of 

home every day, each morning I would 

think of our Maunga. I don’t know what 

it is with Taranaki but the Maunga seems 

to draw us back – that and the memories 

of family, surf, sports and the really 

relaxed lifestyle.”

“Taranaki is the real New Zealand.”

“For both me and my wife the sense of 

freedom and openness that Taranaki 

provided was a major factor in our move 

back here. The chance for our children to 

experience that freedom, just as so many 

other Taranaki children have done, was 

really appealing”, Wayne says.

“We also wanted our children to embrace 

their Maori culture and get involved with 

the people of our iwi Te Atiawa/Taranaki.”

“New Plymouth has a vibrant city life, 

with cafes and bars, great events, parks 

and walkways and plenty for a family 

to do. But what’s really great is that you 

have surrounding country towns that are 

only a stone’s throw away that provide 

that good old kiwi culture that we all 

know. Mountains, beaches you name it 

Taranaki has it. Where we came from just 

didn’t have the same appeal.”

“It was really easy to fit in, and we’ve 

found that people are generally very 

friendly here in Taranaki. I was raised 

here so it has helped me and my family fit 

in to the community.”

“All of the family have adjusted really 

well, a lot better than I anticipated. We 

all now call Taranaki home and we are all 

enjoying life here and what it brings.”

“This place is not too big not too small 

and has everything you need to fulfill 

your happiness in life,” says Wayne.  

“To me it’s no strings attached real  

New Zealand.”

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Case Studies

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Elsewhere around the globe

 Like winning the jackpot

Babette Khilan – Germany