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NZ Herald
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- NZ Herald
The Great New Zealand Road Trip: The ‘unstoppable' shift south - Ex-TVNZ presenter Peter Williams, top screen CEO Philly de Lacey among thousands who have moved to the South Island
Williams, a born and bred South Islander, spent almost 50 years in the North Island, from 1973 to 2021, as he forged a career as one of our most recognisable broadcasters and faces. Broadcaster Peter Williams spent years in Auckland and Mt Maunganui (as pictured here) during his time in the North Island. He's now the president of the Cromwell Golf Club. Photo / Andrew Warner Four years ago, the Oamaru boy returned home – or close enough to it anyway – one of an increasing number of New Zealanders who have upped sticks and headed south. Stats NZ figures show 85,575 Kiwis moved from the North Island to the South Island between 2018 and 2023 – about 30,000 more than those who went the other way. The reasons are plentiful: house prices, employment opportunities, study, family, and – for many people, such as Williams and his wife Sara, who hails originally from Dunedin – the lifestyle and the call home. On a recent Substack online post, Williams described the trend as the 'unstoppable move south'. He tells the Herald: 'I always felt – being born and raised in the South Island – that it was always going to be a place that I'd come back to. I used to have a lot of holidays down here. It's what's in your spirit, what's in your heart – it's what you want to go back to.' He and Sara initially set up home in Wānaka, but he says they became 'a bit bored' after about eight months. There were only so many coffees at the local cafe, golf games and bike rides. His brother-in-law, a farmer, suggested buying a farm. They ended up with the lifestyle block and the responsibility of looking after a decent chunk of land. 'We've run a few sheep here and there, although there's no stock on it at the moment. But cutting firewood, mulching your weeds, just looking after your vegetable garden and things ... there's just so much to do. It's really good fun.' Williams still adores golf and is now president of the Cromwell club. A few locals wanted Williams – who also had a short stint as a host on Reality Check Radio – to enter local body politics, but he decided against that. He is no longer involved with RCR, apart from sometimes being invited to be a podcast guest. 'I thought about [local politics] but I've got too much to do as it is. What's the old story when you're retired? You don't know how you ever had time to work.' Former TVNZ presenter Peter Williams at home on his 4-hectare lifestyle block during another bluebird day in Central Otago. Williams says the Central Otago weather is sensational, even at this time of year. Sure, it's cold, he says – temperatures have been down to minus 4C – but the bluebird days make up for that. He's meeting more and more people moving in from up north, either as 'half-timers' or permanently. Some, such as tradies, are working full-time; others are semi- or fully retired. The shift south Dr Rosemary Goodyear talks to the Herald over a Teams call from Christchurch. Her backdrop is a piece of her own art – a painting of Aoraki Mt Cook. Goodyear, a senior analyst at Stats NZ, has been crunching the data and studying the trend of New Zealanders moving south. ALSO TODAY ON THE GREAT NZ ROAD TRIP: NINE QUESTIONS WITH DAME LISA CARRINGTON 'Digging into it, what came out really strongly was things like housing affordability and lifestyle. For people moving to the South Island, generally, house prices are cheaper. 'Canterbury becomes one of the big standouts ... there's also been a lot of new housing built in Canterbury after the earthquakes.' Christchurch – and its surrounding districts with new-build housing – has become particularly attractive for young families. Goodyear said the Selwyn district, with its new builds and bigger sections, was particularly attractive for young families. 'They've got quite a substantial young population in the Selwyn district and of course that means there's more pressure on schools and ... infrastructure.' Studying was also a big driver for people moving south. 'We know there are a lot of young people who have moved to Canterbury, and then there's always been a lot of young people going to Otago to attend the university and the polytech there.' One-third of the people who moved to Canterbury and half who moved to Otago from the North Island between 2018 and 2023 were aged between 15 and 29. Those who had moved to the Queenstown Lakes area in Otago were older – about half were aged between 30 and 64. 'You have people going to different places for different reasons.' South Island regions have strong percentages of people who lived in the North Island five years earlier. Graphic / Stats NZ Today, New Zealand's population is roughly split between 76% in the North Island and 24% in the South Island. But the South Island's population rate has been growing at a faster rate more recently – 7.3% for the South Island between 2018 and 2023 compared with 5.9% for the North Island. 'During most of the 20th century, there had been net migration flows between the North and South Island, which had favoured the North Island,' says Goodyear. But she said that slowly changed from the late 1980s and early 1990s when the South Island started seeing small net gains. 'What you've seen in recent years is ... [a] ramping up of that trend.' 'Totally invigorating' A recent Kiwibank report cited Otago and Southland as the top-performing two regions as New Zealand strives to exit the economic doldrums. Each of the regions scored five out of 10 on the bank's regional economic heatmap – other regions were a three or four. 'The further south you go, the better the business climate seems,' said Kiwibank general manager Troy Sutherland. Southland was buoyed by sustained construction and a regional building boom; Otago was benefiting from a sharp rebound in international tourism and an 8% increase in employment. That economic growth extends to the housing market, where recent OneRoof data highlighted Canterbury and Queenstown Lakes values starting to bounce back more strongly compared with North Island areas. The houses in Mataura, Southland, are some of the cheapest in New Zealand. Nevertheless, the South Island still boasts some of the cheapest housing in New Zealand. If you want to truly get away from it all, try Kaitangata in Otago's Clutha district – the average house price there is $313,000, less than a third of an average Auckland house price. The average house price in Mataura, in neighbouring Southland, is $323,000. 'Just look outside!' One of our top producers, Screentime chief executive Philly de Lacey, moved to Queenstown from Auckland with her family two-and-a-half years ago and now divides her work time between the two cities. Queenstown-based Philly de Lacey (left) on the mountains, with friend Hannah Hanson. The company opened Remarkable Studios in Queenstown last year – it has already housed several international productions. The company's TVNZ series, Taste of Art, starts filming there this week; that will be followed by a second season of the hit series A Remarkable Place to Die. De Lacey said there were many reasons for the move. 'Just look outside! Queenstown is arguably one of the most beautiful filming locations in the world.' It provides, she says, the perfect backdrop. 'We could see the absolute need for a studio in Queenstown, given all the stunning landscapes, and opportunities for filming here, and of course, there were personal family reasons too. In the end, it was totally invigorating and the best move for our business opportunities and for family.' She describes an 'adventurous spirit' in Queenstown. 'There's new and different ways to approach life and doing business. The outdoors and semi-rural lifestyle in a small town environment where you live mere minutes away from amazing modern facilities is a wonderful blend, and the town is full of entrepreneurial spirit. 'People you meet are always getting up to something novel in business and leisure, so there's some very creative thinking going on and opportunities for collaboration. I've found it an incredibly inspiring place.' Needless to say, she says, she's never worked so hard and is still figuring out a work/life balance. 'But I'm loving every minute of it. The move to Queenstown was the inspiration for our drama series A Remarkable Place to Die ..." Queenstown offers a stunning backdrop for shows such as A Remarkable Place to Die – here's a crew photo from season one. De Lacey and Screentime have also been instrumental in setting up a new tourism venture in Queenstown, Luma Enchanted. Located at Kiwi Park, it is a stunning twilight sensory light and sound forest walk - a scaled-up version of the town's existing Luma Festival. 'We pulled in lots of people from the television sector to build the story of it, and mashing up our creative sensibilities with awesome lighting specialists and sound engineers was an amazing collaboration.' Watch a Queenstown Garden magically transform in the Luma Enchanted light show. Photo / Luma Gallery The southern lifestyle is brilliant, says de Lacey. 'I haven't yet succumbed to the request for a mini-cow, or a goat, sheep, or a chicken. We do seem to have a lot of rabbits, though, none we've inherited by choice, and they are totally obliterating my attempts at having a green thumb.' The work-from-home trend Stats NZ's Dr Rosemary Goodyear also talks of a more general trend. 'One of the things that really came out between 2018 and 2023 was that increase in working from home [and] flexible working. It was happening prior to Covid, but Covid sort of put it on steroids. 'So what we have seen, as well as people moving to places like the South Island, you see people in the areas surrounding cities are the ones that have grown. They may be in relatively easy commuting distance, but they don't necessarily need to commute every day.' Selwyn had been growing fast for several years. 'The lure of Ponsonby doesn't really do it for me' In speaking to the Herald and on his Substack article, Peter Williams did have a couple of cautionary comments, saying that living in the south was 'not all paradise'. 'Central Otago District and Otago Regional Council rates increases are among the highest in the country during the last three years. It's not a great place to get seriously sick as the nearest full-service hospital is more than two hours away in Dunedin.' But it's clear there's no place he'd rather be. He has some longtime mates, who also hail from Oamaru, who still love it in Auckland and aren't contemplating a move south. 'Maybe they lead more exciting lives, but the lure of Ponsonby doesn't really do it for me – the convenience perhaps of being able to walk down the street and get a coffee, it's important sometimes, but we have that at Wānaka. 'We live in the country. We don't miss it. We make our own coffee.' Editor-at-large Shayne Currie is one of New Zealand's most experienced senior journalists and media leaders. He has held executive and senior editorial roles at NZME, including managing editor, NZ Herald Editor and Herald on Sunday editor.
Otago Daily Times
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Chignell adds cross-country bronze medal to collection
Oli Chignell. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Oli Chignell has added another medal to his collection. The dominant Otago long-distance runner won bronze in the men's senior 10,000m at the New Zealand cross-country championships in a frosty Christchurch at the weekend. Chignell finished on the podium in 31min 42.06sec, behind hometown winner Connor Melton (Canterbury), who won gold in 31min 16.27sec. Toby Gualter (Wellington) claimed silver in 31min 19.96sec. Otago runner Becky Aitkenhead made her return to the elite circuit after the birth of her first child and was the fifth Kiwi home in the women's senior event in 38min 43.57sec. Queenstown runners Siena Mackley and James Weber, racing for Southland, had strong events. Mackley won silver in the women's under-20 event in 21min 41.53sec and Weber was the 10th New Zealander home in the men's edition in 26min 52.15sec. Gore runner Millie McFadzien was fifth in the women's under-18 event — and the only South Islander in the top 10 — in 19min 05.11sec. Mackley, Weber and McFadzien joined Finn Bell under the Queenstown banner to win gold in the mixed 4x2000m under-20 relay in 25min 51.01sec. Otago's other relay teams punched above their weight. Hill City-University's team of Oliver O'Sullivan, Aly Cragie, Mark Geddes and Taryn McLean scooped gold in the mixed 4x2000m over-35 category in 28min 46.80sec. Leith's team of Aaron Eyles, Tess Molloy, Craig Iversen and Mel Aitken secured silver in the same race in 29min 49sec. Hill City young runners Will Bolter, Zoe Lithgow, Caleb Dobier and Eva McLean gained bronze in the mixed 4x2000m under-16 race in 28min 23.10sec. Otago runners were strong across the board from masters to junior events. Kristy Eyles picked up a bronze in the women's over-35 race, finishing the 6000m course in 24min 08.10sec. McLean was not far behind in finishing fifth in 24min 12.61sec. Craigie and Aitken finished ninth and 11th respectively and they helped Otago finish as the second team home overall. Georgina Pakeho won bronze in the women's 50-54 event in 26min 47.51sec. Phil Napper finished fourth in the men's over 65 category in 26min 24.50sec and Ian McDonald was hot on his heels for fifth in 26min 27.67sec. Iversen finished fourth in the men's 50-64 race in 29min 58.22sec. Young Georgina Benson, racing for Hill City-University, came fourth in the girls under-14 race in 12min 02.64sec.
Scoop
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Scoop
Nelson Rider Basalaj Claims First NZ Title
JUNE 9, 2025: South Islander Bailey Basalaj finally lived the dream at the weekend as he collected his first major New Zealand motorcycling title. The Honda rider from Nelson has been racing at the ultimate level for many years now, and on Sunday he finally broke through to achieve his career-long ambition. He won the opening round of the 2025 Yamaha New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson in April, but he was still taking nothing for granted as he headed to round two near Whanganui over the King's Birthday Weekend, barely a week ago. Basalaj managed to win the weekend near Whanganui and, with two outright victories in a row, it set him up for 'a more relaxed third and final round', two back-to-back days of racing, near Martinborough on Saturday and Sunday. Basalaj finished runner-up in the 'sprint' segment of the competition held on Saturday, beaten to the finish by Owaka's Blake Affleck, and it was the same story again the following day, during the more-arduous long-loop phase, with Affleck once more winning ahead of Basalaj. This gave Affleck overall honours for the weekend, but, more importantly, it was enough for Basalaj – with his eventual 1-1-2 scorecard for the series – to wrap up the premier Expert Grade title overall. Second overall for the series was Affleck (with 3-4-1 round results over the series) and New Plymouth's Josh Houghton (2-6-3) completed the Exert Grade podium, while Whangamata's Ethan Jameson (4-3-11) and Amberley's Nathan Hodge (6-5-5) rounded out the top five for 2025. Best of the Intermediate Grade riders at the weekend was Masterton's George Callaghan, followed by Masterton's Dave Edmonds and Tokoroa's Mark Newton. For the series overall it finished with Callaghan on top (with a 2-1-1 score-card over the three rounds), followed by Whanganui pair Grant McKinlay (1-6-5) and Jason Wakeling (0-2-7). Best of the women this season was Stratford's Megan Collins, who finished a highly-creditable fourth overall in the Intermediate Grade. In addition to Yamaha-Motor New Zealand, the 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Championships were supported by Motorcycling New Zealand, Tasman Pine Forests Ltd, Macaulay Metals, Best Build Construction, Silver-bullet web site and Kiwi Rider magazine. 2025 Yamaha NZ Enduro Champs calendar: Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall. Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui. Round 3: June 7-8, Ruakokoputuna Hall, Martinborough District, South Wairarapa.
Scoop
08-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Nelson Rider Basalaj Leads A Honda 1-2 At Nationals
JUNE 8, 2025: South Islander Bailey Basalaj led a Honda 1-2 finish to the top of the series podium as his year's New Zealand Enduro Championships wrapped up in the North Island. The 21-year-old industrial refrigeration engineer from Nelson has been racing at the ultimate level for many years now, and on Sunday he finally broke through to achieve his career-long ambition, but he had a fight on his hands with fellow Honda rider Blake Affleck making a late charge for the title. Basalaj won the opening round of the 2025 New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson in April, but he was still taking nothing for granted as he headed to round two near Whanganui over the King's Birthday Weekend, barely a week ago. He managed to win again over the weekend near Whanganui and, with two outright victories in a row, it set Basalaj up for 'a more relaxed third and final round', two back-to-back days of racing, near Martinborough on Saturday and Sunday. Basalaj finished runner-up in the 'sprint' segment of the competition held on Saturday, beaten to the finish by Affleck, from Owaka, south of Balclutha, and it was the same story again the following day, during the more-arduous long-loop phase, with Affleck once more winning ahead of Basalaj. This gave Affleck overall honours for the weekend, but, more importantly, it was enough for Basalaj – with his eventual 1-1-2 scorecard for the series – to wrap up the premier Expert Grade title overall. Second overall for the series was Affleck (with 3-4-1 round results over the series) and New Plymouth's Josh Houghton (2-6-3) completed the Exert Grade podium, while Whangamata's Ethan Jameson (4-3-11) and Amberley's Nathan Hodge (6-5-5) rounded out the top five for 2025. Best of the Intermediate Grade riders at the weekend was Masterton's George Callaghan, followed by Masterton's Dave Edmonds and Tokoroa's Mark Newton. For the series overall it finished with Callaghan on top (with a 2-1-1 score-card over the three rounds), followed by Whanganui pair Grant McKinlay (1-6-5) and Jason Wakeling (0-2-7). Best of the women this season was Stratford's Megan Collins, who finished a highly-creditable fourth overall in the Intermediate Grade. 2025 New Zealand Enduro Champs calendar: Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall. Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui. Round 3: June 7-8, Ruakokoputuna Hall, Martinborough District, South Wairarapa.
Scoop
03-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Honda Rider Basalaj Stretches His Advantage
South Islander Bailey Basalaj has leapt another huge step closer to winning his first national motorcycle racing title after another solid performance over King's Birthday Weekend. The Nelson rider won the opening round of the 2025 New Zealand Enduro Championships near Nelson in April and probably felt there was a target on his back when he arrived at round two in the lower North Island at the weekend. However, the Honda star continues to lead the way after also winning the second two-day round of competition near Whanganui at the weekend and he knows a 'steady as she goes approach may be enough to get the job done', with the third and final weekend of racing now less than seven days away. Bailey won the 'sprint' segment of the competition day on Sunday, but was forced to settle for third overall during the main enduro on Monday, although his 1-3 score for the two days was still enough to give him the overall edge over Masterton's Max Williams (who finished runner-up with 2-4 results over the two days), with Whangamata's Ethan Jamieson (third, 3-7), Owaka's Blake Affleck (fourth, 4-6) and Amberley's Nathan Hodge (fifth, 5-5) rounding out the top five in the premier Expert AA grade. New Plymouth's Josh Houghton finished sixth overall for the weekend, with a 16-1 score-card, and can only rue his lost opportunity to overshadow Basalaj. Houghton had a minor mechanic issue to deal with on Sunday and this obviously cost him dearly because he was certainly on fire on Monday, winning three of the five separate sections, ahead of Taupo's Wil Yeoman, and clinching overall honours for the day, with Basalaj third overall for day two, finishing just 10 seconds behind Yeoman. "It wasn't such a good day for me on Monday,' explained Basalaj afterwards. 'After winning round one of the series, I knew I didn't need to ride over my head and I'm still in a good position anyway with now just one round to go. 'My Honda CRF250R bike performed brilliantly and didn't miss a beat, although I made a few human errors, silly mistakes that cost me time on Monday. I tried to hop over a log and messed that up. It was hard to get back into a rhythm after that. 'Thankfully, the pressure is off for me a little bit in terms of winning the title and perhaps I won't need to push too hard at the final round. I still have to be careful though, because I could still lose it all from here.' Best of the intermediate (A grade) riders at the weekend was Masterton's George Callaghan, followed by Whanganui's Jason Wakeling and Stratford's Megan Collins. Leading rider in the B–Trail class was Wakefield's Cam Clarke, with Palmerston North's Jarrod Amey topping the B-Junior class. The third and final round of the series is set for farmland near Masterton next weekend, on June 7-8. 2025 NZ Enduro Champs calendar: Round 1: April 25-26, Nelson. Day 1, 725 Dovedale Road, Day 2 Moutere Highway, 3.8km west of the Redwood Valley Hall. Round 2: June 1-2, near Whanganui.
