Quick Recap
As mentioned in my most recent post, my husband Fred recently retired. We immediately flew to New Zealand, our former home (and current home of our son) to find and purchase a house. But… where? Real estate prices near the big cities are far out of our range. (American friends: Imagine the difference between NYC and a small Midwestern town. Same idea.)
Searching for Property
Pro Tip 1: If you’re looking for property in New Zealand, download the TradeMe app! TradeMe also features an app specifically for real estate, but we found the properties section in the main app more robust.
As expected, Fred found countless deals in small towns all over New Zealand, most of which we’d never visited, especially on the South Island.
Getting Around
He meticulously planned a huge road trip, crafted a ranking system, bought a car… and, off we went!
Pro Tip 2: If you plan to visit New Zealand, definitely check out Auckland on the North Island, but if you can swing it, rent a car or camper and travel throughout the South Island. You won’t regret it!
If You Can’t Say Something Nice…
I’m in publishing and absolutely hate to read a bad review. There is a person behind every book and the internet is already chock full of opinions. My personal review-writing policy: Unless I have something positive to say, I keep my thoughts to myself. In this spirit, over the next weeks and months, I’ll be reviewing the small New Zealand towns that we loved, in the order in which we visited them. Most of the places we experienced are on the map above.
Stay tuned for next week’s review of Whanganui!
Are you curious about New Zealand, or moving away from the US? Post your questions in the comment section—I’m happy to share my thoughts and will help you any way that I can!
Vagabond Violet 