The Times Online reports on a British family’s successful move to New Zealand.

Paul and Estelle Collins, teachers from Wiltshire, and their four young children made the move to New Zealand a year and a half ago.

The Collins sold their three-bedroom house near Bath and bought a large detached house with more than an acre of land near Wanganui. Despite a 40 percent drop in income, they can now afford to send their children to private schools and still have more than £100,000 left over. Paul also expects to retire ten years earlier than if they had stayed in the UK.

Estelle, who is French, says: “I miss the UK shops, especially shoes, and there’s no hopping over the Channel for a quick fix of French goodies. I didn’t feel the need for it in the UK, but oddly enough, I do here.”

She now keeps chickens - something she would not have done in the UK - and has a walnut tree and fruit trees in her garden.

Paul’s favourite aspects of New Zealand are the brighter quality of light, the space and the warmer weather. Estelle, meanwhile, no longer suffers from seasonal affective disorder, a type of winter depression, thanks to daily sunshine.

They do feel “miles from everywhere else”, so use the internet more and keep in touch with friends in the UK through video conferencing. Paul says: “Life here is more relaxed and carefree. You can lose sight of what the rest of the world has to cope with.”

Ultimately, he does not feel homesick because “home is where my family is” and the main thing is that their children - Morgan, 10, Bridie, 8, and Victor and Hugo, 5 - are thriving. “It is very safe, they have much more freedom and they are healthier because their days are full of sport and school activities,” Paul says.

“They are not so into fashion and having the latest fad. They can be kids and are not pressured into growing up too quickly. Being close to the sea is great for them, too.”

Paul also enjoys his work. “I used to feel that climbing the career ladder was what mattered to provide the best for my increasing family. Now that we are comfortable, I can do what I enjoy, and my passion has always been drama. I have class sizes of 20 or fewer, an auditorium that seats 440 and students who say thank you at the end of a lesson.”

“The process made me look at my pension plan and realise that I don’t want to work until I’m 65. By emigrating I have opened up the options and I am now looking at 55. Having made one move, there is nothing to stop us doing it again.”