The Canterbury Employment and Skills Board (CESB) recently made several appeals to the UK for more skilled workers to work on reconstruction projects in Christchurch and help rebuild the country. CESB deputy chairman Alex Bouma said skilled workers will be very much in demand over the next decade: “There is going to be a huge economic opportunity over the next three to ten years,” he said. “The UK will play a crucial role on providing businesses here with the employees they need.”

Despite being hit by the earthquake and its aftershocks, Christchurch remains a popular spot for British migrants. The third-largest city in New Zealand, it boasts a good balance between city living and the great outdoors, being both close to the beaches of New Brighton and Sumner and on the doorstep of the longest running ski resorts in the southern hemisphere, such as Mount Hutt. As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also within reach of the Aoraki Mount Cook National Park, Hanmer Springs and Lakes Tekapo, Coleridge and Pukaki.

Largest city Auckland is not short of attractions, either. The Sky Tower which offers stunning views of the nearby islands and Auckland Zoo are just two of the attractions available. Then there’s trendy Wellington, sunny Nelson, action-packed Queenstown… In fact, the list of places you may wish to settle in goes on and on – just like the country’s stunning scenery.

Asking prices for properties in New Zealand have been steadily rising over the past year and according to the Real Estate Institute, house prices rose 2.4 per cent in November, bringing the average cost of a home in the country to NZ$367,500. Auckland was seemingly driving this rise, with average house prices in the city rising 3.4 per cent in the past 12 months.

But don’t let these rising property prices put you off – they still compare favourably with British property prices – and you tend to get more for your money.

What’s more, it is for the renowned laid-back and friendly Kiwi lifestyle that most NZ-bound migrants choose the country – and this is something that most people can’t put a price on.

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