At 22, Sophie-Lee Archeris way outside the profile of people who would normally move to the provinces for a quieter life. As an Auckland restaurant manager, she's used to being on high alert. But after two years of Covid hogging the headlines, it all got a bit too intense.
“Just about everybody you talk to is angry or upset, and it's all anybody talks about.” Even off duty, she found she couldn't escape the general anxiety. “I always thought one day I'd like to move to Tauranga, to be near the beach and the open air and have some space - just not this soon."
Archer is about to start work managing a local restaurant and has already found a flat more affordable than her Auckland one. A friend is moving to Australia's Gold Coast for similar reasons. “He just wants a bit of peace from all this anger and craziness, and an easier pace of life.”
Melanie Tuala feels much the same way. After 11 years in high-stress jobs in Auckland and Wellington, the 34-year-old has recently moved to rural Bay of Plenty. For her, the crunch came after the second lockdown.
“We'd just had enough, and decided now's the time. So we chucked most of our stuff into storage, except what we could fit into the SUV, and we crossed the [Auckland] border and got a rental down here and started looking for houses."
Tuala admits she had been thinking about moving for a long time, but was put off by the thought of having to take a large pay cut. That concern evaporated once remote working became the new normal. “I realised, 'I can work from anywhere now, and earn the same salary wherever."
Denne historien er fra April 9 - 15, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
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Denne historien er fra April 9 - 15, 2022-utgaven av New Zealand Listener.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
