A British couple who traded life in the UK for New Zealand say the major move has proved “completely worth it,” praising the country’s safer way of living and breathtaking natural scenery.
Liv Dainton, 27, and her partner Cameron Ellenor, also 27, left Northallerton in North Yorkshire behind in February 2025 to start a new chapter in Queenstown, New Zealand.
The pair, who have been in a relationship for more than nine years, decided to relocate after Cameron landed an exciting engineering role in the popular South Island resort town.
For Liv, the move meant a dramatic career change. She left her 37-hour-a-week job as a financial accountancy recruitment consultant and began working in traffic control in New Zealand, sometimes starting her day at 4.30am and putting in 60-hour weeks for less money than she previously earned.
Even with the longer shifts and physically draining routine, Liv says her old office-based career felt far more stressful, adding that her new job has helped her connect with more people since arriving overseas.
Despite the sacrifices, she remains convinced that relocating to New Zealand was the right decision, pointing to the country’s relaxed lifestyle, sense of safety and stunning landscapes as major advantages over life in the UK.
“I feel a lot safer than I did in some parts of the UK,” Liv said.
“In New Zealand, you can leave your front doors and cars unlocked. I’ve done nine house sits and five of them don’t even have a front door key.”
Liv Dainton, 27, and her partner Cameron Ellenor, also 27, originally from Northallerton, North Yorkshire, left the UK for Queenstown, New Zealand, in February 2025
Liv (pictured) firmly believes that the move overseas was ‘completely worth it’ due to the safer lifestyle and ‘beautiful’ scenery New Zealand has to offer in comparison to the UK
Prior to relocating to New Zealand, both Liv and Cameron had enjoyed numerous trips across the globe backpacking.
But it was during a two-week trip to New Zealand that they ultimately ‘fell in love’ with the country.
Since making the move, the pair have been forced to downsize from their three-storey, three-bedroom new-build home in Northallerton which they paid £750 per month in rent for.
Now, the couple are forking out $2490.20 NZD (£1,080) a month for a one bedroom, one bathroom studio apartment in the popular tourist spot of Queenstown.
Their electricity costs $135 NZD, equating to £60, while their Wi-Fi comes to a total of $69 (£30) per month.
Liv says she earns ‘a little less’ than she did back in the UK and is generally left with less money at the end of the month than she did at home.
However, despite the significant costs, Liv loves her new home and has no desire to return to the UK.
Liv said: ‘I used to be suited and booted and making money and now I’m wearing a high viz jacket.
Since making the move, the pair have been forced to downsize from their three-storey, three-bedroom new-build home in Northallerton which they paid £750 per month in rent for
‘I feel a lot safer than I did in some parts of the UK,’ Liv revealed. ‘In New Zealand, you can leave your front doors and cars unlocked. I’ve done nine house sits and five of them don’t even have a front door key’
‘My job is intense and exhausting but it’s how I met most of my friends. I wouldn’t have made the friends I have now without this job.
‘New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places you can ever go to. The beauty is ridiculously insane with all of the mountains and lakes, you don’t get used to it.’
Since moving to New Zealand, Liv has noted that there are several cultural differences between her new and old homes – including several people walking around barefoot, while she has also noted that pub culture is far less prominent.
‘In the north island, nothing is open past midnight. It’s only in Queenstown where I have experienced proper nightlife,’ she added.
Liv has been sharing her daily Kiwi experiences on her TikTok page @livdainton which has 26,600 followers and her page has over 1.7million likes.
For any other UK residents looking to move abroad, Liv advises that they remain ‘open-minded and prepare to be resilient about moving far from friends and family’.
‘I moved to the furthest place possible from home and in the first couple of weeks, it hit me that I didn’t know anyone here,’ she added.
‘You miss out on big milestones like friends getting married and having kids so you’ve got to think about the distance.’
