Business graduate Pranathi Manoj had never travelled outside India until her marriage to an electrical engineer parachuted her all the way to Whangarei.
The shy woman from the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh was one of 251 new migrants - according to Statistics New Zealand - who made Whangarei their home in December last year.
Figures revealed the 251 new residents Northland received in December was 40 more than the same month in 2014. The region welcomed 2002 migrants over the whole of last year compared with 1763 in 2014 and 1573 in 2013.
In comparison, 1279 people departed Northland last year, followed by 1445 in 2014 and 1998 in 2013.
Pranathi Manoj and her husband Manoj Mohan moved to Whangarei after their marriage in India in November last year.