Rotorua pride: Making Rotorua our home

After spending the past 16 years trekking to Rotorua for holidays, the Ogilvie family are packing up and heading to the Sulphur City to make it their permanent home.

They see the move as a "big adventure" and will arrive with four sets of career skills - now they need jobs.

The Rotorua Daily Post will follow their move and the hunt for employment.

Dad Aaron Ogilvie said once he found work in Rotorua their adventure would begin for him, wife Julie and daughters, Danielle, 20, and Brittany, 17.

They moved to Hamilton 16 years ago from Tauranga but now hope to settle in Ngongotaha.

At least four times yearly they holiday in Rotorua, once spending a summer break at the Lakeside Novotel.

"We just love Rotorua. This has opened up an opportunity for adventure - a change. We had thought about a localised move to a smaller town ... we sat around as a family and the consensus was Rotorua. Rotorua has been our favourite place ... it's peaceful. It has everything."

Mrs Ogilvie is of the same mind. "It has a nice small-town feel about it but with providing everything we are used to in the city - to a degree."

Their experience is vast - Mr Ogilvie in senior management and leadership, while Mrs Ogilvie has a career in administration. He is a business mentor as well, and is looking for a management role focusing on development and change.

"Transformation and change is one of my biggest involvements."

Mr Ogilvie describes his daughters as "Indiana Jones and Florence Nightingale" - one planning on a career in hospitality, the other in childcare and early childhood teaching.

Danielle is in her final year of an Early Childhood diploma and is looking for work in childcare, while Brittany is seeking a career in hospitality.

Danielle can't wait for the move either. "It's familiar and close to everything."

Brittany is also keen to make Rotorua home. Staying in different areas of Rotorua, the city offered world-class facilities they had enjoyed and an environment they would continue to explore, Mr Ogilvie said.

Many Rotorua businesses will recognise him from working in the city for Mercury Energy.

If you are interested in offering work, contact Rotorua's Personnel Resources Angelique Tizard (07) 348 2424.