Northland couple Danica and John Wells have made the move to Australia, where they live and work on a 200,000-acre (80,937ha) organic cattle station in Queensland.
When Northland couple Danica and John Wells decided to move to Australia, all they knew was that they wanted a change, especially from New Zealand winters and mud.
The couple owned and ran a 200-acre (80ha) farm in Umawera while Danica also worked in administration and human resources for a civil construction company in Kerikeri and John worked for an earthmoving company.
Then a search on Seek overhauled their lives.
Their move saw them join some 44,534 New Zealanders, almost 1% of the nation’s population of 5 million, who left to live in Australia in 2023.
As the cost-of-living crisis drags on in New Zealand, more Kiwis are relocating to Australia, including Northlanders.
The net migration loss, which takes into account Australians moving to New Zealand, was 27,011 last year, an 85% increase on 2022 and the most since 2013.
In April they left New Zealand with two 30kg suitcases and plunged headfirst into a new adventure, working on a 200,000-acre (80,937ha) organic cattle station in Queensland.
“With the kids being older [22 and 18] they didn’t need us as much anymore, and moving to Australia is something John has always wanted to do,” Danica said.
“We’d talked about doing something different ... the way we were going we couldn’t see us paying off our mortgage anytime soon.
“We looked at managing caravan parks, we looked into working in the mines, and were on Seek one night and saw this and it sounded really cool.
“Two weeks later we had the job.”
With the couple’s son taking care of their Northland farm, they’ve been settling into their new life across the ditch.
John is the overseer of the farm while Danica helps as a “general hand”, tackling tasks like fencing and mustering while also working remotely doing bookkeeping and administration for a company back home.
Apart from her and John, there is also a fulltime machinery operator and his wife “who live 12km up the driveway”.
Australia’s vast geography has been a big adjustment for the Wells duo, as has the wildlife and weather.
The farm is located inland, 8.5 hours drive northwest of Brisbane, and the nearest town with a supermarket is over two hours drive away in Emerald.
The other “nearby” town of Rolleston – nearly an hour’s drive - has a gas station, a rural supply store, a school, and a pub.
“We’re isolated ... I always make sure we have spare milk and spare bread,” Danica said.
“Every day is an adventure, and every day is completely different.
“Yesterday we were fencing, and the day before we were fixing a Landcruiser.
“It’s trying all these different things and being open to every kind of adventure.
“I can now operate the skid steer [bobcat].
“John’s like a kid in a candy store, he’s in his element, driving the bulldozer and mustering the cattle.”
Danica said she and John have also found farming “very different” from Northland.
“We’ve just had a winter with no mud.
“When you’re farming in Northland you deal with mud from April to August, it rains all the time.
“Here we had 12mm last night, and when it does rain here the mud is just for a short time because it’s so hot.”
Though the summers are typically hot and come with more rain, and there’s the potential for bushfires and floods, the couple are excited about their new life.
The wildlife is amazing, Danica said: “massive” kangaroos on the lawn, cute wallabies with joeys, and abundant birdlife including galahs and cockatoos.
The biggest thing Danica has struggled with is the isolation.
“I’m a massive people person; the biggest thing I struggle with is there’s literally nobody here.
“Working online makes it hard because I don’t have that people interaction.
“That’s the biggest thing I had to get my head around.
“When we have friends to stay I get very excited.”
Danica said there are many “little things” that, when combined, leave them better off in Australia.
“The superannuation is added onto your salary rather than in New Zealand where KiwiSaver is taken off.
“You’re paying for your retirement [in New Zealand] whereas here you get paid and they’re paying for your retirement.
“Australia is still cheaper than New Zealand for food; I got chicken drumsticks on special for $4 a kg and two scotch fillet steaks for $12.”
Danica said she’s not sure how long they’ll stay in Australia, though the original plan was for two years.
“This place is stunning, so we don’t really know, it might be five or two years, or we might never come back.
“We just don’t know.
“For us, it’s been a really good move ... it’s a different way to experience life.”
Jenny Ling is a news reporter and features writer for the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering roading, lifestyle, business, and animal welfare issues.