Jumping the Gap

With New Zealand still reeling from the effects of the Christchurch earthquakes, and its economy struggling to shrug off the turmoil caused by the global financial crisis, many people are making the trip across the Tasman with no intention of going home soon. Departures to Australia were the main culprit in New Zealand’s net migration falling to 46 for the year ending May 31, down from 18, in 21. Campbell Reeve was part of those statistics. The quantity surveyor moved to Sydney, from Hamilton, with his fiancée, Renee Strickland, in August last year. “We were in for the long haul when we decided to move. We sold up everything and cashed up completely,” Reeve said. Career opportunities were a key motivation, with money and lifestyle also playing a part. “The big factor for me was the scope of the projects I would be able to work on,” he said.