KEY POINTS:
Last month it emerged that a World War II veteran was emigrating to New Zealand at the age of 102 because he thinks England is too crowded.
Eric King-Turner and his 87-year-old wife Doris set out from Southampton to their new life.
Mr King-Turner said: "I like New Zealand. The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded and the weather is certainly better."
Mr King-Turner, who served as a dental surgeon aboard the aircraft carrier Indomitable in the war, had his application to emigrate sponsored by his wife, who was born in New Zealand.
He said: "I'm an Englishman through and through and there will be things I miss, such as my friends, but New Zealanders are very easy to get on with."
But now they are moving to her bungalow in Nelson, on the South Island, overlooking Tasman Bay. Nelson has more hours of sunshine than any other part of the country.
Yesterday, the Herald caught up with other immigrants to find out what made New Zealand such a magnet for foreigners.
Philippa Norton moved to Wellington 18 months ago with her husband and two boys, aged 16 and 11, from Addington, West Yorkshire. And she is determined to stay for good.
"It's a beautiful place and far less stressful than living in the UK. We were attracted by the marketing campaigns in Britain which promoted New Zealand as 'Pure New Zealand' and we haven't been disappointed.
"Here, we both walk to work, only need one car and even have time to meet for lunch. We are a lot better off financially, too. In the UK our sons were very stressed at school ... Here, they are visibly more relaxed and really enjoy school.
"They have always been sporty kids so it really suits them here.
"The wooden houses are much bigger and more spacious although we found it a bit of a shock not having central heating as standard. People seem to manage without that here in the winter.
"It's strange that houses seem colder inside here than outside. But we have bought a heat pump which has helped."
Coralie Smitter, 32, from Montpelier in France, an administrator at the Alliance Francaise in Auckland, has lived in Pakuranga Heights for four years with her electrical engineer husband and has had three children here, including twins.
"We came because life in France was too stressful, highly competitive and the crime rate is too high.
"We wanted an English-speaking country well away from Europe, ideally in the Pacific so we could change our life and improve our English.
"The quality of life is definitely better here and it feels safer than France. There is a lot of poverty-related crime and it makes people feel nervous. As a result, people in France are more suspicious and tense.
"The houses here are nice but at first felt flimsy because they are made of wood. And it was weird to have to buy heaters where heating is included in French houses.
"Financially I think the costs are the same as France but you work much longer hours there, especially if you are in management, and it is quite common for you to work a 12-hour day there. Here, they almost order you to go home and finish the job tomorrow.
"Quality of life is seen as more important."
Sue Mackay of shipping New Zealand Van Lines said they were seeing huge numbers of Britons, South Africans and even Australians moving here.
She said South Africans move here because it is safer and they don't have to worry about being robbed, the Brits move for the weather and the fact that it is greener with more space and a lot of Australians are heading here because they are worried about the worsening drought situation back home.
