Life's a beach ... a Trust Tairāwhiti campaign is aimed at attracting remote workers to the region to boost the local economy and promote cultural exchange and global connections.
Life's a beach ... a Trust Tairāwhiti campaign is aimed at attracting remote workers to the region to boost the local economy and promote cultural exchange and global connections.
Gisborne’s surf, community and strong culture make it an attractive place to live, according to some remote workers who have made the move.
Trust Tairāwhiti is capitalising on these qualities with a new campaign to attract remote workers to the East Coast.
The proposed change means people visiting New Zealand from a visa waiver country can work as part of their visa and allows them to extend their stay up to nine months, up from three to six months.
Culture and the surf were the deciding factors in Emma Moore making Gisborne her home. The former Hawaii resident is a "digital nomad", working remotely as a freelance digital marketer. Photo / Chris Taewa
Emma Moore works remotely as a freelance digital marketer, having moved to Gisborne from Hawaii in June 2020.
Moore said she travelled around the country and considered some other places to live before settling here.
“There was something about Gisborne I was really curious about and I felt like I was being drawn to here.
“I felt that the culture would be close to Hawaii’s culture since there is such a deep sense of culture here on the East Coast, and I just loved it when I got here.”
“I’d say that was a big draw for me – the surf and the culture.”
The level of tourism in Hawaii could be “suffocating at times”, and she enjoyed quieter beaches and a “beautiful and welcoming” community in Gisborne.
Moore said working remotely could be isolating, and recommended anyone looking to move to Gisborne for remote work to find ways to get involved in the community and “give back”.
“A really cool thing about moving to Gisborne is the community is so amazing and there are so many volunteer opportunities here,” she said.
“That’s something I’ve put a lot of my energy into on top of working remote – finding these opportunities and ways to get involved in the community so you are giving back in a sense since you are not working for local companies.”
Tairāwhiti has also drawn in people from other parts of New Zealand to live and work remotely.
Producer and director Natalie Malcon said she and her husband wanted their kids to grow up in a small beach town. Photo / Trust Tairāwhiti
Producer and director Natalie Malcon, who resides in Okitū, moved to Gisborne from Auckland six years ago with her husband and their two daughters.
“Prior to this, we had been living in Auckland and holidaying in Gisborne every summer and fantasising about moving before we finally took the leap,” Malcon said.
“My husband is a surfer and we both wanted our kids to grow up in a small beach town, and we had lots of family and friends here already to encourage us to make the move.”
Malcon said she was fortunate technology had made remote work possible.
“I have editing software on my MacBook and footage and cuts are so easy to send back and forth with my Auckland-based editors.
“Zoom has become such a normal part of general work life now, so it doesn’t really matter if I am not in Auckland a lot of the time. And with flights only an hour, it’s pretty easy to commute when I need to.
“When I have to be away a lot, it can be exhausting, but every time I catch a glimpse of Wainui Beach on my drive home from the airport, I feel an instant wave of joy that this is where I live.”
Small waves roll in at Wainui in a picturesque shot that reinforces Gisborne's potential as a place to live.
Trust Tairāwhiti chief executive Doug Jones, in a statement, said Gisborne’s natural beauty and relaxed pace made it the perfect destination for digital nomads.
“Within five to 10 minutes of the city centre, we have world-class surf beaches, stunning hiking trails and a diverse range of eateries and wineries.
“Anyone who lives in Tairāwhiti Gisborne knows our place is one of New Zealand’s best-kept secrets, and this campaign is about sharing that secret with international travellers who can stay longer in our region, encouraging them to work from here for a while and be part of our growing community”.
Jones said Trust Tairāwhiti hoped the campaign would boost the local economy, and promote cultural exchange and global connections.
“By relaxing the rules for foreign visitors to work remotely, the New Zealand Government is supporting more international business connections.
“We want this for Tairāwhiti, and by becoming the first region in New Zealand to actively campaign to attract remote workers, we’re ensuring they feel welcome in our place – nau mai, haere mai.”
