"At the end of the day I throw my bike in the back of the car, drive 15 minutes to the Redwoods, and spend a few hours in the beautiful natural world."
Nick Fitzgerald, a former primary school teacher from Auckland, has swapped urban sprawl for the natural beauty of Rotorua. Along with old schoolmate, Josh Ireland from Hamilton, the 30-year-old has spent the past six months renovating a motor lodge just metres away from the lake.
Launched on December 9, Aura - a 22-unit motel in the heart of one of New Zealand's tourism hot spots - is the realisation of an earlier aspiration and something that would never have been affordable in the big smoke.
The seed of Fitzgerald and Ireland's life-changing relocation was planted a few years back when the pair took a trip to Ohakune.Out on the ski slopes they re-lived some school adventures; over an apres-ski beer Fitzgerald raised the possibility of buying a lodge in the town. Ireland (a builder by trade) was keen on the idea but, after a little digging they both realised they couldn't afford it.
But the idea stuck.
Fitzgerald had been living in Auckland on and off for years - teaching in different areas and often commuting long distances. He'd enjoyed the city but felt ready for something different.
"I mainly lived in Auckland because of the networks I had for work. But I felt like I was moving into a new period of life and the city wasn't for me."
So when he heard about the sale of the Havana Motor Lodge in Rotorua's prime tourist district, he jumped in the car, picked up Josh and headed south. The location was appealing even before they saw the place and once they arrived they knew it was the perfect do-up.
"It really was in poor condition but the changes needed were mainly cosmetic," he says.
There were some fine selling points - including a large outdoor geothermal pool and smaller indoor mineral pools.
"The geothermal story is very compelling. Rotorua presented an opportunity for us to tell the story of geothermal in a very real way," says Fitzgerald.
They took over the motor lodge on July 1 and kept it running while the renovations took place. Just before Christmas they launched their newly renovated venture.
After many months of hard slog, the pair decided they deserved a Christmas treat and bought two new mountain bikes.
Fitzgerald loves the convenience of heading to the forest at the end of a busy day and not having to worry about traffic; as a surfer, he also loves the proximity to the east coast beaches.
"I went to the Mount not long ago and it took less than an hour," he says.
He's also impressed with the day-to-day lifestyle in the city: "It's a completely different speed of life. Although Rotorua isn't a small centre, it has a small-town feel. As an outsider, people are willing to give you their time and you don't feel like they have somewhere else to be."
New Zealand's tourist mecca is also a great spot to engage with new people on their travels - local and international.
"You meet people from all over the place. We've certainly heard some colourful stories," he laughs.