As someone who grew up in Australia, with a population five times that of New Zealand, I was drawn to the smaller size of New Zealand and its population of just five million people, much like my home city of Singapore. While New Zealand's North Island is home to about four million people, the South Island, with only one million residents, feels like a completely different country.

The beauty of the South Island is what captivated me. I describe the mountains, lakes, and solitude as "world-class." This powerful impression was made during my first visit in 2000, and despite traveling the world and seeing other amazing places, I say I always dreamed of returning to New Zealand's South Island.

Now, in 2025, I have realized that dream by settling on a piece of land in the South Island. I'm inspired by the local culture, which has many different facets beyond well-known tourist destinations like Queenstown and cities such as Christchurch or Dunedin. I believe that discovering all that the South Island has to offer will be a lifelong journey and feel very much at home here.