麻豆约拍

Hard-working medic Sofia Huddart believed New Zealand would offer her the family time she so desperately needed. Nik agreed things had to change, but he worried that abandoning what they'd achieved in the UK could be too big a risk. We sent the Huddarts to New Zealand for a trial week to see if that risk was worth taking.

Back in 2015 the Huddart family were living in London. Dad Nik, mum Sofia, then five-year-old Aliza, Izzie, who was nearly two, and Idris, who was then three. After a career in IT Nik had spent the last two years as a stay-at-home dad, which gave him plenty of time to enjoy his beloved London and spend time with the children. Sofia had concentrated on her medical career, but the shifts for an anaesthetist were demanding and hours were long. The family life was under strain.

After thinking of Canada, America and Singapore the couple had started to think about New Zealand as a destination that would give them a better quality of life. Sofia had got very keen on the idea, but Nik was much more cautious. If a move didn't work out, moving back to London would be impossible as house prices would rocket, making it impossible for the family to get back on the property ladder. He thought it too much of a gamble.

Their trial week was meant to decide once and for all where they should call home. Could Sofia get the job she would need to fund a move, and would Nik fall in love with the New Zealand lifestyle enough to leave London?