Coming from the UK, the notion of a north/south divide is something that we are all used to.

You would think though that when you choose to put all of your earthly belongings aboard a freight ship and send it around the world to your new home in New Zealand that you would be leaving this idea behind. You will quickly learn that this is not the case!

The north/south divide is equally, if not more of an issue in New Zealand because the country is divided in to two islands – the North and the South Island, separated by the Cook Strait. There are regular InterIslander ferries connecting the two islands which travel between Wellington in the North to Picton in the South and take three hours. There are also a lot of internal flights available between the cities so travelling between the two is not a problem.

The decision of which island to make home is something that you and your loved ones will need to decide well before you hop on the plane. So, what do the two islands have going for themselves?

Let’s start with The North Island – home to the country’s capital city of Auckland, where 75 per cent of the whole country’s population of 4.4 million people reside. The North has some of the best surfing in the country in areas like Raglan and around the Taranaki Peninsula and the water is noticeably warmer than around the South Island. The North is also more rich in Maori culture and is home to the hot pools and geothermal activity that attract the majority of the tourists.

The South Island is a much quieter affair with a population of only around one million people. It’s largest city, Christchurch, has sadly been in the news recently due to the catastrophic earthquakes which hit last year. The South Island is home to some of the country’s most beautiful scenery from The Sounds at the tip of the island down to the fjords in the south. Adventure sports fans may prefer to make their home close to the island’s ski fields, the Southern Alps which stretch the length of the island and Queenstown, which has been named the adventure capital of the world. The South Island is home to far less people so anyone moving here can expect peace and quiet and lots of lovely open space.

Whether you opt to make your home on the North or the South Island depends entirely on what you want from your new home. It is advisable to conduct as much research as possible into your move before you take the plunge.

So – laid back South or busy North? The choice is yours.

For details of property for sale in New Zealand, visit the NZ listings on Rightmove Overseas. One way to save money when emigrating or NZ or buying property there is to use a currency specialist when transferring your pounds into dollars. For more information on this, contact Smart Currency Exchange/a>.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in New Zealand, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘New Zealand Property Buying Guide’