Kia Ora everyone!
I hope you’re enjoying some sun like we are at the moment.
I have some exciting media news to share with you. While I was hosting some journalists in Hanmer Springs earlier this week, a special family arrived in Christchurch from the UK… They are part of a TV show from the BBC: WANTED DOWNUNDER… Has any one of you seen the show while in England?
It’s a very popular show and we’re stoked that the four “candidate families” are given the opportunity to move to Christchurch… if they decide they like it here! (of course they will!).
Kay Solomon, a Christchurch resident, was contacted after the BBC producers found her rental property in Burnside advertised on the Bookabach website. The house was already booked by Australian visitors so Kay has decided to give her own home to the Australians and enable the English family to use the rental property, she’s moved out for the show to go on! Let’s share with Kay this fun TV adventure.
Kay’s first impressions:
The BBC selected our holiday home in Burnside/Ilam off the Bookabach website as a short term rental for a family, from the Lakes District in the UK, who are being filmed as part of the programme. The BBC fly the family out for 6 days, introduce them to life in NZ, including showing them what sort of properties they could buy with their budget, should they choose to migrate. At the end of 6 days they ask each member of the family to vote as to whether they want to migrate or not.
It was a frantic couple of days for me, in between guests, making sure that everything was up to scratch and spotless in the holiday rental. We were so glad the new kitchen we had put in in December had turned out so well.
I rushed around in the weekend taking photos of local parks and playgrounds. I compiled this into a folder, together with google maps showing how to walk to each place of interest from our holiday house. While taking the photos, I got a real buzz from seeing lots of kids 
and families out in the parks enjoying the sunny summer evening – feeding ducks, biking, playing touch rugby, tennis and cricket and enjoying the playgrounds around the Burnside and Ilam area. I really want the family from the UK to see and experience the simple but great things about living in NZ, especially in Christchurch. We have a great city!
Filming started yesterday the day before the family arrived – an hour and a half of the cameraman taking shots of every detail of the holiday rental – from the garden, outdoor garden settings, linen, ornaments, welcome fruit bowl, fridge the lot!
Kay
Wednesday 3 February
The first family from Britain flew in today and settled into the holiday home. No joke flying half way around the world with five children but a stopover in LA helped to break the journey. I think they were relieved the holiday home is less than 5 minutes from the airport. I called in this afternoon to see that they had settled in well to our house in Burnside – they loved the new kitchen! The Mum was out stocking up at the local supermarket while Dad and the 6 year old were relaxing in the lounge and enjoying the sun. They had drawn quite a lot of interest at Christchurch airport, with the camera rolling as they arrived.
When the rest of the family arrived back at the holiday house we chatted about the things to do in Christchurch and especially around the local Burnside/Ilam area – they are an enthusiastic family, ready to explore Christchurch and NZ and all it has to offer.
Kay
