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According to the latest census figures, more people moved from north to south than the other way around in the period between 2018 and 2023 - and most of them landed in Canterbury.
Most northerners would agree that the South is indeed a beautiful place, but isn't it colder? Quieter? A nice place to visit, sure, but to live? Is the shiny new Christchurch the city of the future?
Alex Casey, senior writer at The Spinoff, is a former Aucklander who made the move to Ōtautahi Christchurch about two and a half years ago and is now an unofficial ambassador for our largest southern city.
She joins Emile Donovan.
The opening of the new Court Theatre in Christchurch. Photo: Supplied / Court Theatre