A South African swimming instructor has swapped the “hustle and bustle” of Johannesburg for the quiet of Cromwell, starting a new chapter in Central Otago.

When Gill Baird told people she was packing up and moving half a world away to a town with fewer than 10,000 people, she said the reaction was often the same.

“They’d say, ‘Where are you going?’ and I’d say, ‘the South Island of New Zealand’,” she said.

“They’d go, ‘Is there anything there?’ and I’d say, ‘I have no idea’.”

Gill took up a role as a senior swimming instructor and sports development officer at the Cromwell pool.

She said she applied for the job “out of nowhere” after deciding it was time for a change.

Her sister had already moved to New Zealand with her family, while her son and daughter-in-law were living in Australia, leaving Gill on her own in South Africa.

“I actually started a new journey for myself,” she said.

“And I’m so lucky that I found this job. It has been the most amazing start to a new journey.”

Gill had been teaching swimming for close to 20 years before the move, and she and her sister previously owned and ran a swimming pool in Johannesburg.

In Cromwell, the job felt different.

“I just get to teach, I just get to have fun,” she said.

“I get to do all the things that I love to do without all the stress of being a business owner.”

Gill said the welcome from staff, parents and children had made the transition easier.

“It’s been awesome,” she said.

The move has also brought a slower pace of life.

Gill described the constant “hustle and bustle” of Johannesburg as a stark contrast to the rhythm of her day in Central Otago.

“You wake up in the morning and it’s just so lovely and gentle,” she said.

“It’s so quiet....it’s beautiful.”

Making the move at 50 was a significant turning point for her.

“I’ve spent the last 50 years with family and friends, bringing up my child and running a business,” she said.

“Just being able to pack everything up and move to the middle of nowhere on my own - it’s been the most liberating experience ever.”

There have also been challenges in starting again in a new country.

“When I walk around here, I have no memories of this place with people that I love from back home,” she said.

“It’s quite a surreal experience, because it can be a bit isolating at times, but also exciting as well.”

Despite that, Gill said she would encourage others to take a similar leap.

“I suggest everyone have one of those adventures at least once in your life,” she said.

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