From beaches to big pay: What draws skilled workers north to Northland

She’s never looked back.

“I live in the valley so it’s absolutely stunning, and I like the peace and quiet.

“The people in Northland are friendlier up here.

“People want to strike up a conversation and get to know you.”

Korach admits it’s tough getting hygienists to move north.

“When I first graduated there were 17 hygienists in Northland and seven were in Kerikeri – now there’s me.

“It’s really hard to get staff up here, and if they’re employed from Auckland they’ll last six months and then they’ll go again.”

Korach said there was no nightlife in Northland.

“Whangārei is more like a big town than a city, it just doesn’t quite meet the requirements for young people.”

For Korach, Northland has the best of everything.

“When I have visitors, we can go for bush walks and to the waterfall in town, the beaches are close and the markets are amazing.

“Those are the things I love.

“For people that love fishing or boating, it’s the place to be.”

The Northern Advocate has reported several times on staff shortages, including teacher shortages that forced two Northland schools to roster students at home last year.

There has been a shortage of essential health services such as dentists, hygienists and physiotherapists in the Far North, particularly since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Reasons include wage disparities and the brain drain to large urban centres, but there are plenty of good jobs in Tai Tokerau.

A search on Seek shows about 25 jobs currently advertised in the $150,000 to $350,000 salary range in Northland.

While only a small number list salaries, the highest-paying job is a general practitioner in Whangārei offering $275,000 to $330,000, though earnings can vary depending on patient load, capitation and whether the role is salaried or contracted.

Other high-paying roles included a financial controller in Mangawhai offering $150,000 to $165,000, and a Whangārei project engineer role listed at $110,000 to $165,000.

Senior civil engineer Mark Robison is glad he moved home to Whangārei for the lifestyle.

Mark Robison’s career as a civil engineer has taken him around the North Island and all over the world.

Born and raised in Whangārei, he left in 1995 and spent 26 years away, living and working in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Nottingham, England.

He spent six years in Brisbane and did stints in Indonesia and Singapore before returning to Northland in 2021.

Now a senior civil engineer with Haigh Workman’s Whangārei branch, Robison loves the lifestyle.

“Whangārei is our home, that’s where we wanted to retire.”

Robison enjoys Northland’s weather, walks and slower pace of life compared to overseas.

“It’s been great; the people are nice, I have plenty of work going on, there’s plenty to do and keep us interested.

“For people keen on fishing and the coast and beaches, it’s wonderful, even the forests.”

Robison said their home was only minutes away from beaches “in all directions”.

Northland NZ’s head of destination Ben Chapman, pictured at Rukuwai Sunflower Fields in Parua Bay, loves Northland for its authenticity.

Being closer to family and living in a warmer climate drew Northland NZ head of destination Ben Chapman and his partner Gabrielle to the region in December 2023.

Originally from Nelson, Chapman studied at the University of Otago in Dunedin, then worked in Auckland for 18 months.

He spent most of his adult life in Queenstown, with short stints studying and working overseas in a career spanning horticulture, tourism and business development.

Chapman said moving further north had “been on our radar for some time”.

“We had been holidaying here seeing family for seven years.

“When our post-Covid contracts were coming to an end, we knew it was our opportunity to move up.

“We wanted to swap long winters for long summers, snowboards for surfboards, and swap mountains for beaches.”

Chapman joined Northland NZ in 2025 as the regional business partner team lead and became head of destination in January 2026.

Apart from the warmer weather, he appreciates the Whangārei Farmers Market, McLeod Bay for evening swims, and Ocean Beach for long walks.

He and Gabrielle also love Russell and Cable Bay.

“The view across the Hokianga harbour blows me away, as does the wairua I feel as I make my way around Kaikohekohe and up to Te Rerenga Wairua.

“We love this place for its authenticity; people are comfortable in their own skin.

“There’s a realness here that’s wonderful, and that’s right across Te Tai Tokerau.”

Jenny Ling is a senior journalist at the Northern Advocate. She has a special interest in covering human interest stories, along with finance, roading, and social issues.