“Sometimes I struggle to explain why I’m so excited about this Kiwi adventure,” muses Noel Edmonds, former Deal Or No Deal host turned New Zealand businessman.
“It comes down to the land – the look, the feel of it. We have a beautiful home, and in the morning, we wake up to a view of the mountains. Whether or not you can see them tells you what the weather will be like.
“Just a few kilometres away, there’s a beautiful beach, the Moutere River, and within an hour’s drive, you’re in serious bush – wild terrain.
“The scenery here is magical. Even after six years, we’ll go for a drive and still say: ‘Wow’.”
Edmonds’ love for the New Zealand countryside and the people who live in it has inspired him to let ITV camera crews into his brand-new life, to show the people of his home country that made him fall in love with the place. In Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure, the Ilford-born TV presenter and radio DJ, now 76, is throwing open the doors to his new home in rural New Zealand, showing the world why he chose to move eleven and a half thousand miles away with his wife, Liz.
“We started our Kiwi adventure north of Auckland,” says Edmonds.
“If you understand the geography of the North Island, you’ll know Auckland dominates. It sits at the narrowest point, and of New Zealand’s five million people, around four million live in or around Auckland. So it’s quite busy up there.
“We rented a house – until you get residency, you can’t buy – and it was beautiful. Suddenly, we had all these Kiwi friends. It’s true what they say: Kiwis are very friendly. We had a fabulous social circle. But over time, it began to feel a bit like the UK or Europe. I even called it “Euro-Zealand” because it was so busy – busy roads, constant building and development. So we decided to move again and ended up at the top of the South Island.
“We’ve never regretted it. The Tasman region is stunning. Nelson is our nearest city, though it feels more like a large town. We’re very happy here.”
Two years ago, Edmonds and his wife bought land around Ngatimoti, a small rural town in the South Island. Then, they built a hospitality business in the heart of the community, one that includes a vineyard, coffee cart, general store and restaurant and pub. In the series, fans will get to watch as they prepare to reopen to the public for its second full season – and get a taste of the trials and tribulations that Edmonds’ entrepreneurial spirit throws up.
His latest idea is to build New Zealand’s first community energy garden, but trouble arises thanks to unseasonal weather, bad press, and the ever-persisting feeling of being an outsider.
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“I like the challenge of it,” Edmonds says.
“I always say: the weather here has attitude. I lived in Devon for 20 years, and there you’d get grey days with drizzle drifting in from the Atlantic. But here? When it blows, it really blows – trees come down. When it rains, it’s tropical stair-rodding rain. You get landslips. And the sun? It’ll burn you within 10 minutes in peak season.
“And there are proper seasons here, which surprised me, but I like that. Oh, and earthquakes. We’ve had three.
“During the first one, we were sitting outside with a glass of wine, and I noticed the surface of the wine rippling – what’s going on? That was a mild one. The biggest one really shook the house – the cutlery drawer rattled, and Liz and I each grabbed a dog and ran outside. No structural damage, thankfully.
“But yes, earthquakes – and a dormant volcano just up the way. At least, we hope it’s dormant.”
Edmonds is enjoying getting stuck into farming the Kiwi way, and he uses his land to practice ethical and regenerative farming.
“Kiwi farming has been incredibly intense. The model has been: throw on loads of chemicals and hope the grass grows back. That’s led to serious environmental issues, especially river pollution,” he explains.
“So here in the Moutere Valley, I’m trying to live in harmony with the natural environment and farm responsibly. I love it. I absolutely love it.
“The downside? It’s so beautiful here that I’ll walk my land and just stop for an hour, admiring the view – and not get any work done. The landscape is sensational.”
But it’s not just the natural beauty of New Zealand that’s captured Edmonds’ heart – it’s the people.
“What I love about New Zealanders – Kiwis – is their attitude of ‘give it a go’,” he says.
“That’s taken a bit of a hit in recent years with all the changes and uncertainty, but it’s still very much part of the national character…
“They never throw anything away, which is still evident when you drive past some of the farms. And you know what? It makes sense. Before the jet engine, it took a long time for anything to get to New Zealand. So if you had spare parts for a tractor or old machinery, you didn’t bin it – you left it in a field just in case. It’s a practical kind of resilience.”
“Kiwis are also incredibly sociable,” he adds.
“They love a good time, a good laugh – and they don’t take themselves, or their politicians, too seriously. I love that. Especially here, in this area, which became a kind of haven for the hippies in the Sixties and Seventies. There are still people living in yurts up the valley, and good on them. Full respect.
“What we found was overwhelming kindness. We were living in Matakana during the flu outbreak, and suddenly, our mailbox was full of avocados, chocolates, home-cooked things – little gifts from locals who wanted to look after ‘the two Brits up the way’. It was heartwarming.”
While this series is a way to showcase all that New Zealand has to offer, from its stunning scenery to thriving community spirit, Edmonds admits he also had a personal reason for getting back on the small screen.
“There’s a bit of ego involved,” he smiles.
“People still ask: ‘Noel Edmonds? Didn’t he die? Is he still around?’
“Yes, I’m still here – and living life to the full.”
Noel Edmonds’ Kiwi Adventure launches on ITV1 at 9pm on Friday, June 20, with all episodes available that day on ITVX.
