New Zealand rejected Michelle Excell. Both her parents were Kiwi but because she was born in Australia, a law change when she was aged 18 meant she could no longer be a NZ citizen. So, she went and made her name as a tech entrepreneur in America.
As an immersive technology consultant, she’s worked with brands and ad agencies to help them develop well-known products and campaigns, like Taco Bell’s famous metaverse wedding, and luxury car-maker Acura’s experiment in which celebs drove real cars blind, wearing virtual reality goggles and helmet. “It was,” she says, “completely bonkers!” Now, aged 42, New Zealand has welcomed her back. In particular, one small town.
She and her husband couldn’t buy a family home in overpriced Oakland, California. “It’s very tough in the Bay Area. The rat race is real, yeah.
And I’m not getting any younger.” So they made the unlikely move to the riverside town of Whanganui and in November last year, bought a three-bedroom leasehold property for $323,000. They love the community, its arts, its nightlife.
“We heard rumours of a lot of secretive underground gigs. I don’t think I want to give away anything more!” “It could not have been a warmer welcome into Whanganui. Unbelievable, because people are amazed and so happy that so many people are moving here.
“It feels that it’s the only time in my life I’ve ever moved anywhere where it’s on the up. Every other time I’ve moved, they say ‘oh, you just missed th.