103-year-old NZ immigrant still happy
06 Aug 2008
New Zealand’s oldest immigrant, who’s just turned 103, says he’s still happy with life in New Zealand and uses the internet to keep in touch with his homeland, Britain.
Eric King-Turner and his wife Doris arrived in New Zealand by cruise ship a year ago. Doris King-Turner says that despite the winter weather that has laid Eric low with a virus, she and her gregarious husband are happy to be living in New Zealand.
"There are no regrets," she said, speaking from their home in Mapua, near Motueka in the South Island.
"It's a lovely spot, it's quite sheltered and we have a nice rural outlook."
Keeping in touch
Since their arrival in Wellington aboard the Saga Rose cruise ship, Mr King-Turner has kept in touch with family and friends in Britain using email.
His move to New Zealand at the sprightly age of 102 reportedly made him the country's oldest immigrant, and the media hype around his arrival made him something of a celebrity among his fellow travellers.
At the time, Mr King-Turner told reporters that the secret to a long life was "animal fats, butter, sugar, salt and gin - all things we're not supposed to have."
Smooth sailing
Although he had no plans to put his feet up once he’d settled in New Zealand, the winter weather had prevented Mr King-Turner from enjoying his much-loved trout fishing, his wife said.
Their round-the-world trip to New Zealand had been smooth sailing, and the couple were befriended by the captain of the Saga Rose, said Doris. The captain has invited the King-Turners to lunch with him when the ship docks in Wellington again in February 2009.
Footnote - 5.11.09:
New Zealand's oldest immigrant Eric King-Turner has died in Nelson.
Mr King-Turner suffered a stroke at the Mapua home he shared with his wife, and died in Nelson Hospital on Sunday (1.11.09). He was 104.
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