Coming from Auckland Super City Council to the more diminutive Waitaki District local body, Carolyn Carter has no regrets.
She started as the Waitaki council's new corporate services group manager in November after five years with Auckland City Council, leaving when the Super City was formed.
Oamaru ''sounded interesting'' and, having never visited, she spent more than a week on the internet intensively researching the town and surrounding district.
''It was in the right area and I wanted to live on the coast.''
The job itself was ''icing on the cake'' when she saw the role because of its finance and corporate functions.
One particular aspect was the practical side of the position.
In a big organisation like the Auckland City Council, and then an even bigger Auckland Super City, work involved mostly strategy and very little application.
''It was a great opportunity to work in both the strategic and practical areas.''
Brought up in Tauranga and Rotorua at a time when the cities had a population of about 20,000, she finds the district a good size.
''To me, this size of town is charming and a good size. It is actually the size of Oamaru I find appealing. I wasn't at all interested in working in a super city.
It's gets so big there are no economies of scale - it becomes a lumbering organisation. I wanted to work somewhere smaller and closer to the people.''
Oamaru had been outstanding so far.
She had a big admiration for its people, particularly their interest in their own community and willingness to put in ''the hard yards'' to volunteer.
''Everywhere I go I see people who are volunteering and helping - it's really quite humbling. It's inspiring.''
The lifestyle change has been huge, and welcome: ''For example I no longer spend two hours a day getting to work. In Oamaru it takes me five minutes.''
At the same time, there were city benefits, from an opera group, to good restaurants and great cafes with fabulous fresh food.
''It's vibrant and interesting, with people really trying to make a difference.''
When she joined the council, she was taken on a familiarisation tour of the Waitaki district, although as a frequent visitor to Wanaka she was familiar with the Lindis Pass, SH8 area.
As a former ''bit rusty'' skier, she wants to get back on snow and is keen on boating on Waitaki lakes.
Mrs Carter was director of finance for the Southbank Institute of Tafe, one of Queensland's largest polytechnics, with more than 31,000 students, then worked in IT (information technology) in England for four years, dealing with some of the largest telecommunications providers and the Queen's bankers.
She returned to New Zealand in 2001, did some lecturing and turnaround management for companies in difficulties, then in 2005 became audit manager at the Auckland City Council, returning to a career before she went to Australia working with the Audit Office.
Involved with the process leading to the formation of the Auckland Super City from November 1, she looked south for a job and change in lifestyle to be closer to her son, his wife and two grandchildren who were living in Wanaka, and to be near to a property they own there.
The corporate services group manager job at Waitaki in Oamaru came up and, when she was due to fly down for a ''shortlist'' interview, ''the exact same job'' her husband Graham was doing in Auckland came up in Dunedin with the Southern District Health Board as a senior procurement specialist.
''He got that one and I accepted this one at the same time. It sort of all worked out together.''
