You may want to consider the west coast of BC, especially the beautiful small towns along the coast an hour or two north of Vancouver, and within an hour's drive of Whistler and Pemberton (if you enjoy skiing). I also like the grass roots atmosphere of the Gulf islands -- Saltspring, Gabriola, etc. I have friends who took early retirement and now live quite well in Belize. There is a significant number of Australians here in the southwest area of BC, many of them working the ski hills or attending university in Vancouver. Based on what I've heard from friends who spent a year-long sabbatical in New Zealand, it's a wonderful place to live but work is scarce. Good luck with wherever you decide to live!