Hi Ken

Just to clarify, there are two separate schemes under which you can apply. Firstly there is the Family Quota scheme which is restricted to people who cannot qualify under any other scheme. This is the one where 250 names are drawn out of the hat every year. To qualify for this scheme you must be an adult child, grandchild, brother or sister or parent of the NZ resident who is sponsoring you.

However it seems to me you will have to be sponsored under the Family Category as you have 2 children living in NZ. In this scheme the issue is "centre of gravity of the family" and as you have 2 children living in NZ, provided you do not have 3 or more children living outside NZ, then you qualify under this scheme. The fact that you have other family members living in the UK does not matter. The scheme relates to children only.

There is of course the residency requirement before either of your children can sponsor you and as stated previously I believe this is 3 years.
So there is time enough before you retire. I would add that given that it can take 6 months to get an application approved, and then you have 6 months from that date to pay the ?100 migrant levy and get the visa in your passport, after which you have 12 months to actual arrive in NZ, it may be worthwhile starting the process a couple of years before you retire.

Yes we did consider Napier and having been to NZ 3 times we have travel around most of it. Napier is a bit out on a limb for us so we are looking at Blenheim on the South Island ( bags of sunshine) and the Cambridge/MataMata region of North Island (good house prices). Although I could name several other places where living would not be a problem.

Let me know if I can be of any further help.

Cheers
Dave