The jet-set lifestyle is nothing new to international opera singers, Amanda Winfield and Ravil Atlas, whose careers have led them to perform for audiences around the globe.
Their profession has placed them on the stages of world renowned venues including Broadway, London’s Holland Park and Ravil’s home city, San Francisco. The couple have even starred in a variety of famous, critically acclaimed productions including the theatrical sensation, Les Misérables.
However, Amanda and Ravil are now preparing for their most demanding role yet - parenthood.
When they discovered that Amanda was expecting they decided that it was time to lay down more permanent roots. In order to be ready for the baby’s arrival, the couple are relocating from Newcastle to Amanda’s native country, New Zealand.
“We’re really excited about the baby and we thought it would be the ideal opportunity to settle down permanently. Amanda’s parents live in Christchurch so it made sense to move there in time for the birth,” Ravil explained. “It’s important for us to have them nearby when the baby arrives and it will be great to have their support. We’re looking forward to making a home in New Zealand rather than travelling the world.”
Fortunately they don’t need to worry about their careers as there will still be plenty of opportunity for Amanda to continue as a part-time performer and Ravil will focus on teaching full-time.
Ravil commented: “My career as a performer has been excellent but I think it’s time to wind down. I currently teach singing and acting so I am planning to make this more permanent when we move ¬– it’s great to be able to train others.”
Relocating internationally can be a daunting prospect for most and with Amanda pregnant, it was important for the couple to keep the move as stress-free as possible.
“We’re not new to relocating internationally and unfortunately we’ve had a bit of a nightmare with some companies in the past,” Amanda said. “When we moved to Italy from the US, it took months for many of our items to be released by Italian customs and it cost us nearly as much as the items were worth in order to get them back.”
“I knew from the first phone call with Crown Relocations that they were the ones for us. They were very interested in us as a couple and our needs for the move. The team has been so pro-active with everything from the beginning,” she continued.
Ravil agreed: “Crown was spot-on from day one and they have given a service like no other company we’ve tried. It was really important for them to understand our needs, especially because Amanda is pregnant, they have surpassed our expectations.”
So how would the couple advise others who are looking to relocate?
“Research, research, research because it isn’t always easy to relocate,” Amanda advised. “It’s the best way of finding out all of the information you’ll need to be able to make informed decisions. Plus, you’ll avoid the situation we had with Italian customs.”
Ravil added: “As Crown also has an office in Christchurch, we knew we wouldn’t need to deal with any third parties which has made it far less complicated. It means that one company has handled our entire move from the packing to the insurance and the shipping.”