Oldest British emigrant, 102, moving to New Zealand because 'UK is too crowded'

Eric King-Turner and his 87-year-old wife Doris will set out from Southampton on a 12,000-mile cruise taking them to their new life.

Scroll down for more...

Mr King-Turner said: "It's a wonderful new adventure and I would say to anyone that if you want to do something you should do it straight away, while you can.

"What's important is that when I'm 105 I don't want to be thinking, 'I wish I had moved to the other side of the world when I was 102'."

He added: "I like New Zealand. The way of life is very much the same as it is here but it is not so crowded and the weather is certainly better."

This week the Office for National Statistics said England was poised to overtake Holland and Belgium as the most crowded nation in Europe.

Mr King-Turner, who served as a dental surgeon aboard the aircraft carrier Indomitable in the war, had his application to emigrate sponsored by his wife, who was born in New Zealand.

He said: "I'm an Englishman through and through and there will be things I miss, such as my friends, but New Zealanders are very easy to get on with."

The couple, who are both widowed and have lived in Titchfield, Hampshire, since their marriage 12 years ago, found the emigration paperwork took five months.

"We not only had to produce a marriage certificate but we had to produce evidence that we were in a long and stable relationship!" said Mr King-Turner.

"I'm also pleased to say I'm in good health - they would not let me in otherwise."

Scroll down for more...

Mr King-Turner, who will turn 103 a few weeks after their arrival, said he was not questioned about his age but had to show he had the financial means to live when he got there and that he would be looked after if he ran out of money.

He and his wife were both married - and shared the same surname - when they met in the early 1990s after the New Zealand King-Turners decided to research their family history in England.

Mr King-Turner's first wife Joan died in 1991. Two years later, on a fishing trip to New Zealand, he was invited to stay by Doris and Lewis King-Turner.

She said: "Shortly before Eric's arrival my husband Lewis sadly died too."

He returned for another holiday two years later, and the couple decided to marry and live in England.

But now they are moving to her bungalow in Nelson, on the South Island, overlooking Tasman Bay. Nelson has more hours of sunshine than any other part of the country.

Mrs King-Turner, who has five children and nine grandchildren, said they will probably get a 'red carpet' welcome from family and friends.

"We are both very excited about it. It's going to be a great adventure."