The engaging story of a middle-aged couple who jump out of their comfort zone to explore a provincial lifestyle. Ric Oram and Louise Joyce often talked of semi-retiring to the South Island. A series of events convince them that the time has finally come, and they embark on an 18-month roller-coaster ride to find a rural refuge in Central Otago, supervise the construction of a house and finally shift into their new home. Finding a lifestyle block, building a house and then turning paddocks into a garden oasis are just part of their search for the good life. What happens when a couple of city-slickers move into a close-knit rural community and try to become 'locals'? Using inventive ways to supplement dwindling incomes, Ric and Louise slowly re-establish themselves, two cats and Louise's mother in a region of climatic and landscape extremes - along the way dodging most of the perils which await aspiring 'lifestyles'.