Neighbours have showered praise on a British couple after they were found dead at home in New Zealand
Claire and Ben Anderson, thought to be in their 50s, were ‘dream neighbours’, according to Emma Partridge, who moved to Palliser Road, in Roseneath, shortly after the couple arrived last year.
A teacher and a research scientist, they had split their time between the UK and New Zealand for several years before deciding to settle in the Kiwi capital.
Emma said: ‘My understanding is they’d finally packed up their lives in London and all their stuff was in a shipping container, and they were kind of looking to move here for good.
‘They were in the next phase of their life, I guess, and ready to kind of set themselves up for the next part of their chapter, which is truly sad.’
After arriving in the seaside suburb of Wellington, the couple ‘lived life to the absolute full’ after moving there last year, their live-in landlord said.
Their landlord described them as ‘absolutely wonderful human beings’.
He said: ‘Both they and their family lived life to the absolute full and were always planning or doing amazing adventures.
‘She was vibrant, kind, intelligent and both of them made friends wherever they went. They were both absolutely wonderful human beings
‘They were both such positive and incredible parents, friends, and members of many communities.
‘We send our love and condolences to their whānau and friends.’
The couple loved wildlife and the outdoors, according to Emma, who said: ‘In New Zealand, [the woman] just felt a sense of calm and and just felt like she was able to really enjoy her life here.’
Officers found Claire and Ben’s bodies during a welfare check at the property in Roseneath, a beach-side suburb of Wellington, on Monday after a relative stopped hearing from them.
Police are treating their deaths as murder-suicide. They are not looking for anyone else in connection with it.
In a statement, they said: ‘Police are providing support to the family at the centre of this tragic event. The family have requested privacy as they grieve their loss.
‘We continue to appeal to anyone who may have information that can help our enquiries, and anyone with residential CCTV that captures traffic movements in the Roseneath area, particularly on Palliser Road and surrounding streets, to contact Police.’
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