Former PM Jacinda Ardern relocates to Australia

Former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is currently based in Australia with her family, her spokesperson has confirmed.

According to a report by 1News, a representative for Dame Jacinda said she and her family are now living across the Tasman.

"The family has been travelling for a few years now," the spokesperson said.

"For the moment, they are basing themselves out of Australia - they have work there, and it brings the added bonus of more time back home in New Zealand," as quoted by 1News.

Speculation about a potential move intensified after property website realestate.com.au reported Dame Jacinda and her husband, Clarke Gayford, were seen viewing homes for sale on Sydney’s northern beaches earlier this month.

Over the weekend, Dame Jacinda was also spotted at a community expo in Gerringong, south of Sydney, alongside former New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Annette King.

According to local outlet The Bungle News, she was described as “gracious” and “relaxed” by attendees, taking photos with members of the public and staying to watch a choir performance. She reportedly joined the group in singing the New Zealand national anthem in both Māori and English, 1News has quoted.

Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald recounted his surprise at seeing her at the event.

"Someone said, ‘The ex-prime minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is over there’. I saw her and thought, my God, it is," he said.

"I just walked over and said, ‘It’s a real thrill to meet you. I think New Zealand was very lucky to have you as a prime minister, 1News has quoted.

"I said, ‘What you did in that time during COVID and the Christchurch mosque attacks was just phenomenal and I think you’re a role model for women everywhere," as quoted by 1News.

Since stepping down as prime minister in 2023, Ardern has spent time in the United States after accepting dual fellowships at Harvard Kennedy School. In 2025, she also joined Oxford University as a Distinguished Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government.

Ardern and Gayford purchased a four-bedroom Auckland home in 2018 and were married in Hawke’s Bay in January 2024, nearly a year after she resigned from Parliament. The couple have one daughter, Neve, aged seven, according to 1News.