Author of Buying a House in New Zealand and Retiring to Australia and New Zealand, Alison Ripley knows first-hand what it feels like to start a new life in a new country, having lived in Malaysia, the UK, New Zealand and Australia. Between writing assignments Alison Ripley works as a relocation consultant assisting clients moving to Australia and New Zealand. As well as journalism and non-fiction she writes screenplays and has a number of film projects in development. She has written Waves/Day Return, a short film drama that has been successful on the international film festival circuit and which was a finalist at Very Short Movies in Hollywood in 2007 and screened at Slamdance Film Festival in Utah. With a background in television production and an MA in screenwriting, she has worked for some of the UK?s leading independent production companies as well as the BBC and Disney.