Pictures: Phillip Castleton.
When The Block NZ: Firehouse fan favourite Ethan Ordish’s now-fiancé Mia Broad suggested they should pack up their lives to move to Australia, he laughed. At the time, their Te Kuiti construction business was full-on and so was their family life with two young kids.
But Mia’s words stuck and a month later, Ethan agreed to the trans-Tasman move.
“There was no big catalyst,” says the 32-year-old. “We had a business which was going well, but I was over it. I was tired of being tired and stressed all the time.”
Without confirmed jobs or much of a plan, they moved with their kids, Marley, five, and Noah, two, to Queensland six months after making the decision.
“We could have thrown a dart at a map for where we were going to live, but instead we just googled the most family-friendly suburbs in Queensland and ended up in North Brisbane,” laughs Ethan. “I had a job lined up, but the guy ghosted me three weeks out. I started panicking – we were trying to get a rental and needed proof of employment. Thankfully, when I posted on a community Facebook page, someone straightaway messaged, ‘We’ll take you!’ It was a huge relief.”
The good-natured builder, who tackled The Block alongside teammate Sam Whatarangi in 2019, found the first six months in Oz rough.
“We’d blown our savings getting over here,” he recalls. “I’ve always found comfort in working, so being in limbo was really hard. I wasn’t enjoying it. A few weeks ago, I went back to New Zealand and it was a total eye-opener. I realised we actually made the right choice.
“The cost of living is less and I’m earning 2.5 times what I was back home. I used to work weekends and longer days – now I’d be lucky if I crack 40 hours a week. There’s way more balance now.”
That balance is especially important with two little ones.
“Marley’s just started school,” shares Ethan. “He’s such a kind, gentle soul – an angel, really. And Noah’s our firecracker! She’s bossy, funny and full of sass. The move hasn’t fazed them much. They’ve been so resilient through all of it.”
Still, being far from family has been an adjustment.
“We really took it for granted having my mum right there,” says Ethan. “She lived next door – we’d just pop the kids over while we dashed off to the supermarket. We’ve tried to get her to move, but she’s happy where she is.”
Now the kids FaceTime their nana every couple of days and Ethan’s aunt, who lives half an hour away, has become “the Aussie nan”, which helps when it comes to carving out time for each other.
“We struggle with finding time to go as a couple,” says Mia, 31. “We recently hired a babysitter for the first time ever – it was scary trusting someone we didn’t know – and now we try to do a date night every two weeks.”
It’s a new phase for the pair, who met seven years ago, while working together at a Hamilton nightclub. And now Ethan is back on the tools during the day, Mia’s found her groove bartending at the local tavern.
“I absolutely love it,” she says. “It’s just down the road and it gives me some adult conversation. What started as a few nights has turned into some day shifts too. I needed something for me.”
And there’s another big update in their lives – they’re engaged!
“I’d had the ring for three years,” admits Ethan. “Mia chose it herself and we always knew I’d propose. I even planned this big surprise party one year, but we both got COVID and it fell through. Life just kept getting in the way.”
Eventually, Ethan organised a romantic day with a mystery treasure hunt, a picnic and a seaside proposal.
He says, “I thought Noosa would be perfect, but we got there and the beach was packed. I tried a lookout – again, people everywhere! I started stressing out.
“Mia could see I was spiralling. At one point, while driving, I pulled over and admitted I’d been trying to propose to her all day. She was like, ‘Are you proposing to me on the highway?!’ I was like, ‘No, no, I’m not.’”
After hours of searching for the “perfect spot”, Ethan gave up and they drove home.
He recalls, “I ran inside, grabbed a white rug, lit some candles and dragged everything onto the lawn.
“I asked her to pick the music and in the end, I proposed in our bedroom.
“It was a bit chaotic but very us.”
So far, they haven’t planned a wedding.
“We’re lazy and in no rush,” laughs Mia. “We’ve tossed around the idea of heading home for it – maybe a family friend’s farm in Te Kuiti – or just doing one of those all- inclusive wedding venues. We’ll get there.”
When Ethan reflects on their move, he’s proud of how far they’ve come.
“It was scary but worth it. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves and our limits. When we ran our business, I was working seven days a week because I can’t say no. We were helping out friends and family, often at our own cost. I learnt that if you’re always available, you’ll burn out. Moving forced us to reassess everything.”
Funnily enough, he got recognised in Australia the other day by a Block fan.
Ethan laughs, “That was funny – it doesn’t happen often any more and I didn’t think it would happen over here! Filming The Block was an intense experience. I remember after the final countdown, I just burst into tears, then Sam started crying too. We were completely drained. But I made amazing friends – we still catch up with Lisa, Ribz, Stacey and Adam.”
Lisa and Chris “Ribz” Gordon won the eighth season of The Block NZ, taking out $150,000, but Ethan and Sam, along with joint runners-up Stacy and Adam Middleton, didn’t score any cash from the final auction, prompting members of the public to start up a Givealittle page for them, which raised $27,000.
“That was humbling, as were all the comments on the Givealittle page,” says Ethan. “Parents were saying, ‘My son wants to donate his $5 allowance.’ On the show, we didn’t try to win the game by cheating or putting others out. We always had to win on our own merit, which is why we never won!”
Ethan and Mia used their share of the money to pay off some debt and buy a car, and the rest got them through COVID – they’d started their construction business the week before lockdowns, which meant they weren’t eligible for the Government grant. “It was the worst year,” he recalls.
Meanwhile, Ethan says he can’t even watch reality TV these days. “I’m spending lots of time with the kids while they’re still young, making memories. That’s what I’m focusing on at this point.”
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