Dame Jacinda Ardern has confirmed she is living in Australia after being seen house-hunting in Sydney.

“The family has been travelling for a few years now,” a spokesperson for the former Prime Minister 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.”

Ardern and husband Clarke Gayford were spotted inspecting properties on Sydney’s northern beaches, according to Australian site RealEstate.com.au, which did not specify when the visit took place.

The couple reportedly looked at homes in Freshwater, where the median house price is about A$3 million, and apartments fetch about A$1.25m.

They were also said to have viewed a property in Curl Curl, where the median house price is more than A$4m, and apartments sell for about A$1.58m.

Ardern would not be the first former New Zealand leader to jump the ditch. Sir John Key bought a A$5.7m apartment on Sydney Harbour in 2020.

The couple were also reportedly spotted at a Mexican restaurant in the coastal suburb of Dee Why. The only Mexican venue listed in the area on Google Maps is Beach Burrito Co.

Ardern later turned up further down the coast, visiting the town of Gerringong, about two hours’ drive south of Sydney.

Local news outlet Region Illawarra reported that Ardern and Dame Annette King, New Zealand’s longest-serving female MP, were seen “quietly browsing” a community expo there last Saturday.

Ardern with the singing group Sing Australia Kiama.

Ardern became Labour deputy leader in 2017 after King stepped down from the role.

Kiama Mayor Cameron McDonald, whose town neighbours Gerringong, said he was tipped off that Ardern was in town and took the opportunity to introduce himself.

“Someone said, ‘The ex-Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern, is over there.’ I saw her and thought, my God, it is.

“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’.”

King had family ties to the area, McDonald said, explaining their visit.

Ardern poses for a photo with a local in Gerringong.

Ardern resigned as Prime Minister on January 25, 2023, saying she “didn’t have enough in the tank”.

Since then, she has become a trustee of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize, taken up dual fellowships at Harvard University and published a memoir, A Different Kind of Power, along with a children’s book, Mum’s Busy Work.

McDonald said Ardern mentioned a further book, aimed at teenagers, due out this year.

Gayford has remained in the entertainment industry and is a producer of the film Prime Minister, about Ardern’s time in power.