Considering moving from Sydney to NZ
Discussion
Call in and say hello if you come over to Hawke's Bay - the fruitbowl of NZ with plenty of wineries to visit and Napier is the art deco city. I'm in sunny Havelock North with Cape Kidnappers for golf not far away and this British car museum is worth a look http://www.britishcarmuseum.co.nz/ but it's not to Southwards standards!
Also, there is no rat race or road rage here in Hawke's Bay. So laid back we're horizontal
. NZ is not in top gear for pace of life - barely into third gear!
Also, there is no rat race or road rage here in Hawke's Bay. So laid back we're horizontal
. NZ is not in top gear for pace of life - barely into third gear!Edited by mark387mw on Friday 13th January 03:56
Wellington is a great place to live if you can handle the weather (Ive been here 5 years and I still cant 
) We have very mild winters compared to the south island I'm used to but even in the hottest day in summer it wont get far into the 20s. I'd guess thatd be pretty hard to handle if you were used to Sydney temperatures.
Car wise we have a lot of good roads if you like going for a sunday spirited drive but we're probably the worst place in the north island if you like getting onto a track as the closest one is Manfield then Taupo.
Many people will probably come in and suggest Auckland as its where most immigrants seem to go. Ive never been able to figure out why though, its got plenty of all the stuff you want to leave Sydney because of.
If it wasn't for needing to have a job I'd likely look towards the Hawkes Bay, close to everything and much better weather.
) We have very mild winters compared to the south island I'm used to but even in the hottest day in summer it wont get far into the 20s. I'd guess thatd be pretty hard to handle if you were used to Sydney temperatures.Car wise we have a lot of good roads if you like going for a sunday spirited drive but we're probably the worst place in the north island if you like getting onto a track as the closest one is Manfield then Taupo.
Many people will probably come in and suggest Auckland as its where most immigrants seem to go. Ive never been able to figure out why though, its got plenty of all the stuff you want to leave Sydney because of.
If it wasn't for needing to have a job I'd likely look towards the Hawkes Bay, close to everything and much better weather.
Lived in Wellington all the time I was growing up and loved up, some really good schools and some not so good schools which is something I imagine you will be looking at if your first child is on the way.
I cant comment on house prices or anything like that but do not expect Sydney temps as you will be disapointed and also public transport is not as good as Sydneys (imo ofcourse).
Best of luck with your choices whatever they may be!
I cant comment on house prices or anything like that but do not expect Sydney temps as you will be disapointed and also public transport is not as good as Sydneys (imo ofcourse).
Best of luck with your choices whatever they may be!
mark387mw said:
Call in and say hello if you come over to Hawke's Bay - the fruitbowl of NZ with plenty of wineries to visit and Napier is the art deco city. I'm in sunny Havelock North with Cape Kidnappers for golf not far away and this British car museum is worth a look http://www.britishcarmuseum.co.nz/ but it's not to Southwards standards!
Also, there is no rat race or road rage here in Hawke's Bay. So laid back we're horizontal. NZ is not in top gear for pace of life - barely into third gear!
Looks like he's cornered the market in Morris Minors! Have driven past that a few times but never been in, always been curious. Also, there is no rat race or road rage here in Hawke's Bay. So laid back we're horizontal
. NZ is not in top gear for pace of life - barely into third gear!Edited by mark387mw on Friday 13th January 03:56
Another vote for the Hawkes Bay, I'm in Christchurch but get up there a fair bit to visit family, would love to live there. The weather's fantastic, and the lifestyle is awesome.
You could always come to the mainland, Christchurch is pretty good, you get used to the shakes and everything that's going to fall down has already so you're safe......honest. The weather's better than Wellywood, and somare the roads.
Different places appeal to different people but if I could work from anywhere Wellington wouldn't be my choice - and I grew up there and have lived most of my adult life there, on and off.
My biggest issues with Welly are climate and a lack of good playgrounds close to hand. Unless you have a boat big enough to cross the straight into the Sounds you're up fro 4 hours driving to get to anywhere Id call a great NZ holiday destination e.g. Ruapehu ski fields, lake Taupo, Hawkes Bay...
Assuming you want to be somewhat close to civilization Nelson or Hawkes Bay areas would be my choice.
My biggest issues with Welly are climate and a lack of good playgrounds close to hand. Unless you have a boat big enough to cross the straight into the Sounds you're up fro 4 hours driving to get to anywhere Id call a great NZ holiday destination e.g. Ruapehu ski fields, lake Taupo, Hawkes Bay...
Assuming you want to be somewhat close to civilization Nelson or Hawkes Bay areas would be my choice.
Yep Christchurch is good, nice and central, easy access to all the best aspects of the South Island. Come down for a look. I can understand the attraction to Wellington after Sydney. It did take me a good few months to get used to CHC again after coming back from my OE in the UK, felt really small and isolated, but you do grow to appreciate it.
caziques said:
Why anyone would live in Auckland/Wellington/Dunedin by genuine choice defeats me.
I really liked Dunedin when I lived there, sure the weather isn't great (and many people's memory of it is shaped by freezing cold student flats) but its a much nicer place and so much friendlier/more relaxed/more interesting than Chch. I'm not a fan of cities in general though, prefer smaller towns.The wind from Friday-Sunday wasnt typical. We do get a couple of days a year of wind that strong and lots of other days where its strong enough to be annoying but I havn't struck three days of sustained gale force winds before.
Generally the wind is just enough to drop what would be a nice mid 20s day to 17 or so without feeling like its going to push you off a motorbike or blow the roof off your house.
Generally the wind is just enough to drop what would be a nice mid 20s day to 17 or so without feeling like its going to push you off a motorbike or blow the roof off your house.
Have you considered living on the Kapiti Coast? About 1 hour from Wellington or somewhere in between? There's a definite change in climate the further you head up and at Paraparaumu you have a National airport now. Worth considering. Many are making the move out to enjoy the Coastal life/climate. However if your a city person then Paraparaumu etc aint gonna cut it.
Bull1t said:
The wind from Friday-Sunday wasnt typical.
I love Welly, great place to visit and I would seriously consider living there. But as for the wind, every time I visit its the same, minimum is windy but typical is gale force...Tho Chch has its wind issues too, easterlys and the norwester is something to experience.
I like Dunners too, good beaches, nice town, hills for riding bikes on, close to fun south outdoorsy stuff etc.
Chch is still a decent option but I'd give it a few years before I moved here by choice!
RobDickinson said:
I love Welly, great place to visit and I would seriously consider living there. But as for the wind, every time I visit its the same, minimum is windy but typical is gale force...
^^This.^^Welly is the best city in NZ but its location and wind put me off, being at the arse end of the island makes it feel claustrophobic.
How about Nelson, 50,000 population, sunniest place in the country, nice vibe, arty, beachy, cosmopolitan and children friendly?
And I'd say Coromandel but you want that city vibe and Thames or Whitianga just aren't Sydney/Melbourne/Perth.
Edited by cheddar on Tuesday 17th January 06:15
RobDickinson said:
I love Welly, great place to visit and I would seriously consider living there. But as for the wind, every time I visit its the same, minimum is windy but typical is gale force...
Since I've lived here I've frequently seen wind stronger than I've ever experienced anywhere but last weekend was something different to that. It was 3 days of non stop gale force winds. I don't want to understate the wind because its worse than any other place Ive experienced but if you were only here for those 3 days you wouldnt get a fair view of it either.Bull1t said:
RobDickinson said:
I love Welly, great place to visit and I would seriously consider living there. But as for the wind, every time I visit its the same, minimum is windy but typical is gale force...
Since I've lived here I've frequently seen wind stronger than I've ever experienced anywhere but last weekend was something different to that. It was 3 days of non stop gale force winds. I don't want to understate the wind because its worse than any other place Ive experienced but if you were only here for those 3 days you wouldnt get a fair view of it either.
JackCarter said:
...
The one big negative for my wife is the wind. It has been strong to gale force for the last four days. Can I assume this is typical weather for Wellington?
As I've said in another thread, my wife & I are considering moving from the UK to Wellington because our son and his family are there.The one big negative for my wife is the wind. It has been strong to gale force for the last four days. Can I assume this is typical weather for Wellington?
We've visited the last two Christmases. You may have missed a week of glorious weather before the New Year (22-29 Dec IIRC), quite hot and very sunny. Definitely beach weather.
Then we had a month's rain in 2 days.
Yes, the weather can be pretty awful and change in an instant.
And, yes, the CBD, shops, museums, zoo, botanic gardens, water-front and pavement social life are all very attractive if you like city life and want a job.
I just wish my son would get a job in Hawke's Bay
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