So Tell Me about Wellington......
Discussion
So Im in the process of applying for a position for a tier 2 Structural Engineers with offices in Wellington and Auckland.
Role will be in the Wellington office. Bearing in mind I've spent the last 8 years in Brisbane and the ten before that in Hong Kong. I am currently working in HK again and my wife is still in Brissie. My wife is a maths/science teacher with 5 or 6 years Australian experience.
Of course there are many things to think about, however first thing I see as a petrolhead is that I'll only get about AU$7 - 8k for my 2006 Astra Sri 5 door but will have to pay almost double that in NZ$ for something similar. A minor detail I know but it does show cost of living could be more expensive than Brissie.
I have some websites to look at...............So what's Wellington like as a place to live ?
Role will be in the Wellington office. Bearing in mind I've spent the last 8 years in Brisbane and the ten before that in Hong Kong. I am currently working in HK again and my wife is still in Brissie. My wife is a maths/science teacher with 5 or 6 years Australian experience.
Of course there are many things to think about, however first thing I see as a petrolhead is that I'll only get about AU$7 - 8k for my 2006 Astra Sri 5 door but will have to pay almost double that in NZ$ for something similar. A minor detail I know but it does show cost of living could be more expensive than Brissie.
I have some websites to look at...............So what's Wellington like as a place to live ?
Hmmm.... what to say ????
We moved to WLG region from UK approx 20 years ago. Wellington centre is very compact in its way, and very little of it is flat, except for right by the harbour, which is reclaimed land. Flying in and out of WLG airport is an experience, as runway has the ocean at both ends, and it can get *VERY* windy, so landings can be real fun. Air NZ pilots on the whole are experts at the landings, so no real worries there.
Traffic isn't too bad (by comparison with AKL and many UK cities), but as there are really only 2 major commuter routes in, and they join together before city centre, so it still gets gummed up easily. There are trains which are OK, not fantastic, but not awful, delays are common, and the further out you live, the worse the services are (typically).
Weather can indeed be awful, but it can be beautiful too. WLG is in the roaring forties and Cook strait is only gap in the land for a long way (1000 kms ?) so it tends to funnel the wind quite a bit. It's definitely colder than Brisbane, but warmer than Manchester, where I came from. There are some older buildings and history, not as much as UK of course, but quite a bit of art deco around NZ.
There are a lot of commuter areas around, you takes your choice, West Coast (North of WLG), Hutt Valley, city areas are expensive (not sure how they compare to Brisbane though).
Earthquakes ? Well you get used to the odd rumble now and then, technically WLG is due for 'the big one' But so are many other places in the world (SF, Los Angeles ?), so it's treated mostly as a joke. There have been a couple of scary moments whilst I've been here, but the building codes are pretty good overall.
Living - like everywhere there are desireable areas with higher prices, and so called 'down' areas, but there are many beautiful views and sections around, and houses from tiny apartments to huge mansions, so spend a while in rent before you buy, and have a good look around.
When we moved, it was relatively easy to bring vehicles in - not sure if rules have changed, but as I remember it's far easier than going into Aus. May be worth checking out. We brought all our stuff in a container from UK, including 2 classic cars, and cost wasn't too bad, customs was pretty simple, but they do inspect a lot for bugs, and can insist cars are steam cleaned.
I think that's enough for now !
We moved to WLG region from UK approx 20 years ago. Wellington centre is very compact in its way, and very little of it is flat, except for right by the harbour, which is reclaimed land. Flying in and out of WLG airport is an experience, as runway has the ocean at both ends, and it can get *VERY* windy, so landings can be real fun. Air NZ pilots on the whole are experts at the landings, so no real worries there.
Traffic isn't too bad (by comparison with AKL and many UK cities), but as there are really only 2 major commuter routes in, and they join together before city centre, so it still gets gummed up easily. There are trains which are OK, not fantastic, but not awful, delays are common, and the further out you live, the worse the services are (typically).
Weather can indeed be awful, but it can be beautiful too. WLG is in the roaring forties and Cook strait is only gap in the land for a long way (1000 kms ?) so it tends to funnel the wind quite a bit. It's definitely colder than Brisbane, but warmer than Manchester, where I came from. There are some older buildings and history, not as much as UK of course, but quite a bit of art deco around NZ.
There are a lot of commuter areas around, you takes your choice, West Coast (North of WLG), Hutt Valley, city areas are expensive (not sure how they compare to Brisbane though).
Earthquakes ? Well you get used to the odd rumble now and then, technically WLG is due for 'the big one' But so are many other places in the world (SF, Los Angeles ?), so it's treated mostly as a joke. There have been a couple of scary moments whilst I've been here, but the building codes are pretty good overall.
Living - like everywhere there are desireable areas with higher prices, and so called 'down' areas, but there are many beautiful views and sections around, and houses from tiny apartments to huge mansions, so spend a while in rent before you buy, and have a good look around.
When we moved, it was relatively easy to bring vehicles in - not sure if rules have changed, but as I remember it's far easier than going into Aus. May be worth checking out. We brought all our stuff in a container from UK, including 2 classic cars, and cost wasn't too bad, customs was pretty simple, but they do inspect a lot for bugs, and can insist cars are steam cleaned.
I think that's enough for now !
Lived there for four years and loved it. It's a small friendly City. If you're into outdoor recreation it's paradise. Loads of biking, hiking, and watersports opportunities. Coastal and forest nature areas are very close by too.
It's not a bad place to be a petrol head. There is a strong club level motor sport scene and the nearest track Manfeild is only 2 hours away. A fair few twisty back roads and mountain passes ripe for fun too.
The wind builds character
This site is good for comparing cities http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_citie...
It's not a bad place to be a petrol head. There is a strong club level motor sport scene and the nearest track Manfeild is only 2 hours away. A fair few twisty back roads and mountain passes ripe for fun too.
The wind builds character
This site is good for comparing cities http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/compare_citie...
Cheaper than Brisbane, colder (by a country mile, so you will be paying for heating rather than cooling), more English, and very much smaller. Confined by hills and ocean. Choose your suburb and orientation to sun and wind carefully! Nice city centre, but much, much less than half the size of the Brisbane CBD.
Yeah, I forgot to say that - I like it too, it's got a sort of 'cozy' feel to it, and great city centre for walking, and I forgot to mention all the biking,hiking, etc.
Yes, there are very much 'sunny', 'windy', 'sheltered' type spots, so choose carefully. Also some older houses are still not refurbished and so have poor (or no) insulation, and so can be very cold and damp in Winter.
Beware that some of the sections higher up with fantastic views can also be very exposed to the wind and rain, prevailing winds tend to be west-nor'westers, bad weather often brings in a really cold southerly. Don't let this put you off though, just keep an eye on position/aspect when looking for a house.
Yes, there are very much 'sunny', 'windy', 'sheltered' type spots, so choose carefully. Also some older houses are still not refurbished and so have poor (or no) insulation, and so can be very cold and damp in Winter.
Beware that some of the sections higher up with fantastic views can also be very exposed to the wind and rain, prevailing winds tend to be west-nor'westers, bad weather often brings in a really cold southerly. Don't let this put you off though, just keep an eye on position/aspect when looking for a house.
Plans and arrangements for leaving Australia are progressing, my poor wife is doing most of the work as I'm still in Hong Kong. She's doing a great job. Will be renting our house out for more than expected, which is the upside. Downside is it needs a few jobs done before its ready, those little jobs that get put off when your happy living there. Car is coming, as we're Australians emigrating to NZ which has made things a bit easier.
Although stressful, we're both excited. I'll be arriving 27th November, wife a couple of weeks before hopefully.
Hopefully can meet up with some PH'ers over the summer.
Jamie
Although stressful, we're both excited. I'll be arriving 27th November, wife a couple of weeks before hopefully.
Hopefully can meet up with some PH'ers over the summer.
Jamie
So things are progressing............. Mrs has an almost empty house after shippers have been. Stuff due to arrive in Wellington end of November. So new aircon, oven, range hood, window screens and new/separate fence around swimming pool later and a few possibles for renting the house.
Looking forward to it now. Hopefully meet a PH'er or two in the coming months.
Looking forward to it now. Hopefully meet a PH'er or two in the coming months.
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