Justcol

Tauranga would win at every level
It is a much more refined and polished place than Hamilton which is a bit ropey.
Tauranga offers beaches, watersports better amenities, more sophisticated options
for bars and restaurants.
Its a prettier and better laid out place.

Tauranga is the one place I would leave Otago for.

escapedtonz

Yes Justcol, you are bang on. Maybe I didn't make that so clear in my last post.
With a work transfer to Hamilton we could have lived anywhere within 1hr or so but there was never any competition. It was always gonna be Tauranga. It is simply too beautiful a place not to live here. Not Tauranga specifically more Mt. Maunganui but they're near enough the same place in my book being that they're so close. Every time I'm out and about enjoying the sights, getting up high on the Mount watching the world go by I feel blessed to be here and feel proud to have brought my family here.

BEVS

I'm with JustCol on this. If the choice is between Hamilton or Tauranga area, then Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty wins hands down.

We are in the Nelson and Tasman area which is pretty darn good & I feel Tauranga to be on par BUT the advantage with the Bay of Plenty is accessability whereas my area is somewhat out on a limb.

Work life balance is hard to gauge for someone else & much depends what you are coming from and , of course, what you go to. For children they will likely have more freedom. For instance if you are driving your kids to school & dropping off each day at the moment , then you may take delight in your children being able to walk/scooter to school. You will find the same types of after school activities & weekend camps. Depending where you are in the UK you may consider the Bay of Plenty to have overall better weather whatever better weather means.

If it will be about work hours, then only other consultants in your field can really tell you about work loads , paperwork, bureaucracy and budgets.

With the District Health Boards you will be able to apply direct to that board.

Bo-Jangles

As young Doctors the world is your oyster and you can choose to live in the nicer parts of of any city or town in the world.

I can't help feeling that all those years of hard slog at med school will be wasted in in a 'cottage' hospital in Tauranga, where you would not be exposed to the latest cutting edge medicine, research and technology.

The 'work life balance' thing works both ways and the OP and his partner do need to be fulfilled in their work life, as much as having pretty scenery. I think the OP must therefore also factor in the longer-term for career progression, research and teaching opportunities.

Of the two, I think Waikato Hospital would be a better choice for more interesting work and progression.

BEVS

Good point.

BEVS

Have moved the post from ExBristol re Auckland Ain't So Bad into a thread of its own.

Ta.

boiali

Thanks again for replies. It sounds like Tauranga will be the place to live, Hamilton the place to work for career progression.