Moses2013

A bit like the Aran Islands. Ok, there you don't have the traffic & earthquakes

Moses2013

And on a positive note, it's only the third most distressed place
Wellingtonians third most distressed in the country | Stuff.co.nz


I like this bit and made me laugh:
The wind could also play a part.




But seriously, these reports are irrelevant and there are plenty of people who love Wellington.

garethwm

Not some people Moses. A lot. I would guess there being 30000 Brit expats living quite happily in Wellington.

garethwm

Oops my mistake. You did say plenty.

MrsFychan

I don't think Wellington is isolated, but then my understanding/perception of isolation and Moses2013 must be different. Wellington is the Capital but to be honest you wouldn't think it was and to be fair to Auckland, Russell to be exact, it only got moved to Wellington so the two Island could be Governed better and trade made more easier. Does grate a bit that little old Wellington gets forgotten and lots of the international events, pop stars, musicals etc don't always hold their events here but an hour on the plane and you are in Auckland or a days drive the same.

It's all down to you and to be honest unless you try it you will be forever wondering. I know we made a lot of decisions that turned out to be wrong for us in the long term, making me miserable, but at the time we thought they were the right ones but thats life and you can make decisions now that ultimately could be good or bad on any aspect of your life, its how you handle it and move on, as long as you are willing to consider all options and communicate with your family members and be prepared to compromise to give the best out come for everyone thats all you can really do.

MOSO

BEVS

It was the OP that stated they had 7 months of winter. Not me. I'm a born and bred Southerner from Dorset. Our winters were around 3/4 months.


I dunno then. Our house is very well insulated and has been angled to be north facing for the living areas, although our cladding is cedar. Mind you we have single glazing and are part on piles. It's not the day so much but the evenings although this Autumn is being kind so far. Having said that and sitting here in my tshirt and joggers, next door have lit their fire this evening for the first time. Several of the softy Kiwi neighbours have had theirs going a good couple of weeks now.

Anyway, the OP will not care one way or another. All part of the adventure in moving to another country and I'm with him about drizzle. Some is fine. Too much if it is day after day would become tiresome.

Tom H

3/4 months of winter??? You'd be lucky to get 2 months of Winter down Bournemouth way BEVS.

Munchkjn

Well it's 8 degrees and cloudy in Bournemouth now (according t'internet) and a low of 3 tonight. We're only 8 weeks off midsummer.

I used to live in Bournemouth too! I know the weather is pretty special there, we had some great summers down that way.

maquis

Sounds like you will fit in fine!

I'd find living up the coast a bit isolating, but it depends on what kind of lifestyle your family are looking for. One of the reasons we're looking at moving to Wellington is to cut the commute that OH has here. He feels disconnected from the family - he's gone for 13 hours every day. Living in the places you mentioned - Island Bay, Brooklyn, Northland - they're all very accessible to the CBD, you can pop home easy enough, attend kids' sports days, etc. That's what my OH misses out on at the moment. They're also handy to the motorway to get out of town when you want.

Could you take a holiday let for a few weeks in a city-fringe suburb when you first arrive, see how you and your wife like it? While you settle in at the new job, wife and kids can go off exploring, check out schools in the area, plus have a look at ones up the coast. A couple of things I'd keep in mind is secondary school zoning, and shelter from the prevailing northerlies.

Munchkjn

That sounds like an excellent plan Maquis. We might just do that.

Stormer999

We are just less than 8 weeks from Winter Solstice and still banging out the 18-20 C's here in Chch.........

Pom_Chch

The best way to go about the move is to look at facts and figures (and visas obviously!) Find out what your income will be after tax and minus off your expenses (this takes a fair bit of research). Is this enough money to afford you a lifestyle you want? Everything else is completely subjective and very much down to individual experiences. If I had listened to opinions on here I would still be sat in the UK festering in self doubt and what ifs. But instead we did the number crunching, ignored the nay sayers and then jumped on a plane to NZ. Best decision ever.

Assanah

One can never say what the future holds. I followed all the yay - sayers, didn't listen to negative posts, hopped on a plane, found a decent job in Auckland, great friends, enjoyed the beautiful landscape, and am now happily settled back in Europe. Turns out that I agree with the nay-sayer

Anyhow, I want to make the case to not only evalue the material situation but also the human side. Be aware that you are taking a major risk, especially if your wife is not on board! Do speak about what will happen if one is unhappy! I met a couple where she was unhappy and he loved it (funnily enough the combination of man liking NZ, and the woman not, seems to happen more often than the other way around). They had talked about the situation beforehand and agreed to return home if one of them won't like it. And that was what they did. I also know a couple where she is back in Europe with the kids and he is still in Auckland.

I also like to encourage you to think about leaving your extended family behind. Will you be able to cope with not being a big part of their lives? What about when they will get sick and die? Are you prepared to not hold the hands of your dying parent? Consider the possibility that your own kids as adults will decide to live in Europe.

I don't regret moving to NZ. NZ was a good experience and is a good country to live in! But for me everything worked out fine in the end, even the return home: My partner agreed with me about moving back to Europe, and I still had a few years with my dad, and can now say my proper goodbyes and help him make the transition. I would never want to be in NZ now - no matter how beautiful the nature, and how relaxed the lifestyle. I want to be at his side.
I realize of course that everybody has there own priorities and that living situations vary and that for many NZ gives more than they lose. But nothing is for free. Good luck with your decision!!

MrsFychan

I don't think the people on here should be saying do it, don't do it. Just give you honest experiences good and bad, least then people can see what others have experienced and take it from there. if its understanding any pit falls and how they were over come to knowing that a certain area has this about it against another area which has that. Knowledge is the key