davidpye_35

Any expats living in Wellington ? I am just about to migrate to New Zealand with family and would like to get in touch with any expats living in Wellington or NZ to get some information on moving down. Thanks in advance !

helinuk

Just thought I'd bump this up for you
come on there must be someone who can help the poor man???????
My son is going to Wellington as part of his gap year and has lots of contacts there no good to you though - so where are the expats?

nurseles

Hi
Im not there now but lived there for a year about two years ago. What sort of things do you want to know?

rickandkara

Hi

We live in Palmerston North about 11/2-2 hrs aways, so if I can give advice just ask.

And I love it.

Kara

sky

Sorry we are in Christchurch and it is very cold at the moment ... havent been to welly but have heard good things about it

davidpye_35

Which part of Wellington did you choose to live in ? I will be working in the CBD so am hoping to live about 30 - 40 minutes away...stupid question I guess but are there any areas of Wellington to avoid ? Thanks for the reply !

davidpye_35

Thanks for the reply, I suppose Palmerston is a bit too far away to commute to Wellington !? probably be looking for a commute of about 30 minutes into Wellington so if you know the area well I would be grateful if you could share any opinions on the suburbs. Have you settled into NZ life yet ? I wasn't even contemplating a move 5 weeks ago, the job offer came out of the blue, we were expecting 18 - 24 months wait. Can't believe its happening yet, and our parents aren't very happy ! Did you have to sell any endowments, cash in ISA's, change pensions (boring financial stuff and will understand if you don't reply on this subjetc) Thanks

davidpye_35

Cold ? I thought NZ was tropical ?
We have been reminded a few times now that when we arrive next month, we will have almost 12 months of winter..... although originally from Glasgow, I can hack it ..!

theguitardoctor

Hi there,

Not long since returned from living in Wellington...there are a number of areas to avoid such as Hutt, though I personally never thought they were so bad. I would avoid East Porirua though as it is low cost housing and it shows......other than that there are a number of nice areas to live. I liked Johnsonville as it was real close to Wellington, but the closer you are the pricier it is.

Be aware, the weather in Wellington is worse than the UK is supposed to be....it rains often and the wind is awful...you barely ever get reprieve from it...it's like a mild gale force most of the time. The weather changes really quickly too, so never be too far from a coat as it can turn very cold, very quickly, and vice versa.

It's due a major earthquake which most Wellingtonians are just waiting for.....by all accounts it will be awful...but then you could be waiting 50 years also, so it's hardly worth worrying about. The major downsides I found with Wellington were that everything seemed a long way from it....I would choose to live somewhere like the Kapiti coast (slightly better weather) and commute for an hour and have a car also etc. It's also fairly expensive to live in the city......That way you are more Northerly, and thus it's easier to reach places such as Palmerston North (which has quite a good shopping area).

It's a very scenic place, but the novelty soon wears off...there's not a lot of choice in NZ, and I soon got bored with what it had to offer as I like a lively place....Wellington after 10pm is pretty quiet....though it does have a lot of nice bars and the like...

all the best, Rich.

jandjuk

David, although I haven't lived in Wgtn since I was 12 years old, we plan to return to NZ and most likely live in Wellinton, so I've been doing a little research lately.

A lot of 'Wellingtonians' (ie those that live in Wgtn City boundary) write off the Hutt Valley as all bad - but in actual fact many parts are not. There some areas which are expensive as anywhere in Wellington (eastbourne, & some areas on the flat at the south of the valley).

probably a false stereotype, but upper hutt is supposed to be popular with british and dutch immigrants! silverstream, pinehaven, and a couple of the new subdivisions are the nicer areas up there.

But there's a variety of bad to bad(ish) areas as well, like anywhere. The Hutt Valley is our preferred area of Wellington, mostly because property is still affordable, and it gives good access to tramping, which we like.

agreed, it can be wicked, but as the saying goes "you can't beat wellington on a good day". It can be glorious. The trick is to make sure you buy in a sunny sheltered spot - this is an important trap for young players in wellington, and is why some areas are a lot more expensive than others. Otherwise, you do get used to it.

miss brodie

I have lived in Wellington for 3 years and the novelty certainly hasn't worn off. Welly is a lively place - plenty of bars, restaurants, cafes, theatre, music. It also stays open until late at weekends - try walking down Courtney place at 2 in the morning!

I live in the city and like it. there are some nice and interesting city surburbs to choose from. It all depends on your taste. Island Bay has a beach and good coastal walks, Brooklyn is close to the city and has its own little cinema and shops, Kelburn has good shops and is close to the city, Wadestown is also close to city and to the town belt, Khandallah has good views and bush walks in Khandallah Park - also a summer pool. There are some nice places to live in the Hutt (Eastbourne is lovely, although small sections and it has been cut off twice this autumn as a result of land slips) and up the coast at Plimmerton and Pauatanui. The Kapiti Coast is cheaper and nice and beachy, although too long a commute into Welly in my view. Hideous traffic.

Weather? Now there's a question. It can be terrible - windy and rainy. But on a good day (like today) the weather is just lovely. Clear blue skies, warm sun, a fresh feeling top the air, a sparkling blue harbour. On a bad day - lashings of wind and toe curling winds. i think that Rich must have been here is the spring. This is a really bad time for wind. At the moment wind is OK and last winter i recall barely any windy days.

What else can I help you with?