davieshm

Am researching the areas of potential jobs in NZ for myself and my husband. We are looking at Invercargill, Dunedin and Christchurch at the moment ( along with the smaller towns like Timaru and oamaru). Does anyone have any views on life in these towns? Good or bad, I would like to hear both.

Thanks

N.Finn Fan

Buy the film "An Angel At My Table" from Amazon, that will help you decide your destination.

Gra.B

My wife's brother is currently living in Oamaru having moved from Dunedin, GM of a hospital. His wife's family are also from there. They are obviously very happy there, although I guess it depends on what you're after. To me Oamaru seems a bit too quiet, lifeless, and being a small town I'd imagine job prospects could be a bit grim, but this is purely from impressions on the internet. (Remember seeing a thread on a discussion board for Oamaru entitled "Oamaru is Boring!").

We're heading to Dunedin. Seems to have just the right balance for us. My wife has always said it just 'felt right'. Well, that's good enough for me! She's had 8yrs in the uk so it's my turn to try pastures new.

Can't really say much more than that, but I've come across a few good links for both areas. Let me know if you want them..

Gra....

Gra.B

Hi,
What's the film about? Is it set in this area?

Think I'll check out Amazon, I'm intrigued!

Cheers, Gra...

N.Finn Fan

It's a biography of New Zealand writer Janet Frame, it tells her life story. It is set mostly in Dunedin and the South Island in general.

Gra.B

Thanks, just read about it. Sounds like a very good film. Think I'll get it, yeah, what the heck, call it research!

Cheers, Gra...

hanley

HI we are going to Timaru (first time to nz) in 5 weeks tomorrow.CAN`T WAIT.
My husband hs been offered a job there by a family run plumbing company.So we are going to make sure it`s what we want and meet new boss, check out the area ect.
So will able to comment on Timaru then.I think from research its a quiet seaside town with a few shops ect which will suit us and the kids fine.Also skiing is not far from anywhere around there.
Will comment more when we get back.
good luck with your adventure!
kerrie

chch

Hi davieshm ,

I'm a New Zealander from Christchurch, who went to university in Dunedin. (I'm now living in the US, which is why I'm on this website - very homesick for NZ though!)..

I think either Dunedin or Christchurch would be nice places to live. Timaru is bigger then Oamaru, but I've never really spent much time in either. Oamaru is pretty quiet, though picturesque in the centre of town.

Dunedin has some nice 19th century architecture because it was once the wealthiest city in NZ due to the wool and frozen meat exports from there, and there was also a gold rush in Central Otago. The climate is colder than Chch, but not by very much. It's a real student town because of the University of Otago. I wouldn't want to live there as a non-student - the few times I was there in summer it seemed empty to me - but I'm probably biased because I only experienced it as a student.

Christchurch is bigger than Dunedin, pretty and has a more English feel to it compared to anywhere else in NZ. (Dunedin & Invercargill have a bit of a Scottish flavour - lots of Scots settled in Southland). As with Dunedin, there are quite a few good restaurants and pubs, and there are all the cultural things like theatres etc (the Court Theatre at the Arts centre is good). Since it's pretty much halfway up the South Island, you can easily drive up to Nelson, which is lovely, or down south, and over to the West Coast easily too.
You can easily get to the skifields from any town or city.

I can't comment on Invercargill because I've never been there, but I know it's got very wide streets (built in anticipation of the town growing much bigger than it ever did) and lots of people work in the freezing works there. (Do you call them that? Slaughterhouses).

Anyway good luck, wherever you decide to go! Housing is more expensive in Chch, but I haven't lived there for 5 years so who knows, maybe things have changed.

jajpe

hi chch,

great to have you on board!! all experience of new zealand past or present is most welcome. can i just ask a quick question of my own! if you were to come back to new zealand do you think you would choose christchurch to settle again or would you be tempted further north. Christchurch was our favourite out of all we saw although we didn't get so far as Tauranga and all i seem to have heard about since we came home is how great Tauranga is! just wondering did we make a mistake by not looking at it! will appreciate your thoughts!!

many thanks

Don

Hmm Shirley, Tauranga is great for climate, 2nd fastest growing local economy in NZ (after AKL) over next 20 years (apparently), OK location, but won't be everybody's cup of tea - bit like UK new town of Telford without the few interesting bits that Telford has to offer (Ironbridge?) and soon to have reputation as NZ's Bognor Regis (though there is the Mount).

Cheers - Don

chch

I'd definitely like to live in Chch again when we go home in a couple of years, because most of my family as well as my husband's family lives there and I spent a very happy childhood there. The climate is really nice too, lovely dry summers and quite mild winters. North Islanders always think it's cold in the South Island, but in fact the summers are generally hotter.

I was born in the North Island but only lived there until I was 4 so I've really only been up there as a tourist. The Maori population is much higher in the north so you do miss out on the cultural aspect of that by living in the South Island (I'm part Nga Puhi).
I've known a few people from Tauranga who seem to like it a lot, always going on about the Mount, but I'm embarrassed to say I've never been there!
I'd love to live in Wellington for a while, it's got a nice atmosphere and some of the inner-city suburbs like Thorndon - not that we could afford to live there probably - are really nice. Mind you I have a sentimental affection for Wellington due to all the Katherine Mansfield stories I used to read.

It's hard to tell people what are good places to live because I suppose it depends where you come from and what you're looking for. I wouldn't want to live in a small town because I never have (I've also lived in London and Melbourne), and as a South Islander from a pretty Anglophilic (if there is such a word) city I probably have different preferences to someone who grew up in the north. North Islanders are more "kiwi"ish than South Islanders, they're more bach and beachy types. (Just in case you don't know, a bach - rhymes with match - is a holiday/weekend house - they typically look something like this: http://www.kiwistays.com/baylysbeachhouse/)

I wouldn't want to live in Auckland because it's humid up there which I really don't like (one of the reasons I'm looking forward to leaving America!!) Though if you like sailing Auckland would be the place to live.


(Edited to add: I don't have any affiliation with Bayly's Beach House by the way! )

jajpe

Hi Don and ch,

thanks for your replies. that has really helped to reassure me that we are on the right track for us!! Funny old process this - just when you think you are sorted, the doubt scan creep up on you when you least expect! anyway that has helped to settle me now!!

by the way we got our receipt from NZIS and a letter to say that we have been assigned a case officer and should know the outcome somewhere in between one and three months time so looks like it could even happen faster than we first thought!! just the old house to sell now. had viewers yesterday and they seemed to like it but have a house of their own to sell which noone has come to view yet!! anyway, we aren't leaving tomorrrow so i shant worry tonight!! thanks again!

jajpe

no, i don't know what 'the doubt scan' is either but you don't want one creeping up on you that's for sure!!

sorry, i really am too tired for this tonight!! will have to go to bed and think of an easier way to earn a livin' than nursing on nights!! back tomorrow when my heads a bit clearer hopefully!!

davieshm

Hi Gra,

davieshm

Hi Gra.

THanks for the post, would love to see the links you`ve found, I have found some myself, but there are always more out there and you never know how good the links are that you`ve found.

Cheers