tempisfugit

Would really appreciate people's insight into life in Wellington...i.e. people who have actually lived there and not just been on trips. Is the weather awful all the time or just unpredictable like here in UK? Are my visions of owning a boat and going out on it every weekend laughingly naive???

Are there British couples in their 40's with kids (11 - 13 yrs) living in Wellington who could advise me on schools. All input gratefully received. Bye for now.

Nadia

kiwikwis

I lived in Wellington for all of my life up until 4 years ago when I moved over here (now leaving for Oz in a few months time). Culturally it is great, there are lots of cafes and restaurants of high quality and the cost of living is fantastic compared with Auckland, Queenstown etc. Weather wise it is a little undependable - Summer has highs in the early 30's/late 20's, Winter has lows like 0 - but what you will hear most about is the rain and wind. It is not called Windy Wellington for nothing!! Transport around the suburbs by bus or train is reliable, cheap and well thought through. I still have family over there and they wouldn't be anywhere else. 4 hour drive to the ski-fields, beaches on the doorstep and a 6-7 hour drive up north to Auckland, Hamilton, Rotorua and Taupo.... Let me know if you need any further info.

tempisfugit

Thanks, Kiwi, for the info. I hear that around Wellington it is very hilly. Is it all hills or are there level areas, too? What is Eastbourne like? What caused the landslip problems earlier this year - was that down to torrential rain? Scuse my ignorance - are there shopping malls in and around the city? Thanks.

kiwikwis

Very true it is hilly but that gives the most amazing views for the majority of houses. Eastbourne is lovely (quite flat) and Days Bay has excellent shops, supermarket, restaurants and cafes. It was really a freak incident they had with all that rain as it caused widespread damage further up the north island than it did to Wellington. We do have earthquakes every so often, but this doesn't cause any major problems (at best a cracked window or a few ornaments fall off the shelf) but normally just a wee shake. We don't really have big shopping malls (like Lakeside or Bluewater) in Wellington city (although there is a big one in Lower Hutt (close to Eastbourne). It is generally streets of shops all linked (a bit like London's Oxford, Regent Streets).

jandjuk

the weather in wellington isn't awful all the time, but it can be unpredictable & windy (moreso than the UK). But they have a saying in Wellington - 'you can't beat Wellington on a good day' - and it's very true.

I haven't lived there since I was 12, but I never remember being that bothered by the weather (but I was young). I used to play cricket in the backyard nearly every day of the year. I do remember many Guy Fawkes nights being a fizzer though as there was nothing worse for fireworks than rain and wind!

It's just that when it's bad - it can be really bad. When it's good, it can be glorious. I have to say that every time I have visited Wellington in my adult years - the weather has been fantastic.

Not sure about boating - I'm sure it can be done. Though it's not a place I associate with boating in NZ - not compared to Auckland/Northland/Bay of Plenty, Lake Taupo, or Malborough sounds. Not as calm I suppose... but still perfectably do-able, in summer anyway.

But for me Wellington is a lovely place, and where I'm heading back to. There better places in NZ for the beach/boating lifestyle however.