Allison Gurney

Just in early stages of thinking of about going to Wellington for 6 months. My husband has family out there, so we can get plenty of help and contacts etc.

Only problem is we dont know anyone who has gone from UK to NZ. Can anyone tell me about the standard of living/lifestyle in NZ and how does it compare to the UK (we live in Huddersfield if that makes any difference)?

Kiwipaul

Well I moved to Auckland 10 years ago from UK, it was a shock to the system to begin with as everything seemed to be so provincial and layed back, nothing like the cut and thrust their was in the UK.

You have to get used to the very limited choice of everything in the shops from food to clothes to electrical goods. Don't get me wrong you can get most things but not in as wide a choice as you would in the UK.

Been to Wellington a few times but generally seemed to be either raining or blowing a gale. Downtown Wellinton has a very good cafe scene, compact CBD and very vibrant compared to Auckland.

Couldn't live their myself as too cold but gives easy access to SI.

anya4oz

IMO 6 months is about perfect amount of time. I've always found it a great place for a long holiday, but personally would not like to settle there long term. My best mate (a NZ-er) moved back there from the UK about 7 years ago (so have been there 6 times!). She's found it tough to settle, but is getting there.

IMO, Wellington's plus points:

- great restaurants, good value, variety & terrific food (The Chocolate Fish @ Seatoun, right on the beach, is my fave place to eat there!)
- scenic harbor setting, lovely walks etc
- beachside real estate that wealthy Brits can afford to buy/rent
- beautiful, almost deserted beaches (even on New Years Day!)
- laid back lifestyle, and companies seem very keen on employee welfare, much more so than in the UK
- much better cultural scene than the rest of NZ (theaters, concerts, ballet, art galleries etc)
- very good/cheap/reliable bus system - free on Xmas day, too!
- fantastic range of cheap/tasty veg in the Supermarkets (try the broccoflower!); both 'Pak'n'save' & 'Big Fresh', the 2 big chains are good.
- good 2/3-year old cars, imported from Japn, 'pre-owned', available cheaply.
- great Zoo, with cute meerkats & otters!

On the minus side:

- still very third-world-ish in many ways.
- everyone I meet when I'm over there complains of being really hard up; they do NOT have an affluent lifestyle by any means.
- feels isolated, although you can get the ferry to Picton in the South easily enough
- clothes shopping is terrible (nothing stylish or really well made; I send my mate regular parcels of M&S, John Lewis etc stuff)
- weather in the summer can be very disappointing
- the airport, because of its location, is vulnerable to bad weather; it is bounded on 2 sides by the sea & it is not unusual for waves to break over the runway, closing the airport; also the runway is so short that Jumbos can't land there - you have to go to Auckland/Oz & get a 'local flight'.
- earthquakes - they really do happen. I always get told off in my mate's house for not shutting the cupboard doors tightly - she has lost enough of her wine glasses in temors already!

I'm sure you will have great time there. Feel free to PM me with any specific questions - if I can't asnwer them, I can always email my mate & ask her!

Anya.

annier

we left huddersfield in 1973 and went to hastings in the north island, i think if you are only going for 6 months that is not to bad, we were in nz for 6 years a lovely place but we got bored with the shopping etc and places to go.so we moved to the gold coast in oz. love it here. but 6 months is not to long i am sure you will enjoy it, especially with family out there. we lived in linthwaite and meltham in huddersfield, were are you living? .take your coats to wellington as it gets very cold in the winter and the wind is quite bracing. best of luck anne ratcliffe

wombatboy

Wellington is so windy I heard a man say he went wind surfing there....not when he intended to though; he was reading the paper by the harbour.

Boom boom!

Gladrags

I agree with the above poster, and I in my opinion the same applies to anywhere in NZ.
As for Wellington, things are on the up. Perhaps just not the right things.
Break-ins and car crime soar in Wellington
09 March 2004
By HAYDON DEWES

Though crime rates are down in most of New Zealand, Wellington has recorded the biggest increase with house burglaries and thefts from cars skyrocketing.

Drugs and antisocial crimes rose 6.2 per cent, with Sale of Liquor Act offences soaring 138.4 per cent, from 1801 to 4293, primarily because of breaches of local liquor bans.

Wellington recorded the biggest increase of 4.8 per cent, with house burglaries jumping from 3201 in 2002 to 4126, a 28.9 per cent rise compared to a national average of 6.3 per cent.

Thefts from cars rose by 17.2 per cent, from 5387 to 6314. The national average was a drop of 0.8 per cent.

Wellington's district commander, Superintendent Rob Pope, said the statistics were "deeply disappointing". He had pulled together the region's five area commanders to work out how to reverse the figures.

"When you take away violence and sexual offending, burglary is probably the most violating crime the public in general is likely to experience."

A reallocation of road policing staff to focus solely on "bulk offences" such as burglary was out of the question because funding had been specifically earmarked to concentrate on traffic enforcement.

However, sexual offences almost doubled – from 191 in 2002 to 346 last year – while violent offending rose 11.1 per cent.

Police Commissioner Rob Robinson said he was concerned about the 1.5 per cent rise in violent crime, which included a 6.1 per cent rise in grievous assaults, but regarded the figures as a "tremendous result

Allison Gurney

Its a small world isn't it? We live in Wooldale, Holmfirth. Thanks for the advice.

miss brodie

i agree with most of what is said about Wellington, although in UK terms, it's really not that cold. Windy - yes, cold - no. It is a vibrant city and very accessible and clean. It feels very safe compared to British cities and there are lots of opportunities for hiking and water sports, as well as easy access to SI. I'm not sure where the third world comment comes from. I can't think of anywhere less third world.

At first retail choice seems limited, but as i have said before, I am a gal who prefers less choice - makes shopping simpler. As for quality, well I have not found NZ stores so different from UK stores, apart from their layout. The goods are much the same and I find that I tend to look for more unusual stuff here, locally made clothing and second hand stuff. Have also dusted off the old sewing machine, as there are some really good fabric retailers.

I have lived in Wellington for three years and like it more and more as time passes. Certainly wouldn't swap it for sprawling humid old Auckland.

jandjuk

yeah wasn't sure about the third worldish comment either. I think I know what she's getting at, but it's not a particularly accurate comment.