Fleks

So we have completed our first 3 weeks in Wellington. Our experience pretty much agree with the majority of posts in this thread.

We arrived in NZ and my OH's company had booked us fully furnished accommodation and gave us use of the company car. We used the first week to look at a lot of properties for long term rental in a wide variety of areas. As previously suggested in the thread, these are open houses which involve lots of people looking at the same house. At the end of the viewing you pretty much decide whether to apply. This is a nightmare the application process is written as if you live in NZ and doesn't really favour people who have not rented before, don't have NZ referees etc. Saying that after completing 6 applications in a variety of areas we liked we eventually has 2 accepted applications. We picked a house in Johnsonville and will move in late Feb. This has left us having to find furnished accommodation for a couple of weeks, but has enabled us to get the children school places. The schools in our zone are all very good so we are not requesting out of zone schools. We do however have the joy of all the children being in different schools, so drop off and pick up while we get used to bus routes etc will be fun lol.

In a nutshell: I can confirm that 4 weeks may be cutting things close to find a long term rental, Wellington is surrounded by many beautiful areas and a wide variety of schools to choose from.

I will write a more detailed update when the children have started school and we are in our rental.