rach3

Hi all well i think i have nearlly pinpointed where we will be heading to in nz. South Island either christchurch or dunedin.
does anyone either live in dunedin or have visited? any info you may have would be great, we are in our 30s with 2 children 10 and 17 months, does the area offer much for kids to do, also info on decent areas to live would be good, pref somewhere near a beach.
thanks all info gladly appreciated
rach

daveandjue123

Hi Rach

We have been looking at Dunedin & Chch too. You can find out quite a bit from google depending what info you need, This site is full of good stuff and links http://www.cityofdunedin.com/city/home.html . We have a friend who's been to NZ twice and has family. Although not in Dunedin both sets of relatives have sent their kids to Otago Uni in dunedin and say the place is really lovely.

I started a thread last week "dunedin anyone" think it's now on page 6, that may help you a bit but generally there doesn't seem to be many on this site from that area. There seems plenty to do, good lifestyle and good employment opportunities. The only thing that concerns us is the weather. Some say it's cold and wet, other's say it's still better that midlands in uk where we are from. Looks like the only real way is to take a reccie and look for ourselves.

Hope this helps.

Dave & Jue

happynz

Also be aware that the roads go only uphill. Odd how that place defies normal physics.

rach3

Thanks for the replies, we are also in the midlands and im sure nowhere could be as grim as here is at times. when you looking at going?
rach

Kaz n Joolz

Where to start!!!

Dunedin is a great place to live...the weather has been fantastic here since mid-Nov and we wouldn't even think about living anywhere else. We moved here 18months ago and have't once looked back.

Everywhere you go are good beaches in the area but on the peninsular is a good place to start experiancing beaches where the only oher living things on them are seagulls, seals and penguins!!!!

Good areas.....anywhere on the peninsular (Macandrew Bay, Company Bay, Portobello, Mission Cove, The Cove, Broad Bay), Waveley, Anderson Bay, St Clair, Maori Hill, Belleknoweles, Roslyn. Definately avoid all student areas...North East Valley and the city centre area which typically have more run down houses and noisier neighbours???!!!

We initially rented in St Clair and although a nice area we fell in love with the peninsular and bought a house in Company Bay last year right next to the water with amazing views and a huge garden and total privacy...something we could never have dreamed of in the UK!!!

Let me know if you need any other info(apart from schooling as we have none!!)

Good luck

Karen

daveandjue123

Thanks Karen all good stuff and glad you like it there. how cold does it get in winter? If you get chance pop a cpl of pic's of the house for us potential Dunnies to gasp at.

Best wishes

Dave

rach3

Thanks for the info guys, dunedin is definately an area we will be considering (seriously) all depends on work from here in.

JoanneD

Hi Rach
We have been living in Dunedin since August 2006 and it is a good place to live. It is very laid back and offers quite a few activities for kids. I have two children 2 and nearly 4 and there are quite a lot of parks, beaches and activity areas to keep them entertained. Sporting activities are highly encouraged for kids with t-ball, rugby, boating, surfing etc. As for the weather, well it is changeable, this summer has been brilliant compared to last year and has been warm from November. In fact some parts of the lower south island had higher temperatures than the north I would agree with Kaz and Joolz on the locations to live. We live at Macandrew Bay and it is lovely (about 10-15 mins from city centre). I have looked into schools and got mixed stories but there are good ones out there and Otago University is right on the door step so Dunedin is worth a looksee

Kaz n Joolz

I'd be really happy to post pics of the house and the views of the penninsular from the house but l've NO idea how to do it!!! Anyone wanna ive me a few handy hints?

Karen

Kaz n Joolz

Seems that l'm not as daft as l sometimes believe....l've mastered the art of putting pics online...now l just hope they're the right size and of the house??!!!

southerner

Hi - we're in Dunedin as well and also are big fans.

Weather can be changeable, but isn't a big deal really. The selection of beaches and waves (if you're into surfing) can't be beaten. We live in one of the inner hill suburbs, Roslyn. Is about a 3 minute drive to the centre city depending on whether we catch the one set of lights or not.

We love the peninular but on balance decided the daily drive(s) would be too much of a hassle to live there with kids.

Here's a promo video on Youtube if you're interested:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oK7dl99Bwaw

rach3

thanks for the info its just deciding now the best way to get out there work permit or permanant residency. immigration is a mine field, but def heading for dunedin so hopefully be able to meet up with some of you guys when we eventually get there.
rach