Auckland or Wellington?
 

Hi
Looking for some advice looking to make the move to New Zealand having spoken to a migration agent it seems possible.
But we are torn between Auckland or Wellington, would like to know what people prefer
Wellington looks lovely but the high risk of earthquakes does put me off slightly :unsure: but at the same time it looks lovely
Would love to know what peoples opinions are

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

Others might hate the wind in Wellington and both locations get plenty of rain too. Some might hate Auckland for housing etc. but Wellington is not cheap either. The question would probably be what you are looking for?

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

If you're worried about geological risks (and I get why you are) please understand the whole of NZ is seisomologically active (with the possible exception of the Far North) Auckland is built on an active volcanic field. Statistcally we get a couple of 6 and above quakes per year, 1-2 7+ quakes every five years and an 8+ every hundred years. We are likely to experience an 8+ quake at some point in the next 50 years.

That said Christchurch is lovely as since our earthquakes the city is slowly being rebuilt safer and stronger.

Wellington does not feel safe to me from a quake perspective but is otherwise a lovely city. Auckland is too big for its infrastructure and house prices are insane. I would not move to the otherside of the world to live in Auckland but that is solely my own perspective and others will have better insights.

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

you get more points on the EOI if you do not go to Auckland, but you will have to go where the jobs are at first.

can I suggest you don't use an agent and ask on here, its free I we have all done the process and more often than not we have done it ourselves and saved a packet on not using an agent. Hopefully he has told you correctly but if you start a thread in the Immigration section with how you calculate yours points we will be more than happy to help and save you some bucks.

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

A bit biased about Wellington because most of it seems to be built on the side of a steep hill and the houses are all built out on platforms. You need a safety rope to mow the lawn. Well, not all of it, but this was an abiding impression. It is also a fair drive from most of the rest of NZ. Nice (if small) town centre. Nice gardens and a funky railway up the hill.

You probably won't find many Auckland supporters on here at the moment.

Stretch your view a bit and consider some other places, perhaps on the South Island?

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

I'll just say none are perfect and there are pros and cons to all places. If you ask people here they have built in bias and will generally support the place they have settled because that's the choice they made. Unless you have a specific desire or need to live (or not live) in a particular place then generally people will go wherever the work takes them.

You might be able to reach a very quick decision depending on how much can you afford to pay for a house but at the end of the day have to figure out what are the priorities for you and your family; recreation, comfort, safety, affordability? What sort of property you aspire to live in and whether you can find a job that pays enough to support the life you wish to lead.

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

Wellington as Auckland are fairly large area's, compared to other area's.
We live in Wellington but further out and there are lots of flat sections to be had. Obviously the nearer to Wellington the less likely to get a flat section.
Auckland was to built up for me and the area's I liked away from it but still allowing a commutable for MrF was way above what we could afford.

Its all about where you can get work and then what is available to you and how much of a commute you are prepared to do.

Re: Auckland or Wellington?
 

We're still in the UK but visited both cities on a fact finding tour as well as Christchurch. The people on here are really great and knowledgeable and I'd echo looking to do the paperwork yourself rather than with an agent if you have the time to do it all.
We preferred Wellington to Auckland as it had more of a community feel for us and we could buy a house with garden on the outskirts for what an apartment would cost in Auckland. I believe the gap has widened since we visited.
MrH and I liked Wellington city over Auckland but Auckland is where the jobs are and we can't go for an SMC visa without a job offer.
The strong winds in Wellington have become a consideration for us but that's for personal reasons and, whilst some hate it, other seem to live with it fine. The few days we were there seemed calm and still compared to where we live in the UK but it was late summer, not winter.
We have the attitude that we're happy to go to any of the major cities for the first few years in order to get over there but, at the moment, we can't see ourselves in the Auckland area for too many years as the cost of rent and housing will probably mean too many lifestyle compromises.