howardk

AGREED !.........only no CRUSADERS.........only the lowly Hurricanes.......after 4 years of superb rugby i don't know if i could cope with average footie.........and will hugely miss the Jade Stadium set up when we arrive back in the land of ice hockey.........

Wiz'n'Ton

Hi there! We’re 4 months in to our new lives here in ChCh, and so far so good. We are currently in a flat in the city centre, and for us it’s a great location. We LOVE Hagley Park, enjoy the fact we can easily walk around the city and I can cycle to work each day. The housing is not too expensive, (I think the median price for a house here is currently in the $320k region) but as already mentioned you do pay for living in the better areas. Think $500k+ for a 3 bed place in a ‘good’ area close to town like St Albans & Merivale. It’s easy to get around by car, though traffic on a Friday into and out of town can be a nightmare (for NZ values of nightmare – any delay longer than 10 minutes is now to me a ‘nightmare’, in the UK that was just ‘normal’).

We love visiting Hanmer Springs (1hr North), and Akaroa (1hr through some stunning scenery over the Banks Peninsula). The life here is as outdoorsy as you want it to be, with loads of walking, fishing, kayaking, kite-surfing and all that stuff going on. The beaches are so-so, but great for swimming in summer, and there is a good area for kiddies at New Brighton. ChCh Airport now flies to the UK via Singapore, as well as Fiji and Oz so no need to transfer internally to leave the country. Skiing is between 1 and 3 hrs away depending on where you want to go, and Queenstown/ Milford Sound is 5hrs away for a long weekend (we’re off there next weekend!).

Bad things? Yes it is cooler here, by around 4 to 5 degrees on Auckland temperatures. It DOES snow occasionally in winter, and frosts are common. It does not rain here too much – in 4 months we’re in total had about 2 weeks of rain! (Good if you cycle to work, bad if you’re a farmer). It is a relatively conservative city and generally white, although with a pretty diverse community. If you come expecting anything like Auckland, you’ll be sadly disappointed - but think something along the lines of Canterbury, Kent but without the history and you’ll be about right I reckon. Erm… I’m trying to think of other bad things not already mentioned in the ‘NZ is rubbish because….’ threads. Usual things like boy racers, some gang involvement, drugs, etc. It can seem provincial at times, but that is because it is.

We’re certainly happy so far. What do you other ChCh-ians out there think?

Oh, and I am a recruitment consultant here so drop me a PM if I can help in that area.

Good luck in whatever you decide!

happynz

You think I live in a good area? Why, thanks. I also think St Albans is pretty swell.

dreamfish

thank you WiznTon - have sent you a PM. off to peeps now - catch you another time!

thanks all for your supportive posts - been very informative too. ttfn!

Spacecake799

I would definately advise you to check out your work opportunitys there first. We discounted Christchurch pretty quickly as there was'nt enough if any IT jobs on offer
Good Luck
Carole

Apple13

If you are a software or hardware engineer there are plenty of opportunites in Christchurch. Just my personal experience.

Apple13

I am going to post this here too (on another thread but OP may not see it):

The Port Hills have loads of walking tracks with gorgeous views, plenty of mountain bike tracks. You can go crewing in a yacht in Lyttleton Harbour, great for an adrenaline rush. Nice beach at Sumner for an ice cream and a paddle. There is a big mall in Riccarton, and the Riccarton Market on a Sunday morning is simply enormous. There are heaps of movie theatres to suit every taste (love the ones in the Arts Centre) and there are loads of public parks for the kids to run around in and play. The Southern Alps are just a couple of hours away for tramping, skiing and rock climbing.

There are lovely bays and four wheel drive tracks to explore on Banks Peninsula, and the hot pools at Hanmer (1.5 hours drive) are magic when there is snow on the ground.

Oh and the cafes with great coffee (fav is She in Governers Bay for the views, and Metro in town), wineries around for tastings, good restaurants.

There is live theatre at the Arts Centre, and going to see the Crusaders at Jade Stadium is great, just take a wooly hat and a raincoat as it tends to rain =).

I live in a lovely, warm, insulated three bedroom house with a log burner. It has a very good sized section with a huge double garage, and it is only 25 min *walk* into the centre of town. My OH bike commutes to work, and I drive to the other side of town, and it only takes 20 min.

Lenmil

Ya making me jealous here mind you. We lived in Chch for a year and loved it at Governors Bay and surrounding area. We were looking into buying a house there. I found the City to be good with a relaxed atmosphere. The Arts centre is good etc. An hours drive in almost every direction takes you to stunning country. Miss it a lot.

Andrew Cross

A couple of pics of Hagley in the snow, Brighton Beach during kite day and Governors Bay....

WheelsOfSteel

Christchurch is a good place all round. We have a house over near Diamond Harbour which is good if you want to have access to the 'city', but have something a little different.

As for jobs, not sure what industry you guys are in but for technology based, try www.seek.co.nz

All the agents ply there trade there, so good luck.

Have traveled around most of New Zealand and the South Island would be my choice every time.

WOS