escapedtonz

Yeah Wellington is ok but the wind get's you down after a while. There are many places to live for sure. We spent 2.5 years there but it didn't grow on us so moved up to Tauranga and never looked back.
Check out Hanmer Springs on the way down to Christchurch. Beautiful place with hot pools and very swiss alps kind of feel to it.

Bobogib

We only passed through Tauranga to get food on the way to Napier. I liked the look of it, wish I could have stayed longer.

Bobogib

OK, well where to start.

We landed back in the UK on Sunday morning after 15 excellent days in NZ.

We started in Auckland and while the time was spent catching up with a close friend, we did spend a little time looking around to see how the city 'Felt'. My wife liked it for various reasons, climate, view and some other reasons. Personally I thought it was OK. I can see why people want to live there but I couldn't see me making the move to live there.

From there we did a few touristy things and stopped in Rotorua for 2 days. Aside from the smell (sorry, don't mean to offend, that's what the kids said.) we both thought that it was OK, but possibly a little too touristy. I don't think that we spent enough time there to fully appreciate every thing that it had to offer.

Our next main stop was Wellington. My wife hated the place, to windy and too hilly. I quite liked it, the museum was excellent and looking at what was on offer there is so much to do. Employment could come from a whole host of places too.

From here it was onto the ferry to head to our friends wedding at Te Mahia, which meant 2 days in and around Blenheim. We both fell in love with Marlborough, although we feel it may be limited to what it could offer us in terms of jobs, however I'll be happy if someone wants to correct me on that.

From here it was down to spend the remainder of the time in Christchurch. While still very much a city on the mend, both my wife and I loved the place. It is big enough to have plenty of opportunities for me, while still small enough to be easy to escape for a few hours. We met with friends who live in Rolleston and think that it is an awesome up and coming community, well within commuting distance. While in Chch, I was lucky enough to get a meeting with a local company and from that received an informal job offer. Still waiting for it to be put in writing and we need to do some maths to see if it's viable but as normal it has raised several new questions (stand by for new thread).

I can see why people fall in love with the place. Think we needed to spend longer over there to get a proper appreciation for the place, however we (I) got an good feel for why you can feel isolated. From doing all the driving I realized just how far it is from one place to another. Also our first night in Chch was the night of the 4.3 quake, so that was a strange introduction. Thanks to everyone for taking the time to give advice of this thread.

Pom_Chch

Glad you enjoyed yourself Bobo! You certainly are not alone in your thoughts on Christchurch. Everyone that has visited us (apart from one couple) has fallen for her charm and that's a bold statement considering a lot of it is still in large piles of bricks from the quake! A couple of friends who came for a reccie are now putting plans in place to move here. Our Dutch friends are also somewhat tempted!

You've hit the nail on the head with the size of Christchurch and that's what we really like about it too - big enough to have everything you need but so many outdoor activities to escape to with ease. Yes you are right in also saying that there isn't much in-between towns on the South Island. Personally it doesn't bother me as rather than isolation I feel a sense of having space but I can see where you are coming from. Sorry you felt an earthquake! Horrible buggers really. In some ways it's not a bad thing you experienced one as now you know what you are potentially coming to.

Anyways, good luck with everything and let us know how you get on with your job offer(s)

Justcol

Glad you enjoyed your trip
It seems the area south of chch is now on the up I believe it was very quiet small rural places until the council decided it is where all the new / replacement houses would be built following the big one. It is a lovely area with something for everyone.

Baz036

Bob,
Sorry Chap just seen your post. Marlborough is very special but also limited but it does have the Air Force base at Woodbourne along with 'SafeAir' which is a aviation Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) business based at the airport.
Love the place and would highly recommend if you could get a job. House prices are outstanding when compared to some and climate is second to none (Sorry Nelson).

tangelo

There is an RNZAF base in Blenheim I think? Just a small one. It is a lovely place. The other bases are Whenuapai which is just on the outskirts of Auckland and Ohakea near Palmerston North. If you're committed to obtaining your RAF pension (tax free for first 4 years!) you have plenty of time to think about lateral recruitment and 'may' get some $ assistance with relocation and housing when you get here.