Chrisbates1986

Hello all,

I may be getting a job in Dunedin and I was wanting to know what the place is like to live in. I'm in my mid 20's, into my Rugby and sport, enjoy going out for dinner and for beers. What does Dunedin have in terms of bars/pubs? Restaurants? Types of cuisine?

I'm guessing there will be a fair bit of Rugby (as it is NZ after all!), are there many gym and other sporting facilities?

How easy is it to get rented accomadation and what would you expect to pay per month? I understand there is a large student population, when the studnts go home is there a visible change in the city, as lively and as much going on?

Many thanks in advance for any replies,

Chris Bates

barnsleymat

I've got one, possibly two job interviews there this weekend, so I'm flying down tomorrow for the weekend. Anyone fancy some beers on Saturday night at The Duke of Wellington.

It'll be my 4th visit and I think it's a cracking place, it's where we want to live.

The nightlife is great, stacks of bars in the centre of town as you'd expect in a student city. Not sure on eating out, that ain't my scene.

I can't answer all your questions but I thought I'd just give Dunners a good review.

kenpom

It's fantastic and I wish I was back there

dannigirl

Hi Chris,

Been meaning to reply for ages. As a former Dunedinite I am a bit biased but I think Dunedin is great.

I am a bit out of date on some things as haven't lived there for 10 years (!)

Food/restaurants - good selection of great restaurants. No Michelin star rated restaurants but good food none the less. There are some newer restaurants out by the beach, some mixed reviews. Indonesian and Thai food readily available due to high Asian student population. Not sure if it is still there but there was a great Japanese/tepinayki (sp) restaurant on George street. Great cafe culture and lovely coffee to keep you warm in winter! Main cuisine that might be lacking could be Indian, there are Indiann restaurants but sure they live up to a British palate.

Gyms - there is a few, main ones are Les Mills and another one can't remember what the name is down by new stadium. There is Unipol if you are a student and lots of niche gyms for muscle heads etc!

Rugby - you will have no problems finding a rugby club, there are plenty around and ALL have pretty active social scenes. Dunedin has the new stadium which is apparently awesome ( quite controversial) but it has put a bit of life into the rugby scene.

You shouldn't have any problem finding rental accommodation. You may want to find out where you will be based and decide where to live from there, but honestly if you stay within the city your commute will be teeny tiny - will mostly depend on parking etc.

Good suburbs (I think) for a mid 20s man to live would be St Clair, St Kilda (three very good rugby clubs Pirates, Southern and Dunedin) out there. Mornington, Maori Hill, anywhere above the city is very handy if you work in town and for bars etc. You could also choose a suburb a bit further out but I would recommend being closer to the city. It is not like the UK with local pubs on your doorstep or if there are they tend to be very local and quiet.

Dunedin has a love/hate relationship with students. They bring in lots of money and generate employment, but they also bring some issues mainly around anti social behaviour mostly revolving around drinking. It can get quite rowdy in North Dunedin, best to steer clear of the main student streets and area and let them get on with it. Student bars are well known and predominantly situated in student areas or close to town. What I love and miss about Dunedin is that there are plenty of pubs for all ages, you can go out have a drink and a dance and not be surrounded by 18 year olds (unless you want to be of course). There are loads of pubs and bars to choose from. If you join a rugby club you will have no problems with a social life! Summer without the students is fab! You do notice the difference, but summer is for fishing, Xmas (camping and usually summer holiday), touch, bbqs and making the most of a more relaxed lifestyle!

Negative points for Dunedin but are all pretty subjective:
- it's cold in Dunedin. It is bloody cold and central heating is not the norm! Pack your thermals or go native and invest in some merino thermals.
- it could feel small, with a population of 120,000 people it is compact but big enough not up know everyone (if that makes sense).
- we are fairly isolated in the South Island, that can be good or bad. If you are high maintenance Dunedin might not float your boat. People are more likely to brag about their polarfleece range rather than their range rover!
- it's cold, have I said that? You do get hot days in summer. I find the weather pretty similar to London but I think Dunedin has slightly higher sunshine hours and the heat is dry not humid(ish) as it is in London.
- job opportunities are harder to come by, same dilemma as anywhere higher paid jobs are in main cities where cost of living is much higher.

It is a great little city, it has all the amenities you need. The student population helps bring a true international element to it and I could imagine it might be a bit bsckwaterish without the students. Dunedin has easy access to central otago and lots of local beaches which are stunning and empty. Strong surfing culture in Dunedin.

So after ALL that did you get the job?!?!

Do I get a medal for taking an hour to type that on my phone?

Fooferfish

Its got the lot , but Shhhhhhh dont tell to many !!!!


Thats why we been here for 7 years shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Chrisbates1986

Dannigirl, many thanks for your very comprehensive reply! The job may be a little way away yet due to funding etc but we shall see.

So the central heating, would most houses NOT have central heating?! If the weather is similar to London that would be very manageable, and more sunshine hours bonus!

Yeah I've found anywhere you go and play sport (Rugby in particular) you will make friends and keep busy at the weekend.....

So is there much going on in terms of gigs? How far would it be to Queenstown?

Fooferfish

Double glazing is still a new concept for Kiwis to get their heads around !! Most house here have log burners ,which some times are connected to wet backs which in turn heat the water in a cylinder , people we know have got radiators and they run from a coal fired boiler system , or diesel .

Got luck with your choices .


Dunners rocks .

dannigirl

No such thing as central heating really in NZ, I had no idea what central heating even was until I came to the UK and I hate it with a passion (I live in a very hot flat) but suspect I will miss it if I return to NZ.

Gigs - I am not too music minded ( good old pop songs do for me). There is a niche NZ music scene, maybe not world famous but world-famous in NZ! You won't get big stars down south although Elton John did a concert recently. Depends what you are after, you can certainly travel up to Auckland and Wellington for big gigs, on the whole not as accessible as the UK.

Queenstown is about 3 1/2 hours drive away from memory(it's been a while). Correct me if I'm wrong foofer. Far less traffic but tricky roads. Lots of great skiing/outdoor pursuits in Central Otago and Dunedin, you won't be short of things to do, having said that some people on here would think you are mad for moving to NZ/Dunedin in your mid twenties. If you fund a good group of friends you will have no issues with being bored, but it is different to socialising in the UK so don't expect it to be the same.

dannigirl

Sorry about typos can't seem to scroll down enough to correct them!

bourbon-biscuit

But it was a truly fabulous typo, love it!

dannigirl

Crikey didn't even see that one! Ha ha

crap coffee

SEe the temperature in Dunedin now. Its 2 °C..

auckland is 20 °C.......................................

Would you believe?

Id' be happy to live in Dunedin if the temperatures similar to Welly.

a good place to study for a long term.

If you ever do a phD stuff ; it s so tempting to me lately! UK is too expensive!

SLH

Don't know where you get you 2 °C from, its a very sunny 20°C today.

crap coffee

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/weat...nedin-forecast

http://www.timeanddate.com/weather/new-zealand/dunedin

bourbon-biscuit

Try the met service- think the pages you're using are currently inaccurate for whatever reason:

http://www.metservice.com/towns-cities/dunedin