LeChief

Hi,

Im looking for some help about the reality of places to live,

I have been offered a job in Wairarapa area of NZ, i have been told and from what ive read also its a rural place and not much going on. Just wondering if anyone has any first hand experience of the place?? Is it good for families?? Is there much to do?? Whats the climate really like?? We have been able to get a short term rental if i accept the post, provided by the company in Carterton, i do need to live close for work not any longer than 30 minute commute, will be working in Carterton & Masterton.
Any help appreciated, thanks in advance.

Charismatic

I used to have a house in "the Wai", nice area. There is a train to Wellington several times a day so not too far from civilisation and a lot of civil servants or people who only have to be in the city a few days a week live out there along with retirees. Lots of sunshine and low rainfall, a climate akin to Madrid apparently. Lots of people own summer houses out on the coast and enjoy tramping/hunting in the Tararuas. Have a look at TradeMe for rentals, depends on the time of year and how the economy if doing.

Outside of the major cities (Auckland/Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch) New Zealand is quite rural. Most Kiwis, particularly younger people, live in urban and suburban areas.

​​​​​Masterton has a good school but Carteron only has a school.

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Moses2013

Where did you hear that? Depending on location it will differ but Madrid would be a complete different climate.
You can only go by official weather reading but Masterton has an average of 979 mm rainfall (130 wet days) 1915 hours of sunshine, mean temp 12.7
You could compare with Jersey Channel Islands for sunshine and more like Dublin when it comes to rainfall.

carcajou

I found the area, and in particular Masterton, dull as dishwater.

There is a train that goes to Wellington, 2 hours if I remember.

The area is known for its wines and that is one of the main reasons people visit there. As with elsewhere in New Zealand, there are walking tracks and so on. Overall very rural - lots of sheep and farmland etc. But you will find the mod-cons there. Masterton is bigger than Carterton but they're not far apart.

You will have to be proactive, about making a social life for yourself there.

However! Getting the job offer, is the most difficult part of getting into New Zealand, and there are worse places than the Wairarapa for your initial entry point into the country. If you want to come, I would take it and come.

When you get there, see what people at your company recommend for where to live. Someone will probably know someone who has something to rent you, to tide you over for a while until you decide what you want to do long-term.

As always - treat this as a business decision. Financially, how does the move look for you?

LeChief

Great thank you all for the advice! Do you know if the place is good for young families?? By this I mean is there stuff for kids to do?? I’ve got 4 and always trying to keep them entertained! Here is the Uk we have the parks, play centres, clubs and leisure centres just want something similar but more outdoors for them. I’m rambling now! Thanks in advance again for the help.

escapedtonz

Hey,
Never lived in the Wairarapa but have spent many a day there with the family and on my lonesome out on the push bike and motorbike.
Yes it is very rural apart from the four small "towns" Featherston, Greytown, Carterton and Masterton, the latter being the largest of them. If I had to live in any of them four on SH2 it'd be Carterton as it has a really nice eclectic village feel to it. If I had to live in the Rapa my choice would be Martinborough, hands down without a doubt which is a really cool village and has an awesome annual summer fair, a few coffee shops, other privateer shops, a restaurant or two, a pub and you can do a wine tour on a push bike or walking through summer/autumn. Reminds me of Hill Valley out of the Back To The Future movies. Regular haunt for motorbikers at the weekend who zoom over the Rimutakkas for coffee and a scone in Martinborough or surrounds.
Yeah it's fine to bring up kids there but there isn't much for them to do. It is pretty much farming communities but there's nothing wrong with the slower pace of life. If you are serious about NZ then take it and experience it. If it isn't for you just use it as a stepping stone. If you like the outdoors, cycling, walking, tramping (hiking) there's some great places to spend your time round there - i.e. out at Lake Ferry or one of my favourite places in NZ at Castlepoint.
There's defo a few outdoor playgrounds out there and I'm sure there's organised things for kids to do, especially through the schools.
Pretty good weather out there to be honest. Way way better than living in Wellington. I don't care what historical reports say about the climate. There's much less rain, a lot more sun and less wind out there for sure.

Moses2013

I agree and at the end of the day people just have to use common sense. Being on the right side of the hills, away from the coast or further inland will always make a difference, no matter if it's NZ or Europe. Rural is rural, so don't expect it to be like Auckland and certainly not Madrid when it comes to climate. I know people who moved to Wellington and constantly complained about the wind, but others who have a sheltered sunny garden will live a complete different life and depends what you expect.

https://www.noted.co.nz/life/life-li...-for-wairarapaSchools: Two primaries, Featherston School and St Teresa’s (Catholic). Nearest secondary school is Kuranui College in Greytown, and there are six more in Masterton.

Medical services: A medical centre with GPs in Featherston and a hospital in Masterton, as well as in the Hutt Valley and Wellington.

Broadband: Featherston is scheduled to get fibre in 2021; Greytown, 2020; Martinborough, 2022; Carterton, 2019.

Climate: Tucked under the mountains, Featherston is the wettest of Wairarapa’s towns, with around 1200mm of rain a year, about a quarter more than Masterton and a third more than Martinborough – hence why some choose to live elsewhere in the province. Wairarapa weather: annual sunshine 1982 hours; average temperature 12.8°C (Jan 18.1°C, Jul 7.6°C).

Regional economy: Primary industries (agricultural, forestry and fishing), tourism, construction, proximity to Wellington. Annual economic growth for South Wairarapa was estimated at 6.7% in 2017 by Infometrics, compared to 2.8% nationally.

Environment: Water quality in rivers is generally good, especially closer to the Tararua Range. However, there are concerns with pollution from urban areas and farming in the lower reaches of the Ruamahanga River.

Recreation: Featherston is close to Tararua Forest Park, which offers excellent walking, camping and tramping. Lake Wairarapa is 10 minutes’ drive away, and Lake Ferry and the rugged coast that leads to Cape Palliser is 40 minutes.

Resilience futureproofing: Wairarapa has no major towns on floodplains or the coast, although a number of coastal baches have been lost to erosion; the council’s road repair costs are rising.

Trains: Six trains run between Masterton and Wellington on weekdays, transporting about 1400 Wairarapa residents into the capital, then back home again. Over a third of these commuters travel from the station in Featherston, which also services Martinborough.

On weekdays, up to 150 vehicles fill the carpark at Featherston station and spill into surrounding streets. Ten years ago, 635,000 people used the Wairarapa train service each year. This year more than 750,000 will do so, and the Greater Wellington Regional Council predicts demand will continue to rise. It sounds ideal: to be whisked to and from your city job while you read, catch up on work or snooze. However, the trains are often full at peak times, which has led to increasing complaints about overcrowding, unbearable summer temperatures, and delays on the single-track line. The regional council and operator Metlink are looking to add extra carriages and possibly introduce new trains to increase capacity.

This was published in the June 2018 issue of North & South.

carcajou

OP - The Wairarapa will have all the usual playgroups, etc for children.

The thing with rural life and kids is you have to be careful about what property you choose. Acreage etc may sound great but the bigger the lot, the further the kids are from the neighbours. Farm life can be very isolating and lonely for children - you don't go next door to play or down to the park for football or rugby, when next door is a kilometre away, and there is no park, and a trip into town to the park is 20-30 minutes one way. Living in one of the towns itself will fix that. The Masterton-Carterton corridor is a big enough community to support all of the kid things if you choose to live in one of the townsites.

Interesting and useful information provided by Moses2013 - however in no way would I want to commute into Wellington daily on the train from Masterton/Carterton. Just too far and too long, and the expense does build up over time. It would get old quickly.