Schapp

Hi all

I have just been offered a job in Wellington and am looking for advice re nice family areas and schools.

I have been told the Lower Hutt area is nice can anyone recommend any good schools there? My little ones are 10 & 6.

Any other advice you have is very welcome too! Thank u Sally.

scrubbedexpat094

Hi Sally and welcome to the small but perfectly formed NZ forum of BE! I can't help with specifics as I live in the Auckland region. I have friends who live in Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast and travel by train into the CBD. They seem to like it down there, though Welly isn't our cup of tea. Too cold and windy for us.

However, many expats are happy enough down there and I'm sure they'll be along sooner or later to provide help and advice.

Good luck with your plans.

MrsFychan

welcome Sally,

I'm also on the Kapiti coast but a bit further out in Waikanae, I could not hack going any nearer to the CBD because of the wind, been there done that and did not like.

can I first tell you that for schools the decile number does not relate to how good the school is but more about the area it is in. So decile 10 would be an affluent area so little Government funding and then it goes down to decile 1 where the area is considered to be a poor suburb so would get more Government funding. Please try and speak to some parents with children at the school before deciding on one and visit before agreeing to send your children there.

Now area to live in would depend on what you want for your down time and what you are prepared to do to get there. My OH travels in to the CBD but it is an hours train ride and there is only one way in so if there are problems on the line then he gets a bit stuck, also as shown by last weeks storm there is not many options to get in and out of the CBD if things aren't playing nicely. so depends on what you want

janiejones

I'm in Lower Hutt, but don't have children, so can't speak about the schools. I've got colleagues with children who seem to like the Western Hills, so have a look on Trade Me for houses in Normandale, Maungaraki, Korokoro and Harbour View. You can drive Petone station from there, and then it's 15 mins on the train around the harbour. Quite often the listings for the family homes will tell you for which schools the house is zoned.

I like the Hutt, good for shops, swimming pools and plenty of stuff going on here.