Natandandy

Big hi to all,
Me my oh and kids are planning the big move to nz. My oh is a cabinet maker and he has received a job offer in the south island a place called invercargill, we have never been to nz before but having read loads and loads we feel it's a great place to live and raise the children. Can anyone give us more detail on invercargill (good or bad) on schools, shopping, things to do and the different areas I would really appreciate this as we are still learning about the place.

Big thanks
Natalie & Andrew

thepinkone

Hi and welcome, I'm sure someone will be along soon with info on Invercargill (we're off to the North Island, so not much help, sorry)

Jan n Neil

Hello and welcome

Spacecake799

Hi,

Reading is great but it is so different to living here. How old are your children? What sort of lifestyle do you enjoy at the moment and what do you hope to gain by moving here.
It might help people give more answers if we know a little more about you.
Good Luck
Carole

Natandandy

Hi
My children are twin girls at 10 and 2 boys at 13 & 14 they enjoys lots of different activities such as girls football, netball, ju kit su and they are all in st john's ambulance which I believe is very big over there. As for me and my oh we love the theatre, eating out, cinema and days out with the family etc.

Any info would be great
Big thanks
Natalie

Justcol

Hmm!! it'll be different in Invercargil.
Think VERY carefully about what you want from a move to NZ, It's a fabulous place with so much to offer but its not for everyone.
Its a much slower, relaxed, community based place to live. Theater is not on the scale it is in the uk, more amdram than big shows.
Come with an open mind, accept all the differences and you'll settle right in. Expect a nicer version of the uk and you'll soon be heading home

DandJMay

Hi Natalie

We have lived in Invercargill since May 11. I arrived a few months before my husband, so for about 4 months I was here by myself not once did I feel left out or lonely, I certainly didn’t feel afraid or intimidated by being here alone. I am very grateful that I have amazing colleagues who included me in everything.

We came out to NZ twice before we came out here permanently, I have always been honest and have said that we didn’t come down to Invercargill during our holidays, we felt it was too far away and couldn’t justify the travel time. The closest city to Invercargill is Dunedin which is a three hour drive away. I travel to Dunedin for work quite a lot and the journey, whilst very pretty etc etc, it’s a blooming long journey

I suppose it really does depend what your life style is and/or what you want it to be. If, as a couple, you want pub’s, clubs, shopping etc, then seriously only use Invercargill as a way into NZ as you will not like it here. If you want the outdoor life style of walking, tramping etc then here is great.

There is a vast range of people living in Invercargill, we have Zero Fee’s College here, so we are a sort of a mini uni town, there are also loads of ex pats, from all over the world and all far flung places of the UK.

Invercargill has all the normal stuff, leisure centre, theatre, cinema, museums etc, but we do only have one of each. With so few people living here there really is no reason for two swimming pools. We go to basket ball matches, rugby games and cycling at the local velodrome. I know some of my friends take their kids to see netball matches; they go fishing and have all sort of music lessons going on. We also have a motorsport circuit, a million and one parks for children and a couple of skate parks. We have a little cafe culture going on around some of the area's.

You will make friends, but it will take time, the people here are set in their ways, and whilst they are extremely friendly you will mostly find that you spend your time with other expats. We don’t have children but maybe they are good way to meet people, but I guess I can’t really comment.

We discussed the good and bad points of Invercargill for someone else thinking of moving down here, and maybe this will help

Good

• Isolation, not many people venture down here, (but that’s a good as for us)
• We are two hours away from Queenstown (ski fields in the winter and sailing in the summer); 90 minutes away from Te Anua (gateway to the fiord lands) and the Catlins are just perfect. Check out the southern scenic route on line
• The scenery is amazing, we have great local parks, beaches and bush walks, if I leave work at 5, get home, get changed I can be on the beach by 5.30
• Semi rural life style, you are not on top of other people (we live in a lovely house in the middle of the bush, if I stand on tip toes and crane my neck I can see me neighbour’s garage, but I can’t hear them)
• Cheaper house prices and rent, but like most places you get what pay for
• Good restaurants, although cannot tell you about the night life as we are not that into it, however there are a few clubs (I hear)
• There is always something going on, if you take the time to look for it.
• You can easily get to Stewart Island, a little expensive, but well worth it
• We have the most lush fish restaurants.
• Due to the lack of people down here, you can get from one end of the city to the other in about 15 minutes and as for parking, it generally isn’t a problem

Bad

The driving standards (if you can call them that) are shocking, really really bad. But I think that’s a NZ thing and not limited to Invercargill
The lack of choice, we only really have the major chains down here i.e. Farmers, Noel Leaming Bond and Bond (which in effect is Noel Leaming). Clothes shops are few and far between so if you are materialistic then you will not like here (or just save your pennies and go shopping in Dunedin).
If you need to buy a car, for goodness sake don’t buy itin Invercargill, it’s cheaper to fly to Christchurch and drive it home.
The cost of flights to the rest of NZ, although you can drive to Dunedin or Queenstown where flights are cheaper, you then have to pay for petrol and parking. Basically it cost hundreds of dollars to fly out of Invercargill.
The isolation, you are a day away from Auckland (but I consider that good ).

I suppose it depends on what type of couple and family you are really, when I worked in London I was lonely, living here I have a sense of time and freedom and most of a sense of belonging.

I have taken to living in Invercargill like a duck to water, but again that’s cos I have the right job with amazing colleagues.

You will read sssssoooo many negative comments about Invercargill, mainly from people who have A) never been here B) have jumped on the Invercargill is rubbish band wagon or C) visited here once many moons ago and spent all of about 2 minutes. I don’t regret leaving the UK for here, and if I had my time again I would have done it sooner.

However whilst my reply might be all happy clappy, Invercargill and NZ has problems, like any other county and not once should not be viewed as the land of milk and honey, because it’s not.

Give me a shout if I can help out further. Happy to flick over some websites, school info etc.

Jo

Natandandy

Hi jo

Invercargill sounds great we are not ones for clubs or big shopping centres, we love peace and quiet. Our dream is simple just to come home after work grab a bottle of wine and nibbles and sit outside and take in an amazing view, at the moment we are surrounded by houses and no view, not that we could sit outside anyway as its always raining and cold.

DandJMay

Hi Natalie

We like Invers, right here and right now it's just perfect for us. I would say do your maths. We don't have children and live more than comfortably on just my salary whist my husband studies, having kids out here doesn't appear to be cheap. So whilst we have the views, the empty streets and the pretty cool drives to Queenstown, Te Anau etc etc etc. Living here can be expensive.

I honestly don't want to burst your bubble however please do your sums. I should think loads of people on here have kids in schools and can help with school fee's etc and I am more then happy to help with cost of living in Invers.

Just shout if you would like any info

J

Assanah

For me Invercargill would be too isolated. I don't think it is a beautiful city either. It is mostly flat, not many nice views. There is not much to do, pretty dead as a city but if you leave the city and drive around nature is amazing. I really liked Dunedin though. Small town, but alive and beautiful.

BEVS

OOpsies.

A very belated welcome to you NatandAndy.

I'd say have a good look round the place and then get stuck in with some posting but it's a bit late for that now.

Anyway, I see you've had a great response about Invercargill to get you started.

I see from this post that you have a job offer there. Jobs can be hard to come by in some lines of work so hang on to it whilst you make up your minds.

hazeandsteve

.......which is why you live in Auckland, home of clubs, traffic, too many people. Exactly what the OP doesn't want or need.
Not really a very useful input Assanah.

DandJMay