deanwili123

hi
i am coming over to NZ (christchurch)in September, just looking into the best places to live. i understand you arenever that far from a beach so that shouldnt be a problem, but where is the liveliest place? i am 25 year old lad, also do they show much of the english football over there ? is the sky tv the same as ours??
cheers

Assanah

Melbourne

Mark Smith

NZ sky is like diet UK Sky, although they do show games about 2am in the morning. Lively areas in Christchurch, mmm I suppose Lincoln road in Addington, Riccarton road around Westfield mall and the bottom end of Victoria street is where stuff is going off. Or as Assanah jokingly points out Melbourne - you might find night life here a little tame at the moment.
Although the sea isn't far away, repairs to underground services have the road network under pressure. Be prepared for inconvenience for the next couple of years.

deanwili123

i totallly understand it may be quite but will be hoping to work long days and have somewhere to reward myself haha ........... i here riccarton is the best for what im looking for ??

Snap Shot

Yeah, as the city centre got trashed in the earthquake the 'nightlife' moved to bars that were still standing in the suburbs. Riccarton has bars and a cinema. There's a nice restaurant called, 'The Running Bull' in Riccarton.

New Brighton is coastal Christchurch. There's a nice bar called, 'salt on the pier' their happy hour is good fun. There's a nice Indian restaurant near there. We used to go to New Brighton on the bus because we had to give the rental car back because we couldn't afford the rental fee anymore. Other beachside suburbs are available. The east of Christchurch took the worst of the earthquakes. I lived in Linwood, in the east of Christchurch March 2011 - June 2011.

There's a d.i.y. b&b in Riccarton called Rendezvous on Rattray as it's in Rattray Street, that's where we stayed on arrival in Christchurch whilst we were house hunting for a few days. It's within walking distance of a fish 'n chip shop, most convenient ! Further along from the chippy is the mall as has already been mentioned.

I understand finding rental property in Christchurch is difficult. It was kind of easy for us to get some where to rent as so many people were leaving Christchurch when we arrived. The letting agent was only to pleased to have new tenants. I understand it's harder now.

deanwili123

decision has been made then !! going to get myself a job then over in september !! lots of construction work i hear? im a carpenter

Snap Shot

Oh...where to start.

Good luck finding work. Sometimes vacancies are advertised with no jobs to back them up. Employers make a big deal of how many tradespeople are required, however, this doesn't always equate to vacancies.

Please read this very recent thread about a British carpenter moving to Canterbury:

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...2#post10692192

deanwili123

A friend of mine has just got a contract with a company there .... Nothing could go bad that could it ?

Snap Shot

If by that question you mean this:

A huge contracting company here in NZ called, 'Main Zeal' went out of business earlier this year. It just defies belief that trades people were locked out of their work sites, unable even to retrieve their tools. As for being paid, well, they just join the back of the queue with the rest of the creditors.

All I can really say, Dean, is make your own decisions and follow your own path.

deanwili123

well lookingat the state of the job market in the UK i thinkit is best to continue with my plan of coming over on my WHV and try it out ! i have nothing but money to lose, which will be spent on a nice long holiday if there is no work. Thank You People