ferretpossum

I'm on the verge of moving to NZ - my wife is from Tauranga, so that would be her preference.

However, from the threads on this forum, I'm a bit concerned about money - and it looks like I could probably make about NZD 40k more in Wellington as a contract business analyst - not many contracts in the Bay of Plenty just permy jobs!

I was wondering if anyone had experiences of both cities and could give me the pros & cons of each to help us make a decision?

Also, does anyone commute from Tauranga to Wellington weekly? Is it worth considering?

LittleGreyCat

Have you checked rates in Auckland?
Daughter is a contractor and Business Analyst and seems to be raking it in.
Housing costs are an issue, obviously, and I wouldn't live there because of the traffic, but might be worth doing the "bangs per buck" calculation even if you have to rent for a year or so whilst you look for your dream job.

Just to note, also, that in Auckland they don't like to employ contractors long term. They start to put pressure on to go permie when they look at the monthly billing.
Don't seem to realise she is contracting because she likes it, not because she can't find her dream job as a permie at half the wages and twice the management bullsh*t.

Purrball

Once you factor in air fares and separate accomodation in Wellington, possibly not. However, you may be able to offset some of those business expenses as well as qualifying for frequent flyer discounts. It would probably be about 2.5-3hrs from door to door, depending on conditions.

The drive from Wellington to Tauranga is over 500km over some mountainous terrain, almost 7 hours. Not something you can probably easily do on a weekly basis, especially over winter.

With a far better climate, a permanent job in Tauranga might not offer as much money, but you'd probably have more quality time to enjoy with your family. Kapiti might offer the best of both worlds: close to Wellington for work and play and a better micro-climate than other parts of the Wellington region, although not quite as warm as Tauranga. Might be a better place to start for a year or two as you find your feet in New Zealand. Another possibility might be setting up a small (home) office in Tauranga and work in Wellington 3 or 4 days per week.

Some people would take less money for much better weather and less commuting. Depends on what the value of living in Tauranga is: friends, family, climate, work, housing, schools, leisure opportunities etc. and where you want to be in your career.

ferretpossum

Thanks both for your replies - very helpful!

Yes, I have thought about a weekly commute to Auckland also - but not living there. My wife lived there and the 90's and says "never again"!

Bo-Jangles

Anyone considering commuting back and forth to Wellington on a regular basis needs to have a strong stomach and had better be prepared to spend a lot of time sitting in an airport going nowhere.

Some folks I work with got caught up in the backlash of fog situation yesterday and now not able to get back to Auckland until tomorrow. That at least was the advice before the country was threatened with severe thunderstorms and lashing rain that arrived this afternoon/ evening. This is summer after all, who knows what tomorrow will bring.

escapedtonz

We originally arrived in Wellington but after around 18 months wanted to leave for Tauranga and did so approx. 1 year later.
We'd visited Tauranga a few times for holidays etc and just loved the climate and the beach at the Mount etc. It's just beautiful up here in the BOP.
Just didn't settle 100% in Wellington. Climate not as good as we thought it would be. The wind is a big factor in this. The place doesn't live up to the hype. Beaches not that good - more windswept than sunbathing and chilling with the kids.
Life is just so much better further up North. Lots more to do. Lots more places to go. Beaches are excellent.

Commute would be hell. Yeah it's a nice road trip a couple of times a year if you're not in a rush but to do it twice a week.....nope! It's at least an 8hr trip. Done it a fair few times and you just can't do it any quicker as you always need to stop for food/drink/stretch/toilet and too many cops and muftie vans to push the speed limit much. The desert road can often be closed during winter forcing a long way round the western side of Tongariro which puts many KM's on the trip and get behind a truck through the twisties and it's gonna be slow. Also gotta think of the extra cost in fuel, maintenance on the vehicle, maybe RUC's if it's a diesel etc.
I commute 100KM's to Hamilton and back 3 return trips in every 8 days and that's enough

ferretpossum

Crikey!

I'm used to working with blokes who fly up to Scotland from London every week, so I'd assumed the situation would be similar in NZ. But if air travel isn't that reliable then I guess a weekly commute to Auckland/Hamilton might be a better option.

Either that, or go with the lower wage as a permie in Tauranga. I'm just a bit concerned we'll need a quick boost of cash when we first arrive.

But again, thanks for the responses!

escapedtonz

Plenty flights for sure but the weather dictates whether the flight will land or not. Wellington airport runway is closed often due to high winds and also Hamilton due to fog. I've been diverted a number of times when supposedly landing in Hamilton and had to land in Tauranga or Rotorua then get a hire car. The airline does put buses on but then it'll take hours to finally get to your destination.
It is also expensive to fly here regularly. You can find bargain travel but if you're gonna be a regular traveller itll be difficult to bag the bargains which are snapped up within minutes and only appear on certain days at certain times. Never offered on the commuter flights obviously.
There's no cheapie "no frills" airlines here yet as theres no real competition other than on the Auckland to Wellington route. The only main choice is Air New Zealand. Other airlines are starting to pick up in an attempt to create competition and lower standard fares but it's striking a balance between offering the service and the number of passengers to make it commercially viable. There just isnt the demand.
If you do the commute weekly you've also got the added cost of accommodation for 4 nights a week and that ain't cheap in Wellington unless you wanna live in backpackers.

I'd say Tauranga all the way for you even if it's a lower salary. Money isn't everything. You'll waste that extra $40k easily on commuting and you'll not have a life and miss the family lots.