ExKiwilass

I'm researching places to live in NZ, in particular close to Wellington, cos I"m thinking about doing study when we go there.

Trentham is a town that comes up as having cheap rentals and it's also on the train line. I vaguely remember it from going out to visit friends, but can anyone tell me what it's like? WHy is it so cheap? Don't hold back.

crap coffee? anyone?

Kija

If we go to New Zealand we'll have to live close to Wellington too because apparently that's where all the telecom jobs are. I would have preferred ChCh. Somehow from what I've seen the South Island seems more interesting.

Good thread, I'll be interested in seeing the replies too.

ExKiwilass

The South is gorgeous. It has quite a different feel to it than the North Island, feels a bit like a different country imo.

I love, love, love Wellington though.

Kija

Wellington seems like such a big city though, I'd love to live somewhere more rural, suburbs around Welly perhaps? I'm absolutely clueless, I hope we have the opportunity to travel around a bit before we have to make choices, doubt we'll have that luxury though, and that's all assuming we even get selected

Vancouver was OH's original choice by the way.

ExKiwilass

Vancouver is fab. I love living here.

You can prolly find somewhere more rural around Welly...can't say I'd choose to buy in the Hutt for keeps, it's not my cup of tea that way, plus it triggers my ashma for some reason...Kapiti Coast might be worth a look. Hutt would be okay for a year though...and it's an easier commute by train too.

ExKiwilass

Also, the Wairarapa has a commuter train to WElly...small villages are Greytown and Martinborough I think? The Wairarapa is beautiful and hotter than Wellington...lots of Wellington people sent their kids to boarding school there/go surfing/etc...that's north east from welly

Another possibility is northwest direction...shannon, levin, otaki...on the Palmy commuter train...personally I'd choose the Wairarapa.

HTH.

luvwelly

Wellington is not a big city.....you could fit it into Cairo several times over....it is also very rural...a few minutes in the car and you are in the countryside.

kiwichicks

Trentham or Hutt Valley
I think most people spend more hours researching where to live than all the paperwork, before moving to New Zealand.
The forums are good place to start, but at the end of the day it is all factors on your own personal circumstances
I can help a little on our choice; we both work in Wellington , have two children was at the move time 15 and 10.Have two older children stayed in UK, but had to think maybe they will, or at least one will join us one day. Eventually sold house in UK, but not much profit to put to a mortgage
Tawa, Johnsonville and Newlands, was our first choice but the schools prospectus was not suitable
The Hutts have a reputation for being windy and damp, which not good for our daughter who is asthmatic (although since moving to NZ, no longer suffering with asthma)
Whitby and surrounding areas have good recommendation, but a little out of our price range and schools not suitable for our children’s needs
So we settled for the Kapiti coast, choice of more schools and two colleges, house prices within our budget, weather can be a touch warmer, nice and flat and the locals are so friendly
The commuting is always paid back at the end of the day, when you pass the Pukera Bay; we feel we have passed into another world
Apart from one family I have not met anyone regret where they moved, I do hope this helps, but like I said it is your own need. I don’t know of anywhere bad to be honest

D

Kija

Oh dear, don't get me started on Cairo but as you can imagine we'd love to live somewhere green with wide open spaces around us, did I mention GREEN had enough of desert to last me a lifetime!

Kija

Informative replies and thanks for them

Of course it's all very vague as we've never been there, and I had my heart set on Canterbury it all remains to be seen, but I'm learning more everyday!

ExKiwilass

bump

irnbru14

To randomly add to the thread:

I think both Auckland and Welly and probably Christchurch all have telecom jobs, certainly there is a new Vodafone HQ just open in Auckland while Telecom themselves are builing new offices in central Welly just now.

Wellington is not a big city by any means, its pretty compact and you can be out of the city in 10 mins drive and have options to go over to the Wairarapa and up the Kapiti coast quite easily with the two main highways out of town.

They are upgrading the local rail network so new trains and improved reliability will come in next year, all being well!!!

Depending on your age and lifestyle, you may be suited to being nearer to town as Welly is a very centralised city with a lot of the nightlife/theatre/cinemas/restaurants etc based around the Courtenay Place area.

It is a cool city to live in though

dazandgen

Hiya,

Wellington is fabulous and the Kapiti Coast would be where we settle if that's where we end up. As others have said, there's a brilliant commuter service in and around Wellington. I love a small village called Paekakariki which has its own station but is an hour or so out of Wellington so quite a commute. But it's gorgeous, looks right out over to Kapiti Island (I think that is what the island is called), has a big old beach, etc.

My brother and sister in law are in Whitby, Porirua which suits them as well - my brother is an IT-type person for one of the telecoms companies based in Wellington and picked up work quite quickly. Takes him about 1/2 hour to get into work on the train and he says it is just the most stunning commute ever.

Agree with the other posters that there's a very different feel to both islands - I loved Blenheim and Marlborough (amazing vineyards too!).

Enjoy!

lapsed kiwi

With the caveat that I'v enever been there, I'd be very cautious about Trentham. It is where the NZ Defence Force HQ is situated and is almost universally hated by RNZN personnel as a place to be posted to. Having said that, I do know of a couple of people who have moved there and find it OK - so it may be one of those love it / hate it places.
I think if I had to work in Wellington I'd live on the Kapiti Coast. Wellington is earthquake central though in terms of NZ cities - if you're that worried about quake you'd probably be better off in Auckland; lots of ISPs and Telecoms here and I think we're the lowest-risk city for quakes

cows_go_moo

I wouldn't say that Trentham is a town - just an area in Upper Hutt which is (geographically only!) NZ's second largest city. It's just an ok part of Upper Hutt though - some streets rougher than others and absolutely nothing to do. Oh, except for the racecourse and Trentham Memorial Park/Barton's Bush.