EllieRed

So my partner (NZ citizen) has told me she wants to move to Wellington rather than Auckland (where she currently lives and has lived all her life) as she's sick of the people in Auckland (especially her family).

Now I'm pretty easy, although for me, Wellington could be the best place on the planet but it means nothing if the weather is bad, which is why I have concerns about moving there. I've been to Auckland a few times and know what to expect weather wise i.e. it's warmer than where I live in the UK however the houses are freezing! At least in England if the weather is bad you only have to move from one warm building to another. This is where I worry - I've never been to Wellington but have been warned about the wind. I'm nervous that if the winter weather is considerably worse than Auckland and worse/on par with the UK then I'll be really miserable due to the houses being so cold. If the weather is not as bad as I'm lead to believe then I can make the compromise for nicer people.

This might seem like a dumb overriding factor to decide which city to move to, but for me it's a real deal breaker. I can manage Aucklands freezing cold houses but not sure I'd be able to make a move to Wellington if it's considerably worse. Can anyone give me a comparison to England or Auckland? (I live in Warwickshire, so don't suffer from a windy coastline or highlands)

Also I'm mainly referring to winter weather.

Thanks!

SanDiegogirl

Never realised that NZ homes are so bad when it came to cold, but the following article sure makes the point:

https://youngadventuress.com/2019/06...ld-houses.html

Can't remember the last time I lived in a home with condensation running down the windows - and I originated in Wales which is pretty damp and cold at times.

Bo-Jangles

Good find with the article, as it pretty well sums up the findings of new arrivals here; plenty of threads over the years on here will bear this out.

Extra jumper, socks, slippers, curtains, blankets and hot water bottles are what gets most kiwis through and the rest of us just get told to harden up. It will be just as cold as in the UK at times and therefore really up to you to find a warmer home with your choice of additional home comforts in regards to heating, allowing budget for higher power bills or do whatever you can afford in regards to investment in insulation and improving your home but recognise that is pretty hard to do when you are in a rental.

jarv5116

it's alot colder in Wellington than Auckland.
I don't get the houses in NZ to be honest. It's not a hot country but the houses are built like your living in a 30 degree all year country.
The houses just aren't constructed well for the weather conditions.
Single glazing, No insulation or heating. Also no Ventalation so everything gets condensation.
U can't buy a proper Duvet that keeps you warm.
I'm going order one from Marks and sparks when the level reduces. Iv never had to wear pj since I was about 8 year old till last year. was freezing. waking up in the night freezing.
When you ask Kiwis they don't get it cause it's just the norm for them.

Bo-Jangles

Best get that order in asap - last year was one of the warmest winters on record.

https://i.stuff.co.nz/environment/11...mest-on-record

Clappy

The well-worn phrase the Kiwis use about the weather there is 'You can't beat Wellington on a good day'.

Whenever I have visited in the past the weather has usually been warm and sunny. I did have a conversation about the great weather with a taxi driver there once and he laughed and told me that when the bad weather sets in it can feel like it is never going to end.

I live in Auckland though so you will need someone that does live in Wellington to provide a balanced perspective.

jarv5116

I don't think its the temperatures that's the problem.
I used to go to Norway with work alot for 4 and 5 months at a time. it's not the temperature.
I think its the damp that makes it feel alot colder than it actual is. Because it's not cold temperature wise.
Same as the summer time. it's 25 degrees feels alot hotter than 25. feels more like 40 in Auckland with the humidity.

Moses2013

As always it will depend what you expect and how you can personally adapt. Wind is just a normal thing near the coast, although Wellington will be a different level if you're not used to it. I'm now in the West of Ireland and just like Wellington, Hamburg, Bilbao, every person will have a different view. I know people who live in Galway City and they complain about wind and others just a few minutes drive away with a sunny sheltered garden live a different life. If your garden is facing the wrong way, or might not have one, even very sunny days will feel miserable. Just like the UK a walled garden can make a few degrees difference. If you like Kitesurfing, a windy day will be great and a person who dislikes coastal weather will moan anyway. Nobody can say how the weather will change and even for us this February has been the wettest on record and now April looks to be the sunniest and driest ever. I know people in Wellington and some love it and others hated it.

escapedtonz

Lived in Welly for 2.5yrs.
Its all about the wind chill factor - nothing else.
All depends where the wind is blowing from. If it's a Southerly then it'll feel a lot cooler than it actually is no matter what the season as that wind is coming from Antarctica. Can make you go indoors on a beautiful summer day or can be a godsend on a really hot day when theres only a gentle breeze. It does really affectthe outdoorsy lifestyle in Wellington but can be managed with strategically placed barriers. That wind is also often fierce and storm force and combined with rain makes for some seriously entertaining weather events. It is one of the main reasons we left Wellington. I used to bike/motorbike in to work often and a lot of days it was bordering on dangerous. It is one of those dilemmas....you either dont mind it or you hate it or like us you put up with it till you can get out. It didn't bother us for the first 18 months but soon got on our tits.

Munchkjn

Sorry can;t resist this. It's two of my favourite Topics: Wellington & Weather!

My credentials:
1. Grew up in South West of England
2. Lived on South Coast of England, East coast of Scotland, Wales, Bristol, Derbyshire and Manchester.
3. Lived in Wellington for 6 months
4. Live on Kapiti Coast and commute to Wellington every day for 3 years.
5. Have a science & engineering background

My observations:
1. I think Wellington is one of the most amazing small cities in the world. Hugely underrated if you like scenery a lot and the ocean.
2. It has some very exciting weather and extremely varied topography.
3. Actual temperatures don't vary much between seasons. Having the sea on 3 (or 4) sides, keeps things moderated.
4. The wind direction plays a massive part in your daily life. Mainly when the Southerly blows, you'll know about it. Dress appropriately.
5. Slight contradiction to above. The wind is not as bad as it is made out by the general public. You obviously get crazy spells and then it can be calm for a few weeks and wonder all the fuss is about. Some Wellingtonians like the bad press because it keeps people away. Some weirdos can learn to love the wind and miss it when it's not there. It blows in lovely fresh air and makes everything feel fresh.
6. There are parts of the region which don;t suffer so badly from wind and it's no different to the western UK.
7. The houses in general are poor (as stated above) - if you can afford to buy a house with insulation and double glazing and a good ventilation system, do it.
8. In my area, winters are much shorter than in the North of the UK. It's cold here for about 4 months but never snows. We hunker down with some log fires. We get 1 or 2 frosts per year. The winter sun can be pretty nice though if you find a sun trap.

That's my tuppence. But then I love the area.
Hope that helps.

carcajou

I agree with most of this. I was Wellington-based for a little while and found the whinging about the weather far worse than the actual weather. Not sure what I was expecting but the way the wind was "blown up" (ha!) by locals had me expecting gale forces all of the time when actually I didn't find anything that bad.

Wellington is definitely colder than Auckland. I could feel the difference almost the second I stepped off the plane when flying to Auckland.

The main issue as highlighted was the housing. Even when it wasn't particularly cold outside (and it usually wasn't), it was still bone-chilling inside the houses. That is where all the sheep in NZ come in handy. Wool makes for fantastic blankets and slippers. The NZ-made wool blanket I had in Wellington was the best blanket I've ever owned and I'm still kicking myself years later for misplacing it. I was renting and so couldn't just do the house up with insulation, glazing, or other things that would have made a difference and so just had to "harden up" and deal with it.

Wellington IS a small town by European standards, and it's much smaller than Auckland. But being a national capital in a lightly populated country, it outpunches expectations on amenities and things like restaurants and cultural events, for a town its size. That's if - as elsewhere in NZ - you have money. Your job prospects in Wellington are going to go much further in determining your and your partner's viability there, than the weather.

Moses2013

I suppose the answer is to either accept you'll have an oceanic climate that can change from day to day and you need to understand that every year will be different. If 2021 is the windiest year ever, doesn't mean that 2022 will be the same. If this year is sunnier than last year, doesn't mean that last year was worse than the year before that. If you live near the coast, you kind of know that the weather report will not count for you. Apart from that, everything else can be managed. If the house is cold and funds aren't available, why not ask a farmer for free wool to insulate. Many farmers want to get rid of the wool anyway.

carcajou

I would encourage to give the tyres a good kick on this move. Wellington is a good bet for the partner's situation. Nice big small town but also too far away for relatives to "pop in." Australians like to jab that Auckland is like a time capsule - go there, and you'll find Sydney 30 years ago.

The wool thing, there's lots of sheep in the Wairarapa and also artisan shops, I'm sure once in Wellington if OP pops in over a long weekend he/she will find something that suits.

Last year I went to Ireland and replaced my blanket with a hand-woven one from there, and picked up some slippers too which have been excellent. Here I have a large collection of merino jumpers from the West Australian Wheatbelt. I do also enjoy cheeses from sheep milk.

They do love their sheep in this part of the world. If OP and partner get some acreage, not out of the question they could have a few sheep of their own and do what they see fit.