one last adventure

I have been offered a job in Wellington anyone have any ideas of schools and best places to live for a family of 4, with two boys 14 and 11?

A wtr visa has been suggested by employer is this the best way to go?
Have a permanent resisdence visa for Australia but this has only been validated on entry to Australia on a fact finding visit in 2003, no entry since to Australia, this was under the independent skilled section, could this be used for New Zealand anyone any idea?????

irnbru14

WTR is certainly the quickest way to get here, means you spend very little (think it was about 90 pounds!) to process it and you can move over and spend 2 years before applying (and forking out) for a residency if you decide you want to stay, you do have to stay attached to a credited employer during the time of your WTR visa though, thats how I got here.

Not sure how permanent residency in Aus works here, I think if I get residency here I could go work in Aus, just from what some folks have said to me who have the residency for NZ, assume it would work vice versa??

Ted Logan

With your kids at that age I would suggest Wellington City, more for you and them to do than the Hutt or Porirua.

Suburb wise, Western suburbs are zoned for Wellington College and Wellington Girls, not near any beach but good bush area, can be colder than eastrn suburbs in winter. Hilly. Eastern and southern suburbs for Rongotai College and Wellington East, near the beaches and on the flat. St Pats (catholic school, can from anywhere)

There's no real bad suburb, excluding Newtown, it can get really windy and can also rain but on a nice day its delightful. Temp on the low side (upto 25C) but I find that warm enough, no city polution due to the wind. International airport and good links to Sth Island. As you would have already read good pub, cafe and resturant scene. Good bus services into town.

irnbru14

I think that may be pushing the description of the airport just a lil, unless Aussie is as international as you wish for

simonmarkellis

By 2011, you'll be able to fly to Hong Kong, Singapore, LA and San Francisco among others as they develop the airport for the forth coming Rugby World Cup and also because they reckon they'll be able to land the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner there.

irnbru14

Where, on The Terrace, SH1 or Lambton Quay, as the runway is way not long enough!!!

It will cost a bit to further extend it too I suspect, but hope they do mind you, one less stopover, albeit in Oz or Auckland will be nice for heading out of here!!

Maz

Erm... aren't there houses in one direction and the Cook Strait in the other?

Kerry W

Erm ... no !!, they can extend either into Evans Bay or Moa Point which is something they have always talked about.

What happens when the big one strikes and the airport, plus Lyall Bay, Kilbirnie and Evans Bay sink

irnbru14

Sea Planes!!!!

newkiwi

I believe entry into Nz with a valid australian Returning Resident Visa entitles you to a Permanent Residence Permit for New Zealand. (doesnt work the other way round though)

Is your Aussie RRV still valid (something like 5 years from validation/ issue) It should say on there up to when it is valid. So you could technically be on the plane to NZ tomorrow to start work. Once in NZ, if you meet the points (which you are likely to do with a job) you can apply for NZ PR directly, might take a few months to come through but you will be working on your Aussie visa while youre waiting, so no real rush or stress.

Note though that if you leave NZ even for a holiday, and you dont have a valid Aussie or NZ RRV, you cant get back into the country, so be very careful about that.

Where in Wellington is your job?...its not a big city so you should be close enough most places you decide to live, I lived in Vogeltown which I found very nice

one last adventure

Australian Visa runs out in August 08, it was issued in Aug 03, collected it from Australia House in London then flew out to Australia on it a few days later for a 3 week fact finding trip, but not right move at the time.
Job is Wellington area based,some travel around wellington, but the office is in the Lower Hutt
What is Kapiti like? do you know the area?

simonmarkellis

Beautiful, great beaches a little more temperate than the city, but a little to remote for my liking. You'll have to drive to the Hutt valley as there's no direct transport links from the Kapiti Coast to the Hutt Valley. It would be a acase of in and back out of the city. Upper Hutt isn't a bad place to live if working in Lower Hutt!

Ted Logan

IMO kids will get bored in the Kapiti area, not much around, Paraparaumu main shopping, complex with takeaways and cinemas.

Try Lower Hutt or Wellington City. You will be travelling against the traffic till you hit Wellington City if you work in the Hutt so travel time will be shorter.

Still think Wellington City will be better for your older boy, that way he can bus into town to see the events happening.