Auckland or Wellington??

[welshmatt]

Hi all,

so we are in the final few months before we head over to NZ - one year working holiday visa to start with. The only question left now is - Auckland or Wellington! From what I've seen there is a pretty strong job market (for IT anyway) in both cities so I was wondering if anyone could give me an insight into the differences and advantages/disadvantages of each?

Also, the girlfriend is a proper arachnaphobe so on her behalf - is the Avondale spider (the one that really freaks her out) only encountered in Avondale? May be an obvious question!!

cheers,

Matt

[G-Mo]

"Its range in New Zealand has expanded only slowly out of Avondale, a suburb of Auckland, hence the alternative New Zealand common name.[1] Species have been found as far down the country as the Otago region."

Delena cancerides - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[anski]

Hi, Lived in Auckland 10 years & never been bothered by spiders unlike Australia which has a couple of deadly varieties.

As for Auckland versus Wellington hard to say I would have thought Auckland would have more job opportunities, Wellington's weather can be windy (planes have to be diverted on the odd occasion). I personally think Wellington has more arty atmosphere, lots of coffee shops, night life, bands not that Auckland does not but Welly seems more happening for young folk.

[Bathmark]

When I first moved to NZ I moved to Wellington. Initially I think that it is the best choice as it is very compact with lots of great cafes and restaurants. It was really easy to build up a good social life particularly as the Kiwi’s are so friendly. The downside is that the weather is often bad (worse than the UK!). The other problem is that you are quite isolated being at the bottom of the island. I found after 6 months that I had been to most of the places. Auckland has a far better climate and there are loads of places to visit. I actually feel that within 2 hours of Auckland you can get to some of the best places within New Zealand, the Hauraki Gulf islands, the Coramandel and the beautiful east coast north of Auckland. It is great for sailing and the beaches are great. The only downside is that it is a huge city and so it can be difficult to meet people. This is not helped by the terrible traffic and lack of public transport. I am currently working in the UK but hope to get back to NZ soon and I know that despite is problems I will certainly go back to Auckland. Still there is no harm in trying both!

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by Bathmark

.... I actually feel that within 2 hours of Auckland you can get to some of the best places within New Zealand, the Hauraki Gulf islands, the Coramandel and the beautiful east coast north of Auckland. It is great for sailing and the beaches are great.

Just what we have found. I commute fro an hour each way (and most Kiwis think I'm mad!) but I am living in the equivalent of the Lake District scenery-wise, with an amazing view over the Hauraki Gulf and the Coromandel Ranges. Can't imagine living in a big city now!

The only downside is that it is a huge city and so it can be difficult to meet people. This is not helped by the terrible traffic and lack of public transport. I am currently working in the UK but hope to get back to NZ soon and I know that despite is problems I will certainly go back to Auckland. Still there is no harm in trying both!

Worth saying that although it can get bad the traffic isn't as bad as the UK (I still have nightmares of my journey to work around the M25). But we don't have a tube - just a very slooooow overland push-me-pull-you and some reasonable bus services that run on a mixture of their own and the public road system from North Shore. Also you can still park for a reasonable price in Central Auckland - I was paying $60 per week for Britomart car park (which is behind the main train station, and on Quay Street).

[ricks1088]

I am also debating between Wellington and Auckland. IT job market is good in both places but I wanna live where meeting young people is easier. Public transport is also a priority as I won't have car for first few months. Needless to say, after spending 5 years in Vermont, US, I want to live somewhere warm close to beach!

[carosapien]

Auckland, simply because it's much less likely to have an earthquake than Wellington which sits on a number of active fault lines, plate boundaries etc. It has a better climate too.

But then there are whitebacks aplenty in Auckland.

It's a case of which do you fear more nasty spiders or quakes?



Job market wise both cities are about the same.

White Tail biology and habits

The White Tail Spider is native of Australia. (Why are so many of our pests Aussies?) They probably arrived here first about 100 years ago and found the conditions to their liking. Whitetails are predators of other spiders, particularly the Grey House Spider which is also Australian. They don't weave a web to catch prey, they actively seek out other spiders and stalk them down. They do however, produce silk in a tangle as a nest. this is often found in warm dark places around the house.

Whitetails produce a venom that they use to paralyse their prey by injecting it via their fangs. These fangs are such that the spider can bite humans. That they do bite humans is not in dispute. However, the seriousness of the bite is still controversial. It is accepted that the bite is as painful as a bee sting but there are many people that report more serious reactions including stiffness, headaches and swelling. There also many reports of ulceration and necrosis possibly caused by infection of the bite either directly from the spider fangs or subsequently from scratching of the wound.

White Tail spiders do not seek to bite us but will defend themselves if they feel under threat. They hunt mostly during the night and hide in dark nooks and crannies during the day. They are often found amongst the folds of clothing, curtains, bed linen, in shoes and other places where we may innocently place our hands or feet. The spiders natural reaction to this invasion of 'their' space is to bite. And we suffer the consequences.

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by ricks1088

I am also debating between Wellington and Auckland. IT job market is good in both places but I wanna live where meeting young people is easier. Public transport is also a priority as I won't have car for first few months. Needless to say, after spending 5 years in Vermont, US, I want to live somewhere warm close to beach!

Auckland for the warmer weather and beaches, Wellington for the transport system