north or south island?

[MrsRose]

Our family is going through an immigration agency to get our skilled migrant visa.
Our agent just informed us that if my husband can secure a job offer, we'll be approved.
So we're going to start the job search, and plan to take a trip to NZ for a few weeks if necessary for interviews and such.

We had been pretty set on moving to Chch, but now we're not so sure. We've never been to NZ. this is a big adventure for our family, and we're so excited. But we'd love any advice or opinions regarding the major cities in NZ.

So...what is your favorite place to live? Christchurch? Auckland? Wellington?

any information on the pros and cons of various cities in NZ, or which cites you would recommend would be most appreciated.

thanks, all!

[eaglekiwi]

Kia ora Mrs Rose,
This is my very first post so I am quite the rookie. I just wanted to introduce myself and share my opinion and thoughts with you if I may.
I am a New Zealander having lived in Christchurch for several years. born in bred in the South Island of New Zealand I recently relocated back from the states in 2011. I am married to a wonderful American who is still in Ohio.
I raised 3 fantastic sons in Christchurch, it is a very family friendly city ,which actively promotes outdoor education among its youth and many facilities for higher education such as the Canterbury University and two popular Polytechnic Institutes.

Unfortunately due to the crisis of recent earthquakes which continue to rock the province even today ,the city is now fragmented and in the process of re establishing the greater city business districts and some surrounding suburbs.
As sad as it has been ,in a way ,new growth and new buildings , with new developments is also bringing new hope. Employment is soaring in every area literally from the ground up.
From a personal perspective my heart is torn- my sons are here, but my husband is in the states- I am loved in both places , and I want to be back in the states.

Real estate is outrageously high in Christchurch ( I don't get why) perhaps because like me ,they have family or careers and just cant move, and landlords/realtors over priced the market for that reason ( It is worth noting too, that many have left because of the quakes) and unstable future reports.
I know I would never build here and I like the place!

I am not sure what things are important to you as far as lifestyle- Do you prefer country towns or closer to a large city etc,and as much as I love the South Island ,if I were you Id look closely at the North Island for warmer weather, affordability ,google places that don't have earthquakes in NZ..
Hawkes Bay , Bay Of Plenty , or further up North like Dannievirke, Keri Keri.. all great places.

I dont mean to offend South Islanders with my opinions we all know the South is the prettier island (hehe) and I guess because I have lived here for 40 plus years ,and if I cant get back to Ohio, Id live in the North Island.

I wish you well in your endeavours!

[MrsRose]

Thanks for all the information.

We do need to be in or near one of the larger cities. (my husband works in commercial/industrial construction) But we really want to escape the whole "big city" feel. We are coming from Las Vegas. Ideally, we'd like to be somewhere that doesn't get TOO cold. And we're looking forward to a slower, simpler pace of life compared to the States.

We've just started looking into places like Nelson and Wellington too. All of New Zealand is so beautiful. It's so hard to choose!

[walshdon]

Hi

Me and my partner are moving to Auckland from the uk in three weeks, we went over last year and travelled north to top of the south.

We have picked Auckland as that is where the wage is highest for my partner and we like the idea of city life not too far away from all the beaches.

We have family in Nelson where we spent some time and also went to Abel Tasman near by which is the most beautiful place I have ever visited but the higher paid jobs are just not there in our industry.

[MrsRose]

Nelson is an area I've just started looking into, and it looks amazing. Warm, sunny, not too big, not too small, decent prices on housing, beautiful beaches, and surrounded by many beautiful parks.

I'm actually surprised that the Nelson/Tasman area is so seldom mentioned in these forums as a desirable place to consider. (am I missing something?)

I'll be doing much more research on that area of New Zealand, to be sure.

[jawnbc]

It does boil down to where you can find work, whether you want to rather quickly buy a home, and what sort of amenities you want.

We're moving to Auckland cause it's the only major city, plus I got a job there. We'll rent in the city for a year or two before deciding whether--and where--to buy.

I've been travelling to NZ since 1992 and have been to about half of each island. If work wasn't a consideration I would strongly consider Queenstown or Wanaka because I'm a snowboarder. Ruapehu is kind of kewl, but also wicked steep!

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by scottjames84

Because there are no jobs there.

Maybe a bit harsh. But there are fewer jobs than in the bigger cities, and I wouldn't recommend an IT person to move there unless they could work remotely

A beautiful area of the country though - we were seriously looking at Motueka at one point.

[eaglekiwi]

I think Nelson and all of the Marlborough is beautiful ,but another option and cheaper ( I think) would be live and work closer to Windy Wellington ,jump on the ferry for long week-ends and holiday in Picton/ Nelson...possibly look to buy once you are more established.

P.S Since I am a newbie to these forums can I reply back to any private messages? I hope so. in anticipation of a reply thankyou.

[eaglekiwi]

Originally Posted by MrsRose

Nelson is an area I've just started looking into, and it looks amazing. Warm, sunny, not too big, not too small, decent prices on housing, beautiful beaches, and surrounded by many beautiful parks.

I'm actually surprised that the Nelson/Tasman area is so seldom mentioned in these forums as a desirable place to consider. (am I missing something?)

I'll be doing much more research on that area of New Zealand, to be sure.

Hi
Some trivia you might be interested in , my brother in laws Uncle is an importer of American Classic Cars for the South Island and has his dealership in Nelson. Stayed in his home overlooking the bay- Paradise and the Winniebago wasnt bad either lol

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by eaglekiwi

I think Nelson and all of the Marlborough is beautiful ,but another option and cheaper ( I think) would be live and work closer to Windy Wellington ,jump on the ferry for long week-ends and holiday in Picton/ Nelson...possibly look to buy once you are more established.

P.S Since I am a newbie to these forums can I reply back to any private messages? I hope so. in anticipation of a reply thankyou.

With 8 posts - yes you can. The cut-off to allow private messaging is 5 (useful) messages (to stop the bods who just do the 5 for the purpose of spamming people). So you're in