A little advice please...............

[D&JMAY]

Hello there

We are getting married in September and have been lucky enough to be given 4 weeks off of work in Jan/Feb 2010, so we are taking full advantage and going back to New Zealand.

Since it is in our minds that our future might lay on the other side of the world, we would like to divide our time between the usual tourist stuff, and also getting to know New Zealand life. The second bit is where we hope you can help us.

Although we’ll only get a very small slice of what it’s like to live in New Zealand we would like to visit some of the places it is likely we would live in order to be able to work. While there we want to see what these places are like when not wearing our ‘tourist glasses’.

So our question to you is:

Which suburbs in Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower & Upper Hutt, Dunedin and Christchurch should we visit?

We would like to know where do you do your food shopping, where are the sports centres you go to and where in your local area do you spend your leisure time. We don’t have children and will not be having any, so schools are not a consideration for us.

We would like to visit places like cinema’s, shopping malls and be able to check out public transport in each of he areas

We have a while to plan this but we want to make sure on this visit we a get a feel of different places before having the big conversation of do we join you all out there.

Thank you in advance

Darren and JoAnna

[topcat83]

What a lot to answer!

I suggest browsing through some of the older forum questions - you'll find quite a few of your questions answered already.

Bearing in mind you'll have 2 weeks out of 4 I'd probably pick two towns and spend a week each there. Any less and you won't get a flavour.

Maybe a Christchurch suburb (see previous posts for suggestions) then one in North Island. Some have suggested Hamilton as a typical medium-sized NZ town.

If you want Auckland, then try where we live - Howick. There's a ferry service into CBD, and it's typical suburbia. Try the Half Moon Bay Motel, the Bucklands Beach Motel or Golflands Motel (a bit more in-land but near the local shopping centre, cinemas, restaurants, ice skating, bowling, DIY store etc... - the other two are on the water).

Food - don't expect Tesco's. I miss the quiche selection! But you won't starve and there is a reasonable selection of things in tins and jars (avoid the frozen TV dinners - I have yet to find a decent one!)

[TracyPaterson]

Originally Posted by D&JMAY

Hello there

We are getting married in September and have been lucky enough to be given 4 weeks off of work in Jan/Feb 2010, so we are taking full advantage and going back to New Zealand.

Since it is in our minds that our future might lay on the other side of the world, we would like to divide our time between the usual tourist stuff, and also getting to know New Zealand life. The second bit is where we hope you can help us.

Although we’ll only get a very small slice of what it’s like to live in New Zealand we would like to visit some of the places it is likely we would live in order to be able to work. While there we want to see what these places are like when not wearing our ‘tourist glasses’.

So our question to you is:

Which suburbs in Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Lower & Upper Hutt, Dunedin and Christchurch should we visit?

We would like to know where do you do your food shopping, where are the sports centres you go to and where in your local area do you spend your leisure time. We don’t have children and will not be having any, so schools are not a consideration for us.

We would like to visit places like cinema’s, shopping malls and be able to check out public transport in each of he areas

We have a while to plan this but we want to make sure on this visit we a get a feel of different places before having the big conversation of do we join you all out there.

Thank you in advance

Darren and JoAnna

Dear Darren and JoAnna,

That is a tall order but you have given yourself enough time to have a good look around.

We live in Napier which is in Hawkes Bay but not on your list of places to live.

It's a fantastic city (Art Deco Capital of the world and produces NZ's best wines!) and surrounded by amazing beaches and mountains. That's the beauty of living on the coast line. Hamilton in NZ biggest inland city, so no where to hang out in the summer, that is like a few of the places you have listed.

Let me know if you would like to hear anymore about Hawkes Bay or I want go into to much detail, if you have already decided that it's not the place for you.

Regards
Tracy

[D&JMAY]

Originally Posted by TracyPaterson

Dear Darren and JoAnna,

That is a tall order but you have given yourself enough time to have a good look around.

We live in Napier which is in Hawkes Bay but not on your list of places to live.

It's a fantastic city (Art Deco Capital of the world and produces NZ's best wines!) and surrounded by amazing beaches and mountains. That's the beauty of living on the coast line. Hamilton in NZ biggest inland city, so no where to hang out in the summer, that is like a few of the places you have listed.

Let me know if you would like to hear anymore about Hawkes Bay or I want go into to much detail, if you have already decided that it's not the place for you.

Regards
Tracy

Hi Tracy

Thank you for your reply, we visited Napier 2 years ago. In fact it was when we were in Napier we decided that one day we would go back for a good look around to see if NZ is somewhere we would consider moving to.

This time round we want to go to the other side of the north island and visit some of the places we didn't get a chance to see last time.

Beleive me if we had 5 weeks out there we would be back to Napier like a shot

Thank you once again
Jo