Where is the best place to live in new zealand and why?

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Travellin Bry

City life either wellington or Auckland decent jobs and still pretty affordable to live.

If you're not dependant on working in a city try looking at Great Barrier Island, Waiheke or Paihia.

All nice warm places,

If you want dramatic (Lord of the Rings Style) landscape and a more British feel then Christchurch is pretty good.

missie

Hi!

I wouldnt choose Auckland personally. Good tourist spot, handy for the Bay of Islands up north, but not to live. Friends there have to deal with high rent/mortgage, and some of the worst traffic congestion in the country in exchange for their fast paced careers in the city.

Hamilton is cool. It has the V8 supercars race, plenty of performing arts, great university/schools, crime rate is low, good cafe/restaurant cosmopolitan thing going on, 1hr drive to Tauranga/Rotorua/Auckland, 30mins to Raglan best left break surf beach in the world, beautiful river and bridges, less traffic problems than other major cities. Unemployment is low.

The south does get cold, but so does the UK so it wouldnt be a problem. Christchurch is very pretty and similar in many respects to Hamilton. Friends of our have recently moved their from Auckland and they love it.

What sort of things interest you and do you have children moving with you? Are you into a relaxed lifestyle or fast paced career lifestyle?

**Just to add on, if your husband is an aircraft engineer, Hamilton is good as it has PAC (im sure your husband will know what that is) and it is always hiring people to work there, they employ a few hundred people at any one time and are looking for skilled workers. I know quite a few people who work for them and my father is also an aircraft engineer.

imatrampoline

Christchurch.

Why?

*The 2nd largest city in NZ (and 3rd largest urban area). Only two other cities compare for amenities.
*The perfect size: all the city you can use and no more. An equal-sized quarter of Auckland is not the elegant, self-contained city that Chch is, nor would it have the number of attractions.
*It preserves many of the same benefits provided by a small town - just done on a huge scale. If you had your heart set on a smaller town, you might find Chch surprisingly inoffensive on this front.
*It still has true main street retailing - just like it did a hundred years a go. Combine this with ample parking facilities, and you can have your small-town life in a city of 367,000.
*One of just two cities in NZ with an international airport (the other being Auckland).
*One of just two localities in NZ with a gondola (of the hanging cable car variety), and the only city in NZ with one (Queenstown is the other locality and it's a very small town).
*It even has the other sort of gondolas (boats): the attraction known as 'Punting on the Avon'.
*Trams roam the city in a loop for decorative effect.
*The view south from the Port Hills: you'd think "Wow, you'd never expect all this to exist here, just out of sight".
*The view of the city from the Port Hills: a large sprawling suburbia with the snow-capped Southern Alps, and the Pacific ocean as a backdrop. Those that make it financially can look at this every day.
*The view of the city from Scarborough head: like the previous point, but more stunning.
*The view of the Port Hills from the city.
*The seasonal variation: the Port hills are parched yellow in summer, and green and sprinkled with snow in winter; combine this with the ever-changing greenery for a city with many faces.
*The best city planning/urban design found in NZ.
*It's not just any city: Chch was an attempt to create the pinnacle of human civilisation.
*It's not called 'The Garden City' for nothing: trees, flowers, and parks galore.
*The CBD: modelled on the concept of a fantasy-England.
*The river Avon: other NZ cities may have prominent rivers, but none have a river so tightly-integrated into their CBD for the same effect.
*Spaciousness: the best city in NZ for the claustrophobic. It just feels affluent for this reason.
*You're much less likely to run into cringe-inducing examples of development run amok than you are in Auckland or Wellington.
*Classic architecture not befitting of a nation so young.
*The combination of old, new, and general randomness of sights is unparalleled in NZ.
*A high-brow sense of humour: the city had a Wizard (who's sadly retired), and a Town Crier.
*Sumner: a pseudo-Californian seaside community that rivals any other in NZ for atmosphere.
*The drive to the seaside starting from Woolston through to Sumner is incredible.
*New Brighton: it's got a pier. It may pale in comparison to old Brighton's pier, but by NZ standards, it's the best ocean pier.
*Diversity of experiences: you can lay on the beach in a pseudo-California (Sumner, New Brighton), shop or eat in a fantasy-England (the CBD), then ski or snowboard - all in the same day.
*The CBD's roading network is much easier to use than either Wellington or Auckland's.
*Traffic isn't nearly as bad as Auckland.
*Public transport is excellent, unlike Auckland.
*It has cycle lanes.
*The best place for drivers: an unparalleled location within NZ for those into scenic cruising.
*You've got the South Island as your back yard. The South Island is more beautiful than the North.

Wellington is awesome also - it's like a miniature San Francisco, and the polar opposite of Chch. Between Chch and Wellington both, you've got what Auckland has, covered in two much more attractive cities. If it's population you need (for job prospects), pick one of these two.

There are some downsides to NZ that you MUST be aware of (and may not have noticed while on holiday):
*The cost of living relative to salaries will likely leave you with less disposable income than you're used to. NZ is a poor first world country: 27th in the world for GDP per capita (PPP).
*The job market is small.
*Half the houses aren't insulated and few have central heating.
*Houses are very expensive at present. If you don't have equity in the UK to sell, you'll probably be stuck renting for the time being, unable to get on the property ladder (like many Kiwis in their 20's). Those with houses got into them under more favourable circumstances.

drblonde

I moved from NZ to the UK 1 year ago as I have family here - I really miss it, the lifestyle and scenery there are just great, you won't regret it!

I lived in Napier in Hawkes Bay, N.Island for a while which I totally recommend - it's a really nice town by the sea in the lovely N.Island wine region (50 local wineries most of which also have gorgeous restaurants with terraces overlooking the vines and the sea...), hilly countryside, good surfing and only 2 hours from the volcanoes and ski fields. Napier has an airport and very easy base to travel all over NZ easily for your hols. Good schools too, Napier High has a good reputation.

My second choice place to live would be Nelson, north S.Island. Again a really nice town, in between the Abel Tasman national park with azure blue seas and guaranteed sun sun sun (do I sound like a tour guide??) and the beautiful Marlborough Sounds -ffjordland.

If you want to live in a city (and why would you, you can live in a city anywhere in the world - you may as well stay in the UK) then Wellington or Christchurch are much nicer than Auckland. Also, Auckland isn't really near anywhere to visit, and nice though the Bay of Islands are, there really are much better places in NZ to visit. Wellington is hilly, by the water and more interesting than Christchurch, but don't live there if you don't like windy weather - it is ALWAYS windy there. Christchurch is pleasant enough and lots of opportunity to travel and see the beautiful S.Island.

Ahh, I feel nostalgic now... Hope that helps, good luck to you!

jim w

christchurch or anywhere on the south island

Phil

If you want a city, I wouldn't pick Auckland - NZ has much more to offer. Wellington would be my top choice in the city category, but it may be that you want to live in a smaller town or village... difficult to say without knowing you really, but my heart would certainly say somewhere in South Island.

daniel

mmmm tough one, id say somewhere on the north island, as the south gets too cold during the winter months, unless your a bit of a snow boarder, wellington is really nice, smaller than auckland but cool bars, and more compact. then again auckland is cool cause its near alot of cool beachs and the lovely corromandel peninsula. **** hawkes bay is lovely too!!??

Nightrider

South Island is my choice. They are beautiful.
Are you a boat fanatic? Do you like fishing?
Then, the decision is simple. South Island it is.

VodkaAngel

Anywhere in the South Island is beautiful. You would need to have a look round first before you decide where to settle. Oamaru, Dunedin and Invercargill are all good places if you have a young family.

TCP

If you can afford to, go there for at least a months holiday, and travel from Auckland down to Queenstown. (Public transport is good, backpacker hostels are cheap, so that won't be a problem.) This will give you an overall view of the place.

I did this in 2005, during their Autumn (I went April to May), got lucky with the weather, which was like a hot UK summer! My fave place? Definately the west coast of South Island... it is stunning! But remember... when the wind blows from the nw, you get the heat coming from Australia... when it blows from the south, you get cold air from Antarctica! Winters are colder on South Island... something I could live with, if I could move there!

My daughter lives and works in Franz Josef, South Island, and has been there for the past 2 years. She seems quite happy! It really depends what you want to do, and whether you can find a place where you can indulge all: work, hobby, and leisure interests.

MarkEverest

For me, Christchurch would definitely be my choice. It doesn't get any colder than it does in Southern England, and it is absolutley beautiful. Also for very attractive property prices, consider Timaru and Blenheim. On the North Island, property prices can be steeper but the weather is warmer. Windy Wellington is named so for exactly that reason.

nativeAZ

If you want quiet & laid back, definitely South Island. Dunedin is my favorite, small but still many city amenities. I've also lived in both London & Edinburgh, and I would say Dunedin has more of a Scottish feel with Christchurch more an English feel. Christchurch is also a nice place but bigger and more a city feel than town feel. However, if your husband is an aircraft engineer, Christchurch is likely the best place for him to find work. That is where a large Air New Zealand maintenance facility is located and also the facility that assists with the Antarctic program.

Nemesis

Pahia Nth Island close to the bay of islands my personnel pick yet close to Auckland if you feel like visiting the city.

Andy P

id say auckland as its got good weather and lots to do without being too overcrowded. maybe u shud buy 2 places so u cud hav a wider choice lol!

Tahini Raving Weirdo

There are factors to be taken into account of which you may not know yet. We found out the hard way. Here's my recommendation:
Keep in mind that heating in NZ is commonly done by coal! If you live in Christchurch, where smogs are sitting heavily on the plains for months during the cold season, you'll be breathing some pretty bad air for a large part of the year. If you especially dislike crime, consider forgetting about the North Island. The Auckland area is no better than the UK, and there are weird and hair-raising things happening on the North Island in connection with gang violence and drug stuff.
If you want sun and can't stand winds, count out Wellington.
If you like it warm, don't go to a higher altitude, but stay around ocean level. Places like Queenstown and wanaka are fab, but cold as hell in winter, with snow.
My recommendation to you would be Nelson and Marlborough Sound (Blenheim) number one, and Dunedin (cooler, but super-safe, sunny, economically good, arty, and quaintly Scottish if you like that).

markus0032003

If there would be a "best place" wouldn't it be crowded?

What are you looking for? Nightlife? Nature? Good job possibilities? Sea View? Remote Island? Small town with great community? Mountains for skiing?

NZ has it all, but with the level of information you provided, you won't get a good answer.

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