# 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!


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## 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!


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## 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!


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## 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.


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## 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.


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## 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!


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## topcat83

scottjames84 said:


> 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.


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## 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.


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## eaglekiwi

MrsRose said:


> 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


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## topcat83

eaglekiwi said:


> 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


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## MrsRose

Hmm.... These forums are so helpful in so many ways...but at the same time, the many differing experiences and opinions can be confusing at times. 

Wellington is another area we're considering. (at this point, we're considering pretty much anywhere that isn't super cold.) 

Let me just be clear regarding what we're looking for...
We currently live in the States (Las Vegas). We've been in the desert most of our lives so no matter where we go in NZ, it'll be MUCH more beautiful than where we're coming from. 
We want to get AWAY from the busyness and crowds of the big city if we can. I've read that Americans have a hard time adjusting to NZ lifestyle because we expect it to be similar to the way we live, but my husband and I have been thoroughly educating ourselves on the differences, and it is a most welcome change for us. Here in the States, it seems people spend their whole lives working, working, working to get the biggest house, and all the best stuff. We spend so much time in the "pursuit of happiness" that we forget to ever take the time to stop and just BE HAPPY. One of the things that has impressed us about Kiwis is the overall attitude of contentment, and your ability to just enjoy life. 
We love the outdoors (hiking, camping, climbing, water sports, etc...) and NZ seems to be an outdoor lover's paradise no matter where in NZ you live. 
As far as jobs and housing...what I've gathered so far by looking at sites like trademe.co.nz is that there are more jobs and higher pay in places like Auckland and Chch, but there are also higher rates for renting and buying homes, and more traffic congestion in those areas as well. There _are_ jobs in Nelson and Wellington for construction trades (though not as many), and I'm sure if you rent or buy a home at a rate that is within your financial means, you could create a moderate living for yourself and still thoroughly enjoy life in NZ. 

I supose it just depends largely upon the lifestyle you choose to live, and what's important to you and your family in life, right?


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## MrsRose

That being said...just humor me for fun... IF you were so financially well off that you could afford to live ANYWHERE in NZ you wanted (if the cost of housing, and finding a job wasn't even an issue)... 

Where would you choose to live, and why?


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## eaglekiwi

topcat83 said:


> 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


 Awesome! thank you for your most useful reply topcat83lol  im really enjoying these forums although Ive noticed my computer is super slow loading (or not) pages-techie thing or my wee laptop is going through Winter moodiness.


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## topcat83

MrsRose said:


> That being said...just humor me for fun... IF you were so financially well off that you could afford to live ANYWHERE in NZ you wanted (if the cost of housing, and finding a job wasn't even an issue)...
> 
> Where would you choose to live, and why?


Actually - I'd live just where I am! In the hills above Miranda. But that's because we did do a lot of searching before we ended up here.

And here's why...

1. It is warmer than South Island (because it's further north)
2. it's drier than the West Coast but not as dry as the East Coast - as it turns out, a good consideration for a lifestyle block where it is good to have grass growing for most of the year
3. the countryside is (IMHO) as stunning as anywhere else you'll find in NZ - views over the Hauraki Gulf to the Coromandel and in the other direction to the Waikato Plains, and close to the Hunua ranges with their beautiful walks through native bush
4. It's an hour from Auckland and all its amenities (and just about commutable) and half an hour to three small towns for shopping
5. it's still a reasonable price to buy land and houses - especially if you want to buy a 'lifestyle block' (which might be a good choice for you, Mrs Rose, as you can raise your own chickens and veggies)
6. we know more people here than we ever did in a big city.

We love our lifestyle block (where we are beginning to breed alpacas) but don't kid ourselves that it will ever do more than break even.

Having said that we went on a sausage making course to 'Soggy Bottom Farm' and the English guy there is making a living from making decent sausages and pork pies from free-range pigs, sheep and cattle then selling them at the local markets.


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## dodgerodger

We lived in the south island; all I can say is brrrrrrrrrrr.

Our house which we paid $300 a week for (which was cheap mind you in the area we lived in) had no insulation and the heatpump sucked big time; landlord was too cheap to insulate and fix the heatpump which shutdown when it was too cold outside.

The majority of houses in NZ do not have central air so you will be pretty much stuck in the living room (or where ever the heatpump/fire is located in order to keep from freezing in the winter.
We basically lived in the livingroom/kitchen in the winter during the day and at night braved our bedroom which was so cold we would wake up with moisture on our bed from the cold damp air; moisture would also drip off the ceiling and on to our faces during the night.
$300-400 power bills to freeze at night and to live in one room.
This occurred in all 5 of the houses we lived in while in NZ.

The south island is better imo for the outdoors people BUT then again you have to make enough money to afford the price of gas in NZ to be able to travel to get to the areas of recreation; and get a day where it is not raining.

Nelson was nice when we were there but found it to be a town where with EXTREMELY small town politics, gossip and pretty much a good old boys network which makes getting work (when there is work) almost nil.


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## anski

MrsRose said:


> That being said...just humor me for fun... IF you were so financially well off that you could afford to live ANYWHERE in NZ you wanted (if the cost of housing, and finding a job wasn't even an issue)...
> 
> Where would you choose to live, and why?


We live in Auckland in Mission Bay, I posted some images in the Coffee Lounge section. Reason I love living here is it is beautiful, 7km from city, has nice foreshore, parks & places to walk, shopping centre, medical & dental facilities, schools, kindergarden, lovely art deco cinema & lots of choice for eating out.

Welcome To Mission Bay Auckland Beachfront

However we are considering moving (for weather reasons) to Hawkes Bay.

In your case think you have to come over take a good look around to see where you like & where you can earn a living.


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## anski

topcat83 said:


> Actually - I'd live just where I am! In the hills above Miranda. But that's because we did do a lot of searching before we ended up here.
> 
> And here's why...
> 
> 1. It is warmer than South Island (because it's further north)
> 2. it's drier than the West Coast but not as dry as the East Coast - as it turns out, a good consideration for a lifestyle block where it is good to have grass growing for most of the year
> 3. the countryside is (IMHO) as stunning as anywhere else you'll find in NZ - views over the Hauraki Gulf to the Coromandel and in the other direction to the Waikato Plains, and close to the Hunua ranges with their beautiful walks through native bush
> 4. It's an hour from Auckland and all its amenities (and just about commutable) and half an hour to three small towns for shopping
> 5. it's still a reasonable price to buy land and houses - especially if you want to buy a 'lifestyle block' (which might be a good choice for you, Mrs Rose, as you can raise your own chickens and veggies)
> 6. we know more people here than we ever did in a big city.
> 
> We love our lifestyle block (where we are beginning to breed alpacas) but don't kid ourselves that it will ever do more than break even.
> 
> Having said that we went on a sausage making course to 'Soggy Bottom Farm' and the English guy there is making a living from making decent sausages and pork pies from free-range pigs, sheep and cattle then selling them at the local markets.


Yum- I love pork pie especially with pickled onion, piccalilli & a beer.


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## MrsRose

anski said:


> Yum- I love pork pie especially with pickled onion, piccalilli & a beer.


Haha. The only food/beverage I recognize in this statement is beer. 

What is piccalilli?


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## MrsRose

topcat83 said:


> Actually - I'd live just where I am! In the hills above Miranda. But that's because we did do a lot of searching before we ended up here.
> 
> And here's why...
> 
> 1. It is warmer than South Island (because it's further north)
> 2. it's drier than the West Coast but not as dry as the East Coast - as it turns out, a good consideration for a lifestyle block where it is good to have grass growing for most of the year
> 3. the countryside is (IMHO) as stunning as anywhere else you'll find in NZ - views over the Hauraki Gulf to the Coromandel and in the other direction to the Waikato Plains, and close to the Hunua ranges with their beautiful walks through native bush
> 4. It's an hour from Auckland and all its amenities (and just about commutable) and half an hour to three small towns for shopping
> 5. it's still a reasonable price to buy land and houses - especially if you want to buy a 'lifestyle block' (which might be a good choice for you, Mrs Rose, as you can raise your own chickens and veggies)
> 6. we know more people here than we ever did in a big city.
> 
> We love our lifestyle block (where we are beginning to breed alpacas) but don't kid ourselves that it will ever do more than break even.
> 
> Having said that we went on a sausage making course to 'Soggy Bottom Farm' and the English guy there is making a living from making decent sausages and pork pies from free-range pigs, sheep and cattle then selling them at the local markets.



What are alpacas? 

And what's a lifestyle block? a large section of land? It's sounds nice, cause I'd really like to grow our own vegetables.


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## escapedtonz

MrsRose said:


> What are alpacas?
> 
> And what's a lifestyle block? a large section of land? It's sounds nice, cause I'd really like to grow our own vegetables.


Alpacas are mini llama's if I remember rightly and can get quite hairy ☺

Piccalilli is a cauliflower/onion/marrow/other vegetables chutney made with a mustard type sauce. Goes very well with cheese and lots of other things 😁

Lifestyle block as I understand it is a large plot of land approx 1 hectare / 2.4 acres plus with or without a house on it with access and provides the potential buyer with property and/or land to make a living out of it if you so decide to put the work in.

We are in Wellington since arriving from the UK and when we do come to buy we will be looking at lifestyle blocks as we want something different than what we have had in the past. Won't be using the land for anything initially but who knows what the future holds 😜


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## anski

MrsRose said:


> Haha. The only food/beverage I recognize in this statement is beer.
> 
> What is piccalilli?


Here is a recipe Piccalilli Recipe - Allrecipes.com

but like most things home made is always better.


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## topcat83

MrsRose said:


> What are alpacas?
> 
> And what's a lifestyle block? a large section of land? It's sounds nice, cause I'd really like to grow our own vegetables.


Here's a picture of an alpaca - actually our new baby and her mum  They're members of the Camelid family, come from Peru, and are smaller versions of llamas.








And a 'lifestyle block' is in effect a small farm - usually just a few acres.

Look at lsb | helping one another - it's a forum just like this one for lifestyle blockers in NZ (and not in direct competition to this forum so I'm allowed to post it  )


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## topcat83

anski said:


> Here is a recipe Piccalilli Recipe - Allrecipes.com
> 
> but like most things home made is always better.


...and pork pies must be eaten cold! They're great in a picnic.


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## escapedtonz

topcat83 said:


> ...and pork pies must be eaten cold! They're great in a picnic.


Oh yes Melton Mowbray growlers in a picnic yummy!!!


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## walshdon

Even better meat an potato pie on a bread muffin haha


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## bdl123

Haha...walshdon..ur not from Wigan are you!! Pies on a barmcake also known as a Wigan Kebab!!!

Sent from my iPhone using ExpatForum


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## escapedtonz

walshdon said:


> Even better meat an potato pie on a bread muffin haha


Ha ha walshdon it's a barm cake with yer bread muffin 😜

You must be from Yorkshire. Oh but no they say bread cakes me thinks so that puts you from Cheshire maybe ?

Meat n Tata pie on a barm cake = a Wigan kebab which is where I was born n bred. Nothing like a good stable pastry diet for your kids 😜

Must admit had some crackin pies out here in Wellington.


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## walshdon

From Ramsbottom Lancashire


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## escapedtonz

walshdon said:


> From Ramsbottom Lancashire


I've learnt summat then. Thought all Lancashire folk said barm cake 

Nice part of the world Rammy. Golfing buddy/ UK work colleague I've known 25 yrs from there and lives there. Member at Rossendale GC of which I've played many times.
Small world


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## topcat83

Now Mrs Rose will be completely confused by all this talk of peculiar British foodstuffs


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## eaglekiwi

topcat83 said:


> Now Mrs Rose will be completely confused by all this talk of peculiar British foodstuffs


[email protected] Pies

I see KFC has introduced meat pies to NZ....very yummy ,but pricey..Think the Colonel is best with chicken


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## walshdon

Not even going to go into Bury's black puddings. I think a lot of people have opened shops that cater for expats over there.


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## MrsRose

topcat83 said:


> Now Mrs Rose will be completely confused by all this talk of peculiar British foodstuffs


It's almost like y'all are speaking a whole different language!


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## Dani6

MrsRose said:


> 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!


There are only two major cities left now in New Zealand - Auckland and Wellington. Both are overpopulated and expensive so you may want to live out of town. How far depends on how much you like to commute and what balance you want between home and work.


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## topcat83

Dani6 said:


> There are only two major cities left now in New Zealand - Auckland and Wellington. Both are overpopulated and expensive so you may want to live out of town. How far depends on how much you like to commute and what balance you want between home and work.


Lol! Had to laugh at 'over populated'. Auckland has a population of 1.5 million and the Wellington region comes in at around 500,000 (see About Wellington - Facts & Figures - Overview - New Zealand)

Compare that to London (7.8 million), Mexico City (8.8 million) Delhi (13.8 million), and Beijing (20 million) (all found using EVI - see Evi: population of London 2012)

So 'overpopulated' is relative 

And I think most Cantabrians would argue about writing their city off just yet. They're a feisty lot (comes from their Scottish ancestry )


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## relocatella

Wikipedia in English presents Christchurch as the third largest city of New Zealand, when the French version states it as the second :confused2:


> Christchurch (en māori Ōtautahi) est la deuxième plus grande ville de la Nouvelle-Zélande


Christchurch - Wikipédia

They are using figures from 2006. 

It just made me laugh enough to feel like sharing it.


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## topcat83

relocatella said:


> Wikipedia in English presents Christchurch as the third largest city of New Zealand, when the French version states it as the second :confused2:
> 
> Christchurch - Wikipédia
> 
> They are using figures from 2006.
> 
> It just made me laugh enough to feel like sharing it.


Christchurch and Wellington were similar sizes. But since the earthquake things are in a state of flux in Christchurch.
So in 2006 Christchurch probably was slightly bigger.


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## Song_Si

big differences in 'region' and 'city'
Wellington city in 2011 - 


> Wellington city has a steadily growing population which increased by over 10,000 between 2006 and 2011 to 200,100 people.


As a city in the global scheme, 200k wouldn't rate a mention; the region stretches north ans west, covering 8,124 sq kilometres. Auckland region 5,600 - vastly different in terms of population density.

For Wellington, have a look here a large area, much of which has less than 1 person per sq km.


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## Dumbo

The South Island is spectacular. Not many people and very friendly. The North Island is beautiful and friendly. To try and compare the two, very difficult. But if you are looking for warmer weather then it is the NI. No-one seems to have mentioned some of the smaller in the NI like Tauranga, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Whangarei and Palmerston North. These are just a few and I am sure topcat83 can add some more. Goodluck.


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## eaglekiwi

*Christchurch City*

:boxing: Ahem I just drove through dinner traffic along ring roads and trust me its still a city!!! No traffic jams like Welly and Auckland but slooooow crawling city madness.


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## MrsRose

I was gonna ask about places like Hamilton and Tauranga. 

How's the economy in those cities? Most are recommending Auckland to us because my husband is an electrician, But if we can help it, I would much rather be in a less populated city. Do you think he could find work in places like Hamilton or Tauranga in his field?


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## eaglekiwi

MrsRose said:


> I was gonna ask about places like Hamilton and Tauranga.
> 
> How's the economy in those cities? Most are recommending Auckland to us because my husband is an electrician, But if we can help it, I would much rather be in a less populated city. Do you think he could find work in places like Hamilton or Tauranga in his field?


Hamilton is not that far from Auckland (40mins) correct me if Im wrong someone. We looked at a little town called Cambridge, very pretty. Auckland is quite spread out also, its known as a sprawling metropolis....
My brother has lived for years in Papakura, outskirts of Akld and they loved it. He commuted for years downtown Auckland etc, but they did most of their shopping ,dining in Papakura.

As far as economy the North is slightly cheaper for food than the South,and out of the cities is cheaper ( rentals etc) but then again I guess you pay a little extra for petrol-gas.

Check outTrade Me " To Rent" then choose specific cities,towns etc.


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## Dumbo

I would think your husband would have no problems finding work in either city. Economy in both cities is very good. I do prefer Tauranga because it is much warmer.


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## Dumbo

My house here needs rewiring. Have you and your husband got time to spend a couple of weeks in Thailand on your way to NZ. LOL
You will love NZ. All the very best for the future.


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## relocatella

Dumbo said:


> My house here needs rewiring. Have you and your husband got time to spend a couple of weeks in Thailand on your way to NZ. LOL
> You will love NZ. All the very best for the future.


Well now I wish my husband was an electrician.


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