Parts of Wellington with good community & schools??

[sydneybec]

Hi everyone – my husband has just been offered a transfer to Wellington (promotion) and we are desperately trying to decide whether or not to go! We are settled happily in a small town near Sydney with my eldest daughter due to start Kindergarten at the local school in early Feb, baby #3 due in April and my parents living nearby. So it would be a huge wrench to leave. On the other hand we have always had a taste for adventure and always planned another stint of living overseas (even if we imagined somewhere more ‘exotic’ than NZ!!), so can’t help feeling excited at the idea of a change.

My biggest concern – if we are going to move – is to find a great part of Wellington to live in. I’ve read a lot of the previous posts on nice suburbs which have been helpful but sometimes hard to interpret because different people have such different ideas of ‘nice’. We don’t actually care much about ‘large, modern, new houses’. Instead, our priorities are: somewhere my husband doesn’t have to commute too far to (he wants to catch a train, walk or cycle, NOT drive – max approx 30 mins or a bit more if walking), with a real sense of community and friendliness and a nice, preferably small and friendly school (my daughter is quite shy so would find something large and institutional overwhelming). Selling points would be things like bush (or lots of gardens), houses with character, cafes, community facilities eg. pools and playgroups, people who are open to new friends…. Proximity to water would be a bonus but not essential. (Does such a place exist anywhere in the world…????????!!!!!!!!!)

We would probably be renting – at least for a while – and have not really discussed a budget but could probably pay up to around $500-600 per week (less would be better!!).

Obviously we intend to come over for a look around as can’t make any firm decisions via internet – but it is likely to be a lightening visit so we need to narrow down the options! (Also likely to be during summer school holidays so won’t have the opportunity to visit schools). I have looked at places like Island Bay, Khandallah, Whitby, Eastbourne… but really want to know what the schools are like and whether they have a good sense of community.

Any thoughts anyone???!!!! Sorry for the long post and thank you!!!

[GrumpyGoat]

Hi and welcome to the forum!!

I am not in Wellington but I am sure a Wellingtonian will be along shortly.

And NZ is very exotic!

[Georgebulldog]

Hello & welcome, not sure I can help much as we did no research & have just been lucky in liking where we are in Churton Park with a great kindy & school. Not too sure about schools in the other areas, I've heard Khandallah had good schools but not sure why people go on about it so much, didn't do it for me so just goes to show it is all about personal preference. Tawa is nice, next town along from me, it has a high street with all the shops, great butcher & supermarket & I loved going to the playgroup there as you saw people who you would also bump in to in the street & library, it also has it's own pool, a great one for toddlers. Schools I've again been told are good, has it's own train station but it also has it's own climate but then I think most town do in Wellington, been told you can be one place in Tawa & it be great & just the other side & it's in cloud. It's also a short commute to Wellington & close to Porirua for shopping mall & bigger pool/fitness.
Your never that far from water round here either, I'm 10 mins from the city (off rush hour) for Oriental Bay, 15 mins from Titahi Bay & Plimmerton beach & 45 from Paraparaumu beach for a really long sandy beach & great day out
Tis all good in Wellington

[Chiba]

As was demonstrated by the fantastic carnival last week, Eastbourne rocks!

[Georgebulldog]

As was demonstrated by the fantastic carnival last week, Eastbourne rocks!

Could say the same about Johnsonville seriousley it was better than the city one & yes I am biased as my little one was on the Pippins float

[oz2010]

I like Brooklyn and Island Bay,you should check out these areas,easy to get to the cbd and plenty of amenities. Good luck!

[Wooly_Cow]

The 30 minute commute? Of course it depends on where the job is. Here’s a link to the local public transport timetables. http://www.metlink.org.nz/

Some of the places previously mentioned are longer than a 30 minute bus or train ride. With places like Whitby you will probably need to take a bus and a train then maybe a bus at the other end depending on where the job is.

On the other hand some of the suburbs mentioned are not on the coast or on the harbour, and you would need to drive there. But be careful, suburbs on the south coast can be perishing in a Southerly…if you are used to NSW, Wellington will be cold.

We live in the Eastern suburbs which have good bus connections to town (even late night / early morning buses on Friday and Saturday nights for night owls), there some good beaches including Lyall Bay where you can surf. There are a variety of suburbs with differing price ranges and each with their own character and in my experience community.

[nativecolo]

Check out Karori Normal School, Karori West Normal School, Churton Park, Khandallah - both Cashemere Ave and the main one which is unzoned. I also found something in Tawa I think. It can be quite confusing, but best to meet the principla and decide for yourself. There are ofsted style rankings for schools - 10 denotes high income area rather than anything else. I'm sure if you search you will find a lot of old posts on searching for schools

[Georgebulldog]

there some good beaches including Lyall Bay where you can surf. .

Can you sit on this beach though? Or is it just for surfing? We love getting fish & chips & sitting in the car to watch the surfers & laughing at people walking by the breaks in the walls to the beach & seeing the sand blow up at them, they have to be used to it but still it gets them, covers our car & I wont get out the car because of it but good F&C

[JandM]

Hello and welcome.