Upper Hutt

[barneybetty]

Hi everybody,

Just wondering if you can help with some advice.

I have been lucky enough to get a job offer in Upper Hutt, Welly, and I'm looking to see what areas, within a reasonable commute, are good locations to live in.

Schools are not important as it is just myself, husband & 2 small dogs.

Preferably near to beaches, perhaps rural, close to good links to Wellington.

Thanks in advance ...

[IanW99]

...
I have been lucky enough to get a job offer in Upper Hutt, Welly, and I'm looking to see what areas, within a reasonable commute, are good locations to live in.
...
Preferably near to beaches, perhaps rural, close to good links to Wellington.

Thanks in advance ...

Congratulations on the job offer.

What do you consider as a reasonable commute?

How do you want to commute e.g. car, public transport?

What do you mean by good links? Are you talking roads or rail as well, or?

Ian

[barneybetty]

Hi Ian,

Commute time anything under an hour is fine.

Mode of transport we are flexible. Ideally we would like to just have one car. We are moving to NZ for hopefully better lifestyle- here in Ireland have two cars and long commute to work due to traffic congestion - ideally hope to avoid this in NZ.

Fingers crossed OH will be able to get work once we are settled. I am fortunate that my profession is on skilled shortages list. My OH is well qualified and very capable so on research his chances of employment in his field of work appear to be better in Welly or Auckland but still a gamble!!

We did a quick recce in June 2009 and liked NZ. Unfortunately didn't go to Hutt just Wellington so need advice. I know Welly hasn't the best weather unfortunately - something we would of liked -? Hutt simular?

[Janey]

you could live in Masterton if your thing is rural as the train link is good, The western ills in lower hutta reworth a look, (Belmont, Tironhanga, Korokoro) these also provide good rail links into CBD should that be where OH is based
Alternatley you could go to Whitby as this is a short drive over the hill to the Hutt on SH58 which is not a busy road as most traffic heads south. Not sure how old your kids are but we viewed Silverstream primary and were really impressed with the ethos (Upper Hutt) we rented for a while in Belmont and DS went to the local primary again this was a lovely school I would of loved to have kept him there but we ended up in Northern Wellington so not practical

[wellywally]

now you don't often see "lucky" and "upper hutt" in the same sentence without "escape" or something similar. Just kidding, it offers a good balance between close to welly and rural life.
Anyway I echo the previous poster. Check out the western hutt hills, or may be featherstone or another town on the rail line over the rimutaka hills for a warmer and still more rural feel.
Another town/village I would look at that also has a bit of a commute is Plimmerton on the southern end of the kapiti coast.

As for the weather in the Hutt, I live in Wellington and work in the Hutt and I would say broadly similar but the Hutt is usually a degree or two warmer and a little (not a lot) less windy. Masterton is often about 5 degrees warmer and loads less windy. Featherstone is often warmer than welly but suffers from the wind a lot being right at the foot of the rimutakas

[Manks]

I would say it depends entirely on where your hubby gets a job. If he's working in Welly, than I'd say Petone might be a good bet - we really like it but hubby works at the airport so a slightly long commute. It's got a beach, a high street with some great cafes etc, short drive to the lovely Days Bay and Eastbourne and several commute options. Be warned that anyone driving in from the Hutt Valley will have a tricky commute as the traffic backs up quite a bit along the SH2.

If hubby doesn't mind a long commute to Welly, then many others have had the same thought as me - somewhere in the Wairarapa region. Much more value for money.

For Upper Hutt itself, I know a family that live in Silverstream and that seems to be a very nice area. Quite horsey (or at least it appears that way on the surface) and semi-rural(ish).

[April]

Why not live in Upper Hutt itself? We're here at the moment, albeit for a year or so until we move north, but it's a great little place. Has everything you need and is only a short hop into the city. Good transport links, shops, services etc.
Don't worry too much about traffic, nothing in the town itself, and even driving into Wellington is nothing compared to Greater London - used to take me an hour to go 3 miles back home - takes half of that to get into Wellington from here!

Get in touch if you want to meet up when you're here.

[barneybetty]

Thanks a million all for the advise - all greatfully received as I am totally in dark re move to NZ

so help advice always welcome