Originally Posted by
bostonian
...
As a bonus, we've considered Nelson. I didn't visit myself, my wife did previously. I have heard it's the city even Kiwis want to live in. The pictures and field guides seem to show a nice clean tidy small city. Hey if Don and Angela could do it, why couldn't we? I'm not sure, but there are parts of us that would like nothing better than to disappear to a small quaint out-of-the-way friendly city like Nelson, with its friendly people and perfect weather (and art festivals). But would we miss the "city lights"? We don't know yet. I always want to be in the small town, but after a while there I miss the big town. I know that the first year in NZ is make or break and can be stressful, and I wonder if Nelson would be too radical as the initial desitination.
We moved from a town of 100K (Boulder, CO) straight to Nelson (50K) after discounting anything larger for ourselves because we aren't 'big' city compatible. People here were extremely friendly from the first moment - we were lent cookware, beds, books, etc to tide us over until our container arrived and we are still friends with many of those who we met in the first weeks. All of the neighbourhoods here (Nelson) are small enough that people usually look out for each other, so we never felt completely adrift.
If you prioritise outdoor activities, generally mellow climate and a slower pace of life at the top of your list, then Nelson is the place; if you want broad shopping options, sophisticated night clubs or vibrant crowds of people, then Nelson isn't your place. Nelson/Tasman is a great family area with lots of recreational options, a diverse (25% immigrant) population and little sense of rushing but it isn't ideal if you are early 20's and looking for lots of things to do with others your age or if you are trying to advance up the career ladder. If you only need occasional injections of urbanism, you can be in the Wellie CBD about 1 hour after leaving Nelson, courtesy of Air NZ.
(BTW - we do know Don & Angela but I'm not Don in disguise, despite the shared first initial and former hometown
)