christchurch vs nelson...

[lyfi]

Hi everyone,
My family & I are Scottish but have been in NZ for 4 yrs now, we live in ChCh however my hubby has been offered a transfer to Nelson, so decisions desicions.
We dont really know much about Nelson, i have been reading up about it on the net but would really love to hear a true account of what life is like.
we will be renting, at least in the beginning but really want to find an area & stick to it rather than shift the kids again!! I would really like to know which area's to look at & which to avoid, what schools are the best, we have 3 kids, 9yr old, 6 yr & 12months (our little kiwi) and our 9 yr old is dyslexic so hoping to find a school which has all the processes in place for him. Ideally we would love to be near the beach, i want to be able get up n go with the kids for a day out & have lots to do, not have to travel nearly an hour to get anywhere (we are currantly in Rolleston Chch, so kinda out of the way i feel) also it would be great if we could manage with one car, so somewhere close to schools, shops etc. Also is the cost of living really high?
I think we are going to go for it, but would really appreciate as much info on Nelson as possible....thank you all in advance!

[JandM]

Hello and welcome.

[beaverander]

Hi Lyfi! We lived outside Nelson (Motueka) for some time and visited Nelson regularly. It is where we wish to return to settle permanently as it really is one of the nicest places we have ever been in NZ. The Abel Tasman region is truly beautiful and a great place to raise a family. Wishing you all the very best for your move! (rather envious here!)

[dbonnett]

We have only lived in Nelson, not Christchurch, so I won't try to make this a comparison between the two places. Do remember that Nelson is about 1/8 the size of ChCh (1/5 when you add in Richmond and surrounds) so they will be quite different just from the population.

Nothing in Nelson is very far from anywhere else, even though the town(s) stretch along a narrow corridor between the hills and the Bay. We live about 5 km north of Nelson CBD in Atawhai and can bike into town along a cycleway in about 15 minutes. You can drive from our place to Tahunanui beach in 10 minutes or to Rabbit Island (8km of sand) in 25. In an hour, we are in Abel Tasman NP *or* in the mountains at Nelson Lakes NP. There are also lots of smaller reserves, great road and mountain biking, lots of off-road trails for kids and swimming holes along the rivers. The general feel of the area is very relaxed and laid-back, more of a holiday atmosphere than a big city rush.

There is a bit of traffic into Nelson from Richmond in the morning, especially near Nelson Boys and Girls Colleges, with the reverse in the afternoons, but there really isn't any congestion here (although some Nelson locals will get very tetchy when told this!). The beaches are never overloaded and you can always find somewhere quiet to walk, bike or sit if you wish.

We have only one car for a family of 3 and don't find it a problem (ok, once in a while we think a 2nd car would be useful) since my wife bikes to work and my 10 y/o daughter can ride to school (2km away). Lots of people bike to work, especially since we get more sun than anywhere else in NZ and it never snows in town so you can ride all year round.

With regards to neighbourhoods, it might depend on where your partner is going to work, nothing is very far but if he is located in Richmond it would make sense to be down there, as opposed to up our way. Housing prices are higher here due to the desirability of the area, but you will spend less on petrol and may spend less on heating, depending on the house you rent. Rentals can be a bit tough to find, but the market isn't as crazy as Wellington/Auckland/ChCh.

Most of the shops and groceries are near Nelson CBD or Richmond's Queen Street. There is no true mall here, just small to medium sized stores. The selection is less broad than you would get in ChCh, Wellington or Auckland, but you can get just about anything you need locally.

In terms of schools, I would suggest looking at my daughter's school, Clifton Terrace. I can't say anything specific about their support for dsylexia but I do know that there are dyslexic students there now and Rob Wemyss (the principal) is a great leader for the school and I expect he would be more than happy to answer emails or talk on the phone with you if you asked about CTS or the schools in Nelson in general. Their website is www.cliftontce.school.nz I can't speak about the other schools since I don't have first-hand experience with them, maybe some others will chime in here..

This is just a quick summary of my perspective; I'll happily answer more specific questions here or in a PM.

[lyfi]

Hi,
Thanks dbonnett for all the info, you make it sound idyllic, thats exactly the way we would like to live, a little bit slower paced but with everything we need close by, very much impressed with all the outdoor activities Nelson has to offer.
My hubby would be based at Packham Crescent so we were thinking about Stoke, do you know much about that area? It looks good on the net but it not the same as actually knowing & seeing the area, we are planning a wee trip up in a couple of weeks to get a feel for the place so trawlling through trademe looking at rentals, maybe get to a few open homes then. Thanks again for your help!

[dbonnett]

Hi,
My hubby would be based at Packham Crescent so we were thinking about Stoke, do you know much about that area? It looks good on the net but it not the same as actually knowing & seeing the area, we are planning a wee trip up in a couple of weeks to get a feel for the place so trawling through trademe looking at rentals, maybe get to a few open homes then. Thanks again for your help!

Stoke gets a bad rap for being neither Nelson nor Richmond (it lies between the two) but it does have some things to recommend it. There is a modest business area with a Countdown and a New World, although both are smaller versions of the ones in Nelson. There are some cafes and other shops, a library, a cycle way and a range of schools (Stoke and Nayland Primary, Broadgreen Intermediate and Nayland College). You are 5 minutes to Richmond, 10 minutes to Nelson and close to both Tahunanui and Rabbit Island beaches.

In terms of houses, the nicest (and most expensive) are up on the hills, where the views are best. There are also nice places out at Monaco (west of the motorway) right on the water but expect to pay more. I would suggest avoiding properties right on Main Road Stoke (busy road and hard to get in or out of your drive) or that back to the motorway (noisy); there is a not-so-nice area between Songer and Polstead St but it is only relatively bad and isn't very large.

Now, with all of the above, Stoke isn't far from anywhere here, so I wouldn't limit yourself to just that area. You could also consider north Richmond, Tahunanui, Annesbrook, the Port Hills and other places nearby without giving up the ability to bike to work etc.

[lyfi]

wow, thanks for that dbonnett, thats stoke off the list then, as i mentioned before i would really like to move into an area and settle there avoiding changing schools etc so gotta get this right. We did like the look of Tahananui the only thing that put me off is the fact that the school only has a decille rating of 5 and the website doesnt seem to have too much info on it, but thanks for the info, we will keep looking!!

[dbonnett]

wow, thanks for that dbonnett, thats stoke off the list then, as i mentioned before i would really like to move into an area and settle there avoiding changing schools etc so gotta get this right. We did like the look of Tahananui the only thing that put me off is the fact that the school only has a decille rating of 5 and the website doesnt seem to have too much info on it, but thanks for the info, we will keep looking!!

I wouldn't strike Stoke until you visit it personally - I won't pretend to be the house guru or to like the same things that everyone else prefers so don't take my word as gospel

On the education side, not all of the schools here are zoned, so you might find that the best school for your son is close by but the closest to where you want to live.

[JandM]

Decile ratings aren't a measure of how good the school is at education, just how much funding is put in by government due to the socio-economic background of the area.

[Michaux]

Hi there
We are contemplating a move with our 2 boys to Nelson.
There are no work issues, so location close to town is not an issue.
The most important issue is education for our 2 - 11 and 9.
We had decided on Kristin School or St Kents in Auckland (having visited 14 schools), but we are now contemplating Nelson.
Can anyone comment on schools in the area?
Thanks
Frank