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Thread: questions about living in Wellington

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    England
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    14

    Default questions about living in Wellington

    Hi everyone

    Me and the other half are due to move to Wellington at the beginning of May.

    IWe're starting to look at rental properties and already have some tips regarding areas to look. I'll be based job wise in Porirua and husband doesn't have work yet so will be able to be (relatively) flexible. We're aware that the best bet will be to have a look round once we're there but I won't have much time before starting work so we're trying to think ahead.

    What I can't seem to find anywhere is info on the sort of amenities that are on offer in the various suburbs. Essentially we are a couple in our late 30's, no children (and no plans for any). We both run and hike and husband plays football and I do yoga. We also enjoy cycling and mountain biking although it'll be a while before our bikes arrive. We also like to eat out and have a drink so would need a few decent restaurants/bars nearby although being near to Wellington as long as there's a handful of these that is not a problem.

    We're also keen to meet people of a similar age as we don't know anyone in the area at present. We're pretty sociable and easygoing.

    The areas we've looked at so far (bearing a mind a commute to Porirua and possibly Wellington city) are:

    - Johnsonville
    - Khandallah
    - Newlands
    - Plimmerton
    - Whitby
    - Titahi Bay
    - Paremata

    We think rental wise Johnsonville and Plimmerton are looking the most affordable but any advice about any of these areas or other potential areas would be useful. I'm aware that Porirua seems to get a pretty bad press on here and am not sure why so any hints and tips would be great.

    Thanks everyone!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    East Mids, UK - Wellington
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    47

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    Here's my two penneths' worth but based very much on impression rather than hard facts or research!
    Johnsonville has good amenities;
    Kandallah is very nice, great views etc., don't know about its amenities and I think it's quite pricey;
    Newlands - not sure about amenities
    Plimmerton - lovely setting but quite remote and small.
    Whitby - Britby! Lots of ex-pats, very family oriented. Has a supermarket, cafe and fish and chip shop, probably more.
    Titahi Bay - no idea but I would have thought it would be quite a drive around the bay?
    Paremata - again, great views but no idea about amenities.

    Not been very helpful have I? Sorry! We started looking out around Whitby and liked it but we're put off by the commute to Welly, the secondary schools didn't have a great reputation (not a worry for you I guess) and in the end we opted to bite the bullet and buy in Welly (Karori) at a higher cost. You will definitely get more bang for your buck out that way, though. But we live living in the city and am pleased we stayed here. We also looked at Tawa; I quite liked it but the other half didn't (not sure why) - good amenities including the best Indian restaurant we've been to since moving to NZ and not so far from Welly. But now we're very happy where we are :-)

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Wellington, New Zealand
    Posts
    555

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    Which Indian? I'm in Tawa - the Linden end. I really like it. Although we have bought here so I know nothing about the rental market here.
    I rented in Karori for 18 months and like that too, but prefer Tawa. Very quick commute (17 minutes on the train from Linden (the north end of Tawa)).

    Quote Originally Posted by Anne Goulding View Post
    We also looked at Tawa; I quite liked it but the other half didn't (not sure why) - good amenities including the best Indian restaurant we've been to since moving to NZ and not so far from Welly. But now we're very happy where we are :-)

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
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    East Mids, UK - Wellington
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    47

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    Pandan - yummy!

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2013
    Location
    Wellington
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    16

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    Hey Anne, thank you for your answer. I am not the person who started this thread, but since me and my partner will probably be in a similar situation as the OP in a few months time, reactions in this thread could be valuable for us as well.
    Quote Originally Posted by Anne Goulding View Post
    Here's my two penneths' worth but based very much on impression rather than hard facts or research!
    [...] We started looking out around Whitby and liked it but we're put off by the commute to Welly, the secondary schools didn't have a great reputation (not a worry for you I guess) and in the end we opted to bite the bullet and buy in Welly (Karori) at a higher cost. [...]
    Did you live in Whitby at some point, and try the commute or was this as you say just based on an impression? Can you tell what exactly did put you off?

    Where I live right now I'm able to walk to my work and realize that is a luxury I won't have in many other places. I am okay with a 20/30 minute commute if that allows me to live on a nice, affordable, location. I must confess I haven't looked into locations around Wellington that much yet, but like to know what a commute from Porirua/Whitby to Wellington means before taking the area in consideration. How does traffic during rush hour look like? Are there traffic jams every day or only on bad days, or maybe none at all?

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2012
    Location
    East Mids, UK - Wellington
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    Hi, no we didn't live in Whitby so I don't have any direct experience of the commute but I would imagine it will be pretty busy coming into Wellington - SH1 is mostly 2 lane and can be quite busy even out of rush hour. Whitby isn't on a train line so you would need to take a bus to the nearest train station (Paremata??). I don't think there was one specific thing that put us off; probably just that we'd settled well into life in Karori here in Wellington, the kids were settled at school and we reluctant to uproot once again. We also love living in the City, expensive though it is. As I said, the secondary schools/colleges in zone for Whitby don't have a great reputation although I have heard that because of all the development going on out that way there are plans to build another - not sure how accurate this is. The primary schools are good though and there is a co-ed Marsden if you are able and/or willing to pay for private education. It is a lovely setting, though, and well positioned both for getting into the city and out to the Kapiti coast. I think if I was going to live out that way, I'd probably want to live on the train line so I had the option of catching the train rather than driving. As I said, I rather liked Tawa but OH just didn't take to it although that was before he'd tried the Pandan Indian! I thought it had a nice community feel and there's a pool, library etc., as well as a shopping street plus large supermarket. We are very happy in Karori, though, and am pleased we stayed here. A sea view wouldn't go amiss though

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2012
    Location
    UK > Silverwood, Whitby, NZ
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    Whitby resident here

    Travel to Wellington
    By public transport all the way (236 or 230 bus connecting to train at Paremata or Porirua depending on where you are in Whitby) roughly 50 mins for me door to door, and I work in in Molesworth Street.

    By car. Well, I leave at 630 and I'm at my desk by 7. Upside is I leave at 430, and again the drive is fine. But if you don't leave until after 7 ish, it can take an hour.

    Drive to station, then train - about 40 mins.

    Living in Whitby - wide streets, big single family homes. The inlet has views to the Haywards and is beautiful. People have the highest disposable incomes in greater Wellington. Borders areas of social deprivation in Cannons creek and Ascot park, which is mostly where the stigma about Porirua comes from, this is reflected in house prices/rent in the marginal areas.

    Properties with inlet views/bordering the rural areas of Pauatahanui and Judgeford highly regarded.

    Whitby village - cafe, new world, doctors, dentist, physio, pharmacy, two fush n chip shops, Co-op pub (very nice) taj Indian, vets, 2 hairdressers, 2 estate agents (yes really).
    Local area, Whitby walkways are lovely and intersect the houses.
    Pauatahanui - quirky, comfy lighthouse cinema, cafe, duck creek restaurant, nature reserve.

    Lots and lots of things to join, on and off the water.

    I'm an adult with and adult daughter, and we love it here. Travel back into the city when you need to. go to Porirua/Wellington or Lower Hutt when you need to. Nothing is older than 40 years here. The weather is usually one or two degrees better than Wellington, and we don't get the low, clingy, damp clouds that affect Tawa, Johnsonville and Titahi Bay.

    Hope that helps, but if you have any specific questions, please ask.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2013
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    England
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    Redvee, what's the commute/drive/transport links like from Whitby to Porirua as that's where my job is based? Thanks

  9. #9
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    Feb 2012
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    UK > Silverwood, Whitby, NZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by Helenc View Post
    Redvee, what's the commute/drive/transport links like from Whitby to Porirua as that's where my job is based? Thanks
    15 mins tops driving. Buses are plentiful, and cheap, especially if you get a mana/newlans card. Eg $2.78 one way. About 20 mins on a direct bus, maybe 25 on the peak buses as they call at Paremata. My daughter works in North City shopping and doesn't drive, not worth it.

  10. #10
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    May 2013
    Location
    England
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    Thanks for that Redvee, that's really useful info.

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