Hanmer springs

[lodger]

hey guys;

just registered and wanted to ask couple of questions. i received a job offer in Hanmer springs, the offer is pretty good and more than enough (quoting my immigration agent)
house is provided by the company. am moving with my wife and my 2 month old son in December.
i'm reading a lot about Hanmer springs and NZ in general that's it's a bit expensive, can someone enlighten me on which area it's expensive? is Hanmer springs good city for a family? schools? hospitals? shops? is everything provided, cause i read the population over there is around 850 people))))
i will get around 5700NZ$ after paying my taxes, is it enough for a family?

thank you in advance

[mylesdw]

Hanmer Springs is certainly not a city; it is a small town. It is very touristy and the prices reflect this: it is quite expensive. There is not much in the way of 'useful' shops unless you want souvenirs or fashion clothing. The nearest decent supermarket is over an hour away (round trip) in Amberley. I don't think there is a hospital but there is probably a medical centre. The nearest big hospital would be in Christchurch, about 1.5 hours away. I don't know about the schools, there is a junior school there and most are very good. With your son only two months you have plenty of time to research that.

For a young family I think Hamner would be a lovely place to live: beautiful scenery, plenty of outdoor activities, the pools, parks, walks etc. For teenagers maybe a bit quiet.

You don't say whether the $5700 is per day/week/month/year.

[lodger]

myles thx for the info,,, i meant per month and to be exact it's 6,116$

[Homesick Kiwi]

As Myles said, Hanmer is a small tourist town, certainly not a city.

It's a beautiful place, and a favourite of ours for family trips while growing up. The hot pools are lovely and I believe residents can get discounted season passes for entry.

If you love the outdoors, and adventure activities more than city living and convenience, I'd highly recommend it, a great place to bring up a family. You will have beautiful scenery right on your doorstep. If you are used to city living and the convenience that comes along with it, living in Hanmer might be quite an adjustment to make.

In saying that, Christchurch is only about an hour and a half away, a large city by our standards, and its quite a pleasant drive in my opinion. You will find plenty of entertainment and shopping there. A car will be a neccesity and you will need to figure petrol costs into your budget. It would be important to keep impulse food and household purchases to a minimum in Hanmer, and try to do all your shopping in one go, perhaps a weekly shopping trip into Amberly/Christchurch as you will pay more for these items in Hanmer.

Regarding your salary, if you are going to have $6000 in 'your hand' after tax each month and have a house provided, you should be more than ok, in my opinion. I would be quite happy to be in the same position! But its all relevant to the type of lifestyle you are used to, and what is enough money for one family, may be too little for another. Basically, yes, you will be able to afford all of the basics and have money left over.

[lodger]

Thx a lot well "homesick kiwi"))) appreciate your info

[Homesick Kiwi]

You are welcome, I wish you good luck with your move! Hopefully, If my husband's work visa is approved, I'll be in NZ in December too, and not homesick anymore!