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Thread: Christchurch or Wellington?

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    40

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    Hi autumn,

    Sorry for the late reply, I've been busy You unfortunately haven't really narrowed it down much Could you please define lower cost of living? Christchurch and Wellington's four cities all have cheap housing areas and expensive housing areas. Shops sell goods and services for around the same price in both areas (although central Wellington tends to have higher prices for most goods than other areas). Both cities have good job opportunities, as I mentioned earlier. Both cities have plenty of parks, multiple beaches etc. Wellington definitely has more of a "city" feel if you live near or work in Wellington CBD. Both cities have a friendly environment I believe, but like anywhere, there will be less desirable areas and people, just like you would find in any city worldwide.

    Both the Google Maps website (https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/...00ef63a213b470 for Wellington or https://www.google.co.nz/maps/place/...00ef8684799945 for Christchurch) or the Google Earth application (https://www.google.com/earth/) are excellent for browsing the cities yourself - allowing you to see where places are yourself and what's available etc. I have already linked you to three job search websites (TradeMe is excellent for many other things too) to allow you to browse what jobs are available.

    I think both Wellington and Christchurch are among the best cities in New Zealand to live overall, weighing in all of the factors. If you need specific information about shops/suburbs/physical features like beaches etc./housing/infrastructure etc. please feel free to ask.

    Thanks,
    Ansistent

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    England
    Posts
    29

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    This is a really interesting thread!

    We are considering Christchurch as a potential location but we are worried that everyone says the city centre is still badly damaged by the earthquake. How bad is it? Is there any kind of "buzz" at all in the city? Any kind of nightlife at all?

    We are moving from a sleepy town in the UK where after dark the streets are deserted, and we don't want that anymore. We want to be able to go out after dark and for there to be people out and about, sitting outside bars, shops staying open late etc.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Nov 2015
    Location
    New Zealand
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    40

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    Hi KerryL,

    Unfortunately, Christchurch is generally lacking in terms of nightlife and after-hours activity The city centre used to be the main hub with all of the eateries/pubs/clubs etc. but since the earthquakes most of them have either relocated elsewhere in the city or elsewhere in the country, so as a result, there isn't really too much of a hub anymore. The city centre is recovering though, and there are many different projects being undertaken to restore it to its former glory (or better!) but it will take some time. There are bars and stuff in many of the suburbs where people will go to socialize etc. after hours but they are interspersed around suburbs.

    It is a lovely city otherwise, in every other regard except for nightlife! There is a wide range of people who live in the city, and a wide range of shops/restaurants/parks/scenery/suburbs etc. Since you are looking to move to a place with more happening at night, Christchurch probably isn't the city for you at this stage It isn't the most bustling place in New Zealand, but it certainly isn't the quietest either. Wellington and Auckland will offer more of a nightlife while still having excellent job prospects etc. (although Auckland is very expensive to live in)

    I hope this helps,
    Ansistent

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jan 2016
    Location
    England
    Posts
    29

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    Thanks Ansistent!

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    50

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    Hi

    We live in a suburb of Christchurch. Been here for 15 months and moved from a town outside Manchester where we wouldn't want to be out after dark!!

    We love it. We moved the Lincoln a lovely village and it takes me 30 mins to get to work (Addington not fair from Hagley Park) I set off after dropping my girls of at school and compared to sitting on the M60 in Manchester to go the same distance there really is no traffic. but so what if there is a bit, looking at the Alps and Port Hills are a pretty good way to spend your journey.

    The city has come a long way in 15 months, when I came it was flat and so sad, but now the building as begun in earnest and I think it's going to be stunning, if you join the Rebuild Christchurch pages and Council ones there are lots of free events going on.

    Lincoln has a fab couple of pubs, one called The Laboratory, which is fab, it as a nice little center and lovely walks.

    We also love Rangiora but the traffic at the moment over the Waimak is busy. Although my colleague sets of at 9 and gets here in 40 minutes. but it has a fab high street with lots of bars etc.

    We choose Lincoln because of the High School. I love Christchurch and its resilience to say sod you EarthQuakes! I felt my first 2 weeks after arriving, 4am in the morning and it sounded like a diesel train was outside my window. Felt a 4.2 whilst sat at work on the 28th January. The guys here just sit and wait, they were all in the 2010 and 11 shakes, they just get on with it. We had a biggy on the east side again on Valentines day. It was a reminder that Mother Nature is in charge of this stunning Country. No major damage well apart from a jolt on the emotions. Did it scare us, no it is what it is nothing we can do about it.

    It depends what you want to be honest. I came with no expectations and just fit into Christchurch way of life, we are chilled we can nip to the beach, we have met awesome people and have fab BBQ!! I was so disappointed with where I lived in the UK that i wanted it to be different. I love it, I have a fab job, amazing boss, new friends who all know whats its like to be new.

    Plus there are some good nights out to be had I spent a very hazy night at the Vespa Bar!!

    We love it but not been to Wellington yet. On another note Wellington do get some shakes too. Check the GEONet Quake app we are known as the shaky Isles.....

    Good luck and just go with it. :-)

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Mar 2015
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    50

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    This is a decision that I'm trying to make as well! Wellington has a more vibrant city centre for sure, but there isn't much to see outside the city for a weekend trip. Christchurch has a not-so-great city centre (but still the biggest one in the South Island), but it is within relatively close reach of all the lovely outdoors that the South Island has to offer.

    Earthquake-wise I'm still trying to assess which one has the worse risk. Chch objectively has a higher chance of quake within the next few years but surely everything that would have fallen already has?

  7. #17
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    7

    Default Desperate Wellington with a small something complex!

    The fact that Wellington adds in the Wiararapa basically give the fraud away! This would be like Christchurch adding in Lincoln, Rollerston, Darfield, Oxford, Rangiora, Prebbleton, and Ashburton! Christchurch is far bigger than Wellington Source The Press January 16 2020 Pg 1 and Pg 8.
    The fact that Wellington added in the Wiararapa is like Christchurch adding in Greymouth which is clearly ridiculous!
    The scary facts about this is that Statistics NZ is behind this propaganda as many government departments allocate budgets according to Population statistics, eg Police, WINZ or what ever it is called these days, Health Budget etc Remember when National took an Extra $10,000,000 of the CDHB after it had given it!!!!!!We must watch those Self Serving Public Servants from Wellington!
    Wellington might be Public Servantsville while Christchurch is Exportsville and globally competitive with some of the nations smartest Engineering businesses based here along with Software development Companies on top of our traditional exports. Many of Christchurch and Canterbury's exporters are classified as elaborately transformed manufacturers and a great deal of this human expertise has come from our three large and specialized Universities; The University of Canterbury, (Science, Arts, Law, Economics, Management, Marketing, Engineering Electronics, Software, Mechanical and Civil) University of Otago Medicine, Dentistry, Human Nutritional, Food Science, etc etc and Lincoln University all of which are leaders in their fields and globally recogonized compared to Wellington's Victoria University which is probably only recognized for Law and Public Service Studies!
    Here in Christchurch we get countless days in the 30's in summer and we get 1/2 the rainfall of Auckland or Wellington plus we are noted for our wind! I lived in Wellington for 6 years and Auckland for 9, Dunedin for 8 and Christchurch of for 20 and I prefer Christchurch's climate over the all the others and I have to say Wellington in my experience has the worst climate in New Zealand!
    Last edited by Innogizer; 28th January 2020 at 03:01 PM.

  8. #18
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    7

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    You would be surprised by how Christchurch has transformed itself in the last 12 to 18 months! The CBD has really come to life again, enough to rival Adelaide, Melbourne, Wellington's Cuba St and Courtney Place! The Strip in Christchurch is really great once again! Plus we get countless summer days in the 30's yes 30's unlike Wellington (I lived there for 6 windy years). Wellington celebrates when they get a day hitting 25! They got 5 days 25 or over and none in the 30's last year! I lived in Auckland for 9 years and the hottest it got was 28! In Christchurch we get half the rainfall of Wellington and Auckland and yes we get blue ski frosty days in the winter and we are only 3/4 of an hour drive to the nearest ski field. Plus we have the countries best mountain bike tracks on our own Port Hills, great beaches, hunting and fishing, tramping a cycling! Here in Christchurch I grow my own Hops, Lemons, Olives, Grapes, Pears, Plums roses etc!

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    7

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    CLIMATE; DON'T FORGET the CLIMATE! Please make sure you compare the climate of both Cities! Wellington has the worst climate I have lived in in New Zealand by far and I have lived in Invercargill, Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland! Wellington celebrates when it gets a day in the 20's in fact last summer Wellington got 5 days that reached 25 or above with none of the days reaching the 30's. Wellington is rated as the windiest city in the World; yes the world! Not just New Zealand but the whole world! Wellington is also wet getting about 1,300 mm of rain a year compared to Christchurch's 600 mm! Sure Christchurch gets cold in the winter with lots of Frosty Blue skied days, Christchurch gets so many days in the 30's in the summer we don't count them, Christchurch gets lots of shunshine hours, more than Wellington. You can't escape the climate! And Chrisytchurch has been reborn, our CBD is back to life!

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Feb 2019
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    21

    Default

    By the way for all the research and preparation? Do you have a family on your plan or just your moving on those places?

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