The Safest place to live in New Zealand

[Hungry Hippo]

Hey all. Where is the best place to live in NZ with a population above 5,000 if you want to avoid earthquakes, volcanos, and violent crime? Hope you can help me. Thanks.

[ChrisMwn]

Hey all. Where is the best place to live in NZ with a population above 5,000 if you want to avoid earthquakes, volcanos, and violent crime? Hope you can help me. Thanks.

a large cruise ship?

[Lazysnapper]

hot air balloon?

[Hungry Hippo]

Is there anyone on the forum who could give me a more considerate answer?

[Mamee & Co]

Probably not. NZ is known as the Shaky Isles for a reason!

[JandM]

The whole New Zealand land mass consists of the tops of a range of mountains which are volcanic, being on/near joins between tectonic plates, so it is a given that there is geo-thermal, earthquake and volcanic activity.

The whole situation is continuously monitored. See here. https://www.geonet.org.nz/volcano Inhabitants are routinely taught procedures to follow in case of earthquake, and there are warnings issued when the experts perceive a higher level of likelihood of perceptible activity.

[jawnbc]

Earthquakes from the Waikato (Hamilton and environs) down the bottom of the South Island. Volcanoes from mid-North Island to Auckland. That leaves Northland, so perhaps Whangarei? Though I've no stats on crime there. Perhaps Kaitaia?

[Oregonkiwi]

Perhaps Kaitaia?

yeah nah, it would barely pass the 5000 population requirement, plus:

The small town of Kaitiaia has been dubbed "the murder capital of New Zealand" and police have told ONE News that description is spot on.

and Whangarei is at risk from tsunamis.

[hoegaandit]

The reason for the "unhelpful" answers is because NZ is on the ring of fire and so has volcanoes and earthquakes most places. I think most people living here are not tremendously concerned about these eg I live in Wellington but am not very concerned about earthquakes (although there have been a few over the past five years) as the last big one was in 1855. Likewise in Auckland Rangitoto Volcano last erupted about 600 years ago. So in any one person's lifetime you are extremely unlikely to be affected by volcanoes and probably are not going to be affected very significantly by earthquakes. With the issue of violent crime I feel quite safe here in Wellington and it would only be an issue in all likelihood if you lived in a bad area, which are usually pretty easy to avoid. Even in the bad areas it is not so bad if you lived there I would imagine anyway. (I could at a pinch live in the bad areas in Porirua but only as a single person not a family and then I would take precautions).

Here is a Stuff article about safe places - btw you would be nuts to live in Kaitaia for seismic safety reasons as I think it is a less than safe place for crime (that said have only passed through it once or twice so someone living there can advise further). http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post...-to-live-in-NZ

Here is an out of date and not completely useful article re crime in NZ - seems to imply North Shore (Auckland) Wellington and Tasman (Nelson) are somewhat safer areas. https://www.parliament.nz/resource/e...f003a152559940

[AVFC]

Timaru