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Thread: Update! (was - "California family - scouting NZ for a possible move to Nelson or Tauranga.")

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    6

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    I have lived in Nelson and love it. The only limiting factor is whether you can get employment, if you need it. Lots of people from Christchurch and Wellington have holiday homes and eventually retire in the region which has a great climate (yes it can get cold in winter, which you might find different coming from California, but you dress for it and buy a house that suits the climate). The region is great because it isn't far from Wellington when you feel like you need to be in a city, but more so because it is close to everything, great beaches, tramping, rivers, winter sport. Lots of community activities and depending on what you do, it has that small town feel where you get to know people and they get to know you.

    Waiheke is wonderful, but again unless you can work from home, employment opportunities are almost non existent. Many people find they have to own a car in the city and one on the island, which can be expensive. The only practical way to get to and from Auckland is by Ferry which is great on a nice day and especially in summer. Not so much when the weather is bad and in winter. Auckland gets a lot more rain than Nelson, but having said that, Waiheke has a bit of a micro-climate, hence the success of the many vineyards and wineries. It has great beaches and scenery and is only an hour from Auckland at the times when ferries are available. It is an island, so you need to think about that if you go to the mainland for work, social and entertainment that ends late because you might not be able to get back to the island late at night.

    You're doing the right thing spending a month on the Island Staci. Also it is quite a big Island and some parts are fairly remote from shops, so you would need to consider what part of the island you would want to live on. Spending a month on the island will give you lots of opportunities to ask questions of the locals.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Aug 2016
    Location
    New Zealand
    Posts
    16

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    Thanks BluesBro.

    Although we did love Waiheke, we ended up deciding to settle in Nelson. We are now back in California organizing our affairs, and moving to Nelson in September!

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Jun 2018
    Location
    Auckland
    Posts
    6

    Default

    Sounds good, you can start with a nice summer. I loved Nelson and would go back there in a heartbeat but I have adult children that we want to be close to in Auckland

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    NZ
    Posts
    852

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    Quote Originally Posted by StaciP View Post
    Thanks BluesBro.

    Although we did love Waiheke, we ended up deciding to settle in Nelson. We are now back in California organizing our affairs, and moving to Nelson in September!
    That's fantastic that things are progressing! We really enjoyed our two months in Nelson. I think it really depends who you meet to an extent, one family reported that social circles seemed to cliquey for them to get in, but I had the opposite experience. I think the main thing that would bring me back to Nelson at this point is the people. It looks like we are much closer to moving to New Plymouth, we're almost done with our two months here and have already gotten well-connected. For a small city it's quite vibrant and artsy, and in my opinion even more beautiful than Nelson proper. I also like the price difference! The famous rain certainly coats the mountain, but not the city as much as you'd expect. I experienced impressive storms in both Nelson and New Plymouth, although NP is less settled for sure, and with more wind.

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