Anyone in Wellington, NZ? I have questions.

[JardinsduBasil]

After being very sure we would return back to London after this posting next summer, a role has come up in NZ and DP has surprisingly said he would consider moving there. Kids would be 6 and 9 when we moved (eldest has ASD but is great in mainstream with a few accomodations).

I don't want to go through the hassle of bidding if things are not going to suit, so a few questions:

• weather. Is it really that dreadful? We're somewhere hot now (although too hot to be outside for 3 months of the year) but I'm slightly freaked out by how awful everyone says it is. Does it get you down? I lived in Manchester for a while and am happy with that level of gloom and rain, although it would be a shame to live by the sea and not be able to use it.

-School (we would be using the public system): how did you find kids adapt to it? It looks more topic and skills based (and sporty which would suit DC 2) but am a bit worried about DC1 who loves science. She would also be going back into UK secondary during Year 8 which might have the potential to be disastrous.

Work: DP wants to work again and the terms of our 'visa' would allow this. How likely is an aging public sector librarian to find PT/flexible work? Wellington looks good for public sector jobs?

And this is slightly less specific but....it's really far. We'd be basically saying we would only see family once a year for 3 years which is A LOT (although DP Has close family in Aus which while not THAT close is more achievable for a short visit and we see very little of them currently). I wonder how you get your head round that?

Otherwise it looks family friendly and the public services look great, so any reflections on quality of life welcome!

I can’t answer all your questions as haven’t lived there for over 20 years. But, I spent 4 months there earlier this year with my kids (one in year 8 and the other year 5) while Covid was crazy so could see elderly parents properly.

climate-wise - Wellington is known for its wind rather than gloomy weather. BUT we had the most glorious summer there - no wind and hot. So a bit hit and Miss. definitely outside Wellington city itself the weather is warmer. So depends how close to the the city you want to be. The bays heading towards Eastbourne are gorgeous but are a bit of a drive to get to the city (or ferry)or to school, although there is a couple of schools around there. Otherwise Lower or Upper Hutt has good school options, Kapiti Coast (new motorway has made commute a lot faster).

Schools - my dds spent a term at a private school. Schooling certainly feels more relaxed than UK, big emphasis on not stressing kids and internal assessment rather than exams I believe. Could be an issue returning to Uk for year 8 as it felt about a year behind for my dds so they repeated some things.

Visiting family - as my parents have gotten older we did the annual trek to see them. Yes, it’s really far! But NZ schools aren’t nearly as strict as UK about taking them out during term time so you could add on a bit of extra time either side of school hols.

Its a great place to live, friendly, relaxed, you can drive everywhere and just park up (such a treat when living in London!), and we found plenty to do.

About weather....you can't beat Welly on a windy day! But winter can be a bit miserable only because houses tend not to have central heating.

It's not freezing outside but the houses can have damp. Avoid houses in Te Aro as it's in a valley and Haitaitai. Don't have houses facing south if possible either. That southerly wind is a killer.

I moved back because my dad was seriously ill. It feels very far away when that happens.

But with all that, i miss it terribly and would love to be back. The quality of life is so much better even tho things are more expensive.

Very jealous!!

I used to live in Wellington and went to university there. The NZ education system is great. I’m really glad I was educated there rather than in England. Schools I found were really supportive of individual needs.

The weather is interesting I will say but better than England. Not as cold, but windy and it can be very wet. Not nearly as gloomy as Manchester weather!

The sea is far too cold to swim in in the cooks strait side, the main harbour might be ok. You’re better going up to kapiti to swim.

there are very few private schools, there isn’t the population to support them. Mainstream schools are fine.

I would go back to live in Wellington in a second. It’s a fantastic city surrounded by sea. Great food, lots of cinemas and live music. House prices are horrendously expensive though.

I used to work in the national library there which was a brilliant place to work. I’ve no idea what the jib situation is for librarians nowadays though sorry.

sorry cant beatcwelly on a good* day lol.

I.E. When it's a sunny day, it's GLORIOUS!

I live in Hawke's Bay around four hours' drive from Wellington. Wellington is a fantastic city, really easy to get around and so much to do. As a Lancastrian the weather in Wellington is similar, windy and can be often wet. I think you would need to be very brave to do much swimming around Wellington, but I am a bit of a wimp and love the good weather - hence living in Hawke's Bay.

NZ is a hell of a long way away from the UK and this was brought home to me during the Covid outbreak. It is a huge trip back home, I usually do it three times a year and it is pretty expensive at the moment.

But honestly if it is a three-year appointment, I would grab it and enjoy every minute. It will pass really quickly, and you will have so many new places and things to do and a fantastic opportunity for your children.

Good Luck.

Hi, Wellington is my home town and that of my mother and her side. I love Wellington, the saying goes, ‘ you can’t beat Wellington on a good day!’ And I still don’t think you can!

• Weather, opening remarks aside, yes the weather is more awful than not! My mum loves her hometown but wants to move at these later stages of her life because she’s sick of feeling so cold. No central heating in NZ. They do insulate homes now though thankfully, the mould problems in our houses were awful. It’s very windy, beyond anything you would have experienced. But I like the struggle! There used to be ropes to hold on to on some buildings in high wind sections of the city! Also don’t forget earthquakes, they are regular-ish and Wellington had a massive one recently. I don’t mind them but my sister won’t even visit Wellington now. In summer, it’s gorgeous! The beaches are amazing and driving or cycling around the bays, stopping for an ice cream, pure heaven! Driving up the cost to Kapiti where I grew up isn’t far and is so so beautiful. Plenty to do as well.
• schooling, I have not gone between the systems like you will be but it is very different to the Uk. Kiwi friends who have gone back and forth do say it’s a big adjustment. You just don’t know how it will affect them until you’re in it. Plenty of science there too though!
• Work: I have noticed in recent years a lot of people struggle and are out of work between jobs for a lot longer. My mother is a librarian and used to work at a university but now works for government in a more senior type of role but gets poorly paid. Really poorly paid. This is more of a concern than anything else.
• We currently live in the uk and while I’ve been back because of cost distance and self employment, DH has never been back in all the years we’ve been away. When I go back I find food so expensive!! But also the journey is horrendous isn’t it! If you don’t mind a long flight you’ll be ok though.

My honest opinion about quality of life? Everyone back home thinks we have it better. They don’t have a free health system, the public part of it is useless and waiting list if you can get on them too long to be useful so it’s all private. Including ambulances- except for Wellington and hawkes bay. I love my home, I’m Maori, but I couldn’t afford to live there and the cost of everything is too much, especially food, and you have less choice and options. NZ has a higher rate of homelessness, higher rate of domestic violence, and in my opinion is more racist and sexist. The main thing though for us is the health system differences. It’s hard to get people from UK to understand because obviously there are problems with the NHS, but we’ve always thought you’re quite spoilt here. Even with social housing, it’s almost non existent there, people have to private rent and there’s not enough houses so the government actually houses some vulnerable and very poor people permanently in motels! Like we do here with migrants but there it’s their own people. They don’t have council housing etc. it’s really bad. You obviously wouldn’t be directly affected by that though. It just gives a general picture. My mum has to pay full price for her HRT which is hundreds a month so she’s going to have to stop. Certain medications are free, my dad gets his heart pills but everything else, x rays etc etc etc is private.

my friends from UK moved for just a year and loved that experience! In Auckland though, which has more going for it.

@WahineToa I take HRT and it has been funded for years now. I used to pay around 35GPB per month but now it cost the $5 (around 2.50GPB) Prescription charge for three months. If your Mum is still paying, get her to check with her GP and ask why.

@JardinsduBasil Most medications needed for chronic conditions etc are fully funded but of course we pay to see the GP - around 26GPB for us per visit, although that varies dependent upon the GP. If you are in receipt of certain benefits it is free but most people pay. I think GP visits for children are free.

Sorry - should have said ---- food and housing are very expensive. I cannot believe how cheap food is when I order my Mum's shopping from Tesco. NZ apples, lamb etc are much cheaper in UK than NZ.

It depends on the type of HRT if it’s fully or part or not funded at all.

That’s interesting about some medications being funded and some not. My parents still pay for all their heart meds at 91! I was rather surprised at that.

Oh OK, I must be lucky as mine is fully funded. I just did not want your Mum to be paying if she did not need to.

@stclair I thought heard meds were covered? But my dads old and I don’t like he has to pay for x rays on injuries and things like that, not that they helped him anyway as he still has an injured hand but is fed up with it costing him.

@FiveShelties that’s very sweet of you, thank you. Mums still full time working and in govt and she’s very aware of what she can and can’t get, she doesn’t even have her own place to live so it’s very tight for her despite a good job. I can’t believe the cost of food! A crap iceberg lettuce was $10 the other day!!

@WahineToa - it is tough in NZ to rent and yes, food is so expensive - I almost bought a cauliflower yesterday until I saw the price at $8.99! We had carrots instead! We have a huge rental problem in Hawke's Bay with lots of people living in motels - it is really sad; motels are not good places for families long term.

@FiveShelties I know, it’s crazy. I have family in Hawkes Bay and spent lots of time there, so hot! I know people making a lot of money building luxury homes there but that’s not what is needed!! Wellington rental market is so bad, so expensive and nowhere near enough homes. I don’t know how long it can go on like this. It’s sad to think of kids growing up in motels. In general land seems to be more expensive there too, my dad being a farmer knows a lot about land prices and we are comparing to here as we plan to buy and build in the UK.

Thanks everyone, this is all really useful. Because we'll be on an expat package we thankfully wouldn't have the usual worries of rent, health or utilities, which all sound really challenging. We are used to eating very seasonally where we are now. I think importing the cat would be a big issue though which is another consideration (I'm sure surmountable).

Schools and weather are the main concerns! I know internationally the system ranks well but I'm also worried about moving DD at a tricky time socially. Lots to mull on.

Because we'll be on an expat package we thankfully wouldn't have the usual worries of rent, health or utilities, which all sound really challenging.
Yes, I thought when replying probably not issues directly affecting you but it does affect the community you’ll be in. You may also consider how you and your family taking a job and house there might negatively impact locals who do have all those worries.

I have moved a dog from UK to NZ in 2003. a dog from NZ to UK in 2014 and back to NZ in 2017 and although expensive it is definitely easy. The vets and pet shippers we used were experts and took us step by step.

I feel it is the definition of insanity to ship a dog three times internationally - but we survived.

@WahineToa good luck in the UK , I still miss it like mad and good luck with the build. To steal my favourite Maori expression --- Kia Kaha.

@FiveShelties that’s interesting, I always ruled it out as too much for the animal and felt worried after reading that some airlines put them in the cargo area that’s really cold.

@FiveShelties Kia Ora e hoa. I miss home but my kids have grown up more here and hubby doesn’t miss NZ at all! I miss my people and the sounds of the birds very much. Such a beautiful place. My Dad says growing cauliflower is easy! If you have the space!! I’m growing Kamo Kamo and NZ silverbeet over here!

@WahineToa I love to hear the birds as I walk my dog and am off to google growing cauli.

Apologies OP for stealing your thread!

I'm not swedish I'm a kiwi...as per previous it's the WIND that is unbelievable in Wellington. If you can cope with that, and the lack of central heating you'll be fine. If your work is picking up the utility bills then whack oil heaters in every room and you'll be fine. Schooling: your DC will end up a year behind the UK in maths and science - again surmountable if you can try a bit of private tutoring, using CCP books etc.

Lived in the Silverstream area of Upper Hutt for a year+ in the noughties. Lovely green semi-tropical gardens, safe roads. Miss picking fresh lemons for the G+Ts. No kids so can't comment on schools but it was a comfortable place to live — though hilly, like much of Wellington. Used the train into railway into central Wellington. I have Kiwi friends who've lived and worked in London for 20+ years who've made the choice to go back to live in Wellington rather than Auckland, which I think tells you something.

When the weather's bad it can be awful. I've never known horizontal rain like it, sometimes for a whole day at a time. When the weather's lovely it's a great place to live and there are great opportunities for outdoor activities. We preferred Wellington to Auckland. When we were there it had a creative, slightly funky vibe that's been driven out of Auckland by all the flash cash and development flowing in.

We preferred Wellington to Auckland. When we were there it had a creative, slightly funky vibe that's been driven out of Auckland by all the flash cash and development flowing in.

my favourite comment but then I’m biased!! Wellington is a really interesting place with all sorts going on. I used to work on Cuba street, I just love the choice of cafes and funky little shops and independent fashions. My friend used to do the weirdest aerobics pop ups all over the city dressed up in crazy 80’s outfits, that’s kind of typical of what goes on. Fantastic area for outdoor activities, especially up the coast. The beaches are stunning.