Best Place to Live in NZ

[VixenandFox]

Can anyone help. My family and I are in the early stages of preparing a move to NZ but do not know where to start, having never been there. Where are the better areas to live bearing in mind we have two children currently age 9 and 4. Preferably we want to be close to schools, shops, medical centres, hospitals etc, without living directly in a busy city. On looking at different websites it appears that most places have both positive and negative points. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

Vixen

[MotherBear]

Hi Vixen,

Welcome to the forum. You are right about the difference in opinion about the various areas to live, especially North Island vs South Island. It very much depends on what you are looking for personally. NI is more densely populated and is somewhat warmer than SI. As for the facilities you mention, most suburbs of both the islands should be within striking distance of some, if not all of them. If you want to venture outside the suburbs to the rural areas, then you would need to research further to ensure that what you are looking for will be available within reach.

What you do need to consider uppermost is an area where there is work available in your field, without too much of a commute. I don?t know your circumstances, but would imagine that securing a job would be a priority and finding an area that can provide you with this job would form the backbone of your search for somewhere to live. I don?t think anyone could advise you one way or the other regarding preference of living in NI or SI, as there are many people living on both who are perfectly happy where they are and wouldn?t consider swapping islands. It?s a case of horses for courses. Take a look at the link below, click on the green place names and it?ll give you some information about the different areas. It won?t cover them all by any means but it?ll give you a head start. If you have any more questions about a specific area that takes your fancy, then feel free to ask. It?s easier to comment on one or two areas rather than NZ as a whole. Good luck with your research.

http://www.answers.com/main/ntquery;...t=Urban%20Area

[driver]

Brilliant site MB thannks. :icon_biggrin:

[selchie]

[quote:726c462283="driver"]Brilliant site MB thannks. :icon_biggrin:[/quote:726c462283]
Oh-oh, looks like Taffy [u:726c462283]is[/u:726c462283] being usurped by his own flesh & blood! Soon he'll just be sweeping the floors while Mother Bear is adored by all :icon_razz: .

[MotherBear]

[img:6669d199c9]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/bis.gif[/img:6669d199c9] I don't think so, somehow. I daren?t usurp him, Selchie, he?d ban me. Wouldn?t be much point in usurping him, as I know stuff-all about the rules and regulations of immigrating so, without him, the forum would go down the pan. I?m only here for comic relief, to make up the numbers and to cover him while he?s busy. [img:6669d199c9]http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/jasons_smilie/clown.gif[/img:6669d199c9]