Why Wellington?
Welly is a city that punches above its weight. It feels bigger than it is, yet is more compact than you realise. Whereas other Kiwi cities can feel like overly large country towns, Wellington is pocket rocket of a city. Wellington consistently ranks at or near the top in many global liveability indexes. They consider climate (they don’t include the wind!), traffic & commuting, affordability, crime levels, connectivity and employment prospects and we seem to come out on top. Add to this great food, coffee and beer as well as a bustling arts and museum scene and you feel like there is always something going on or some place new to try out.
As the clean air rolls down the hills and across the blue expanse of the harbour it is easy to see why locals are always saying #cantbeatwellingtononagoodday! Which, I guess, brings us to the issue of the weather. Depending where you’re moving from you’ll think the weather is amazing (those from the UK) or terrible (those from Australia). ‘Windy Welly’ is more than a cute phrase but a fact of life. Don’t bother with the umbrella but invest in a good rain coat and embrace the city for what it is. As the Norwegians say, “There's no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing!”
If getting out of the city is your thing, you are never more than a few minutes away from the bush or the beach. With great tramping and world class mountain biking on your doorstep, there is always a way to burn off some energy.
Where to live?
There are a great variety of neighbourhoods to choose from each with their own positives and negatives. The Hutt Valley generally has better weather but if further from town and traffic on SH2 in peak hour can be pretty slow. East of the city is quieter with good access to the airport and the South Coast but getting across town can be a pain. Wellington’s northern suburbs offer convenient access to the City and the Hutt Valley but can catch the wind a bit more than other places!
You also need to work out if you are going to flat (share a house/unit with others), rent or buy your own place. Most of this is done via Trade Me (kiwi version of eBay/Craigslist). If you’re looking to flat with other Christians check out Christian Accommodation NZ.
Houses in NZ appear to have been designed for the weather you want rather than the weather you’ve got! When checking out a house or flat it is good to consider how much sun (if any) it gets during winter, how well insulated it is as well as how it will be heated in winter. Another thing to be aware of is damp. If the place smells musty or there is some mould - that is best to be avoided!
Getting around
Wellington has a good public transport system of trains and buses if you want to get to and from the main CBD. Travelling across town (e.g from the Northern Suburbs to the Hutt Valley) will require changing buses or trains as well as buying another ticket. The transport system is run by metlink and on buses you can tap on and off with your Snapper Card. Don’t forget to tag off! It is cash only if you buy your ticket on the train.
Many people living in the inner city get by without a car. If you do have a car you’ll soon notice that the traffic isn’t too bad in Wellington (unless something goes wrong) and most places you go you can find somewhere to park.
Making connections
Sometimes it can be hard to find a ‘local’ in Wellington as it seems that most people you meet have recently moved here. This means that Wellingtonians (compared to the rest of NZ) are pretty open to new connections and relationships.
That said, kiwi culture is usually very polite and friendly to begin with but forming deep friendships can take some time. Much like the bird, kiwis can be a bit introverted and reserved when compared to their English speaking counterparts. This can take some time to get used to especially if you come from a country which is more expressive and gregarious! This video might give you a head start in understanding how to relate to kiwis.
A great way to make new connections and grow in relationships is by getting plugged into a local church. We’d love to meet you at City on a Hill and you can find us here.
If you’ve got any other questions contact us and we’d love to help you out.