Where is the Best Place to Live in New Zealand?

If you have already visited New Zealand, have family already in New Zealand, or you have a job lined up, you may have already decided where to settle when you emigrate. If not, the following article may help you narrow down your many options!

If you possibly can, a recognisance trip to New Zealand may be very enlightening. You can check out the housing market and the job market, and get the general feel of the place first hand.

Many areas have their own websites, admittedly showcasing the region, but interesting all the same. A good gateway for these, with a brief regional snapshot, is www.tourism.org.nz. You can also follow the local news online, with many papers accessible via www.stuff.co.nz. If you are heading for a city, you may find the Quality of Life Project survey information, available from www.bigcities.govt.nz, interesting.

To really narrow things down, I would suggest that you have a really good think about your lifestyle and priorities; what are you hoping life will be like in New Zealand? Try using the following list as a starting point:

We have articles on most of the above topics on our website, which will give you a good start on resources to research these areas.

Where do Brits Settle in New Zealand?

Certain regions of New Zealand have a reputation as having a particular high concentration of migrants from the UK, but Brits actually settle all over the country in a very similar distribution to the wider New Zealand population, as shown by in the graph below:

The New Zealand population statistics are taken from the 2006 Census, and the migrant settlement statistics are taken from the 6-month results of the New Zealand Immigration Longitudinal Immigration Survey, or LisNZ, which involved 1,500 migrants from the UK and Ireland (and their families) who were granted New Zealand permanent residence visas in 2004/5.

As you can see, there are a few more Brits in Wellington and the Canterbury region (including Christchurch), but otherwise Brits pretty much settle throughout the country. 

What is it like living in Christchurch?

My family chose Christchurch primarily as my wife’s parents already lived here, but also met (or exceeded) all of our expectations in the above categories – we live in Papanui, which is 15 minutes drive from town (add 5 minutes during the rush hour), 10 minutes walk from a great primary school, 15 minutes walk from a library and a huge mall, and across the road from a nice park and playground. Christchurch is big enough to have plenty of leisure facilities, cultural events, health facilities and tertiary education opportunities, but not so big that crowds or traffic are real problems. We are very happy here.

That said, we have clients from the UK who have settled in places all around New Zealand, and they are just as happy with their new home town. 

Remember to test your assumptions, and talk to as many people as you can. New Zealanders will generally be quite chuffed that you are looking to settle here!

Director, Broadbase International Ltd.

Broadbase International will work with you every step of the way to help you make a confident start to your new life in New Zealand. Please contact us if you have any questions about the financial side of life in New Zealand, and don't forget to order your free copy of our comprehensive New Zealand Guide.