People & Places
The Wellington Lifestyle
It’s small, thriving and immensely popular with British migrants – but what’s the lifestyle really like in New Zealand’s capital? Hanna Lindon finds out
Beautifully positioned in a sheltered natural harbour at the tip of New Zealand's North Island, Wellington is, in the words of British migrant James Beaumont, "a treat for the eye." Its colourful houses, vibrant streets and sumptuous surroundings all play their part in attracting British migrants to the city – but Wellington hasn't won countless international and national lifestyle awards just by being good to look at. "The city is unexpectedly cosmopolitan and offers many, if not all of the benefits of a much bigger city – but without the major hassles," Mayor Kerry Prendergast has said. "It's creative, innovative, smart, a good place to do business, internationally competitive, fun and vibrant."
James, who emigrated to the NZ capital in 2005, echoes many of Prendergast's sentiments. "Wellington is unique, in that it's a city which combines international importance with a village community," he says. "I lived in a very small town in the UK so I was worried about how I was going to get on in a much bigger city – but I needn't have been concerned. Wellington is clean, beautiful and friendly, and I just love being here." The city is a cultural melting pot, with around 25 per cent of its residents born outside New Zealand and another 16 per cent bilingual.
This has resulted in an environment which is both tolerant and welcoming of people from other countries and of diverse ethnicities. Most of the big businesses practice equal opportunities employment policies, and the food, architecture and clothes you'll see in Wellington reflect its cultural diversity. One of the advantages of being a centrally located small city is that Wellington provides a fantastic base from which to explore the rest of New Zealand. Forests, lakes, parks and beaches are all within walking distance of the city centre.
If you're willing to travel just a little bit further afield then the attractive winery region of Martinborough is within easy reach by car, while Nelson, and the beautiful Abel Tasman national park, is only two hours away by ferry – perfect for a weekend day trip with the kids. But it may be a while before you get around to sampling the scenery surrounding Wellington, simply because there is so much to do within the city itself. Not only can you swim, surf and kayak, there are also plenty of opportunities for less strenuous fun. In the recent New Zealand Bar Awards Wellington swept the board, picking up the two 'bar of the year' prizes as well as 'best drinks selection'. Most highly praised were the Matterhorn bar and the Hawthorn Lounge. "For such a small city, Wellington has a great night life," affirms James. "My partner Hannah and I are both childless, and we're still at the age where we want to have a bit of fun. After two years of living in the city, I can safely say that there's plenty of fun to be had in Wellington!" As well as some lively bars, the NZ capital also boasts the highest concentration of theatres, museums and galleries of anywhere else in the country. There are opera houses, concert halls, a state-of-the-art new sports and events stadium, and two universities. You can also hear live music almost every night at different venues across the city.
But Wellington is primarily a family-focused city, and the range of activities on offer reflects this. Stacey Gregg moved to a small suburb of Wellington with her husband and two children in 2003. They spent two years building their own house, and are now enjoying the relaxed lifestyle that the city offers. "We're all quite into sports," she says, "and are never at a loss for things to do here. My husband Alex works as a medical administrator in the city centre, and it only take him 20 minutes to get home. That means that we still have time to do things with the kids in the evening, like surfing or mountain biking in the hills around the city." Stacey continues: "The other things that seem to be much cheaper around here are golf and skiing. It's much cheaper to play a round on one of the golf courses surrounding Wellington, and my husband has got really interested in the sport. We can also get easily to the ski areas of Turoa and Tukino, which are only a four-hour drive away."
Families can enjoy spending time in one of Wellington's 109 parks and playgrounds or strolling along the waterfront. For scenic walks it's not necessary to go any further than the forested Town Belt, although there are five regional parks within easy reach of the city centre. Other popular family activities include taking a dip in one of Wellington's seven swimming pools, strolling around the attractive botanic gardens or visiting the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary located in the city centre.
The more adventurous can take a boat trip out to nearby Kapiti Island, a predator-free reserve home to some of the world's most endangered birds. One of the best things about living in Wellington is the price. Real estate is very cheap compared to other world capitals, and the cost of living is similarly low. A house in the 'suburbs', will usually be no more than a 20-minute journey from the city-centre, while in a larger city, such as Auckland, it might be necessary to reckon with a one-and-a-half-hour commute to find similarly priced properties. "We sold our house in a small Sussex town and managed to pick up a spacious flat in Wellington city centre without taking out a mortgage," says James. "There aren't many other developed capitals in the world where that would have been possible for us. "We have also found that the cost of living is cheap compared to the UK – although my wages are a little lower than they were before."
British migrants will also find a ready-made community waiting to support them through the settling in process, and the city has a thriving British expat network. These are just some of the many reasons so many Brits now call Wellington 'home'.
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