ChCh or Wellington?

[dvmpete]

I was granted my certificate to practice vet med in NZ, and now I have job offers in Christchurch and Wellington. The slightly more desirable position is in Wellington.......which city would I rather live in??

For the recent 9 years I have lived in Northern California in the San Francisco bay area. Before that, I lived in Fort Collins, Colorado for 9 years.......I look back and significantly prefer Colorado. If I wasn't coming to NZ, I'd be going back to Colorado. What do I choose to do in my off time.....? Off road motorcycling, small music venues, fishing, kayaking, camping, visiting the countryside....and I want to learn to surf.

Which do you think I should choose?

[trustme]

CHCH.
Wellington is closer to the bay area. ChCh is closer to a Colorado environment . I'm no surfer but Wgtn is probably better although they do surf in ChCh , Kaikoura & the W Coast but the water is bloody cold.
Wgtn is a more liberal Democrat kind a town . ChCh is Republican conservative more narrow minded , like the mid US states like Ohio, . And there ain't nothing wrong with that so slip back into your lazy boys Cantabs.

[Mark_S]

I've lived in both (grew up in Wellington) and would choose Christchurch - better climate (frosty winter mornings excepted) and centrally located so you can get pretty much anywhere in the South Island in a day. I suspect house prices would be cheaper in Christchurch as well (search trademe.co.nz for house prices)?

[hondav2]

Sounds like you need to go to somewhere like Central Otago, plenty of work for Vets down here, hav a look in my smugmug pics , mostly south Isalnd pics . Cheers Toddy

[Padmei]

Both are cities & I reckon you'll find work in any city or town in NZ. If coming to NZ you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not checking out the smaller places. Still you can do that when you're over here. Chch has great surf but is freezing - Kaikoura has one of the best breaks in the world (as voted in an american longboard magazine a few years ago). Wellington has an artificial reef (I think)

Wellington is a way cooler city but the weather is notoriously bad. Chch as a city is really ugly & pretty redneck however is in the middle of some of the most beautiful countryside in the world- hot & dry to wet & green.

Check out Nelson & the top of the South when you're over.

[dvmpete]

Yep, my primary purpose on this trip is to tour your country and I will set aside at least 2-3 months to do that. But I'd like to work as well for a couple of reasons: I think its really the best way to get a feel for a country and its people. At the very least, I may be able to pay for my trip. I am seriously considering emigrating (if you all will have me....immigration is tough!), so I want to learn and see as much as possible to help me decide if that is what I really want to do.

[waza]

Putting the weather to one side being located in Canterbury affords you easy access to the whole South Island (you don't have to jump the island) and if your place of residence is predicated by its proximity to the outdoors then Canterbury is where you should be. Surfing at Taylors Mistake, tramping (hiking) is Lewis or Arthurs pass areas will keep you busy for the next fifty years as will the local hills and snow and water skiing too. So much to see and do.

If you want to join our club on a run once you settle in contact me via the BMWOR website. www.bmwor.org.nz Click on the contacts tab and you'll see me listed as Canterbury Area Rep. Regards.

[vfxdog]

I was born in Wgtn, but I reckon you'd be better off in Chch. The variable is what kind of vet med you are into- if pets, either city would keep you busy, if farm animals etc then I'd say Chch. You can get out of Chch in several directions; there's really just one road out of Welly.
On the other hand, if you liked San Francisco, you'd love Wellington- they are amazingly similar.

[warewolf]

Originally Posted by vfxdog

there's really just one road out of Welly.

Ah, the bestest bit of SH1... the last 100m leading to the South Island ferry!

[trustme]

So where are all you Wellingtoians. Sorry I forgot, you civil servants are not allowed an opinion due to the electoral finance act.

[miniroot]

Originally Posted by trustme

So where are all you Wellingtoians. Sorry I forgot, you civil servants are not allowed an opinion due to the electoral finance act.

Not really. Having been through the same process two years ago, I reckon that if you've got the luxury of traveling, seeing something of the whole country before you settle is the best bet, if for no other reason than you don't spend any time worrying about how green the grass is elsewhere.

I'm in Wellington for work. If I had my choice, I'd be back living in Wanaka. Man, I miss Central Otago sometimes. And the South Island is fantastic, literally. But countryside doesn't pay my bills, and we wouldn't have picked any other major city over Wellington.

Just our opinion, one we tried to form by spending hopelessly short periods of time in various places across NZ. I'm not about to dis Christchurch just because we didn't like the place.

Let's face it, it's all good.

Apart from Palmerston North.

;)

[miniroot]

Originally Posted by dvmpete

Yep, my primary purpose on this trip is to tour your country and I will set aside at least 2-3 months to do that. But I'd like to work as well for a couple of reasons: I think its really the best way to get a feel for a country and its people. At the very least, I may be able to pay for my trip. I am seriously considering emigrating (if you all will have me....immigration is tough!), so I want to learn and see as much as possible to help me decide if that is what I really want to do.

We spent 6 weeks moving around and, while it wasn't long enough to get a feel for the place, it was more than enough moving around. We had two weeks in California on the way over, and after 8 weeks of loading our two kids and five suitcases into an MPV every morning, and into a motel room every night, we just got bone tired of moving on.

The one downside of moving around like that, though, is that it's all too easy to find somewhere that takes your breath away, and then spend six months sapping your savings trying to find enough work to stay there. Been there, done that, still want to go back there when it's time to retire. Of course, in your line of work, I'd have thought that the chances of finding somewhere stunning to ply your trade were higher than mine.

[dvmpete]

Good input. I appreciate the comments. My gut tells me ChCh will be better suited to my lifestyle. I'm waiting on one last job position, keeping my fingers crossed that they will accept me. I'd have more options for the countryside if I was a large animal vet, but the majority of my training and all of my 12 years experience is with small animals.

Either way, job or no job, I arrive Auckland Dec 7....very soon. First thing I need to do is buy a bike and pack it up. Jesse panniers will be by checked luggage on my flight. I'm looking for a used 650 V-strom. If anybody knows of one on the market, please let me know. I am already watching the motorcycletrader and trademe websites. There does not seem to be much of a private seller market. The used bikes on these sites are almost all listed by dealerships.

Thanks again for the input, I do appreciate it.

[Oscar]

Originally Posted by dvmpete

Good input. I appreciate the comments. My gut tells me ChCh will be better suited to my lifestyle. I'm waiting on one last job position, keeping my fingers crossed that they will accept me. I'd have more options for the countryside if I was a large animal vet, but the majority of my training and all of my 12 years experience is with small animals.

Either way, job or no job, I arrive Auckland Dec 7....very soon. First thing I need to do is buy a bike and pack it up. Jesse panniers will be by checked luggage on my flight. I'm looking for a used 650 V-strom. If anybody knows of one on the market, please let me know. I am already watching the motorcycletrader and trademe websites. There does not seem to be much of a private seller market. The used bikes on these sites are almost all listed by dealerships.

Thanks again for the input, I do appreciate it.

Here's one in Auckland:

http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Mo...-173588680.htm

Looks nice:

[motu]

Originally Posted by dvmpete

I'd have more options for the countryside if I was a large animal vet, but the majority of my training and all of my 12 years experience is with small animals.

We have 70 million possums in New Zealand - and a lot are severely injured by motor vehicles and hunters every day.The country is crying out for a possum mechanic.