[ellenmelon]

Hi there everyone..this is my first post so id best introduce myself before I get into my question id best introduce myself! im a kiwi who has been living in ireland for nearly three years. my whole family were over here at one point but theyre now in aussie and scotland.i was born in new plymouth, moved to christchurch when i was 12 and ireland when i was 18.in about a month i will finally be heading back to christchurch then to wellington! my boyfriend will be coming with me (he got PR-partnership..took 2 months!!!we were expecting at least 5-6).
i know chch very well but we will both be experiencing welly for the first time together.
ive been lurking a wee bit on here, as has my boyfriend and i figured this would be a good place to ask a couple of questions..seeing as some of you guys would be newish to the city..

so how do you wellingtonians find driving there?ive only ever driven in lovely, flat chch (apart from the port hills..).is it fairly easy to get around?how long does it take to get out of town?

thanks for answering my questions and i hope its cool that i post here!!

[Debbie P.]

Hi ellenmelon,

Can't really advise on Wellington, but I'm sure someone on here can. Just wanted to say welcome, and it certainly is cool that you post here!

All the best,

Debbie

[zardell]

Hi Ellenmellon.

Absolutely no idea what driving in Welly will be like, just wanted to say WELCOME to the forum.

Julie
xx

[marcia]

Sorry no advice from me either - Can't comment too much on Welly - we only ever made it to the stockcar race track at upper hutt :laugh but we drove all over North island in a huge camper and it was great!!!

Welcome to the forum! :clap

[ellenmelon]

thanks a million everyone for the warm welcome!! :)

thought you guys might find it odd that im a kiwi posting here but my boyfriend is soon to be a new kiwi and welly is foreign to both of us and who to ask but some new NZers for info! you guys seem to be a fountain of knowledge :D

[clg]

Welcome to the forum!

Driving here is fairly I would say. The reality is in the CBD most people walk and to get to the CBD public transport is excellent so often people don't even drive into the city. I take the train on workdays and we just drive in on weekends or evenings when parking and traffic are not bad. Really not something I would worry about. Getting out of city takes little time but suburbs go on for a bit depends what you mean by getting out. There are some VERY narrow roads here but you get used to them and depending where you live may not see them much.

Chris

[Smiler]

Hi ellen

Driving here is easy as Chris says, just bring that extra pair of eyes in the back of your head with you. :laugh

It doesn't take long to get out of the CBD. Once you do, there are areas with twisting, turning narrow roads that run alongside the sea. These are fun until a big wave dumps on you (try to have the sunroof closed) There are some scary steep hill roads as well. I drove over the Rimutaka Hill road on my own recently in fog and rain. The road didn't scare me, just the lack of safety barriers. :eek:

As a Uk driver who thinks the car is an extension of their right leg, I was never frightened to drive anywhere there. It took me a couple of weeks being a bit slow here, but I'm used to it now and I'm sure you'll find it easy enough. Maybe a bit faster than driving in NP though. ;)

I'm may have said welcome on another thread, but anyway

Welcome to the forum. :nice1

If you need any more info on welly, just ask.

Edited to add, you wouldn't need a car in town as you can walk it easily, but if you do there are all day car parks from $11 upwards or metered parking for around $4 an hour.

[sarahw]

Hi & welcome!

Firstly, if you're planning on driving a lot around Welly, then get an automatic car - I certainly wouldn't fancy all the gear changes!!

We've been here 20 months & the driving is no problem at all - we even drive the very narrow streets which are just a pain if someone's coming the other way & isn't courteous. There are some real steep roads - like Bolton Street that I used to drive every day, but they're not hairy. The traffic isn't busy (we used to live in London & drive the M25 regularly so its a breeze here!)

Rimutaka Ridge Road - well - lets just say when we get to the summit & know we're going downhill we feel a whole lot better! The road has been improved since our first trip here (crash barriers - yes they have added to them from what we can remember!) but I still wouldn't fancy coming off it!

You'll be fine!

[Smiler]

Yes Sarah's right, the Rimutaka road barrier has been upgraded. :nice1

It looked like it was constructed from 2 ply cotton thread before and is now made from hairnets supported by cocktail sticks. :eek:

[ellenmelon]

Welcome to the forum!

Driving here is fairly I would say. The reality is in the CBD most people walk and to get to the CBD public transport is excellent so often people don't even drive into the city. I take the train on workdays and we just drive in on weekends or evenings when parking and traffic are not bad. Really not something I would worry about. Getting out of city takes little time but suburbs go on for a bit depends what you mean by getting out. There are some VERY narrow roads here but you get used to them and depending where you live may not see them much.

Chris

hi, thanks for the welcome..everyones so nice on this forum!!

good god i will never drive into the middle of town unless i absolutely need to! ill be studying in newtown but at the moment im not sure where we'll be living..wherever rent is cheapest id say!!which is good. by getting out of the city i mean like, past the 'burbs..ive got a boyfriend to introduce to new zealand so whenever we can we'd like to get out of town..or at least investigate wellington itself cause i dont want to only know the few blocks around my house and at drama school..

thanks for taking the time to reply :)

[ellenmelon]

Hi ellen

Driving here is easy as Chris says, just bring that extra pair of eyes in the back of your head with you.

It doesn't take long to get out of the CBD. Once you do, there are areas with twisting, turning narrow roads that run alongside the sea. These are fun until a big wave dumps on you (try to have the sunroof closed) There are some scary steep hill roads as well. I drove over the Rimutaka Hill road on my own recently in fog and rain. The road didn't scare me, just the lack of safety barriers.

As a Uk driver who thinks the car is an extension of their right leg, I was never frightened to drive anywhere there. It took me a couple of weeks being a bit slow here, but I'm used to it now and I'm sure you'll find it easy enough. Maybe a bit faster than driving in NP though.

I'm may have said welcome on another thread, but anyway

Welcome to the forum.

If you need any more info on welly, just ask.

Edited to add, you wouldn't need a car in town as you can walk it easily, but if you do there are all day car parks from $11 upwards or metered parking for around $4 an hour.

wow, thanks a million for replying..your post was really helpful :) im only taking my car to welly now because my boyfriend is coming with me and can be my extra set of eyes, and he's a dab hand at map/sign reading! dont know what id do without him :) i know i wont be zipping around as usual for a while so ill be like yourself..slow so i dont miss turn offs etc!! wont be going near town with my car (a)busy b) hate carparking buildings and the costs!!) and ive heard welly is very easy to get into and walk around.

thanks again for replying and im sure i'll have more questions for you in the future!

[ellenmelon]

Hi & welcome!

Firstly, if you're planning on driving a lot around Welly, then get an automatic car - I certainly wouldn't fancy all the gear changes!!

We've been here 20 months & the driving is no problem at all - we even drive the very narrow streets which are just a pain if someone's coming the other way & isn't courteous. There are some real steep roads - like Bolton Street that I used to drive every day, but they're not hairy. The traffic isn't busy (we used to live in London & drive the M25 regularly so its a breeze here!)

Rimutaka Ridge Road - well - lets just say when we get to the summit & know we're going downhill we feel a whole lot better! The road has been improved since our first trip here (crash barriers - yes they have added to them from what we can remember!) but I still wouldn't fancy coming off it!

You'll be fine!

hi, thanks for the welcome..

unfortunately/fortunately im getting our "spare" car which is manual so i dont have a choice as to what car i have..gonna have to go driving on the port hills in chch to practice! id say theyre pretty similar as i learnt how to do hill starts (with my nose pointing down nearly vertical it felt like!!!) there. i know the roads are going to be windey but hopefully ill be useing the car only for shopping/getting to college on the odd time (especially when ive slept in!!) and things like that..walking and buses the rest of the time...

oh man, im not looking forward to the rimutaka road at all! i wouldnt have gone near it before the crash barriers went in!! no way jose!! :no

thanks again for your help and taking the time to reply...

[sarahw]

Smiler - you cracked me up with the bit about the crash barrier on Rimutaka!! Thing is - you're right though!!

[Jo_b]

Hello! As a UKer moving to Wellington in November, I had my first experience of Welly driving in July, when I headed over for a bit of a fact finding mission. I borrowed an old manual car and bombed around quite happily, and wasn't daunted at all. I was expecting to be totally freaked, but it's just the same as any mid-sized UK town really - you'll be fine (and if you are used to the hills in Ireland, Welly is no big deal). Good luck! Jo