[Klipa]

My husband and I are planning a move within the next 10 months to New Zealand from British Columbia, Canada. Our main motive for moving is to maintain the same outdoor lifestyle we have here in BC but also be close to some great surfing. I have Australian citizenship and he will apply for PR upon arrival in New Zealand (I think this is the best option for us?)

We are hoping for some suggestions from those of you already living in New Zealand as to some possible locations to consider. We also have 3 big dogs that we will be bringing with us and are hoping to find a location with lots of trails and areas to run them, preferably off-leash. From what I have read, it sounds a bit difficult to find off-leash areas and trails in many areas.

A couple of the places we have looked into include New Plymouth and area, as well as Whangarei area. My husband is a residential carpenter so we would like to find an area with plenty of residential development also. We are open to suggestions on both the north and south island as neither of us have travelled to New Zealand.

Hope this isn't too much to ask right off the bat....any input would be greatly appreciated. Our ideal location would be close to hiking and mountain biking trails as well as some great surf...in a dog-friendly town!

Thanks in advance!

[Howie]

WELCOME to the forum!!! Where abouts in BC are you from? I live in Auckland and don't surf, so I probably can't help you out with your question. But I'm from Canada and have 2 dogs (brought one with me, got the other one here) and can share my experiences. Being in a dog friendly place is a huge priority for me. I live in Howick and can walk to the beach in 20 minutes. Dogs are allowed off leash on the beaches from 7pm - 9am during daylight savings and all day the rest of the year. However, the beach that we go to, you can go off leash anytime all year on part of the beach. I also live across the street from the Howick domain which is basically a large sports field. It's not fenced and dogs are not allowed, however I take my dogs there late in the evening and there are always dogs there playing fetch off leash and no one seems to give us any problems as long as we're responsible. As far as trails, I haven't quite figured out the dog situation yet. There are no bears to worry about (this worried me taking dogs hiking in the Rockies) but there is possum poison that scares me.

I've found Aucklanders to be pretty good about dogs in general. No one seems scared of the dogs so I don't worry too much about that when they are off leash. One of my dogs recently had an eye removed and I thought it would really freak people out. People ask what happened, but they are so cool about it, especially kids. Kids are always interested in what happened, but when I tell them they he had cancer and had his eye removed they think it's kind of cool.

Again welcome, and feel free to PM me with any questions.

Susan

[Jenny & Mark]

From another Canadian, welcome to the forum.
I can't offer much advice in terms of dogs. My wife is originally from Whangarei and she says it has 'heaps' of trails. We are hoping to settle in the Whangarei district.

Mark.

[Klipa]

Thanks for the quick replies! We live in Squamish, British Columbia...halfway b/w Vancouver and Whistler. We are just in the process of filling out our application....I have Australian citizenship and my husband will apply for a work visa until we arrive and then apply for PR (I think that's how it will work?)

How was it with your pup going through quarantine? That is actually the thing I am the most worried about at this point....not so much the cost...but just the stress on them.

Anyways...thanks again for your responses....I look forward to the next few months of getting everything together and finally making our way over there!

[Island Jon]

Don't know about dogs (they hate me, little (&*^%$# (no offense, bad experiences) :no), but as far as surfing goes, I've heard the beaches near Gisborne and Taranaki are the best places to catch good waves. Crime may be a concern though, so ask the locals here. Helpful fellows, they can probably point you in the right direction better than I can. Carpenters are on the long-term skill shortage list, so there should be plenty of jobs, plus some nice points for your hubby's application. Good luck and welcome to the forums! :D

p.s. How's BC, by the way; I keep hearing horror stories from Vancouver and Abbotsford, but it still seems like such a nice place to live. Is the crime wave media hype or has BC truly become unsafe? Yeah, guys, cold and rainy Canada is my second choice if the NZ thing doesn't turn out. :o