craig1234564
4th February 2007, 11:14 AM
can anyone tell me how good it would be to live in the nelson area? From the net it looks like its got good beaches near and national parks etc. are there any problems with this area??
NoelMC
6th February 2007, 10:26 AM
We are heading out to this area later in the year. Have visited a couple of times and realy liked the place.
House prices are quite high.
We are looking at Richmond, just outside Nelson, and possibly at Mapua or Motueka.
remember when looking at houses to remember the sun comes from the north, as I beleive there is a valley in Nelson (washington??) where the you may not get much direct sun, hence the price is lower.
Noelmc
House prices are quite high.
We are looking at Richmond, just outside Nelson, and possibly at Mapua or Motueka.
remember when looking at houses to remember the sun comes from the north, as I beleive there is a valley in Nelson (washington??) where the you may not get much direct sun, hence the price is lower.
Noelmc
Debbie P.
6th February 2007, 10:18 PM
The area is lovely, we have friends who lived in Mapua, but they had to leave NZ in the end when their business proposal for an activity holiday company was turned down (they had to guarantee year-round employment for a certain number of New Zealanders and they couldn't do it as this would have been more of a summer thing). It's a real shame; they're back in the UK and looking at Oz instead.
We quite fancied moving there when we stayed with them, but is it a good area for jobs?
We quite fancied moving there when we stayed with them, but is it a good area for jobs?
Anita & Marco
7th February 2007, 05:05 AM
Hi,
Yes, Nelson would be a great place to live.
It however depends on your sources of income.
Anita
Yes, Nelson would be a great place to live.
It however depends on your sources of income.
Anita
craig1234564
7th February 2007, 07:15 AM
We are heading out to this area later in the year. Have visited a couple of times and realy liked the place.
House prices are quite high.
Noelmc
Hi , you say the house prices are high, how high do you mean in comparison in english money?
Im not sure its a good idea to have no sun coming into your house/garden also !
House prices are quite high.
Noelmc
Hi , you say the house prices are high, how high do you mean in comparison in english money?
Im not sure its a good idea to have no sun coming into your house/garden also !
craig1234564
7th February 2007, 07:18 AM
Hi,
Yes, Nelson would be a great place to live.
It however depends on your sources of income.
Anita
Well my wife is a teacher, I currently work for the water board but am considering doing some tiling work and see how that goes, but yes i did wonder about job prospects as there are considerably less people in new zealand .
Any ideas for the job demand in that area?
Yes, Nelson would be a great place to live.
It however depends on your sources of income.
Anita
Well my wife is a teacher, I currently work for the water board but am considering doing some tiling work and see how that goes, but yes i did wonder about job prospects as there are considerably less people in new zealand .
Any ideas for the job demand in that area?
NoelMC
7th February 2007, 09:59 AM
Hey Guys
didnt want to put you off Nelson, it has the highest sunshine hours in NZ.
2500 hrs per year against 1500hrs on UK (london SE England).
I think Nelson prices are high for the south island, but cheaper than the cities in the north island.
cheers
Noelmc
didnt want to put you off Nelson, it has the highest sunshine hours in NZ.
2500 hrs per year against 1500hrs on UK (london SE England).
I think Nelson prices are high for the south island, but cheaper than the cities in the north island.
cheers
Noelmc
Nelsonian
15th February 2007, 08:39 PM
Hi Craig - see my earlier post on this
Well I would say this since I chose to live here - but take a look at Nelson - consistently NZ's sunniest place. Beautiful rural land out past Richmond suburb towards Appleby and Motueka - or the other way to Rai Valley.
Nelson/Richmond area pop around 53,000 - good schools + colleges.
Loads of local tramps and trails - 3 national parks on doorstep including Abel Tasman. Very local walks up Maitai river valley or Grampians.
Great beach at Tahuna - good fishing etc etc.
Being in the South Island, it's slightly colder but it's the top of the south and has a great little microclimate all it's own! :nice1
I'd also add that wages are not great here as it goes - locals call in the "sunshine tax" and property is relatively expensive - quite a few people live in Nelson and commute to Wellington by plane each week.
But all in all a great place!!
Jane
Well I would say this since I chose to live here - but take a look at Nelson - consistently NZ's sunniest place. Beautiful rural land out past Richmond suburb towards Appleby and Motueka - or the other way to Rai Valley.
Nelson/Richmond area pop around 53,000 - good schools + colleges.
Loads of local tramps and trails - 3 national parks on doorstep including Abel Tasman. Very local walks up Maitai river valley or Grampians.
Great beach at Tahuna - good fishing etc etc.
Being in the South Island, it's slightly colder but it's the top of the south and has a great little microclimate all it's own! :nice1
I'd also add that wages are not great here as it goes - locals call in the "sunshine tax" and property is relatively expensive - quite a few people live in Nelson and commute to Wellington by plane each week.
But all in all a great place!!
Jane
bevsere
21st February 2007, 06:37 PM
Yup
Moorf
21st February 2007, 07:04 PM
We're off to Motueka for a few days this weekend... having looked at piccies it does look lovely, but is it full of retiree's as the house prices are, as has been said above, really high yet there's not that many high paid jobs available??
Have also seen lots of properties there that are leasehold - I assume they're on some DOC / Maori owned land?
Have also seen lots of properties there that are leasehold - I assume they're on some DOC / Maori owned land?
Nelsonian
21st February 2007, 07:48 PM
Some good opportunities for jobs/self-employment but a lot of the available work is in low paid sectors like tourism, apple picking, fish processing etc....
With the house prices, I was told that retirees originally from Christchurch bought retirement/holiday homes. And then more recently Brits (like me though I haven't bought anything yet!), Americans, Germans/Dutch etc have bought up lots of the property - pushing up prices. Many don't really work and/or shut up their houses over the winter and go elsewhere - so that impacts the economy too. Still confidence still seems high that it's all sustainable.
Jane
With the house prices, I was told that retirees originally from Christchurch bought retirement/holiday homes. And then more recently Brits (like me though I haven't bought anything yet!), Americans, Germans/Dutch etc have bought up lots of the property - pushing up prices. Many don't really work and/or shut up their houses over the winter and go elsewhere - so that impacts the economy too. Still confidence still seems high that it's all sustainable.
Jane
markynz
25th February 2007, 08:36 AM
hi guys,
we have been in the nelson area for the last 6 months now, as I try to get a new franchise off the ground.
thoughts that might interest you :
Nelson's climate is the best in NZ, despite them just having had the 2nd worst summer on record, its still been good enough for me ! Currently around 30 degrees for the last 2 weeks and nice and sunny.
On the subject of climate, be aware that suncream, shirt and hat are essential out here - you won't see many kiwis without them - the UV levels are always high, and you can burn so easily.
The people here are very friendly. If you make the effort you'll find it easy to blend in. I do miss the english people at times though, the kiwis have a very different sense of humour to us and very often, you can find yourself on a completely different wavelength.
Nelson and area is growing quite fast at the moment, houses springing up everywhere. There is real concern however at the amount of immigration currently being seen. Not in the same sense as that seen in the UK, I guess the kiwis get used to immigration as they've always had it - but they are seeing house prices rise so fast due to wealthy foreigners bringing all their cash in. Of course house building can't come quick enough, so the demand is not being met - prices rise fast. Due to this, rentals are very hard to find and the prices are rising on those too.
I guess the knock on effect of this is that locals then can't buy as the wages are relatively poor here. I read somewhere that NZ is experiencing lots of locals going to Australia as its cheaper to buy in some areas and pays better wages.
In my work, I see lots of people and most of them mention that they are quite alarmed at the immigration from US and UK.
Nelson is a curiously a very ' white ' area. We've noticed that there doesnt seem to be many moaris here - and I think the official figure is about half the national norm. Also, Asians and black people do not seem to be here in such numbers as is the case in Auckland etc. Please do not take that as a racist comment ! just an observation.
There is'nt a lot of crime here. Whilst we do see things happening in the local press, it often caused by teenagers. As a mobile engineer, I am often shocked that people let me into their homes without them being there - " the keys are under the mat ", without them really knowing me. One - a business I work for told me that the office keys ( lots of expensive computers inside etc ) were under a hat outside the door. When I laughed and said ' you're joking ', he just replied - ' It's Nelson mate - don't worry ! '.
I think there is an undercurrent of domestic violence in NZ, which could account for a lot of the existing crime and violence too. There was a piece in the paper a while back highlighting this. Whether its any worse than the UK though, I'm not sure.
One annoying thing is the boyracers that zoom around the streets on a friday and saturday nights in their souped up chav-wagons. I wish the cops would sort them out.
The schools are excellent. My girl has just been to camp, and my young boy, who has just started at 5 years old, is already starting to come out of his shell. He was very shy in England, but the way they do things out here is very encouraging. They go swimming every day for starters. The kids just seem to have a lot more confidence out here - and its not that cocky, leering kind we often found in the UK. The kids very often seem to have a lot more respect.
Some of the drivers here are just plain awful. The funny thing is, that road rage I used to get in th UK just doesnt happen any more. If someone cuts me up, I just sigh and say ' ah what the hell '. I don't know whether I've been lucky, but I've not actually seen any road rage either. Apart from the 8:45 queue into Nelson ( lasts for about 20 mins ) and the jams that you can get at Tahuna beach sometimes, its just so easy to get about round here.
rambled on a bit there - but if it helps then good - if you want to know about anything else, let me know !
Mark
we have been in the nelson area for the last 6 months now, as I try to get a new franchise off the ground.
thoughts that might interest you :
Nelson's climate is the best in NZ, despite them just having had the 2nd worst summer on record, its still been good enough for me ! Currently around 30 degrees for the last 2 weeks and nice and sunny.
On the subject of climate, be aware that suncream, shirt and hat are essential out here - you won't see many kiwis without them - the UV levels are always high, and you can burn so easily.
The people here are very friendly. If you make the effort you'll find it easy to blend in. I do miss the english people at times though, the kiwis have a very different sense of humour to us and very often, you can find yourself on a completely different wavelength.
Nelson and area is growing quite fast at the moment, houses springing up everywhere. There is real concern however at the amount of immigration currently being seen. Not in the same sense as that seen in the UK, I guess the kiwis get used to immigration as they've always had it - but they are seeing house prices rise so fast due to wealthy foreigners bringing all their cash in. Of course house building can't come quick enough, so the demand is not being met - prices rise fast. Due to this, rentals are very hard to find and the prices are rising on those too.
I guess the knock on effect of this is that locals then can't buy as the wages are relatively poor here. I read somewhere that NZ is experiencing lots of locals going to Australia as its cheaper to buy in some areas and pays better wages.
In my work, I see lots of people and most of them mention that they are quite alarmed at the immigration from US and UK.
Nelson is a curiously a very ' white ' area. We've noticed that there doesnt seem to be many moaris here - and I think the official figure is about half the national norm. Also, Asians and black people do not seem to be here in such numbers as is the case in Auckland etc. Please do not take that as a racist comment ! just an observation.
There is'nt a lot of crime here. Whilst we do see things happening in the local press, it often caused by teenagers. As a mobile engineer, I am often shocked that people let me into their homes without them being there - " the keys are under the mat ", without them really knowing me. One - a business I work for told me that the office keys ( lots of expensive computers inside etc ) were under a hat outside the door. When I laughed and said ' you're joking ', he just replied - ' It's Nelson mate - don't worry ! '.
I think there is an undercurrent of domestic violence in NZ, which could account for a lot of the existing crime and violence too. There was a piece in the paper a while back highlighting this. Whether its any worse than the UK though, I'm not sure.
One annoying thing is the boyracers that zoom around the streets on a friday and saturday nights in their souped up chav-wagons. I wish the cops would sort them out.
The schools are excellent. My girl has just been to camp, and my young boy, who has just started at 5 years old, is already starting to come out of his shell. He was very shy in England, but the way they do things out here is very encouraging. They go swimming every day for starters. The kids just seem to have a lot more confidence out here - and its not that cocky, leering kind we often found in the UK. The kids very often seem to have a lot more respect.
Some of the drivers here are just plain awful. The funny thing is, that road rage I used to get in th UK just doesnt happen any more. If someone cuts me up, I just sigh and say ' ah what the hell '. I don't know whether I've been lucky, but I've not actually seen any road rage either. Apart from the 8:45 queue into Nelson ( lasts for about 20 mins ) and the jams that you can get at Tahuna beach sometimes, its just so easy to get about round here.
rambled on a bit there - but if it helps then good - if you want to know about anything else, let me know !
Mark
Moorf
26th February 2007, 11:21 AM
First impressions of Motueka / Golden Bay area (near Nelson), as compared to where we live in inland Canterbury....
1. Yep,truly beautiful seascape and mountain vistas - the coastal scenery is more in line with what I believe people think about when thinking NZ.
2. More Maori than where we are in Canterbury - had my first dodgy Maori experience as we walked down Motueka high street...
3. Motueka High Street .... :no I didn't like Motueka, nice houses nearer seafront but too quished in and felt run down / shabby to us. Didn't stop, had very mediocre snack at The Moorings and drove on....
4. Takaka - now that's more my type of place - smaller,with more "soul" or personality, lovely location but wouldn't want to drive over that hill for work / supermarket / frequently!
5. St Arnaud - well what can I say... gorgeous... I could live there...
6. So much more traffic than we're used to here...
7. House prices... WOW, HOW MUCH?????
8. I'm assuming most work in Nelson as there didn't seem to be much about except agricultural or tourist/services work.
Overall,some lovely cafes, amazing orchards/vineyards/hop farms etc. Lovely setting, stunning beaches, warm sea (it was BLISS), golden beaches, wonderful wildlife, yummy cafes. Climate was wonderful, sat outside until late with friends and definitely a notch up from rural Canterbury's temps... unfortunately this silly girl spent too much time in the warm sea and not enough time slip, slop, slapping and I'm painfully burnt!
But, busy (not helped by the fact it's still summer and v. popular with tourists), "shabby" in parts (but then so are some of the smaller agricultural settlements here), and SANDFLIES.... my god I hurt!
I like the place, I LOVE Pohara - where we were staying in a Top Ten Campsite which was gorgeous and right on the beach with great facilities and local eateries, it felt as if we'd flown somewhere exotic and we'll definitely be going back there....
:nice1
1. Yep,truly beautiful seascape and mountain vistas - the coastal scenery is more in line with what I believe people think about when thinking NZ.
2. More Maori than where we are in Canterbury - had my first dodgy Maori experience as we walked down Motueka high street...
3. Motueka High Street .... :no I didn't like Motueka, nice houses nearer seafront but too quished in and felt run down / shabby to us. Didn't stop, had very mediocre snack at The Moorings and drove on....
4. Takaka - now that's more my type of place - smaller,with more "soul" or personality, lovely location but wouldn't want to drive over that hill for work / supermarket / frequently!
5. St Arnaud - well what can I say... gorgeous... I could live there...
6. So much more traffic than we're used to here...
7. House prices... WOW, HOW MUCH?????
8. I'm assuming most work in Nelson as there didn't seem to be much about except agricultural or tourist/services work.
Overall,some lovely cafes, amazing orchards/vineyards/hop farms etc. Lovely setting, stunning beaches, warm sea (it was BLISS), golden beaches, wonderful wildlife, yummy cafes. Climate was wonderful, sat outside until late with friends and definitely a notch up from rural Canterbury's temps... unfortunately this silly girl spent too much time in the warm sea and not enough time slip, slop, slapping and I'm painfully burnt!
But, busy (not helped by the fact it's still summer and v. popular with tourists), "shabby" in parts (but then so are some of the smaller agricultural settlements here), and SANDFLIES.... my god I hurt!
I like the place, I LOVE Pohara - where we were staying in a Top Ten Campsite which was gorgeous and right on the beach with great facilities and local eateries, it felt as if we'd flown somewhere exotic and we'll definitely be going back there....
:nice1
markynz
27th February 2007, 08:07 AM
Motueka is'nt great. Theres a few decent shops there, but as its only a town of 10,000 people, then its not got a lot to offer. It does seem to be oddly positioned to.
Nelson/richmond on the other hand is just a great place to live. I just wish the house prices were'nt as high.
Nelson/richmond on the other hand is just a great place to live. I just wish the house prices were'nt as high.
GBpeter
27th February 2007, 04:35 PM
I live in Golden Bay and as Moorf said it is a lovely place with a good community spirit. If you can get a job teaching/nursing or tourist/conservation type services or want to run a tourist centred firm (food, accomodation etc) or just drop out as a lifestyler then welcome aboard. You would not want to work commute to Nelson or even Motueka.
markynz
7th March 2007, 07:01 AM
Hi all,
just thinking - if anyone would like to have an expat get together in Nelson, then please get in touch
Mark
just thinking - if anyone would like to have an expat get together in Nelson, then please get in touch
Mark
Juniper
7th March 2007, 09:55 AM
Sounds to me like the Santa Cruz of the South Seas. When people flock to a place for the beauty/sun rather than the jobs, I should think it's not unusual to see an absurdly high cost of living despite low wages.
Around here, we get the same complaints about locals not being able to afford houses in their own towns. Lots of people just sleep here, driving 1-3 hrs (each way) for decent jobs. I guess many of them could be migrants, since the San Jose IT jobs are largely staffed with Indians, Chinese, Phillipinos, etc. (In my one Silicon Valley job, I'd say 90% of my coworkers were from overseas).
Then of course there are the tourists, and people who just spend weekends here...to sail their boats or whatever. The University crowd keeps the vibe young, though, and a certain degree of thrifty eating/shopping opportunities. (Still speaking of Santa Cruz here, not Nelson)
I guess Nelson veers more towards old...but I hear the art/craft scene is great, so it might have a "cool" vibe after all...any comments from those visiting? What about hippie sensibilities, e.g. organic this and co-op that? Does it feel "gentrified" in some places and run-down in others? I'm pretty curious how well the parallel to SC holds up.
If you can afford it, it's really worth it to live in a scenic yet economically depressed town!
Around here, we get the same complaints about locals not being able to afford houses in their own towns. Lots of people just sleep here, driving 1-3 hrs (each way) for decent jobs. I guess many of them could be migrants, since the San Jose IT jobs are largely staffed with Indians, Chinese, Phillipinos, etc. (In my one Silicon Valley job, I'd say 90% of my coworkers were from overseas).
Then of course there are the tourists, and people who just spend weekends here...to sail their boats or whatever. The University crowd keeps the vibe young, though, and a certain degree of thrifty eating/shopping opportunities. (Still speaking of Santa Cruz here, not Nelson)
I guess Nelson veers more towards old...but I hear the art/craft scene is great, so it might have a "cool" vibe after all...any comments from those visiting? What about hippie sensibilities, e.g. organic this and co-op that? Does it feel "gentrified" in some places and run-down in others? I'm pretty curious how well the parallel to SC holds up.
If you can afford it, it's really worth it to live in a scenic yet economically depressed town!
markynz
8th March 2007, 03:38 PM
I see what you're saying, but I don't think Nelson is economically depressed. There is an undesirable area south of the city, but its hardly the bronx.
There is a lot of money around this town and whilst wages are not great I think the whole lifestyle thing counts for so much more.
You just have to cut you cloth to what you can afford.
There is a lot of money around this town and whilst wages are not great I think the whole lifestyle thing counts for so much more.
You just have to cut you cloth to what you can afford.
Juniper
8th March 2007, 06:44 PM
Yeah, I'm no economist :-P I'm just comparing the earning potential compared to the major cities. From what I'm hearing, there is not a broad spectrum of job types available around Nelson, and unlike other places with high costs of living, the wages aren't keeping pace. Or maybe I'm just projecting my own seaside mecca experiences!
Santa Cruz has the whole well-to-do thing going as well, but that's only one of the classes. All sorts of people manage to live here, but many are scraping by, perpetual renters who will never afford a house.
The lucky ones are the folks who bought a place 30 years ago for 60k, and can now sell for 600k...
Santa Cruz has the whole well-to-do thing going as well, but that's only one of the classes. All sorts of people manage to live here, but many are scraping by, perpetual renters who will never afford a house.
The lucky ones are the folks who bought a place 30 years ago for 60k, and can now sell for 600k...
markynz
9th March 2007, 07:08 AM
I agree with a lot of what you're saying.
I actually have my own business as a computer engineer and every day visit a wide variety of people. You can see that business in particular seems to do very well here. I think what is surprising is the sheer weight of people with REALLY nice houses and properties round here. I remember in the UK, you would get nice areas, but always counterbalanced with very depressed areas. I can't really see that here. Sure there are run down parts, but in comparison are few and far between.
Just talking to people, they seem to be confident with their finances a lot more than people in the UK were. Which has surprised me a great deal. I think there is a lot of ' old money ' here, that has been passed on from generations ago.
Also, Nelson is the main hub for the entire top of the south island - people come from all around to do their business here. And of course the tourism industry is very big
I actually have my own business as a computer engineer and every day visit a wide variety of people. You can see that business in particular seems to do very well here. I think what is surprising is the sheer weight of people with REALLY nice houses and properties round here. I remember in the UK, you would get nice areas, but always counterbalanced with very depressed areas. I can't really see that here. Sure there are run down parts, but in comparison are few and far between.
Just talking to people, they seem to be confident with their finances a lot more than people in the UK were. Which has surprised me a great deal. I think there is a lot of ' old money ' here, that has been passed on from generations ago.
Also, Nelson is the main hub for the entire top of the south island - people come from all around to do their business here. And of course the tourism industry is very big
Nelsonian
9th March 2007, 08:13 AM
Hi - been offline for a while.
markynz - If you plan to organise a Nelson get-together, please put the details up - although am headed back to UK for a visit in a few weeks.
Re Juniper's comments, Nelson certainly scores with a long arts and "alternative/green" tradition. Arts wise - the historic Suter Gallery, oldest (though closed due to disrepair) theatre in NZ, high-profilei annual arts festival, many artists (painters, potters, ceramics, jewlellers), home to World of Wearable Arts and several well-known clothes designers.
Also lots of small-scale organic food producers selling at the main Saturday market and Friday Founders Farmer's Market - quite a few restaurants/cafes selling organic food. Good "green party" credentials with green party office in town and high profile ex-Green MP Mike Ward championing a lot of issues.
Of course, like everywhere else the rugged individualistic arts/green culture is challenged by a more passive consumer model and the march of chain/franchise stores - but Nelson is still pretty special!:)
markynz - If you plan to organise a Nelson get-together, please put the details up - although am headed back to UK for a visit in a few weeks.
Re Juniper's comments, Nelson certainly scores with a long arts and "alternative/green" tradition. Arts wise - the historic Suter Gallery, oldest (though closed due to disrepair) theatre in NZ, high-profilei annual arts festival, many artists (painters, potters, ceramics, jewlellers), home to World of Wearable Arts and several well-known clothes designers.
Also lots of small-scale organic food producers selling at the main Saturday market and Friday Founders Farmer's Market - quite a few restaurants/cafes selling organic food. Good "green party" credentials with green party office in town and high profile ex-Green MP Mike Ward championing a lot of issues.
Of course, like everywhere else the rugged individualistic arts/green culture is challenged by a more passive consumer model and the march of chain/franchise stores - but Nelson is still pretty special!:)
ruzoko
15th April 2008, 11:29 PM
There is an undesirable area south of the city, but its hardly the bronx.
Hi, can you be more specific about this undesirable area? What schools can you specifically recommend for primary and kindy aged kids also? we're hoping to come on down to Nelson very shortly and my kids have been moved around rather a lot recently! Hoping to settle down a bit in a gentle sort of a way.:nice1
Hi, can you be more specific about this undesirable area? What schools can you specifically recommend for primary and kindy aged kids also? we're hoping to come on down to Nelson very shortly and my kids have been moved around rather a lot recently! Hoping to settle down a bit in a gentle sort of a way.:nice1
thezorbster
16th April 2008, 09:54 AM
I would guess at the Toi Toi area around the hospital but it is nothing compared to undesirable areas of the UK. Does look a bit more run down around there.
Have you checked out the education reports for schools? Really depends upon whether you want to be in the city itself or nearby, eg Richmond. The town schools are generally larger and in my opinion a bit more impersonal which is why we chose rural with a nice, community school. May be able to give you a bit more info if you could be a bit more specific on location. I don't know much about Nelson schools themselves as we never considered living in town but there are areas further out such as Hope with good schools but more of a villagey feel.
Have you checked out the education reports for schools? Really depends upon whether you want to be in the city itself or nearby, eg Richmond. The town schools are generally larger and in my opinion a bit more impersonal which is why we chose rural with a nice, community school. May be able to give you a bit more info if you could be a bit more specific on location. I don't know much about Nelson schools themselves as we never considered living in town but there are areas further out such as Hope with good schools but more of a villagey feel.
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