Hey guys, after spending a long weekend in Napier I'm strongly considering a move there. I'm just wondering what all the locals think of it?
I'm an intermediate/primary teacher so it shouldn't be as hard to find a job as other professions. I have 1 daughter and another on the way. My wife is Chinese and her parents live with us at times. There seems to be a bit of a Chinese community there. We all loved the look of the lifestyle, lots of outdoor opportunities, heaps of facilities for kids, climate etc.
What are the positives and negatives in your opinion? The only bad side I've heard about is bored teenagers/boy racers but that's a reality anywhere in the country.
The weather is better than Wellington. The fishings not bad either at certain times. I am a qualified primary school teacher also although havent been in the profession for some time. I"m not sure how well stocked the schools are but I do know they are pretty keen on male teachers which will give you a bit of an advantage job wise. I lived in Welly for a few years before moving here. Welly is a great place, particularly culturally and economically. Youve got a lot more going on there and there are better work opportunities. The Bay is a bit parochial at times, but its still a nice place. Ive met a lot of nice people here and its a good place to live. You and your partner will need to be able to manage that provincial change of pace which is a lot slower. But it is only 3.5 hours away if you have kids and friends there. I know there is a bit of a chinese community here also from my time near EIT as we had a number of chinese students living with us. I can definitely say I and my partner overall have not regreted the move at all.
The climate is usually better than most other areas of NZ. Many times we miss out on the forecast crap weather when other areas cop it. HB is lagging behind on the Gov'ts imaginary economic recovery, you'd want to get jobs etc confirmed and signed up well before moving. http://www.paniasurfcasting.org http://www.surfcaster.co.nz
The joy of Hawke's Bay is not just confined to Napier, there is the twin city of Hastings, plus the upmarket village of Havelock North.
I am not aware of problems with boy racers and as already mentioned, if they do exist it keeps Napier in company with most large cities. The plus side of the ledger is best discovered with a quick exploration of Google, but examine Hastings as well. The two cities are only minutes apart and on the motorway, it would be quicker to reach the other city than to drive across Wellington during the busy time of the day.
The area is served with regular flights to the main centres, and there are frequent inter-city bus lines. Public transport is also quite good but most important of all there are no parking problems. The main road to Wellington is simple to follow, as is the main road to Auckland.
Being surrounded by high ranges, much of the bad weather that heads this way is either diverted around the ranges to Taupo or sent out to sea, 'The Bay' seems to have its own micro climate, this is very acceptable all year. The first day of winter was celebrated with the temperature settled nicely on 21 degrees. When we do get frosts, by 9:00am the sun will be out, there will be very little wind and it will be a nice warm day. At 4:00pm, when the sun drops, it will be closely followed by the temperature but winters are supposed to be cold, especially at night.
Hawke's Bay used to run the most wonderful advertising slogan. "Welcome to Napier, where it only rains because we need it." This past summer has seen that motto really come to fruition, a period where rain was needed most urgently.
Wellington has carried the news that in the last few days, even the hills are on the move. There could be no better time to consider a shift to this area. I also have a Chinese partner, and in Hastings there are four speciality shops that cater for Chinese food supplies, including a small Chinese supermarket.
You'll love it if you like the oudoors, the ocean, rivers and lakes. There is a wealth of things to do in the area and you can easily escape. Taupo is only 2 hrs away, Mahia is the same, Gisborne three hours and three and a half to Whakatane.The Bay is compact and mountains to sea is only an hour by car. By trout streams it takes days. I was born here over 60 years ago and havnt forund a better spot anywhere to live, work and play. Oh, and do you enjoy a nice white wine? Well this is where it comes from!The snapper don't know where the car park is! Sometimes it is better to travel than to arrive.
on 3/6/2013, 7:47 pm