Dunedin, NZ Anyone!!!

[InochiZo]

I am considering a move there?

It looks awesome. I know it's cold now but the climate is close to what I am used to. I'm from Portland, Oregon.

I am more interested in cost of living differences. From what I have seen the housing is pretty cheap but most everything else looks similar. Any thoughts considerations would be helpful.

[yokiwimama]

I've only just joined the forum and saw your post, if you're still interested, I have this to offer. I'm originally from Dunedin but live in Wellington. Dunedin is cheaper in the everyday costs than Auckland or Wellington. Rent is cheaper, but it is going up. You can a get a much bigger house in Dunedin than for the same price in Wellington. On the downside salaries tend to be lower. Mosgiel is becoming an increasingly popular place to live, it's warmer as it's more sheltered than town but is prone to flooding.

Be warned it's a University town so it can be a bit "alternative" sometimes. It can also be a little red-neck at other times.

See this website http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/.
And can I suggest you think about joining something like Playcentre if you do decide to live here http://www.playcentre.org.nz/ - good place to meet other mothers - you'll need support if you are far from family.

Let me know if you want to know more.

[chocolatefish]

Hey there

We just moved from Dunedin about 5 months ago (now living in lyon, France) and am from Scotland originally. We were in NZ for about '4.5 years in total. I enjoyed a lot of NZ, and probably felt more at home in the South. Dunedin is a good sized city, big enough to have all the service you light need but no traffic jams even during rush hour. Also a uni town so better bookshops than many other places. Cost of living can only be judged relative to the salary / income that you are likely to have, we found NZ to be pretty expensive in terms of COL. Have you had a look at emigratenz website - loads of posts / info there. We lived on the Otago Peninsula, Macandrew Bay was brilliant place to live.

PS housing in NZ is not cheap relative to local salaries and the (poor) quality of it has to be seen to be believed especially considering the weather in Otago! IIn my experience insulation / double glazing tends to be non-existent, most are single skin brick / wooden boxes, problems with damp, condensation and draughts are standard.

[InochiZo]

Originally Posted by yokiwimama

I've only just joined the forum and saw your post, if you're still interested, I have this to offer. I'm originally from Dunedin but live in Wellington. Dunedin is cheaper in the everyday costs than Auckland or Wellington. Rent is cheaper, but it is going up. You can a get a much bigger house in Dunedin than for the same price in Wellington. On the downside salaries tend to be lower. Mosgiel is becoming an increasingly popular place to live, it's warmer as it's more sheltered than town but is prone to flooding.

Be warned it's a University town so it can be a bit "alternative" sometimes. It can also be a little red-neck at other times.

See this website http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/.
And can I suggest you think about joining something like Playcentre if you do decide to live here http://www.playcentre.org.nz/ - good place to meet other mothers - you'll need support if you are far from family.

Let me know if you want to know more.

Ohhh, thanks for the place to meet mama's information. In case we do move there. I'll need it. I have spent quite a bit of time on the government website. I love alternative, it's where we're from too. We also have a fair amount of red necks here in Oregon.

Originally Posted by chocolatefish

Hey there

We just moved from Dunedin about 5 months ago (now living in lyon, France) and am from Scotland originally. We were in NZ for about '4.5 years in total. I enjoyed a lot of NZ, and probably felt more at home in the South. Dunedin is a good sized city, big enough to have all the service you light need but no traffic jams even during rush hour. Also a uni town so better bookshops than many other places. Cost of living can only be judged relative to the salary / income that you are likely to have, we found NZ to be pretty expensive in terms of COL. Have you had a look at emigratenz website - loads of posts / info there. We lived on the Otago Peninsula, Macandrew Bay was brilliant place to live.

PS housing in NZ is not cheap relative to local salaries and the (poor) quality of it has to be seen to be believed especially considering the weather in Otago! IIn my experience insulation / double glazing tends to be non-existent, most are single skin brick / wooden boxes, problems with damp, condensation and draughts are standard.

Thanks for the response!

We'd heard about the poor housing construction. DH was working toward home inspection here and would probably have to lower his standards a lot if he wanted to continue that there.
I have looked at the website you mentioned a bit and need to check it out more. I will be curious to see if they offer me the job what the pay will be. The initial estimate was very low compared to my current job.
I am wondering if the cultural experiences would out weigh the wage differences. I guess I am willing to take a cut in pay for the experience. We will also be losing family connections that we are really close to and have to weigh that as well.

[yokiwimama]

Originally Posted by chocolatefish

PS housing in NZ is not cheap relative to local salaries and the (poor) quality of it has to be seen to be believed especially considering the weather in Otago! IIn my experience insulation / double glazing tends to be non-existent, most are single skin brick / wooden boxes, problems with damp, condensation and draughts are standard.

Unfortunately I have to agree about that aspect of NZ life. I grew up here so I don't think about it much, but a common complaint of the English/Nth Americans is that we don't "do" central heating here. I blame our dour Scottish ancestry. However that is changing, modern houses have more insulation, central heating etc but you have to move further out of town for modern houses. You'd have to look at alternative heating arrangements for most houses. Most immigrants I know (and I know a lot from working at the University) love Dunedin as a place to bring up kids, but usually leave for warmer climes when the temperature finally wears them down.

[InochiZo]

Originally Posted by yokiwimama

Unfortunately I have to agree about that aspect of NZ life. I grew up here so I don't think about it much, but a common complaint of the English/Nth Americans is that we don't "do" central heating here. I blame our dour Scottish ancestry. However that is changing, modern houses have more insulation, central heating etc but you have to move further out of town for modern houses. You'd have to look at alternative heating arrangements for most houses. Most immigrants I know (and I know a lot from working at the University) love Dunedin as a place to bring up kids, but usually leave for warmer climes when the temperature finally wears them down.

Dunedin is about the same parallel that we are now only southern hemisphere. Oregon is rainy and cool. The summers can be pretty warm and dry but it was a beautiful fall day today. The low was 11 c this AM and 21 c for the high. The rain gets to lot of people here too but us locals are pretty used to it.
I do like my warm house. It's not perfect but it does stay pretty warm. How 'bout newer apartment buildings are they pretty nice. Do any apartments accept dogs?

[AislinCarys]

Hi!

We're in Wellington, but love Dunedin, and hope to move there at some point.

There are few apartment blocks in this country at all, and apartments are often expensive - often bought. Flats are rented properties, but almost always a house, or part of a 2-story villa . They are mostly owned privately (as an investment, which is why flats are generally so bad!), so pets are up to the actual owner, and it varies.

Dunedin is not very wet, by the way. And has quite a lot of sun.

[yokiwimama]

I'd have to say that I cannot think of one apartment block in Dunedin. There are some apartments in converted warehouse buildings, and I used to know of one near the Queen's Gardens (just off town centre, heading South) that accepted dogs, but that might just have been because the original developer loved dogs, and the building has been sold since then, so rules might have changed. But they are expensive. Maybe it's a Dunedin thing but we are big on dogs so I don't imagine you'd have that many problems renting with a dog.
As AislinCarys says Dunedin winters tend to be a dry cold. And summers can be damp.

A good way to get yourself established is to see (via the Otago Uni website) if any academic staff are going on sabbatical and want a house-sitter or do a house swap. That way you can see what areas are most desirable to live in. Living in the Bays (on the South side not the Port side) would be really nice. Sun, water and occasionally dolphins swimming in the harbour.

[InochiZo]

Originally Posted by yokiwimama

I'd have to say that I cannot think of one apartment block in Dunedin. There are some apartments in converted warehouse buildings, and I used to know of one near the Queen's Gardens (just off town centre, heading South) that accepted dogs, but that might just have been because the original developer loved dogs, and the building has been sold since then, so rules might have changed. But they are expensive. Maybe it's a Dunedin thing but we are big on dogs so I don't imagine you'd have that many problems renting with a dog.
As AislinCarys says Dunedin winters tend to be a dry cold. And summers can be damp.

A good way to get yourself established is to see (via the Otago Uni website) if any academic staff are going on sabbatical and want a house-sitter or do a house swap. That way you can see what areas are most desirable to live in. Living in the Bays (on the South side not the Port side) would be really nice. Sun, water and occasionally dolphins swimming in the harbour.

Yeah, I was thinking today of a house swap idea. It's good to know that it is a dog friendly place the US is not that dog friendly in general. My children have caused way more damage to the house than the dog. I don't know if anyone wants to visit Oregon though.

[yokiwimama]

I know what you mean about the kids doing more damage than the dog!

Have you looked at Trade Me (the NZ equivalent of E-bay)
http://www.trademe.co.nz/Trade-Me-Property/index.htm because they also list rental properties etc.

I also think there is a site dedicated to house-swapping, but can't think of it at the moment. Maybe if you google it.

Better dash I can hear that someone's woken up from their nap.

[Murihiku]

Are you still considering a move? I just found this thread and I can tell you that if I was independently wealthy and had only myself to please I would choose Dunedin to live in. Perhaps my memories of life as an undergraduate colour my memories of the place, but I LOVE it: the hills, the views, the houses, the students, the Pacific Ocean, the ever-changing weather. I miss Dunedin!

Now on a practical level, the houses can be cold, and the cost of living a bit high, especially clothes, but if you like walking (or running) there is no other place I've ever been that can compare.

You should go!

[InochiZo]

Well, I'll have to plan a vacation, because the job didn't pan out. They sounded a little too uptight for me anyway. Oh well! I love my family here, but it does sound like a beautiful place. DH and I probably will plan a visit if we can ever stop spending money on our house. Thanks everybody for the input.

Originally Posted by Murihiku

Are you still considering a move? I just found this thread and I can tell you that if I was independently wealthy and had only myself to please I would choose Dunedin to live in. Perhaps my memories of life as an undergraduate colour my memories of the place, but I LOVE it: the hills, the views, the houses, the students, the Pacific Ocean, the ever-changing weather. I miss Dunedin!

Now on a practical level, the houses can be cold, and the cost of living a bit high, especially clothes, but if you like walking (or running) there is no other place I've ever been that can compare.

You should go!