Wellington

likeaboss123

Hi there,

Im planning on moving to Wellington in a couple of months, Im a little anxious as I am going by myself and I have no contacts in the country. I thought I'd try something new.

I have a few questions when it comes to finding places to live. I have been browsing different sites and a one bed apt is quiet expensive, has anyone tried shared accomodation? Thje thoughts frighten me a little but until I get set up im considering it.

Jobs:- I have a wide range of skills from office, finance & retail. No specfic trade but alot of experience, will this be a problem do you think? I skipped the college thing so I dont have a degree or anything. I hope this wouldnt hinder my chances.

I really want to work on making a new life as Ireland at the moment is in such a dark place.

Am I mad making a big move by myself? Im outgoing and dont usually have problems making friends but at the same time a new city on the other side of the world for a twenty something girl can be quiet intimadating.

Ill prob have about €2500 on arrival. Initally I will take any work to get me by but id obviously like the security of a permanent job.

Any insight to any of my points will be greatly appreciated.

pclancy

You're doing the right thing, moving to a new place will introduce you to new people and cultures that you havent experienced before and you'll make plenty of new friends soon.

There are lots of options for shared accommodation. The hostels are quite nice here compared to Ireland and you can easily get a private room to use as a base until you find a job and move into a shared house/apartment. There are lots of other expats here just like you who share houses around the place, Trademe is a good place to look.

I dont think you'll have much hassle finding work, as soon as you get here register with all the office temping agencies and you'll find something. Degree doesnt matter that much in my view, real experiences is what counts and Kiwi employers will want you to demonstrate commitment to them and that you're not going to bugger off after a few months (unless you're just on a short term contract in which case who cares). If you're on a working holiday visa you might find it hard find permaant work as you're going to likely leave after your year so perhaps say you're planning on staying long term if you apply for those positions. I see bars, shops and offices all looking for staff right now. Have your CV ready to go from day one and your interview clothes ready. You will need to work hard, get out there to get your CV in front of people for the first few weeks possibly with a lot of no responses or put downs but if you put the groundwork in you'll find work.

2500 euros will likely last you only a few weeks if you go out and party or do lots of sightseeing so keep your money spending on a tight leash until you find work, its amazing how quickly you can burn through money here. Some things are pricey and you probably wont get paid for a few weeks after you start work so leave yourself some room.

meetup.com is a great way to do social activities and make friends, the Irish society is good for a pint and there are lots of clubs and sports groups here too.

likeaboss123

Thanks pclancy,

This is some great information, thank you so much for your insight.

justshane

I'm not sure about Wellington but a degree seems important in Christchurch.

Leinster Lad

Hi all,
Currently waiting on visa to move to Wellington.
Can anyone advise on best options for banking (current account), taking into consideration ATM network in Welly, charges and customer services? Also, which mobile network (bill pay) would you recommend for the Welly region (coverage, rates)?
Thanks for help, I'm sure as the months go by I'll be looking for pointers on cars, accomodation and watering holes!

Again thanks for any information.

pclancy

Banks: All the same mate, all have phone/internet/facetoface banking, all have similar rates and fees that sometimes might be slightly better or worse between them depending on their current promotion, all have good ATM networks and lots of branches. Kiwibank is the only NZ owned one and has a different type of branch network being usually in post offices. All the other banks are Ozzie owned and send their profits overseas. So if you want support NZ go with Kiwibank, if not it doesnt really matter which one you choose. some people say customer service varies, I personally don't see any difference, at the end of the day they are all banks that exist purely to make money out of your money, not to help you get anywhere! I've had agood and bad service from ANZ depending on the person I happened to speak to and how little or much they care about their job. All have migration "experts" that will help you open an account and transfer money from Ireland.

Mobiles: Vodafone and Telecom are the big boys, 2 Degrees the small fry with slightly less coverage out in the whops but fine in Wellington. Not much of a difference again really though someone at work today complained about Vodafone's 3G coverage during her train ride to work. I've been with Telecom for years and they're grand. There's also Skinny mobile which is telecoms brand aimed at teenagers.

When you do get to Wellington there's a really sound Irish guy called Rory who is the manager of the Telecom store on Willis St and will give you a good deal to get started.

Matt Simis

pclancy wrote: »

Kiwibank is the only NZ owned one and has a different type of branch network being usually in post offices. All the other banks are Ozzie owned and send their profits overseas. So if you want support NZ go with Kiwibank,

Ive sent my Overseas Bank account creation application to them last week and havent heard a single thing! I opened a support ticket with them yesterday too, will see..


PS: This was my Eight thousandth post!

Genevieve Tie

Hello!

I'm moving to NZ in July and I would really like to know how you got on?! Are you still in New Zealand? Did it take long to get a job?

Just1

Hi guys,
I'm new in town, just arrived yesterday. If anyone fancies grabbing a pint over the next few days I'd be keen. It would be great to hear your opinions/stories on life in wellington and also an opportunity for me to meet new friends.

On a side note, do bars here show the premiership and do any of you guys know ppl who play football with a local side or play yourselves.

Cookie_Monster

Just1 wrote: »

On a side note, do bars here show the premiership and do any of you guys know ppl who play football with a local side or play yourselves.

on this, yes you can get it in place but just remember in general it's on in the early hours. Sunday afternoon games being super early monday morning for example, it sucks