Weather in Welly

Hi all Welly members.

We are in the process of moving to Wellington with our two children. After lots of research we have settled on Brooklyn or Johnsonville, as they appear to have good schools. Would love to hear from you if this is right or wrong.
My one burning question is the weather. We live in Manchester so are used to rain and grey days, no summer in summer, it is 22* today though. I have heard that the weather in Wellington is just as bad as here in the North of England, any members from here that can tell me if this is mythical or true?

Thanks.

I am sorry I can't compare weather for you as we come from Canada, but at this time of year…yes, it is truly gross. We are even expecting hail, light snow and antarctic winds by the end of the week ;) You don't move to Wellington for the weather but nonetheless, it is a fantastic city. We just bought a home in Brooklyn and love it (although it is expensive). The vibe of Brooklyn and Johnsonville are completely different so you are almost comparing apples and oranges in terms of lifestyle and neighbourhoods…! Brooklyn is city fringe and feels very much part of Wellington. It is windy, hilly and chock full of character and a mix of lovely professional families and …granola folk….lots of walking to town and around from here. Johnsonville is nestled in a valley that is quite separate from the city though accessible by train. It is more developed with North American chains and a small mall. More amenities for families within walking distance I think…
Check out my blog, perhaps it will help!
kidsintow.co.nz
Cheers :)
Kristen

Hi,

I am a Kiwi who has just moved to Wellington (I am from Dunedin) after 18 years overseas, with a 3 and 5 year old. We are finding the weather not as cold as London in the middle of winter but it does get windy. The sun comes out a lot more than in England in winter and you can go days without a winter coat on. Make sure you find a house that has sun and is warm, no heating like the UK. We are in Hataitai at the moment but looking to buy in Hataitai, Island Bay, Mt Vic all have good schools. We are going to have another look at Brooklyn, it does have good schools and is close to the city, lots of family's but we said no because it does not have any shops and we felt we had to get in the car every time we left the house. It would pay to rent till you can have a look around and find an area that you like. When are you arriving, would be more than happy to meet up when you do as we would love to meet some new people.

If you want the best school for the kids to attend in Welly, send them to Wadestown Primary, Johnsonville is fine too.
Another GREAT school is Eastborne, or up on the Kapiti Coast at Raumati School. Further north, the ultimate school which is fairy like with excellent teachers and 6 month waiting list is KopatorOa School; outside of Levin (90MIN OUTSIDE WELLINGTON). If your hubby is working in Welly why not commute, like many others do? Buy a beautiful lifestyle block on the Kapiti Coast, have a fabulous life with the kids and the schools round there are magic. Yet KopatorOa bets them all, by far.

NZ most popular on-line site is, "Trademe.co.nz". Click on this and it will open up a wealth of info in regards to jobs, property, cars etc.

Best of luck.

Hi Kristen, Kimmcg and Suzan,

Thank you for your contribution and for the sharing of informations :)

Maximilien
Expat-blog Team

Hi,  we are from South England and are into our fourth year in Wellington and think the weather is much better all year around,  proper long summer s and easy mild winters with lots of sunny bright days. Just spent a glorious week an hour up the coast and all family wore long sleeved shirts playing on beach all week. Wind is a tad annoying when blowing but luckily not too often.  Angie

I residing in Wellington, Te Aro and close to the city. Just move in from Malaysia. I cant give you specific which school is the best but i heard the best is in Johnsonville. The weather is a bit cold for me as i come from hot climate country. BTW, its windy and today the sun shines!! Cool and i would say a happy welcome to you :D

@ Norhizam

The best school is NOT Johnsonville School. Where did you ever hear that from? If you have special needs kids, a unit for these children is there, which is the best in Welly district.

If I was living in Johnsonville, I would send my children to Wadestown school and if I could not get into this, the next option is Khandallah primary then Ngiao.

I do not mean to be rude, but leave the comments for school recommedations to those who are best qualified, such as NZ parents who for several generations, know these schools and the district.

Thank you.