Relocating to NZ. Questions for Kiwis!

electric_future

To be honest, having travelled a bit in Australia, I would probably rate your 'chances' just as good there, and rural Victoria is a relatively idyllic place that will do well as long as it rains occasionally!

With a child on the way, beware of making big life decisions. There seems to be a inbuilt genetic urge to make huge changes in lifestyle when people have children, and you might want to wait for a couple of years to make sure you feel the same way. Support networks like family and friends are important!

Not wanting to pour cold water on your idea, but 1-in-100 year earthquakes are the least of your worries... and wooden houses generally withstand them anyway. The West Coast of the South Island has a rugged beauty and is certainly a fascinating place, but as for living there, you might want to "try before you buy", rent a house there for a month or something. (another thing, the houses in NZ are uninsulated wooden nightmares that are thermodynamically hopeless and unbelieveably expensive to buy...)

It also sounds like a hard place to make a living- what do you intend to do? The cliche is that it's a mix of coal miners and pot growers, and kind of a place where burned out hippies end up- maybe a bit like Nimbin if it was wet and remote? The towns are reasonably nice and I do enjoy going there, but it's no utopia!

The climate is very cold and very wet- not quite as wet as Fiordland (7000mm/year) but high nonetheless. Temperature struggles to make double figures in winter and even in summer will top out at about 25 degrees C, whereas just over the hill in Nelson it will get to 30+. The constant northwesterlies will drive you crazy if you aren't prepared for them. Sandflies can be a problem, but not too bad.

Some data on climate available
here, (click on the diagrams on the right) and here.

TonyPrep