Palmerston North Advice
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Hi All,
I have been offered a position in Palmerston North by Audit New Zealand, and my wife and I are in the early stages of planning everything as the job starts 1 October.
As South Africans, we obviously don't know the different suburbs too well yet and I thought this would be a great a place as any to ask.
The main reason we are looking to immigrate is because of our 1 year old son - We don't believe that there is much of a future for him here in SA. I'm told that the schools are zoned, so I would like to get it right first time if at all possible, so your advice is greatly appreciated.
PN
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@Crucial said in Palmerston North Advice:
@jegga said in Palmerston North Advice:
@nepia lived there for a while he might have some advice.
It's canes territory, welcome aboard.
You don't live in PN.
No . I didn't say I did?
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@jegga said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Crucial said in Palmerston North Advice:
@jegga said in Palmerston North Advice:
@nepia lived there for a while he might have some advice.
It's canes territory, welcome aboard.
You don't live in PN.
No . I didn't say I did?
Read the sentence another way.
You don't LIVE in PN.
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@PN said in Palmerston North Advice:
Hi All,
I have been offered a position in Palmerston North by Audit New Zealand, and my wife and I are in the early stages of planning everything as the job starts 1 October.
As South Africans, we obviously don't know the different suburbs too well yet and I thought this would be a great a place as any to ask.
The main reason we are looking to immigrate is because of our 1 year old son - We don't believe that there is much of a future for him here in SA. I'm told that the schools are zoned, so I would like to get it right first time if at all possible, so your advice is greatly appreciated.
PN
Here you go. This website should help. https://www.govt.nz/browse/education/school-and-college/school-zones/
Look at school reviews to find those that are rated well then combine that research with real estate affordability (and availability). I have a lot of fuzzies in PN and I gather finding decent housing can be a bitch.
Close to town the 'nicer' area is Hokowhitu but there are quite a few newer housing areas out by Roberts Line toward the airport.
Watch out for damp houses in a lot of areas. If they haven't been renovated a lot of the houses in PN are freezing damp horrible concrete shitholes.
If you want a smaller community feel Ashhurst could be worth a look. You'd probably want to drive to work so factor that in.
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@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
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@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
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@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
No, are you nuts?!? Kidding.
Have family down that way, so spend a bit of time there. Not the same I know, and I lived down the road in Paraparaumu, also not the same.
Seems like any other small town in NZ.
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Some places are better than others, compared to most of rest of planet there are really no bad places to live in NZ, not even Bluff.
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Perfectly fine place to raise kids, close to Wellington by drive and auckland by plane. I think a lot of palmy grief comes from ex students like myself, not exactly the raging hub of a city that you're craving in your early 20s. My sister and her husband started out in Palmy and then moved out to Ashhurst once they had kids, both girls go to the local primary school and love it. Seems to be a very good little social community with parents meeting each other though school and preschool events. I've also heard good things about Palmerston Nth Boys high school too from cousins who used to attend. Keep an eye out for Pacha's kebabs too, best kebabs on the planet!
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@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
You live in hamilton. Its hardly an upgrade
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@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
No, are you nuts?!? Kidding.
Have family down that way, so spend a bit of time there. Not the same I know, and I lived down the road in Paraparaumu, also not the same.
Seems like any other small town in NZ.
@MN5 said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
You live in hamilton. Its hardly an upgrade
? No I don't.
I wouldn't be recommending Hamilton over most of NZ either.
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@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
No, are you nuts?!? Kidding.
Have family down that way, so spend a bit of time there. Not the same I know, and I lived down the road in Paraparaumu, also not the same.
Seems like any other small town in NZ.
@MN5 said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Kirwan said in Palmerston North Advice:
@Hooroo said in Palmerston North Advice:
Compared to what I hear about SA at the moment, it is very safe.
In saying that, I would choose nearly any other city in NZ to live.
In saying that again, where ever you live if you are safe and happy then it doesn't matter where.
It's not that bad, poor guy will wonder what he's doing. It's just a typical small NZ town, calling it a city is a massive stretch.
Close enough to Wellington to drive in for the day, and it has direct flights to Auckland (the only city in NZ). That's probably the best part of NZ, even the isolated parts are not that isolated compared to a country like South Africa.
Have you lived there though?
I spend a couple of years there when in the RNZAF and it really isn't a great place. Windy, Wet and a fair way from anywhere
You live in hamilton. Its hardly an upgrade
? No I don't.
I wouldn't be recommending Hamilton over most of NZ either.
Sorry pal. I need to stalk you more regularly on FB
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@Rembrandt did you try these kebabs?If you ever needed any evidence he was a terrorist a fish kebab sounds to me like a WMD
Ahmed Zaoui serves up first kebab | Newshub
The Desert Rose is Ahmed Zaoui's new business and it symbolises a new chapter in his life.
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I quite liked Palmy as a kid. Lived in Pahiatua over the hill. Couldn't say what it's like now.
It's a bit breezy given the exposure to the prevailing westerlies and to the south. But there's nice country around there.
And as mentioned there's opportunity to reside in some of the smaller towns nearish to Palmy (even Ashurst, Feilding or even Woodville or Pahiatua ... depending on how far you can put up with commuting) or a lifestyle block.
As mentioned it's a smallish city. Kind of a big town with traffic lights.
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@booboo said in Palmerston North Advice:
I quite liked Palmy as a kid. Lived in Pahiatua over the hill. Couldn't say what it's like now.
It's a bit breezy given the exposure to the prevailing westerlies and to the south. But there's nice country around there.
And as mentioned there's opportunity to reside in some of the smaller towns nearish to Palmy (even Ashurst, Feilding or even Woodville or Pahiatua ... depending on how far you can put up with commuting) or a lifestyle block.
As mentioned it's a smallish city. Kind of a big town with traffic lights.
I guess when you come from Pahiatua, Woodville and Ashurst then Palmy could seem likeable.
To be serious, Hokowhitu and Papaioea/Hospital in the centre are the best places, maybe extend as far as West End as a suburb but avoid anything properly on the west.
I can't stand all those little towns near Palmy, all 6 digit banjo towns to me.
Palmy has some ok things, decent cafes that open fairly late, decent Asian food, and is close to Wellington and Hawkes Bay.
But, the weather is atrocious. It's windy as all the time and bitterly cold in the winter. In summer you'll be driving down State Highway 1 in bright sunlight and you'll turn on to State Highway 3 and see a grey cloud hanging over Palmy in the distance.
Be warned though, it's a uni town, and an agricultural one at that so you'll see guys in short rugby shorts and bare feet wandering around the supermarket in 5 deg weather.
Regarding Hamilton, it's a way better city than Palmy, it's not even close. We like to make fun of Hamilton because of the hick town it used to be back in the 90s when we went to uni there. It's a completely different place these days. I'd happily move there again. If I'm lucky I'll never even have to visit Palmy again.
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If I can add one more positive thing. If you do move to Palmy, at least it will give you another opportunity to move somewhere else in NZ after a couple of years and every move will seem like an upgrade.
I would imagine house prices in Palmy are reasonable too.
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wow, I live in NZ, never been to Palmy but reading this thread I wouldn't want to go there!
I live in Whangarei, love it, plenty of people I know don't, plenty will simply drive through on their way north and only have shitty things to say about it.
A lot of the smaller provincial towns seem to get labeled and tough to shift perceptions, Whangarei is probably similar size to Palmy (purely guessing) but I expect Palmy services a larger population with the outer communities and towns?
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@Rembrandt said in Palmerston North Advice:
Its all comparitive but if you're moving from SA because of safety and/or political concerns Palmy would be an absolute heaven
Well said. Also depending where you're moving from in SA, the climate will be a shock in the winter.
I've spent a bit of time in Palmy over the years for work (mainly living out of motels) but I also stayed at my then uni supervisor's home in the Hokowhitu suburb. That's a really nice area as @Nepia mentions.
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Palmy is ok. Seriously @PN .
- Big country town.
- Lower North Island climate (has it's draw backs , yes)
- stink 2nd division NPC rugby team
- silly very recent tradition of wearing buckets on your head
- reasonably green and clean environment
- reasonable beaches at Himatangi and Foxton
- nothing so far away that you can't drive there in 6 hours (Auckland, Coromandel ... Northland is a bit further ... )
- beautiful bush within an hour (google Pohongina ... spots along the Rangitkei River ... the Tararuas ... seriously a fantastic part of the country)
- Palmy will have all services - health/hospitals, banks, government, shopping (in my day they had two quite large department stores on multi-levels buildings... the PDC and the DIC .. don't ask me what either of those stood for ... )
- close to Wellington ( meh)
- close to snow/skiing at Ruapehu
- not a long way from Lakes at Taupo
- not a long way from Hawkes Bay (wines and stuff)
- great rivers and swimming holes
I reckon go for it.
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@booboo is the rugby museum still there? It's been a few years since I went to Palmy. Didn't mind it as it felt like a big country town.
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@ACT-Crusader said in Palmerston North Advice:
@booboo is the rugby museum still there? It's been a few years since I went to Palmy. Didn't mind it as it felt like a big country town.
Yep, it's still there, but it has moved to flash new digs in the town (not next to the ground anymore) with a bunch of other museums and Art galleries.
@booboo - DIC and PDC? Seriously, how long ago were you there? There's an actual shopping mall there now ....
Reasonable beaches? Define reasonable? Has water?
But I agree @PN you should go for it.
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@booboo said in Palmerston North Advice:
- Palmy will have all services - health/hospitals, banks, government, shopping (in my day they had two quite large department stores on multi-levels buildings... the PDC and the DIC .. don't ask me what either of those stood for ... )
The PDC was originally the 'Premier Drapery Company' but in the 50s became part of the flourishing local Co-operative Society that basically ran most of the corner stores and butcheries through town. How do I know such trivia? My grandfather was the chief accountant there for most of his working days.
DICs were right through NZ. I remember the one in Hamilton being the building that became the central library. Google tells me it was the Drapery and General Importing Company.
Must have been a great need for drapes in NZ last century -
@Nepia said in Palmerston North Advice:
@ACT-Crusader said in Palmerston North Advice:
@booboo is the rugby museum still there? It's been a few years since I went to Palmy. Didn't mind it as it felt like a big country town.
Yep, it's still there, but it has moved to flash new digs in the town (not next to the ground anymore) with a bunch of other museums and Art galleries.
@booboo - DIC and PDC? Seriously, how long ago were you there? There's an actual shopping mall there now ....
Reasonable beaches? Define reasonable? Has water?
But I agree @PN you should go for it.
I'm old. Well I'm old next year ...
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the weather in palmy is no worse than wellington. sure that means it has shit weather, but it gets a worse rap than it deserves because most people who spend time there are students who leave for summer, thus seeing palmy at its worst and wherever else at its best, which makes for harsh comparisons.
foxton beach is quite nice, and some of the bush and river swimming spots within range are pretty good. -
@reprobate said in Palmerston North Advice:
the weather in palmy is no worse than wellington. sure that means it has shit weather, but it gets a worse rap than it deserves because most people who spend time there are students who leave for summer, thus seeing palmy at its worst and wherever else at its best, which makes for harsh comparisons.
foxton beach is quite nice, and some of the bush and river swimming spots within range are pretty good.I would say it rains more in Palmy than Wellington?
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@Nepia said in Palmerston North Advice:
@booboo is the rugby museum still there? It's been a few years since I went to Palmy. Didn't mind it as it felt like a big country town.
Yep, it's still there, but it has moved to flash new digs in the town (not next to the ground anymore) with a bunch of other museums and Art galleries.
The Rugby Museum is well worth visiting if you are in town. I was last there in 2015 as we drove down to the Manawatu-Waikato game. I had been to the old museum back in the mid-1990s so it had been a while. It's a pity the new venue isn't a little larger as they don't have the space to display all of their memorabilia.
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Wow, I'm absolutely blown away with everyone's input! But then, considering the help I received on the forum back in 2011 when arranging my wedding proposal on the Skytower it shouldn't come as a surprise (The fact that there was a little tournament on during that time was merely incidental, hehe) Come to think of it, what ever happened to Gibbit? I don't see him post on here anymore?
We would need to buy a car once we're that side, and I'm not entirely sure of the motoring landscape that side? General Motors recently pulled out of South Africa, which has meant all owners of Chevrolet and Opel vehicles now need to pay a substantially higher price parts as they now have to be imported. I'm not exactly keen on buying a cheap car only to be smacked with expensive maintenance costs once the service plan expires. Any Advice as to what are good choices in this regard?
So the Wife and I still need to tie up a lot of loose ends this side (Medicals, English tests, Police Clearances, shipping container, house & cars etc). All of which should be a breeze in comparison with trying to obtain an Unabridged Birth Certificate from the Department of Home Affairs. A process that can take up to 4 months. Even then, my cousin only received hers after the allotted 4 month - With her husband listed as her father, but I hear results vary so one can only hope.. If the worst comes to the worst, I can pay to have this process expedited by a private company which somehow is able to get ID/Passports/Birth Docs etc within 2 weeks - For a price. Go Figure.
Any way, thanks again to everyone on the site for the assistance, and the laughs. Look forward to the responses in the morning.
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@Gibbit is too cool for us plebs who post for free, he gets paid to talk shit about sport on the radio, among other things...
As to cars, access to parts, buy Japanese, so many of them imported in NZ so parts access is best there, otherwise all vehicles are imported to NZ anyway.
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@PN said in Palmerston North Advice:
Wow, I'm absolutely blown away with everyone's input! But then, considering the help I received on the forum back in 2011 when arranging my wedding proposal on the Skytower it shouldn't come as a surprise (The fact that there was a little tournament on during that time was merely incidental, hehe) Come to think of it, what ever happened to Gibbit? I don't see him post on here anymore?
We would need to buy a car once we're that side, and I'm not entirely sure of the motoring landscape that side? General Motors recently pulled out of South Africa, which has meant all owners of Chevrolet and Opel vehicles now need to pay a substantially higher price parts as they now have to be imported. I'm not exactly keen on buying a cheap car only to be smacked with expensive maintenance costs once the service plan expires. Any Advice as to what are good choices in this regard?
So the Wife and I still need to tie up a lot of loose ends this side (Medicals, English tests, Police Clearances, shipping container, house & cars etc). All of which should be a breeze in comparison with trying to obtain an Unabridged Birth Certificate from the Department of Home Affairs. A process that can take up to 4 months. Even then, my cousin only received hers after the allotted 4 month - With her husband listed as her father, but I hear results vary so one can only hope.. If the worst comes to the worst, I can pay to have this process expedited by a private company which somehow is able to get ID/Passports/Birth Docs etc within 2 weeks - For a price. Go Figure.
Any way, thanks again to everyone on the site for the assistance, and the laughs. Look forward to the responses in the morning.
I guess your choices are dealing with armed gangs, roving thugs and living in constant fear or staying in South Africa.
Your call.
