Where to live
Most legal opportunities are likely to be in the country's commercial capital, Auckland, while the major law firms also have presences in the capital city, Wellington, and in the South Island's main centre, Christchurch. Salaries are higher in Auckland, but so are property prices. All 3 centres have easy access to the main point of living in New Zealand - the great outdoors. New Zealand has a greater proportion of its land protected within national parks than any other country in the world and the scenery on both of its main islands is stunning.
Further information:
Auckland
Home to a quarter of New Zealand's 4 million people, Auckland is the largest city in New Zealand and by far its most cosmopolitan. It has the country's best shopping and nightlife while Auckland's diverse population mix – Maori, European, Asian and Pacific Islander - makes for a rich cultural life and an exciting culinary scene – Auckland claims to have more cafes and bars per capita than New York.
Although not as obviously physically attractive as Wellington or Christchurch, Auckland has some fine parks and architecture and is on the doorstep of some of New Zealand's finest beaches, islands and countryside. With its coastal position and natural harbours, yachting is enormously popular - another of the city's claims is that it has the highest rate of boat ownership in the world. Auckland's other advantage over other NZ cities is its climate. It enjoys long warm (up to 27C) summers and mild winters.
None of this comes cheap, of course. With an average property price of NZ$390,000 (£155,000), Auckland is New Zealand's most expensive city by some margin, although Auckland's property prices do compare very favorably with Australian cities and, to put it mildly, the UK.
One of Auckland's downsides in recent years has been its poor public transport infrastructure and consequent traffic problems, which has led to the increasing popularity of city centre living and inner city suburbs such as Ponsonby and Parnell, where well-located apartments start at NZ$300,000 (£120,000) and 3 bed houses range from NZ$300,000 to NZ$1.5m (£119,000-£600,000). Houses and apartments with views of the harbour command a substantial premium, however, and it is quite possible to spend NZ$3m (£1.2m) on a city centre penthouse. The range of rental property available is equally wide, but average rents are around NZ$3000 (£1200) for a 3 bed house at the better end of the market.
The other residential favorite in Auckland are the suburbs found on the North Shore, across the harbour bridge. Better 3 bed houses here retail from NZ$350,000 NZ$£1m (£140,000-£487,000), and rent for around NZ$2500 (£995) per month.
Wellington
One of the world's smaller capital cities with a population of just over 300,000, Wellington nevertheless manages to be New Zealand's premier arts centre while the presence of the country's politicians (and their expense accounts) has given the city a restaurant scene that well exceeds what could be expected from a relatively small city.
Culturally, Wellington is an artsy, liberal city compared to the more dynamic, commercial Auckland and (thanks in part to its location on a seismic fault-line) has been spared the skyscrapers and huge apartment blocks that characterize that city. Wellington is also home to Peter Jackson, director of the Lord of the Rings films which have boosted NZ's tourism industry so much. The films had their world premieres in Wellington and many of the scenes for the film were filmed in the countryside around the city, which is characterized by forested rolling hills and dramatic river valleys.
The city itself is lined along a wide bay and the other major feature of Wellington is its topography – its steep hills mean that the city's development has not sprawled concentrically from its CBD, but along the valleys to north and north-east, meaning that residents are never far form the countryside. The weather in 'windy' Wellington, meanwhile, is both a blessing and a curse, blowing away the pollution but providing relatively few still, sunny days on which to enjoy the beach.
By New Zealand standards, Wellington has a good commuter rail network and some of the most desirable residential locations are a little way outside town. The average property price in Wellington is NZ$315,000 (£125,000), although houses in the city's premier suburbs of Karori and Khandala are more like NZ$600,000 (£238,000). House rentals in these areas are typically around NZ$1700 (£680) per month.
Christchurch
The largest city on the ruggedly beautiful south island, Christchurch is New Zealand's most 'English' city (and the others are hardly a culture shock), with its abundance of Victorian Gothic architecture, its botanical gardens and punting on the River Avon. It also has a thriving arts scene and a plethora of good restaurants and claims to host more festivals than any other city in New Zealand.
The real attraction of life in Christchurch, however, is its proximity to the great outdoors. An hour or two's drive brings you to some of the country's best ski-slopes, rivers, mountains and coastline and surfing beaches. While for the less energetic, the region also offers vineyards, golf courses, the opportunity to watch whales at Kaikoura, or gentle walking activities on the Banks Peninsula.
House prices are significantly lower in Christchurch than in the two main north island cities, at an average NZ$274,000 (£109,000), although executive houses are closer to NZ$500,000 (£200,000) Thanks to the low population density of the south island, bungalows dominate the property market and apartment blocks are relatively few and far between. Rental property is also less abundant than in Auckland or Wellington, and ranges from NZ$200-NZ$400 (£80-£160) per week.
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