Working in healthcare in Wellington:

I moved to Welly just over 2 years ago with healthcare abroad and I am honestly so happy I did. Healthcare abroad helped with myself and my partners visa when we first arrived and sorted me with a really great job in a private practice. The first week we came they put us in touch with another couple who came also with them and we are still great pals 2 years on and have done so many adventures together

Prior to moving to NZ, I debated what city to live in and was tossing up between a few but settled on Wellington due to the fact it’s quite an artsy city and has lots going on and lots of culture. Honestly, Wellington has been the best city ever to live in! It has the mountains, the beaches, the cool city vibe, lots of music and is really handy for getting to the South Island quickly by flight or ferry. I also like the fact the city isn’t too big so everywhere is within walking distance. There’s some cool local festivals like “Cuba dupa” and Newtown festival which happen yearly. The people here and really nice and there is plenty of healthcare jobs available.

On the weekends normally I go out for ocean swims with one of the many social swim clubs, might do one of the local hikes or might do a road trip to nearby destinations like Martinborough(1.5hr drive) which has all the wineries and is stunning! There’s also some cool camping spots in Kaitoke and Catchpool Valley which are under an hour drive.

The week days are always busy and there’s something happening every night of the week in the city. I’ve joined a traditional music society, trail running club, swim club and occasionally play social football(GAA). The great thing about Wellington is that a lot of the sports clubs are “social” so anyone can come along and join and you don’t have to be particularly good or played before

There’s loads of cool spots to live around the city, some being Mount Vic, Brooklyn, Mount Cook, Kelburn, Hataiti and Oriental Bay. I’m a bit bias as I’ve been living in this location the last 2 years but I love Oriental Bay! It’s right next to the two beaches Freyberg and Oriental and next to some really nice cafes and a short walk into Courtney Place where all the bars and nightlife are.

New Zealand is such an amazing place and it’s so easy to get around both the North and South Island. The thing I love about NZ most is that it’s so varied and one place is literally completely different to the next! I’ve been to most of the cities and towns in NZ at this stage and always love flying back into Wellington and never feel like I want to move anywhere else in NZ so I suppose that’s a great sign!