Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch?

My hubby and I are considering moving to NZ and are wondering what the pros and cons are for the major cities. Both of us are in IT (he's a Sr Architect, I'm a Project Manager) and are having a hard time determining the best city for us. We'll be visiting in August and will only have a few days in each city to check things out.

So, any thoughts on the best / worst of each of Auckland, Wellington or Christchurch? Our major criteria are: career opportunities (long and short-term), warm weather, proximity to beach, life balance_.sounds idyllic, but hey, after surviving Ottawa winters, we're looking for a change!

Thanks

I lived and worked in Wellington. It's a great city and the view from downtown is beautiful. There are many beaches close by. It does get quite windy there. Have a great time in NZ.

Hope you had an awesome visit here in Sept! We have been in Auckland since June (of this year). My hubbg is in Telecom and was given the choice of Wellington or Auckland. We chose Auckland as we have family here.

Here are some thoughts

1. Like it or not, Auckland is the major city. It is the Toronto of NZ. Most businesses have their head offices here and there is heaps of opportunity here. The cost of living is higher and it is a big city. It gets the best weather (as far as warmest) and there are lots of beaches in and beautiful spots around. It is a large city. If you are looking for a more peaceful setting, Auckland may not be it. Although, we find that even in the CBD the pace is not as frantic as many North American cities.

2.Wellington is beautiful, not as large and windy. I have not lived there but I believe the cost of housing is lower.

3.

Hope you had an awesome visit here in Sept! We have been in Auckland since June (of this year). My hubby is in Telecom and was given the choice of Wellington or Auckland. We chose Auckland as we have family here.

Here are some thoughts

1. Like it or not, Auckland is the major city. It is the Toronto of NZ. Most businesses have their head offices here and there is heaps of opportunity here. The cost of living is higher and it is a big city. It gets the best weather (as far as warmest) and there are lots of beaches in and beautiful spots around. It is a large city. If you are looking for a more peaceful setting, Auckland may not be it. Although, we find that even in the CBD the pace is not as frantic as many North American cities.

2.Wellington is beautiful, not as large and windy. I have not lived there but I believe the cost of housing is lower.

3. Christchurch is beautiful and not as warm as Auckland. We wanted to escape snow and we have done that by staying on the North Island.

We are thrilled with our choice of Auckland but it is not the picturesque view of NZ that many have.

Just a few thoughts.