Wellington

Te Whanganui-a-Tara — the great harbour of Tara

A guide to living, working and settling in the capital — written for healthcare professionals, by the team who help them move.

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15 chapters Updated July 2026 Free

Welcome

The smallest capital most people have lived in.

Wellington has a tertiary hospital, a parliament, a national museum, a theatre scene and a working port — all inside a city you can walk across in an afternoon. That smallness is the whole character of the place.

You will run into the same people. Your registrar will know your neighbour. Within two months you will have a coffee place where they start your order when you walk in. For a lot of people moving countries alone, that is the thing that makes the move survivable.

The same smallness is why some people leave. We are straight about that too — the wind, the cold houses, and a professional world where everyone knows everyone.

Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

Ngā mihi nui — the Ethicare team

Swimmers and walkers at Oriental Bay with the city behind — Oriental Bay · ten minutes from the CBD

Wellington, in short

The five-second version

8 km

Across, at the widest

~900k

Tertiary catchment

15 min

A typical commute

Same

Pay as Auckland

Where

The southern tip of the North Island, on a harbour ringed by hills

Climate

Mild and changeable. Rarely freezing, rarely hot, never still for long

Main hospitals

Wellington Regional, Hutt, Kenepuru, Wairarapa

Getting home

Ten minutes to the airport — but long-haul means a connection

Contents

What’s inside

Fifteen chapters in five parts. Nine are written for Wellington; the rest are national and live once in Moving to New Zealand, so you only read them once.

Part one · Deciding

01 Welcome to WellingtonA city small enough to belong to quickly, in nine numbers, and six things you only learn by living here Read now → 02 Why WellingtonThe twenty-minute city, a typical week, and what we’d ask you to weigh Read now → 03 Wellington at a glanceThe harbour, the hills, the wind, the fault line, and the four parts of the region Read now →

Part two · The city

04 Healthcare in WellingtonA tertiary hospital serving 900,000 from a city of 215,000 — and the national health bodies down the road Read now → 05 Where clinicians liveFourteen suburbs sorted by commute, with sun, wind and terrain — the three things that decide a Wellington house Read now → 06 Getting aroundFour rail lines, a cable car, a harbour ferry — and whether you need a car Read now →

Part three · Money & home

07 Cost of livingSame pay as Auckland, lower rent, and the July power bill that catches everybody out Read now → 08 Renting a homeYour application pack, bond, tenancy rights and the Healthy Homes standards Shared · national 09 Money, tax & bankingIRD numbers, KiwiSaver, opening an account and sending money home Shared · national

Part four · Everyday life

10 Food, coffee & the everydayWhere New Zealand coffee culture started, how to order, and six parts of the city worth an evening Read now → 11 Harbour, hills & the outdoorsBush fifteen minutes from your door, a wild coast, and a predator-free valley in the middle of town Read now → 12 Driving & licencesConverting your licence, buying a car, a warrant of fitness and registration Shared · national

Part five · Belonging

13 Te ao Māori at workPronunciation, the words you will hear on the ward, and marae etiquette Shared · national 14 Finding your feet & your peopleHow friendship works here, and building a life outside the hospital Shared · national 15 Visas, registration & the moveWhich visa, what your qualification is worth here, and the order things happen in Shared · national

The wild south coast at Island Bay, facing Cook Strait — The south coast · fifteen minutes from the hospital

Sophie’s insight

Wellington is the one people are surprised by. Same national pay as Auckland, meaningfully lower rent, and a commute short enough that the evening is still an evening. It suits people who want a city small enough to belong to quickly — and it is not for everyone, which is why we say so in the guide.

Sophie Careem

Founder, Ethicare Resourcing

When you’re ready

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