Nelson

The Nelson region is nestled in the north western half of the top of the South Island, a beautiful part of the country lying between the northern edge of the Southern Alps and a great sweep of beaches.

Nelson city is at the heart of the region and has a reputation as the arts and crafts capital of New Zealand.

The city's hills and gardens look out to the golden beaches of Tasman Bay, while downtown there is a lively cafe scene offering great coffee and a lively atmosphere. It is well known for its gourmet foods including magnificent seafood, brilliant wines, fresh produce and boutique beers.

The region is renowned for being a friendly place with close and caring communities, both in the city and its smaller outlying towns. The greater Nelson region boasts three national parks, ranging from coastal to alpine, with the most popular by far being the Abel Tasman National Park. Lush forest coastal paths lead to magical bays with gold sand beaches and clear blue water.

Nelson's neighbouring region of Marlborough continues the scenic appeal of the area with an abundance of bush, rivers and mountains. The main townships in the region include Blenheim, Picton and Havelock.

Proud to be known as the sunniest region in New Zealand, this flourishing province with its relaxed lifestyle is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Marlborough people are known for their warmth and hospitality - and there are plenty of opportunities to experience this in first class cafes, wineries and restaurants.

Both Nelson and Marlborough stand out for lifestyle, with awesome outdoor opportunities, gourmet food, fine wine and stunning arts. All this together with towns that are small, easy to get around, safe and friendly.

Education

Nelson and Marlborough have modern, well developed and well resourced education facilities that offer a full range of core and specialist subjects.

The attractive lifestyle advantages of the region also means that retention of top quality staff is high. The region offers a wide range of learning institutions for all age groups, from pre-school to tertiary level.

At pre-school age there are approximately 20 childcare facilities in Nelson offering varying levels of care including full daycare and after school care programmes.

At primary school level there are over 35 schools to choose from throughout the wider Nelson/Marlborough area. In addition there are four intermediate level schools for children aged 11 and 12 years old.

The region's ten secondary schools have particularly high standards in maths, English and science and are well equipped with laboratories, computer suites and libraries.

Furthermore there is a real emphasis on extra-curricula activities such as music, sport and drama. From city based single-sex and co-educational colleges to country high schools, educational standards for students are high throughout the area.

For tertiary level students the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) offers three campuses in Nelson city, Richmond and Blenheim. NMIT has close links with local industry and the region's major employers in fisheries, forestry, arts and viticulture.

Employment

Key industries

Tourism and hospitality, mining, horticulture, viticulture and fishing are some of the key industries within the region.

The primary sector is very important and employs almost 20% of the local workforce.

The majority of the remaining jobs are in construction and services such as retail & hospitality (partly due to tourism), health, education, road transport and culture and the arts.

The labour market in Nelson and Marlborough is also dominated by seasonal work demands from viticulture and pipfruit growers and contractors. Of all the seasonal industries, viticulture in Marlborough is seeing the strongest growth, estimated at over 10% per year.

For Nelson and Marlborough the semi-skilled/elementary occupations had the strongest job growth over the last year, while highly skilled occupations (e.g. professionals) had a small fall in job vacancies in the region.

The most advertised jobs in Nelson during 2004 was for sales assistants, care givers, fruit growers/workers, and carpenters/joiners.

Vacancies within the Nelson and Marlborough region are advertised in The Nelson Mail and The Marlborough Express.

Housing

The wider Nelson and Marlborough region offers a full range of housing options, from city living apartments in Nelson to rural lifestyle blocks in the wine growing regions of Marlborough.

Being a coastal area there are also a large number of coastal properties with magnificent sea views. In recent years the Nelson region has experienced one of the largest real estate booms in New Zealand.

The region continues to be a popular destination for investment because of attractions such as its climate and access to national parks. Projected growth for the region is also strong, making property investment in the area attractive.

Despite the boom, in recent months house prices appear to have dropped slightly from the highs experienced at the start of 2005, meaning home affordability has come more in line with the rest of New Zealand.

House prices in the region vary considerably depending on the size of the house, its facilities, and the area in which it is located.

According to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, as at April 2005 the median house price for a home in Nelson was NZD$290,000, down from NZD$311,400 in March 2005. For the Marlborough region the median price in April 2005 was NZD$239,000, also down slightly from NZD$240,000 for the previous month.

Renting

Like house prices, rental prices in Nelson and Marlborough can vary greatly.

According to the New Zealand Ministry of Housing the average rent for a three bedroom property in Nelson city is approximately NZD$255 per week, while the average rate for a three bedroom property in Marlborough (Blenheim) is NZD$240. (Rental prices shown are as at Jan 2005).

The Nelson Mail and The Marlborough Express newspapers are a good start for finding a place to rent. Real Estate Agents and private landlords list properties in the 'To Let' section of the 'Classified' index, with Wednesday and Saturday editions being the best for Real Estate.

Not all the properties will be advertised in the newspaper so it can pay to call in to the offices of the Real Estate Agents and ask for a copy of their listings.

Transport

Nelson offers a full range of public transport options for getting to and around the Nelson region.

A public bus service runs on four main routes around Nelson from Monday to Saturday providing access to suburbs such as Stoke and Richmond plus the hospital, libraries and popular shopping areas. There is also a late night bus that operates between Nelson and Richmond.

Nelson is also serviced by a regular service of intercity coaches travelling to and from the region.

Taxis are also readily available within Nelson and can either be pre-booked or picked up at one of the taxi ranks throughout the city.

Nelson city is the fourth busiest airport in New Zealand, with two airlines operating regular air services to and from Nelson airport. Flights from Auckland take approximately 1 hour 20 minutes, while a flight to Christchurch takes around 45 minutes.

Passenger and vehicular ferry services operate between the North and South Island from Wellington and Picton, with regular connections to Nelson by bus.

Population

Nelson has a population of just under 45,000, making it the thirteenth largest population of New Zealand's sixteen regions.

Marlborough is the second smallest region in the country with a population of approximately 42,000.

Climate

The Nelson and Marlborough region is renowned for having some of the best weather in New Zealand, particularly during the summer months.

Nelson and Marlborough have the highest number sunshine hours, with January and February the warmest months of the year and July generally the coldest.

In Nelson, the average summertime temperature is 23 degrees celsius, while Marlborough has a slightly cooler climate and a summertime temperature of around 18 degrees celsius.

Winter temperatures hover around the 13 degrees celsius mark, and average annual rainfall is just under 1,000mm, most of which falls during the winter months. Snow is rare on the lowlands but falls are common in the mountains during July and August.

Geography

The Nelson and Marlborough region is blessed with exceptionally beautiful geography made up of a blend of coastal, forest and valley landscapes.

Nelson boasts a beautiful coastline and golden beaches, but also offers mountains, lakes and forested areas as well. There are three national parks in the area: Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson Lakes National Park and Kahurangi National Park.

As well as its National Parks, the region is also famous for its vineyards and its clean natural environment which attracts nature lovers and adventure-seekers from all over New Zealand and the world to hike, bike, raft and kayak in and around Nelson.

Marlborough is an interesting area geographically and geologically. An area of beauty and diversity, the Marlborough region stretches for the scenic Marlborough Sounds to the rugged splendour of Kaikoura. Its central plains are home to winegrowing areas, an abundance of bush and mountains.

Cost of living

The cost of everyday products and services in Nelson are on par with the majority of New Zealand's other small to mid sized regions.

However in recent years Nelson's booming housing market has meant that home ownership has become less viable for average families in central and coastal Nelson.

Although house prices still remain lower than in cities such as Auckland, recent years have seen a sharp decrease in home affordability, largely due to slower wage growth in the area compared with other parts of New Zealand.

Accordingly rental rates have experienced some of the largest increases in New Zealand over the same period. It should be noted however that in recent months both housing costs and rental rates for the area have started to decline for the first time since 2001.

House prices and rental rates aside, Nelson has the advantage of offering one of the best levels of quality of life, with a brilliant climate and clean, green environment, no traffic congestion and easy access to three of New Zealand's national parks.