Tararua District

Tararua District lies near the south-east corner of New Zealand's North Island. Created in 1989, it was named after the Tararua Range, which forms much of its western boundary. It has a population of 17,750 (June 2010 estimate),and an area of 4,360.56 km².

The district's northwest boundary runs along the top of the Ruahine Range; its south-east boundary is the Pacific Ocean. The catchment of the Manawatu River generally defines the north and south extremities. The catchment is also the reason why the majority of the district is in the Manawatu-Wanganui Region, although traditionally many of the people of the district regard themselves as living in either Hawke's Bay (in the north) or Wairarapa (in the south).

The district's chief town is Dannevirke, settled by immigrants from Denmark in the 19th century. It is also the centre for a Community Board. Other towns (from south to north along the main valleys) include Eketahuna and Pahiatua, which have their own Community Boards, and Woodville, Ormondville, and Norsewood. Near the coast are Pongaroa, Herbertville, Akitio, and Alfredton.

While the vast majority (98.42% by land area) of Tararua District is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui Region, a small triangle of rural land (1.58% by land area) north of the Owahanga River in the southeast of the district is part of Wellington Region. According to the 2006 Census this area, known as Mara, has only 3 residents (down from 12 in 1996 and 2001).

When Europeans settled the area, it was almost entirely forested and was called "Forty-Mile Bush". Industrious clearance has made it a busy pastoral district, although the region close to the Pacific coast is still sparsely populated. The original name lives on in that of the local National Provincial Championship rugby union team, Wairarapa-Bush.

Agriculture is the district's main industry. Other industries include textiles, food processing, and retailing. Commercial forestry is expected to become more important to the district's economy in the next few years.

Weather forecasts

Before 2006, weather forecasts on National Radio (as provided by MetService) had usually mentioned Hawke's Bay and Wairarapa but rarely if ever Tararua, probably leaving Tararua residents wondering which applied to them when the forecasts differed.

Officially it is considered a sub-region of the Wairarapa district. Since early in 2006, Met Service policy is that a separate Tararua forecast will be issued only if the expected weather in that area differs significantly from the other sub-regions (Masterton, Carterton, and South Wairarapa). However, by the time the forecast is actually broadcast over National Radio (at least until early March 2006), Tararua is simply listed as a separate district if it is mentioned at all (commonly in the phrase "Tararua and Wairarapa"), and if it is mentioned separately or bracketed with other areas apart from Wairarapa there is no indication that the Wairarapa forecast excludes Tararua.

Gisborne, New Zealand

Gisborne, "The place where Kiwa - of the Tākitimu waka - stood") is a city in northeastern New Zealand and the largest settlement in the Gisborne Region. It has a population of 34,000. The district council has its headquarters in the city. Gisborne is named after an early Colonial Secretary William Gisborne.

State Highway 35 (part of the Pacific Coast Highway network) passes through Gisborne city while State Highway 2 passes through Makaraka, a suburb on the outer fringes of Gisborne city. Gladstone Road is the city's main road, which becomes Wainui Road and State Highway 35 to the east and north, and becomes Main Road Makaraka, and State Highway 2 to the west and south.

Gisborne is the northern terminus of the Palmerston North - Gisborne Line railway, which opened in 1942. Passenger services were provided until 1988, when the Endeavour express was cancelled north of Napier. Today, the railway carries solely freight. There is currently ongoing debate as to whether the line should be retained.

Gisborne Airport provides a link in and out of the Gisborne region, with multiple Air New Zealand flights operating to and from Auckland and Wellington, seven days a week.

Gisborne has its own botanical garden: Gisborne Botanical Gardens

In the surroundings are two arboreta:

Eastwoodhill Arboretum at Ngatapa

Hackfalls Arboretum at Tiniroto

Whanganui

Whanganui pronunciation, also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region.

Like several New Zealand centres, it was officially designated a city until administrative reorganisation in 1989, and is now run by a District Council. Despite this, it is still regarded as a city by most New Zealanders.

Although called Wanganui from 1854, the New Zealand Geographic Board recommended that the name be changed to "Whanganui", and the government decided in December 2009 that while either spelling was acceptable, Crown agencies would use the Whanganui spelling.

A considerable proportion of Whanganui's economy relates directly to the fertile and prosperous farming area that surrounds the city. Heads Road is Whanganui's main industrial area and is home to a number of manufacturing and engineering operations. The Wanganui Port, once the centre of industrial transport, still has some traffic but is more noted for the world famous Q-West Boat Builders, who operate from here.

Tourism is now becoming a major income stream for the district and the local Council has undertaken a number of tourism initiatives. Planning to relocate the local i-SITE Visitor Centre to a higher profile and specialised building is currently underway as well as the upgrading of a number of local landmarks (including the new riverfront walkway). Council has also taken actions to raise the profile of its main tourism wanganui.com website as this has been recognised as the leading source of information on Whanganui for visitor information.

Invercargill

Invercargill  is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. It lies in the heart of the wide expanse of the Southland Plains on the Oreti or New River some 18 km north of Bluff, which is the southernmost town in the South Island. It sits amid rich farmland that is bordered by large areas of conservation land and marine reserves, including Fiordland National Park covering the south-west corner of the South Island.

Many streets in the city, especially in the centre and main shopping district, are named after rivers in the United Kingdom, mainly Scotland. These include the main streets Dee and Tay, as well as those named after the Tyne, Esk, Don, Thames, Mersey, Ness, Yarrow, Spey, and Eye rivers.

The population of Invercargill City in the 2006 census was 50,328 people; an increase of 498 people, or 1.0 percent, since the 2001 census.

Invercargill is home to the Southern Institute of Technology, which has introduced a zero-fees scheme. The scheme was partly responsible for rejuvenating the city when it was in a steady state of population decline. However the major factor in Invercargill's regrowth is the dairy industrial boom of the first decade of the 21st century due to an increased demand for New Zealand milk, cheese and butter. New dairy factories have opened around the province of Southland, as well as more efficient meat processing works and research and development facilities.

Invercargill is on the Southern Scenic Route (tourist road), allowing day trips to Queenstown, Stewart Island/Rakiura, Dunedin, Te Anau and Fiordland.

As of 2008, there have been plans to develop wind power and hydroelectric schemes and plans to survey the Great South Basin for oil extraction.

Whangarei

Whangarei, is the northernmost city in New Zealand and the regional capital of Northland Region. Although commonly classified as a city, it is officially part of the Whangarei District, administered by the Whangarei District Council a local body created in 1989 to administer both the city proper and its hinterland. The population was estimated to be 51,900 at the June 2010 estimate, up from 47,400 in 2001.

The Whangarei urban area includes the suburbs of Kamo, Tikipunga, Otangarei, Mairtown, Riverside, Sherwood Rise, Onerahi, Morningside, Raumanga, Parihaka, Maunu, Horahora, Woodhill, Vinetown, The Regent, Kensington, and Whau Valley.

Whangarei is home to the Northland rugby team, a professional side competing in the ITM Cup, the highest level of provincial rugby in New Zealand. They play out of Okara Park, the largest stadium in the region, which is also hosting two matches during Rugby World Cup 2011.

The football (soccer) club North Force who compete in the Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Division 1A are based in Whangarei.

Whangarei also has an excellent Field Hockey facility, often hosting international matches between the New Zealand Black Sticks and various international opposition.

Northland is also represented at the highest national domestic level in Golf and Field Hockey. Northland has had reasonable success in field hockey of late, with several players from Northland being selected for the Black Sticks.

New Plymouth

New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers came.

New Plymouth District includes New Plymouth City and several smaller towns. New Plymouth District is the 15th largest district (out of 73) in New Zealand, and has 1.7 percent of New Zealand's population.

New Plymouth District has a population of 68,901 – nearly two thirds of the total population of the Taranaki Region. This includes – New Plymouth City (52,200), Waitara (6,288), Inglewood (3,090), Oakura (1,359), Okato (531) and Urenui (429).

Electric power was first provided in January 1906 from the Mangorei power station alongside the Waiwakaiho River near Burgess Park. In the 1960s, the New Plymouth Power Station was initially designed to run on coal but constructed to be fueled by natural gas or fuel oil. This is a thermal power station with a steam turbine, commenced operation in 1974 with units progressively decommissioned from 2000 with one left operating in 2008.

Companies began searching for oil on the New Plymouth coast in 1865 after small deposits of thick oil were found on the shoreline. The first commercial quantities of oil were obtained in January 1866. Exploration continued sporadically and a refinery opened in 1913. Production ceased about 1972. The offshore Maui A well began production of natural gas in the late 1970s, sparking a flourishing energy and petrochemical industry. As Maui A’s resources decline, new sites in Taranaki are being developed in an effort to find more commercial petrochemical reserves.

An 18 km (11 mi) railway link between New Plymouth and Waitara was completed in 1875; this later became the Waitara Branch. The next year, work began on a line south to Stratford, which was reached in 1879, followed by Hawera in 1881. This line, known as the Marton - New Plymouth Line, was completed on 23 March 1885, and when the Wellington - Manawatu Line of the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Company was opened on 3 November 1886, a direct railway link was established to Wellington. The original routing through the centre of the town was replaced in 1907 by an alignment along the foreshore, which remains today.

Rotorua

Rotorua  is a city on the southern shores of the lake of the same name, in the Bay of Plenty region of the North Island of New Zealand. The city is the seat of the Rotorua District, a territorial authority encompassing the city and several other nearby towns. Rotorua city has an estimated permanent population of 55,900, with the Rotorua district having a total estimated population of 68,600. The city is in the heart of the North Island, just 60 kilometres (37 mi) south of Tauranga, 80 kilometres (50 mi) north of Taupo, 105 kilometres (65 mi) east of Hamilton, and 230 kilometres (140 mi) southeast of Auckland.

Rotorua is a major destination for both domestic and international tourists; the tourism industry is by far the largest industry in the district. The city is known for its geothermal activity, and features geysers – notably the Pohutu Geyser at Whakarewarewa – and hot mud pools. This thermal activity is sourced to the Rotorua caldera, on which the city lies. Rotorua is home to the largest tertiary institute outside of the university centres, the Waiariki Institute of Technology.

Rotorua is served by State Highways 5, 30, and 30A, and the Thermal Explorer Highway touring route, with State Highways 33 and 36 terminating on the outskirts of the city.

State Highway 5, running concurrently with the Thermal Explorer Highway, is the main north-south route through Rotorua, bypassing the city centre to the west. North of the city at Ngongotaha, State Highway 36 splits off to provide a route to Tauranga via Pyes Pa, while State Highway 5 turns westward, connecting to State Highway 1 at Tirau and providing the main route into Rotorua from Hamilton and Auckland. To the south, State Highway 5 provides the main route into the city from Taupo, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, and Wellington.

Nelson, New Zealand

Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island.

Nelson received its name in honour of the Admiral Horatio Nelson who defeated both the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Many of the roads and public areas around the city are named after people and ships associated with that battle and Trafalgar Street is the main shopping axis of the city. Inhabitants of Nelson are referred to as Nelsonians.

Together with the town of Richmond, the Nelson Urban Area has a population of around 60,000 ranking it as New Zealand’s 9th most populous city and the geographical centre of New Zealand.

Nelson township was managed by the Nelson Provincial Council through a Board of Works constituted by the Provincial Government under the Nelson Improvement Act 1856 until 1874. It was proclaimed a Bishop's See and city under letters patent by Queen Victoria on 27 September 1858, the second New Zealand city proclained in this manner after Christchurch. Edmund Hobhouse was the first Bishop. The Municipal Corporations Act 1876 stated that Nelson was constituted a city on 30 March 1874.

The Nelson economy is based on the ‘big four’ industries; seafood, horticulture, tourism and forestry. Port Nelson is the biggest fishing port in Australasia. There are also a range of growth industries, including art and craft, aviation, engineering technology, and information technology.

The sub-national GDP of the Tasman and Nelson regions was estimated at US$2.343 billion in 2003, 2% of New Zealand's national GDP.

Nelson is home to various business agencies that serve the city and its surrounds, including Nelson Tasman Tourism (NTT), which aims to promote the region and help advertisers reach visitors from New Zealand and overseas, and the Nelson Regional Economic Development Agency (EDA), which works to "coordinate, promote, facilitate, investigate, develop, implement, support and fund initiatives relating to economic development and employment growth ... within the Nelson region .

Palmerston North

Palmerston North, is the main city of the Manawatu-Wanganui region of the North Island of New Zealand. An inland city with a population of 81,600 (June 2010 estimate).Palmerston North is New Zealand's seventh largest city and eighth largest urban area. Palmerston North is located in the eastern Manawatu Plains near the north bank of the Manawatu River. The city covers an area of 325.94 square kilometres (126 sq mi) and one million people live within a two-hour drive (200 km/120 mile radius). It is about 140 km (87 mi) north of the capital, Wellington. The city is 35 km (22 mi) from the river's mouth and 12 km (7 mi) from the end of the Manawatu Gorge.

The official limits of the city take in rural areas to the south and north-east of the main urban area, extending to the Tararua Ranges and including the town of Ashhurst at the mouth of the Manawatu Gorge. This is a rich and fertile agricultural area.

The tertiary education sector provides NZ$1.4 billion a year to the local economy and the education sector accounted for 11.3% of the Palmerston North workforce in February 2006. Palmerston North has economic strengths in research, especially in the bio-industry, defence, distribution and smart business sectors. The city is home to more than 70 major educational and research institutions, including New Zealand's fastest expanding university, Massey University; the Massey University Sport and Recreation Institute at the Massey University campus, Turitea; Universal College of Learning (UCOL) and Linton Army Camp.

44,870 employees worked in Palmerston North in February 2006, 2.5% of employees in New Zealand. The largest industry in terms of employees was the health and community services industry, which employed 14.9% of employees in the city. The retail trade industry employed 13.3% of employees in the city.

Palmerston North is the main centre of the New Zealand Police's Central District. Palmerston North is a positive 7th in a list of the best places for low crime figures (2008). Overall, crime dropped by 10% in the past year (2008). Violent crime has increased by 5% in the past year but this is compared with an 11% rise nationally. Satisfaction with safety in public places at night has remained at its 2007 level.

Dunedin

Dunedin is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the principal city of the Otago Region. It is considered to be one of the four main urban centres of New Zealand for historic, cultural, and geographic reasons. Dunedin was the largest city by territorial land area until superseded by Auckland on the creation of the Auckland Council in November 2010. Dunedin was the largest city in New Zealand by population until about 1900.

The Dunedin urban area lies on the central-eastern coast of Otago, surrounding the head of Otago Harbour. The harbour and hills around Dunedin are the remnants of an extinct volcano. The city suburbs extend out into the surrounding valleys and hills, onto the isthmus of the Otago Peninsula, and along the shores of the Otago Harbour and the Pacific Ocean.

In 1852, Dunedin became the capital of the Otago Province, the whole of New Zealand from the Waitaki south. In 1861 the discovery of gold at Gabriel's Gully, to the southwest, led to a rapid influx of population and saw Dunedin become New Zealand's first city by growth of population in 1865. The new arrivals included many Irish, but also Italians, French, Germans, Jews and Chinese. The Dunedin Southern Cemetery was established in 1858, the Dunedin Northern Cemetery in 1872.

(clockwise from the city centre, starting at due north)

Woodhaugh; Glenleith; Leith Valley; Dalmore; Liberton; Pine Hill; Normanby; Mt Mera; North East Valley; Opoho; Dunedin North; Ravensbourne; Highcliff; Shiel Hill; Challis; Waverley; Vauxhall; Ocean Grove (Tomahawk); Tainui; Andersons Bay; Musselburgh; South Dunedin; St Kilda; St Clair; Corstorphine; Kew; Forbury; Caversham; Concord; Maryhill; Kenmure; Mornington; Kaikorai Valley; City Rise; Belleknowes; Roslyn, Otago; Kaikorai; Wakari; Maori Hill.

(clockwise from the city centre, starting at due north)

Burkes; Saint Leonards; Broad Bay; Company Bay; Macandrew Bay; Burnside; Green Island; Waldronville; Saddle Hill; Sunnyvale; Fairfield; Abbotsford; Bradford; Brockville; Halfway Bush; Helensburgh.

(clockwise from the city centre, starting at due north)

Waitati; Waikouaiti; Karitane; Seacliff; Warrington; Purakanui; Long Beach; Aramoana; Deborah Bay; Careys Bay; Port Chalmers; Sawyers Bay; Roseneath; Otakou; Portobello; Brighton; Taieri Mouth; Henley; Allanton; East Taieri; Momona; Outram; Mosgiel; West Taieri; Waipori; Middlemarch; Hyde.

Tauranga

Tauranga  is the most populous city in the Bay of Plenty region, in the North Island of New Zealand.

It was settled by Europeans in the early 19th century and was constituted as a city in 1963. Tauranga City is the centre of the sixth largest urban area in New Zealand, with an urban population of 120,000 (June 2010 estimate).

The city lies in the north-western corner of the Bay of Plenty, on the south-eastern edge of Tauranga Harbour. The city expands over an area of 168 square kilometres (65 sq mi), and encompases the communities of Bethlehem, on the south-western outskirts of the city; Greerton, on the southern outskirts of the city; Matua, west of the city overlooking Tauranga Harbour; Maungatapu; Mount Maunganui, located north of the city across the harbour facing the Bay of Plenty; Otumoetai; Papamoa, Tauranga's largest suburb, located on the Bay of Plenty; Tauranga City; Tauranga South; and Welcome Bay.

Tauranga is one of New Zealand's main centres for business, international trade, culture, fashion and horticultural science. The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest port in terms of gross export tonnage.

Much of the countryside surrounding Tauranga is horticultural land, used to grow a wide range of fresh produce for both domestic consumption and export. The area is particularly well known for growing tangelos (a grapefruit / tangerine cross), avocados, and kiwifruit. Recent years have seen the establishment of boutique vineyards and wineries.

The Port of Tauranga is New Zealand's largest export port, with brisk but seasonal shipping traffic. It is a regular stop for both container ships and luxury cruise liners.

Tauranga is known for its low wages hence the nick name "Ten dollar Tauranga" a reference to the hourly rate for a lot of its workers. This name has stuck even as New Zealand minimum wage has moved above $10.

Shopping malls include Bayfair Shopping Centre and Palm Beach Plaza. Most of the city's shopping is suburban and located around the suburbs. Places include Fraser Cove Shopping, Bethlehem Shopping Centre, Fashion Island, Downtown the Mount, Brookfield and Greerton Village. In 2008 Tauranga CBD underwent renovations to attract more shoppers to the inner city.

Christchurch Central City

At the city's centre is Cathedral Square, surrounding the now-damaged landmark Anglican cathedral, Christ Church. The area around this square and within the 'four avenues' of Christchurch (Bealey Avenue, Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue and Deans Avenue) is considered the central business district of the city. The central city also has a number of residential areas, including Inner City East, Inner City West, Avon Loop, Moa Neighbourhood & Victoria. Cathedral Square stands at the crossing of two major central streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though both have been blocked off or detoured at the approaches to the square.

Cathedral Square, the heart of the city, hosts attractions such as (until recently) the Wizard of New Zealand, Ian Brackenbury Channell, and evangelist Ray Comfort; regular market days; free standing food and coffee carts; an aquarium, pubs and restaurants and the city's chief tourist information centre.

The central city also includes the pedestrianised sections of Cashel and High streets commonly known as 'City Mall'. Refurbished in 2008/09 the mall now features especially designed seating, flower and garden boxes, more trees, paving, and an extension to the central city tram route (with trams operating in time for the 2011 Rugby Union World Cup). The Bridge Of Remembrance commemorating war dead stands at the western end of the mall.

The Cultural Precinct provides a backdrop to a vibrant scene of ever-changing arts, cultural, and heritage attractions within an area of less than one square kilometre. The Arts Centre, the Canterbury Museum and the Art Gallery are located in the Cultural Precinct. The majority of the activities are free and a printable map is provided.

In 2010, the Christchurch City Council released "A City For People Action Plan", a program of work through to 2022 to improve public spaces within the central city to entice more inner city residents and visitors. A primary action is to reduce the impact of motorised private vehicles and increase the comfort of pedestrians and cyclists. The plan is based on a report prepared for the council by renowned Danish design firm Gehl Architects. Since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake Wellington architect Ian Athfield has been selected to re-plan, although many varied suggestions have been promoted for rebuilding the central city

Christchurch

Christchurch, is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of Christchurch.

The city was named by the Canterbury Association, which settled the surrounding province of Canterbury. The name of Christchurch was agreed on at the first meeting of the association on 27 March 1848. It was suggested by John Robert Godley, who had attended Christ Church, Oxford. Some early writers called the town Christ Church, but it was recorded as Christchurch in the minutes of the management committee of the association. Christchurch became a city by Royal Charter on 31 July 1856, making it officially the oldest established city in New Zealand.

The river that flows through the centre of the city (its banks now largely forming an urban park) was named Avon at the request of the pioneering Deans brothers to commemorate the Scottish Avon, which rises in the Ayrshire hills near what was their grandfathers' farm and flows into the Clyde.

An earthquake with magnitude 7.1 occurred in the South Island, New Zealand at Saturday 04:35 am local time, 4 September 2010 (16:35 UTC, 3 September 2010). The earthquake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres (6.0 miles), and there were no fatalities.

The epicentre was located 40 kilometres (25 mi) west of Christchurch; 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south-east of Darfield; 190 kilometres (120 mi) south-southeast of Westport; 295 kilometres (183 mi) south-west of Wellington; and 320 kilometres (200 mi) north-northeast of Dunedin.

Parks and nature in Auckland

Auckland Domain is one of the largest parks in the city, close to the Auckland CBD and having a good view of the Hauraki Gulf and Rangitoto Island. Smaller parks close to the city centre are Albert Park, Myers Park, Western Park and Victoria Park.

While most volcanic cones in the Auckland Volcanic Field have been affected by quarrying, many of the remaining cones are now within parks, and retain a more natural character than the surrounding city. Prehistoric earthworks and historic fortifications are in several of these parks, including Mount Eden, North Head and One Tree Hill (Maungakiekie).

Other parks around the city are in Western Springs, which has a large park bordering the MOTAT museum and the Auckland Zoo. The Auckland Botanic Gardens are further south, in Manurewa.

Ferries provide transport to parks and nature reserves at Devonport, Waiheke Island, Rangitoto Island and Tiritiri Matangi. The Waitakere Ranges Regional Park to the west of Auckland offers beautiful and relatively unspoiled bush territory, as do the Hunua Ranges to the south.

Auckland

Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with 1,354,900 residents, 31 percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world. In Māori Auckland's name is Tāmaki Makaurau, or the transliterated version of Auckland, Ākarana.

The 2010 Mercer Quality of Living Survey ranked Auckland 4th equal place in the world on its list, while The Economist's World's Most Livable Cities index of 2010 ranked Auckland in 10th place. In 2008, Auckland was classified as an Alpha World City in the World Cities Study Group’s inventory by Loughborough University.

Auckland lies on and around an isthmus, less than two kilometres wide at its narrowest point, between Mangere Inlet and the Tamaki River. There are two harbours in the Auckland urban area surrounding this isthmus: Waitemata Harbour to the north, which opens east to the Hauraki Gulf, and Manukau Harbour to the south, which opens west to the Tasman Sea.

Auckland is home to many cultures. The majority of inhabitants claim European - predominantly British - descent, but substantial Māori, Pacific Islander and Asian communities exist as well.

Positive aspects of Auckland life are its mild climate, plentiful employment and educational opportunities, as well as numerous leisure facilities. Meanwhile, traffic problems, the lack of good public transport, and increasing housing costs have been cited by many Aucklanders as among the strongest negative factors of living there, together with crime.

Wellington

Wellington ( /ˈwɛlɪŋtən/) is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand. The urban area is situated on the southwestern tip of the country's North Island, and lies between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range. It is home to 389,700 residents, with an additional 3,700 residents living in the surrounding rural areas.

The Wellington urban area is the major population centre of the southern North Island, and is the seat of the Wellington Region — which in addition to the urban area covers the Kapiti Coast and Wairarapa. The urban area includes four cities: Wellington City, on the peninsula between Cook Strait and Wellington Harbour, contains the central business district and about half of Wellington's population; Porirua City on Porirua Harbour to the north is notable for its large Māori and Pacific Island communities; Lower Hutt City and Upper Hutt City are largely suburban areas to the northeast, together known as the Hutt Valley.

Wellington experienced a real estate boom in the early 2000s and the effects of the international property bust at the start of 2007. In 2005, the market was described as "robust". But by 2008, property values declined by about 9.3% over a twelve month period, according to one estimate. More expensive properties declined more steeply in value, sometimes declining as much as 20%. "From 2004 to early 2007, rental yields were eroded and positive cash flow property investments disappeared as house values climbed faster than rents. Then that trend reversed and yields slowly began improving," according to two New Zealand Herald reporters writing in May 2009. In the middle of 2009, house prices had dropped, interest rates were low, and buy-to-let property investment was again looking attractive, particularly the Lambton precinct in Wellington, according to these two reporters.