Where living is easy

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Rotorua Where Living is Easy

GOING TO THE MOVIES

Rotorua has two modern commercial movie theatres, one more mainstream than the other. The cost of a ticket for an adult is currently £5.20 (NZ$13.00) and for children 14 years and under, £3.00 (NZ$7.50). There is also a small movie theatre at the local award-winning Museum of Art and History, where films about local history feature regularly and are extremely well patronised.

GETTING ABOUT

The layout of Rotorua and in particular its compact central business district (CBD) means getting from A to B is very quick and inexpensive. An efficient and friendly bus service also operates in most of the city’s suburbs.

COST OF PETROL

As a result of recent global pressure, the cost of petrol in New Zealand has risen to £0.60p (NZ$1.50) per litre from an average of £0.40p (NZ$1.00) per litre.

EDUCATION AND WELLNESS

New Zealand has a policy of free healthcare and school education is free for children aged from five to 18 years of age.

EATING OUT

Rotorua has 60 award-winning restaurants and cafes, as well as an impressive array of coffee shops, bars and clubs, offering top quality food, wine and entertainment to suit a wide range of tastes and budgets. Countries such as New Zealand, Britain, France, Thailand, China, India, Italy, Indonesia, Turkey, Japan, plus others are all well represented and eating out is affordable.

* At current exchange rates
# Purchasing power parity - Average of New York, Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta
** Weighted average of member countries
^ Dollars per Pound
^^ Dollars per Euro

WORKING TO LIVE

Jobs are plentiful in the Rotorua District with employment opportunities advertised in the city’s local daily newspaper up 10 per cent on the same period in 2004, with the accommodation, agriculture, health and retail sectors featuring strongly.

Generally, favourable remuneration packages equal to New Zealand market rates and negotiable on experience and qualifications are paid in Rotorua. People working 40 hours per week in administration-based roles can expect to earn between £14,000 – 18,000 (NZ$35,000 - 45,000), with top line trades people and middle to upper mangers earning between £26,000 - 36,000 (NZ$65,000 - 90,000).

ABOUT FAMILIES

There are approximately 16,500 families in Rotorua District, made up of couples with child(ren) 41 per cent (NZ 42 per cent), couples without children 35 per cent (NZ 39 per cent), one parent with child(ren) 24 per cent (NZ 19 per cent).

OWNING YOUR OWN HOME AND / OR BUSINESS

Sixty-six percent of dwellings in Rotorua are owned with or without a mortgage. The average weekly rent paid for permanent private dwellings in the area is £70 -100 (NZ$175 - 250).

The average house price in Rotorua is £80,483 (NZ$201,207)* compared with Auckland £165,331 (NZ$413,327) and Wellington £137,046 (NZ$342,614).

There are almost 5,000 business locations (geographic units) in the district.

* Figures refer to rateable value of homes and not those sold.Source: Housing figures from QV New Zealand online for three months ending July 2005

COST OF LIVING

Information from data collected in the 2001 Household Expenditure Survey shows that the total average annual spending for households in Rotorua is £15,470 (NZ$38,674) compared with £17,473 (NZ$43,682) for the whole of New Zealand. The average annual household spending compared between those living in the Rotorua District and the rest of New Zealand is:

	Rotorua	New Zealand
Food	£2,558.00 (NZ$6,395)	£2,801.60 (NZ$7,004)
Housing	£3,284.40 (NZ$8,211)	£4,063.60 (NZ$10,159)
Housing Operation	£2,088.80 (NZ$5,222)	£2,188.80 (NZ$5,472)
Transportation	£2,732.80 (NZ$6,832)	£2,943.20(NZ$7,358)

Source: 2001 New Zealand Census

TYPICAL FAMILY SHOPPING

It is estimated that the average Rotorua family (based on two adults and two school-aged children) currently spends between £70 – 90 (NZ$175 - 225) per week on groceries, including meat and produce, at one or more of the city’s four major supermarket chain stores.

ENJOYING THE LIFESTYLE

Taking part in activities in Rotorua and the surrounding areas is often free or relatively cheap. Everyone has access to the many lakes, parks, mountains and beaches that are either in Rotorua or nearby. The district is also host to many international sporting and cultural events each year.