Moving from Christchurch to Wellington
Christchurch and Wellington are on different islands, so you'll need to factor in the Cook Strait ferry or vehicle transport alongside everything else — not just a regional move, but an inter-island one.
Get my personalised moving timelineExample moving plan
Here's a simplified example of how Navaroa might organise a move from Christchurch to Wellington. Your actual plan will depend on your timing, housing situation, household, pets, vehicles and other details.
8+ weeks before moving
Get your next home sorted
This early decision shapes almost everything else about the move -- your date, whether you need storage, and how long you might need temporary accommodation.
This stage can include: Housing
6-8 weeks before moving
Start locking in the physical move
With your new home taking shape, this is when the big logistics get booked -- including how your vehicle and belongings will cross Cook Strait, not just a standard road move.
This stage can include: Removalists · Packing & storage · Pets
2-4 weeks before moving
Sort your household and services
Time to start switching the everyday things over, and organise anything specific to your household.
This stage can include: Address changes & admin
1-2 weeks before moving
Moving week
The final logistics and admin that only really make sense right before or during the move itself.
This stage can include: Address changes & admin
Your actual Navaroa plan goes further
The example above is deliberately simplified. When you create your own plan, Navaroa breaks these stages into the individual tasks that apply to your move, based on your timing, housing situation, household and other details.
Housing · Removalists · Packing & storage · Pets · Address changes & admin
Build my personalised plan
Leaving Christchurch
New Zealand's largest South Island city, with newer housing stock than almost anywhere else in the country thanks to a major rebuild after the 2011 earthquakes.
Good news if you're a landlord or seller: demand here is strong, so your old rental is likely to fill fast once you give notice — just note that also means less flexibility to negotiate your own move-out date if a new tenant's already lined up.
If you're selling a pre-2011 property, having your earthquake repair and EQC claim history ready ahead of time is a smart move — buyers will likely ask, and sourcing that paperwork early keeps your settlement on track rather than delayed.
Useful resources
- Christchurch City Council — rates, rubbish collection, building consents, local services
- Environment Canterbury (ECan) — regional transport and environmental services
- Register your dog with Christchurch City Council — free microchipping for dogs registered and living in the CCC area; Selwyn and Waimakariri residents register with their own district council instead
The Christchurch to Wellington run
around 330km from Picton to Christchurch, plus the Cook Strait ferry crossing directly from Wellington
Wellington is itself a Cook Strait ferry port, so unlike a move starting further north, there's no long North Island drive to do first -- the truck, and your own car if it's crossing with you, can head straight to the terminal. Both Interislander and Bluebridge's Wellington terminals sit only a few minutes from the CBD, not a cross-town trip. From Picton on the other side, it's roughly 330km down State Highway 1 to Christchurch, following the coast through Kaikōura -- a stretch that was closed for over a year after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake and has since been rebuilt.
The ferry crossing is booked separately from the road transport. Ask your removalist how the two are coordinated in your quote -- some handle the ferry booking as part of the job, others expect you to arrange your vehicle's crossing yourself. Sailings run to a fixed schedule rather than on demand, so book early if your dates have any flexibility.
Because there's no build-up drive on the Wellington side, the crossing plus the Picton-to-Christchurch leg can realistically be done as one long day rather than needing an overnight stop -- but confirm that with your removalist rather than assuming, since port check-in and loading add time beyond the ferry's own crossing.
If your own vehicle isn't travelling with you on the ferry, vehicle transport operators also service the inter-island route -- worth a quote alongside your removalist and ferry costs.
Neither end of this route is the country's largest city -- both Wellington and Christchurch are major centres in their own right, not a big-city-to-smaller-town move. Worth asking removalists directly whether that changes their pricing or availability compared with a smaller regional route, rather than assuming either way.
Moving to Wellington
New Zealand's capital, built on steep hills around a harbour, with an economy centred on government and the public service.
Wellington's character homes are part of the appeal, but if you're looking at anything older, ask for the property's current earthquake rating (%NBS) and documentation directly rather than assuming — the rules around this are under legislative reform, so check the Building Act/MBIE's current guidance for the specifics.
Because of the hills, bus routes aren't always direct — check the specific route for any address you're considering, not just its distance from the centre.
Housing stock skews older and full of character, often on sections with real elevation change, so it's worth checking accessibility (stairs, driveway steepness) if that matters to you. And factor a property's wind exposure into a viewing, especially anything higher up or facing the harbour — it affects daily comfort more than people expect.
Useful resources
- Wellington City Council — rates, rubbish collection, building consents, local services
- Metlink — Wellington region public transport (bus, train, harbour ferry)
- Register your dog with Wellington City Council — switching your registration from another council is free
Frequently asked questions
About Wellington
- Is it harder to insure an older Wellington property?
- It genuinely can be. Insurers have tightened requirements for low-%NBS buildings since the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, and some will charge much higher premiums or decline cover outright below a certain rating. Get an actual insurance quote before committing to a purchase, not after.