Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley
Wellington, the lively capital city of Aotearoa New Zealand, is renowned for its charming cafés, restaurants, and internationally acclaimed sporting and cultural events, all set against a stunning backdrop of a harbour.
Photo location: Wellington - Credit: Johnny Hendrikus
About the Region
Located in the lower North Island of New Zealand, the district is bordered by the Tararua Ranges to the east, and the Cook Strait to the south opening to the Tasman Sea to the West. Porirua, Kapiti and Hutt Valley are areas north of Wellington.
The arts scene in Wellington is truly something to celebrate. It is renowned as a cultural hotspot, buzzing with theatres, galleries and museums, including the national museum Te Papa Tongarewa. It is also famously associated with the film industry due to its connections to the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies.
Health New Zealand - Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley
About Health New Zealand
Health New Zealand - Te Whatu Ora is the Government organisation that provides publicly-funded universal health care to 5 million Kiwis.
The management and delivery of health services are broken down into 'Districts' across the country, determined by both geographic location and population.
About the Health New Zealand - Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley District
The Capital, Coast, and Hutt Valley district is situated in the heart of Wellington. With approximately 7,000 full-time equivalent employees, it is one of the largest employers in the region. Wellington Regional Hospital, Hutt Valley Hospital, and Kenepuru Hospital, provide healthcare services to around 445,000 individuals. Additionally, the Kāpiti Health Centre is located in Paraparaumu.
Photo location: Wellington - Credit: WellingtonNZ
Wellington City
The main tertiary hospital in the region is Wellington Regional Hospital, located in Newtown. This hospital provides a range of specialised services including complex procedures, intensive care, cardiac surgery, cancer care, neurosurgery, and renal care. It serves as the primary referral center for the lower half of the North Island and the upper half of the South Island.
Te Wao Nui is a Child Health Service located in the Wellington Region and Central New Zealand. It operates from a newly constructed children's hospital on the Wellington campus. The service caters to infants, children, and adolescents who have medical conditions or require pediatric surgery. Te Wao Nui offers both inpatient and outpatient services to meet the healthcare needs of these young patients.
The Women's Health Services in Wellington and Hutt Regional Hospitals, along with the Primary Birthing Unit in Kenepuru, offer tertiary level maternity care. These services include community-based primary LMC care, breastfeeding support, and specialized services in obstetrics, gynaecology, and other areas.
Lower Hutt City
The Hutt Hospital offers secondary and some tertiary medical and surgical services, as well as community-based healthcare. The hospital not only provides funding to local health providers but also works together with the community to develop and support various health education initiatives and projects. Hutt Hospital serves as the main center for five tertiary regional and sub-regional services, which include Plastics, Maxillofacial and Burns Services, Rheumatology, Dental Services, Regional Public Health, and Regional Screening Services for Breast and Cervical health.
Porirua and Kapiti Coast
Kenepuru Community Hospital and Kapiti Health Centre provide secondary and community services based in Porirua and the Kapiti Coast.
MHAIDS is the mental health, addictions and intellectual disability service for the Wairarapa District and Capital, Coast & Hutt Valley District, with multiple specialist facilities. Ratonga Rua-o-Porirua is our forensic, rehabilitation and intellectual disability inpatient unit.
Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley health services
A to G
| Alcohol & Other Drugs Collaborative |
| Allied Health |
| Anaesthesia and pain management |
| Audiology |
| Bowel Screening |
| Breast services |
| Cancer services |
| Cancer support |
| Capital Support |
| Cardiology |
| Cardiothoracic |
| Central Region Metabolic and Bariatric Service |
| Child Development Service |
| Children's community health and dental services |
| Community Health Services |
| Concussion Service |
| Dental and Oral Health Service |
| Dermatology |
| Diabetes |
| Ear Nose and Throat |
| Emergency Department |
| Endocrine |
| Gastroenterology |
| General Surgery |
| Genetic Health Service |
| Gynaecology |
H to Z
| Immunology |
| Infection Services |
| Intensive Care Unit (ICU) |
| Māori health |
| Maternal Fetal Medicine |
| Maternity and Obstetrics |
| Mental health services |
| Neonatal intensive Care Unit (NICU) |
| Neurology and stroke service |
| Neurosurgery |
| Older Adult Service |
| Ophthalmology Service |
| Orthopaedic Service |
| Pacific health |
| Palliative care |
| Pharmacy |
| Preparing for your surgery |
| Radiology |
| Regional pain management service |
| Renal Service |
| Residential care |
| Respiratory Service |
| Support services provided in the community |
| Supporting family carers |
| Termination of Pregnancy & Counselling Service |
| Vascular Surgery |
| Wellington Regional Children's Hospital |
Relocating to Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley
Haere mai, welcome Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley - your Kiwi adventure starts here!
Getting around
There's so much to see and do in the capital - relish the vibrant cafe and arts culture and the surrounding nature.
Getting around
When you arrive
Driving in New Zealand
You can legally drive in NZ for up to 12 months per visit with your current driver's license. After 12 months, you will need to convert to a New Zealand license. Useful information about driving in NZ can be found here.
Other ways to travel
- The Wellington Region has an excellent public transport service, the most used in New Zealand, with a network of trains, buses and ferries. The four train lines connect the main centres to Wellington, through our inner suburbs, out to the Kapiti Coast and through the Hutt Valley. All our suburbs have bus services, with an increasing proportion of electric buses. You can find out about routes, ticket prices and timetables online at MetLink. Most travel can be paid for using a single ticket card called Snapper.
- Taxis, shuttles and ride sharing services Uber, Ola and Zoomy also operate in the main centres and of course rental vehicles are also available.
Housing options
A vibrant and diverse region, encompassing New Zealand's capital city, the stunning coastal areas, and the picturesque Hutt Valley.
Housing options
Photo location: Wellington - Credit: Pivot Photography
When you arrive
You may consider booking short-term accommodation ahead of your arrival, then search for long-term accommodation when you arrive. The cost and availability of short-term accommodation varies widely through the year. It can be affected by tourism peak season, university start dates and school holidays, to name a few. Familiarise yourself with the city and view available long-term accommodation to ensure it suits your preference. Several considerations to make are proximity to the workplace available nearby schools for the kids, and the ideal size of the property. Some may also find that flatting would be a more suitable arrangement.
Short term accommodation options
Rentals
The housing options in this region are as diverse as the landscapes themselves. Check out local rental agencies to help you to locate a property. Searching online is also a good place to start. Note that most rentals in Aotearoa are unfurnished however furniture and whiteware can be rented in some parts of the country.
Rental agencies
Buying or building a house
We understand that moving to a new country is a major step, and buying or building a house there makes it even more significant. If you're a healthcare professional on NZ's Green List of roles, you have a unique opportunity to speed up your residency process. Normally, only residents and citizens can buy a home to live in in New Zealand. When you can, use this tool to find out if you can purchase a house in New Zealand.
Take the next step
Decided to move to Aotearoa New Zealand?
Fill out our five-minute form with your details, and we'll match you to your preferred location based on your experience and preferences.
Photo location, from left: Wellington - Credit: Jack Yan
We'd love to help, reach out to us!
Interested in relocating to the Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley region? Our dedicated team is here to provide guidance and support throughout your journey, so don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.