5. Selwyn, Canterbury
Your kids can get an excellent education in Selwyn, while you can buy a relatively affordable house that leaves you close enough to Christchurch to enjoy most of its big-city benefits.
Selwyn has high-quality amenities for families, like swimming pools, reserves, skate parks, and many playgrounds. Perhaps the biggest drawcard are ‘Selwyn’s Six’ ski fields; Porters and Mt Cheeseman are particularly family-friendly.
Like all of Canterbury, educational achievement standards are high and employment levels are high.