Hi,
I am a german student and I am planing my studies in NZ. I have offers from Wellington and Auckland, but I am not sure which city is the best for me. I am looking for a lively city with a lot nightlife (bars and clubs), an exciting city centre and its own character and vibe, so that it never gets boring.
I thought Auckland would be a city like that, but I`m unsure because of some comments like: in Auckland the streets are empty after six o clock because all the people are going back to their homes in the suburbs or the city is so widespread that there is no lively city centre.
I know that Wellington is a very lively city, but I have the impression that this is more related to cultural aspects instead of the daily life. And I am also afraid that Wellington will become too small for living there for one year.

Which city would you recommend?

Thanks for the help,

Stefan

new zealand cities are small.
of the two, wellington better fits your description of what you're after.
if you fear it will be too small, then i fear you have applied to the wrong place for study.
there is still time to reconsider a larger urban area, instead.
or save up for many flights to melbourne and sydney on weekends.
kerikeri