Disclaimer – this post was written in June 2023, but had a delayed posting due to site maintenance, sorry for the confusion!

When I say life, I’m talking about the four months I’ve been living in the area. Perhaps not a heap of experience but when I was researching the area, I could only find holiday articles so I figured it was a good opportunity to help others considering a move here. I want this to be a completely honest post, so i’ll be sharing the advantages and disadvantages of the place and my experience of living here.

I’ve been incredibly lucky to live in the heart of the mount, with only a 30 second walk to the main street, so i’ve hardly driven since i’ve been here. Which is probably just as well, because the parking situation on a sunny day is far from ideal. I frequently have to plan my supermarket shop outside of peak hours, to avoid loosing my parking space. Although not ideal, it has meant i’ve upped my walking fitness and there are so many great pathways around the area. If you’re hoping to cycle though, I’d probably think again. Drivers dont seem to appreciate cyclists on the roads here.. 

The brunch scene is epic. Hands down, the best brunch spots and all in great locations, within easy walking distance or scenic spots. My personal favourite – Eddie’s & Elspeth’s, which is actually two businesses under one roof. Elspeth’s providing amazing baked goods, from fresh sourdough to almond croissants; Eddie’s providing the ultimate brunch options with the freshest ingredients such as my favourite – cauli toast.

In close second, comes Little Guy Bagel and Brew, with the fanciest bagels and a courtyard featuring greenhouses for seating areas, to really up your brunch game. 

Along the same lines, the food scene in general is just great. From Master Kong through to Rice Rice Baby, there are multiple Asian/Vietnamese options to choose from as well as Astrolabe and the Palace Tavern for your classic options. Sunday afternoons are best spent at The Rising Tide which features live music & and an unreal amount of local tap beer. For dessert? Head to Sea People. Plant based ice cream, with the coolest flavours & freshly made cones that fill the store with a baked cinnamon aroma. Pre warning – it’s addictive.

The surfing scene here is big, so you can almost always guarantee spotting surfers out no matter the time of day. At peak times though, you will struggle to find a spot, which is not ideal for beginners trying to avoid knocking people out, let alone getting up on a wave. There are often lessons happening in shark alley (which no, does not feature sharks) but does feature some nice easy waves to start on. Your best bet is to head a bit further along the coast, towards tay street and continuing along the seafront. 

I have to admit though, the one thing thats been hard here is meeting new people. Working remotely means I don’t meet people through work, so you have to look at other ways of building your circles. It seems to be that everyone has their own group they stick to and they rarely feel the need to go outside of that. I think the mount has a number of people who grew up here, or have retired here and therefore are in their daily routine. I managed to meet a number of people through the sunrise crew, which is an instagram account that was created to bring likeminded people together. You meet at the beach, go jump in the sea at sunrise and then go grab a coffee at Tay St cafe afterwards. I’d also recommend flatting with others, as you’ll meet people through them, as well as just doing activities like group runs, surf meets and just putting yourself out there.

In all honesty though, whilst I have no regrets moving to the mount, it hasn’t felt like home for me. I had the same feeling when I lived in the Gold Coast of Australia for a bit. I guess a bit like you went for a holiday and have outstayed your welcome? I’m not sure if it’s just a bit too commercial, or perhaps the fact that I’ve grown used to have mountains around me and a scenic playground on my doorstep with Nelson (I was definitely spoilt), but I’m looking forward to my next move. I definitely wouldn’t hesitate to visit the mount again, I’ve been lucky enough to meet some amazing people here & it’s a great place to go soak up some sun and surf. 

Next month I head to Queenstown, to experience life in a snow town. Yes.. I’ve bought thermals!

Have you been to the mount? What did you think?

Harriet 📷