On a typically wild and windy afternoon, I had the pleasure of catching up with a crew of Raglan rangatahi, who are all living, working or studying in Wellington.
While seven were able to make it on the day, we worked out there are about 35 rangatahi who grew up in Raglan, aged between 18-24 who currently call Wellington home.
With a load of pizzas, and a couple of care packages from home, I sat down with them to chat about what brought them to Wellington, how they’re finding it, and what they miss from Whaingaroa.
So what’s so great about Wellington that it draws so many of our young people to live there?
As Maria said, and the others agreed “The whole city is set up for students. There are so many student deals everywhere and the University has so much help and support for you.”
Sophie adds “There’s a good student community. People understand your obligations; a lot of people cater for that.”
For Jade it’s also about the music culture “I’m never bored. There is always something to do. I live in the centre of the city, but I am also 2 minutes from the waterfront and there’s always a gig, or a jazz night, or something to go to.”
The majority of rangatahi I met with have spent time living in the Victoria University Halls of Residence, which are scattered around the city. While the food had less than glowing reviews (‘mystery meat’ got a mention from Mia), they all felt it had been really beneficial to spend the first year in a hall. Maria and Sunny are both currently in their first year of study and enjoyed bumping into familiar Raglan faces in the dining hall. It also proved to be a great place to meet new people, and many of those now flatting are in flats with people they met in the halls. Sophie is living with housemates who, she said, are ‘allergic to vegetables’ but she is enjoying planning her own meals, rather than relying on meals in the halls. For Emily the move from home was ‘a bit scary at first, but it’s turned out good’. Emily now flats with 3 girls she met in the halls and who she has become great friends with.
When it came to what they miss from home, there were similar threads. While all miss family and friends, the sea was a close third. For many part of the draw of Wellington was its proximity to the sea, but it just isn’t the same they said.
While Cooper is loving the city life, he did say “It was good having no neighbours living in the country and being able to make any amount of noise.’
For Jade when asked what she missed, the answer was instant – Roll Up burritos! Vege burrito, no avo and extra chilli sauce to be exact! She also misses her cat, and kai from Ulos. Missing the quiet of a small town also came through in our chats, as well as her Dad’s pasta sauce for Maria, and Emily misses her dog.
Mia summed it up nicely “I miss my family and friends, the vibe and just the ‘Raglan-ness’ of home.”
In a challenging job market, particularly in Wellington, the biggest struggle they all identified was finding consistent work. Many had taken temporary jobs when they came up, and they continue to look for more consistent roles.
For Cooper, who grew up in Te Mata, he is enjoying the city, particularly being able to walk everywhere and not use his car, which saves him a lot of money. Cooper is in his third year in Wellington and has found it great to move out and live on his own. “I enjoy having more freedom and choices. There is a lot of inspiration in Wellington, and I feel more motivated to work.” And while the surfing has nothing on Raglan, he’s pretty happy with the skating, which he reckons is much better.
The seven young people I spoke to have all undertaken degrees at Victoria University. These range from Electrical Engineering majoring in Robotics to a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Philosophy and Religion and everything in between. Maria started in one degree and changed to another, Sunny left school after Year 11 and did a Diploma at Wintec before his move to Wellington, Cooper has paused his degree and is working this year. Some are in their first year, some their third and some taking a break. Whatever the future holds for them, whether it is completing a degree and entering that field, or changing tack and exploring something different, these are young people stepping out in the world on their terms. As a community we can be very proud that they have spent their childhoods here in Whaingaroa, and it was my privilege to spend time with them all.
