Media release: October 10, 2008

NEW ZEALAND’S TOP TOWN NAMED

North & South magazine has revealed the very best place to live in New Zealand.

In the magazine’s soon to be released “Top Town” special issue (on sale Monday 13th October), New Plymouth beat out some terrific contenders to be crowned North & South’s Top Town – the best place in New Zealand to live, love, work and raise a family.

The Taranaki city’s booming dairy, oil and gas industries, plentiful job opportunities, affordable housing, superb recreational facilities, civic pride and real sense of “can-do” saw it climb quickly to the number one spot.

While New Plymouth was a unanimous decision among the judges, the runners-up were not! With three towns running neck and neck on the points tally, there was heated debate among North & South’s geographically-spread judges… even down to arguing the comparative value of being able to run to a seal colony from your front door versus kayaking from town to a volcano. The second spot was finally taken out by Christchurch. The sure-to-be contentious results are featured in the magazine’s Top Town special.

Screeds of statistical data was collated to decide the Top Town; analysing factors as diverse as economic growth, median house prices, traffic and schools, sports and recreational amenities, annual rainfall and sunshine hours.

More than 40 city and district councils supplied statistics; North & South also gathered data from the likes of Statistics NZ, NIWA and independent experts.

The North & South feature also names New Zealand’s Top Small Town and runner-up (under 40,000 population) –another hotly contested race to the top spot. The Kapiti beach town of Waikanae just pipped Taupo for first place.

For all the details pick up North & South November issue, on sale Monday 13th October.

ENDS

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