Good value housing and a city buzzing with life spurred Dan Ferguson to move from Sydney to Wellington.

He is by no means alone. Statistics New Zealand figures show 2301 people migrated to Wellington from Australia in 2015, an increase of 86 per cent from 2012.

The figures include all migrants from Australia, including returning New Zealanders, amid a massive shift in immigration patterns.

Overall, 214 more people moved from Wellington to Australia than came here, however this was down from just under 4000 a year earlier.

Ferguson, who moved to Wellington in December, said the capital held a number of attractions for Aussies.

When the marketing director for Trade Me travelled to Wellington to scope out the city he was impressed at how much was going on.

"Its life and culture was bigger than its size. Unlike Canberra, Wellington was buzzing with so many opportunities. It felt alive and bursting at the seams with life and culture."

The value of housing was a significant attraction, with his "farm-like property" on Karori far beyond what he could afford in Sydney.

"In Sydney, residents are rapidly making a trade off to spend $1.5 million to live in a house they don't like. Here you can live in a place with a sea view or in the bush but still be close to the city.

Traffic was "non-existent compared to Sydney" where his 8km commute could take 90 minutes.


Although salaries were lower, the lifestyle was good compensation, he said.

"The lifestyle in Wellington quickly eclipses issues like salary because it add value and enhances your life."

Within three weeks of arriving in Wellington, his wife gave birth at Wellington hospital.

"In a smaller city, people care about each other more — they are just nicer. The hospital staff were nice and even the bus drivers in the city go beyond their duty to help. Wellington has readjusted my sense of niceness in the world. It's a happy place to live."

Wellington Regional Economic Development Agency (WREDA) chief executive Chris Whelan believed the capital could soon be gaining more people from Australia than it loses.

Attracting talented professionals to the city was key to the region's success, Whelan said.

"It's important that we continue to enhance Wellington's reputation, throughout Australasia and beyond, as the place of the possible — a destination for people who want to make their ideas happen and enjoy a fantastic lifestyle."

Last year WREDA's working in Wellington website clocked up more than 40,000 page visits from Australia.

Trade Me's head of jobs Peter Osborne relocated from Melbourne in 2013.

Wellington's compactness and connectivity won him over, he said.

"It's two degrees of separation in Wellington. If you don't know somebody, you'll know someone who does — and that makes for fantastic collaboration and fast-tracked actions, as well as making it a great place to live."

Wellington City Council's economic portfolio leader, councillor Jo Coughlan said the council-funded Destination Wellington programme was a key platform for growth identified in the Wellington City Economic Development Strategy.

Wellington's was a strong base of world class businesses, particularly in the science, digital creative, film, education and IT sectors, which was being recognised in Australia and beyond, she said.