Thinking of moving out of Auckland, but where?

I have been thinking a bit and it makes sense that my family should move out of Auckland. We moved to the North Shore from South Africa about 2 years ago, but we are on one lowish income (I look after our one year old full time) and with the high daycare cost here we won't be any better off financially if I work especially if we want any more children. So I have been thinking that we should move somewhere where housing is a bit cheaper as that is by far our biggest expense and if daycare cost are more affordable I might actually be able to work as well. Husband works from home and can work anywhere that there is broadband so that is not a problem and since we haven't been here that long we don't have that big circle of friends that we will miss etc so there isn't anything really holding us here.

Now I'm open to suggestions, do you love where you live? Is it a great place to raise kids, activities for them, daycare options if I decide to get a job later? Do you think new migrants will be welcomed into the community? What is the weather like?

My husband would love somewhere rural but I'm more of a city girl so a compromise will probably be a town rather than a city or village.

Please convince me that your town/city is the best in New Zealand.

I put my vote in for anywhere on the south island! I personally (sorry Epic) like Christchurch better than Dunedin. And yes I lived there during the quakes and still love it (only left due to my husbands job which was quake unrelated)
I think Dunedin's weather is very cold and miserable in winter and christchurch tends to have very cold but very sunny winters. And same as Dunedin is soooo close to some of the most beautiful spots on the south island!
If I could move back to NZ tomorrow I would move to canterbury, somewhere rural (for my work and the lifestyle) but within 30minutes drive of Chch for my husbands work!!