Best Places to Live with Hiking Nearby?

My girlfriend and I love hiking, especially in alpine areas. We are trying to find a place that is within an hour or so drive of great ridge hiking, so that we can take nice long day-hikes every weekend! Meanwhile, we want to live within walking distance of the coast, so that every evening after work, we can walk near the water. For us, the ideal living location would be right near some sort of bay or inlet, so that we can see boats, animals, kayaks, etc. If the water is warm enough (part of the year) to swim, then that would be even better! Of course, we also need to be near decent job options (IT). I don't think we can "strand" ourselves in a tiny west coast town where there's no possibility of earning a living. For that reason, we're probably going to need to stay in one of the larger cities in order to be near the jobs. Which South Island cities do you think are the best match for what we want? Thanks!