WheelsOfSteel

Banks Peninsula (Pigeon Bay etc)

It is quite remote...

We live over in Church Bay (Banks Paninsula) as it is easier to get into Christchurch where I work. The whole paninsula is very nice, with some great little beaches and Akoroa for your restaurants, etc.

Not sure where your nearest shops are. Probably Diamond Harbour which has one, near where we are. Nice little boat club in Pigeon Bay though. You could also get cutoff in the winter if we get snow! Beach is stone in the bay but there is a school if you have little ones? Not sure how many go there but can't be more than 10 or so? Forget classroom over-crowding ; - )

Not sure how well you know the SI/Canterbury but lovely walks and fishing within an hour or so plus skiing in the winter. The problem you have is it will take you 50 mins to get out of the paninsula. The one road out goes over to Purau and is really a 4wd track. I have driven it quite a few times and it frightens me very one. The alternative is tyaking summit road over the top near Douvachelle which then is very windy before it straightens out towards Lincoln.

If you like the outdoors, swiming, sailing,fishing,skiing, etc, etc you cold do worse! It's a lovely place...

Also, there is ChCh Uni or Lincoln for your son if he secides thats the way to go. Also ChCh isn't too far for the odd trip in, I drive to chch every day from Church Bay and have no complaints. Beats sitting ona train into London any day of the week.

Feel free to ask more questions and I hope this was helpfull.

Jase the ace

hi
We are thinking of moving there ourselves any thing you can share or things i can tell you e mail me.
Just intouch with Visa assist company and am very elidgeable for NZ but do not want to move to wrong place and it be a disaster,
Regards
Jase

Wanaka girl

hi

Interesting to hear all your views on North Island.

Lived in Tauranga for seven months, didn't settle there at all. Busy traffic, especially in the mornings from Papamoa to town centre. It does have a good climate.

Decided to travel around and have settled in Wanaka (paradise) South Island.

Yes it does have colder days in winter than north. Great skiiing twenty minutes away. Fantastic snow capped mountains.

Very dry area, gets lots of sunny days. Great outdoor living, boating on a crystal clear lake full of trout and salmon.

Good schools, great cinema Paradiso. Cafes and bars. Expanding area.

Downside not many big shops, mainly individual businesses. Expensive housing.

Scarlett G

Hi, there are some really lovely places in Tauranga, if you want the beach go for Papamoa or Mount Maunganui, it may be a short trip to work but well worth it, Matua and Bethlehem are both very nice also, Greerton...ok.....but personally I wouldn't choose it over the others. Renting is quite hard as there is a lot done by 'word of mouth', so get in touch with Real Estate Agents asap via housing sites such as www.realenz.co.nz.

Good luck

auxwuff

how far would you say the commute is from Papamoa to tauranga hospital by car....any ideas...?

thankyou for providing me with the real estate site. i was thinking that we may have some difficulties getting a flat to rent as it'll be peak season when we get there.

Anna.

friertuck

I think it's only about 4-5 mile, The whole area is not that big.

Regards

Alan

sofistek

I drove through Rotorua recently and thought that it looked very British. I have nothing to back this up, it was just an impression as I drove through. If true, it might be an easier place to settle for Brits.

Gill and Rob

Rotorua doesn't have a British feel to us. We have been here 3 months and although there are many Brits here {many who have been here years and years}, it definately feels "foreign" to us.

As for ease of settling here, I guess it's like everywhere else, it still takes time to settle and make a new life.

It is however a fabulous place to live. Today we have been for a 2 hour/7km walk through the Redwoods forest, just 5 minutes from the city centre.

Gill and Rob

Janiac

Will do Jase....Yeah, I know the 'disaster' feeling. I'll get back to you on this, but in a rush at the mo.
Thanks!
Janiac

Janiac

Thanks for your comments on Napier Daisy! Very useful to hear about it from someone that lives there!......now......if we could just get that job offer.......!!!

wotwots

Hi Auxwuf .for reliable info listen to fellow ex Sheffielders like us,
we have been living 30 mins North of Tauranga since June and loving it.and my wife is a nurse at the hospital.
You will have no problem renting as there are loads of places to rent most about $200 +per week.The hospital would be about 15 mins ish depending on time of day and how far down Papamoa you live. There are plenty of other good areas away from the main beach but I would steer clear of Greerton personally and other areas around there. Dont worry about being near the beach as you are never more than a few minutes away. Best forget real estate rentals (cost more and good ones soon gone) just get the Bay of plenty times on a Wednesday or Saturday and get to see them asap.
Good luck flat or house hunting,if you need any more info just ask

LeaB

Does anybody have any info on Hamilton - I have friends moving there and they don't have access to the internet so are battling to find info.

jandjuk

What kind of info do you want?

If you do a search, there was thread about hamilton a while back. If want to know anything just ask - I used to live there.

jandjuk

http://britishexpats.com/forum/showt...hlight=jandjuk

try this thread for info on hamilton

markjohnno

There is a beautiful place that seems to have been neglected - 1 hour from Tauranga in the east Bay of plenty - Whakatane.

It has the highest sunshine hours in New Zealand,great beaches,fishing tramping and all the amenities and more of larger towns.


we have been here for 6 months now and are building 3 mins walk from beautiful coastlands beach ,on a 700 sq metere section for $255000 all in.

Whakatane still retains a small town feel to it being only 16000 population.

Move quick though as this little undiscovered secret place is fast becoming discovered.