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where to stay auckland

where to stay auckland

Old Jul 29th 2003, 2:59 pm
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Default where to stay auckland

Hi

My husband is travelling to Auckland arriving 10th August and we are wondering where would be the best place for him to stay straight off the plane. He lands around lunchtime. Also, who is the best co to hire a car from at the airport. He is only staying a week but is also travelling to tauranga, does anyone have any ideas on where to stay there also.

He is looking for areas for us to live when we finally get there?
Any ideas on suburbs in Auckland for him to look at?

Thanks
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Old Jul 29th 2003, 3:16 pm
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by janweb
Hi

My husband is travelling to Auckland arriving 10th August and we are wondering where would be the best place for him to stay straight off the plane. He lands around lunchtime. Also, who is the best co to hire a car from at the airport. He is only staying a week but is also travelling to tauranga, does anyone have any ideas on where to stay there also.

He is looking for areas for us to live when we finally get there?
Any ideas on suburbs in Auckland for him to look at?

Thanks
Eastern suburbs are generally popular. Not sure what transport into the centre is like from there these days... Also the North Shore can be nice. The South and West are generally best avoided IMO although there are nice parts to both.

There are loads of hotels near the airport and on the road into town. An alternative is staying somewhere around Epsom or Newmarket which would be a fairly central base. Can't advise for tauranga, it is even longer since I was there!
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Old Jul 29th 2003, 3:47 pm
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I've used Auto Rentals a couple of times and found them very good and reasonably priced. They offer a meet and greet service at the airport and take you back to their office 5 mins away.

In Auckland I stayed at Auckland City Hotel which is a budget hotel but clean and fairly centrally located. There is free overnight on-street parking but during the day you have to pay to park in the car park across the road.

Can't help in Tauranga itself but I have stayed not too far away in Papamoa at the Papamoa Beach Top 10 Holiday Resort which I only mention because it's right on the beach and has superb views.

Ben
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Old Jul 29th 2003, 9:56 pm
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Stayed with friends in a beach side suburb called Titirangi. About 30 minutes from the centre. Nice suburb, space between houses, native bush, access to beaches, hilly. They're renting to suss it out then probably buying. An idea for your eventual move.

Only other experience in Mount Eden that I didn't like.

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Old Jul 30th 2003, 12:10 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by janweb
Hi

My husband is travelling to Auckland arriving 10th August and we are wondering where would be the best place for him to stay straight off the plane. He lands around lunchtime. Also, who is the best co to hire a car from at the airport. He is only staying a week but is also travelling to tauranga, does anyone have any ideas on where to stay there also.

He is looking for areas for us to live when we finally get there?
Any ideas on suburbs in Auckland for him to look at?

Thanks
Just back from a months holiday. Loads of choice in Aukland and much of NZ from what we saw. The airport is a good 30min drive away to the centre so hire car at airport and get to city might be an idea. Try the Heritage in Aukland, choice of two hotels in the centre. Looks posh, but its not stuffy, jeans and tee shirts okay, about $150 to $160 and $15 to park car overnight - parking is at a premium in centre. We had a family suite for that including cooking etc although we didn't use it. There is cheaper for sure, but you pays your money etc. In Tauranga we stayed at what looked like an old style hotel, very nice downstairs etc but the rooms were a blast from the 60's. Still clean and tidy though. There is a book that is free at the airport which has all the motels listed. As I said before look for the ones that are a new build. The motel owners definiton of luxury might not be the same as yours. We rented from Avis. I could have competed in an F1 race with the front tyres, slicks or what. The replacement car wasn't much better. 1.5 mm my eye! Can't really help with the long term view, but from what we saw if you have a garden then you sell it so someone can build a house on it. Cramped detached back to backs - wierd. 30 mins from city, the plots get bigger. Take a good look from the sky tower to see what I mean. Still loved it though.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 12:26 am
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Try Wottif for good deal.

Get a taxis or bus from the airport as you don't really want to try and navigate a strange city with strange road rules after a 24 hour flight. The traffic in central Auckland can be a nightmare.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 3:14 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by janweb
Hi

My husband is travelling to Auckland arriving 10th August and we are wondering where would be the best place for him to stay straight off the plane. He lands around lunchtime. Also, who is the best co to hire a car from at the airport. He is only staying a week but is also travelling to tauranga, does anyone have any ideas on where to stay there also.

He is looking for areas for us to live when we finally get there?
Any ideas on suburbs in Auckland for him to look at?

Thanks
I would reccomend the Airedale Hotel on Queen Street, big rooms and centraly based. The are part of Scenic Circles Hotel group and the prices are very reasonable. (especially if you are spending £'s!!) - only downside is no restraunt however there is no shortage of places to eat in Auckland!!!!

Car hire wise, you get what you pay for so if you visiting for a week then use one of the big companies eg Avis, Hertz etc - all have offices at the airport and also down town. I would advise though if staying in central Auckland for a short time do you really need to hire a car until you leave for Tauranga? Traffic and parking are quite bad here and most of the suburbs worth checking out can be easily reached by bus. Eastern Bays (Mission Bay, St Heliers, Kohimamara) are nice as is Parnell, Ponsonby, Newmarket and Remeura. North side of the bridge is also nice, but harder to commute to the city (lack of public transport and traffic problems) Avoid South Auckland!!

If you want any more info just PM me!!
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 6:35 am
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Originally posted by Kiwipaul
Try Wottif for good deal.

Get a taxis or bus from the airport as you don't really want to try and navigate a strange city with strange road rules after a 24 hour flight. The traffic in central Auckland can be a nightmare.
Good point, but if you can cope with the traffic on the roads of Birmingham and all that spaghetti junction has to offer, then Aukland city centre should hold no problems. We navigated using road signs and the map that avis supplied. A doddle really. You're right it depends on what you are used to.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 8:42 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by Flyboy
I would advise though if staying in central Auckland for a short time do you really need to hire a car until you leave for Tauranga? Traffic and parking are quite bad here and most of the suburbs worth checking out can be easily reached by bus. Eastern Bays (Mission Bay, St Heliers, Kohimamara) are nice as is Parnell, Ponsonby, Newmarket and Remeura. North side of the bridge is also nice, but harder to commute to the city (lack of public transport and traffic problems) Avoid South Auckland!!

If you want any more info just PM me!!

I have found Auckland public transport a real problem. There is only 1 commuter train service (south to Manukau etc), and the buses are infrequent compared to what you would expect in a city of its size.

I was staying in Remuera a few years ago, which is only 1-2 miles from CBD, and had to use a taxi much more than I wanted.

I would recommend that you have a car from the outset. You will probably want to vist the north shore, and drive around the bays for example. Traffic is fine outside of morning and evening rush hours.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 8:56 am
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we stayed at www.skyhouse.co.nz when we first arrived in NZ.We thought it was worth the expense to have a comfortable first few days after such a long flight.It was brill!She does a deal for mid week customers and its 25 mins from the airport.She was so helpful,way beyond the call of duty.She even dog sat for the day whilst we went to find a more permanant place to stay.I can highly recommend it.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 9:44 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by sully4441
...Can't really help with the long term view, but from what we saw if you have a garden then you sell it so someone can build a house on it. Cramped detached back to backs - wierd. 30 mins from city, the plots get bigger. Take a good look from the sky tower to see what I mean. Still loved it though.
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Its a real shame that central Auckland is going this way. My mate was looking to buy there 6months ago and had plenty to spend. But anything in Remuera and other inner suburbs with a decent sized section was twice the price and gobbled up straight away. He ended up buying just north of the bridge.

He also payed a lot of attention to what the local zone rules were for minimum section size. If his section was less than 2x this minimum size then, he logically could not sub-divide in the future (which he was happy about). Not sure what the exact issues were but it seemed to be of some importance.

Sorry for going off track, but the post about plot size jogged my memory, and maybe there is something there to be aware of.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 10:39 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by southerner
Its a real shame that central Auckland is going this way. My mate was looking to buy there 6months ago and had plenty to spend. But anything in Remuera and other inner suburbs with a decent sized section was twice the price and gobbled up straight away. He ended up buying just north of the bridge.

He also payed a lot of attention to what the local zone rules were for minimum section size. If his section was less than 2x this minimum size then, he logically could not sub-divide in the future (which he was happy about). Not sure what the exact issues were but it seemed to be of some importance.

Sorry for going off track, but the post about plot size jogged my memory, and maybe there is something there to be aware of.
I see your destination is Dunedin, we spent 5 days there, 3 more than planned as jayne was in hospital for 3 days with an infection, but we fell in love with the place. All the best for the future
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 11:06 am
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Default Re: where to stay auckland

Originally posted by sully4441
I see your destination is Dunedin, we spent 5 days there, 3 more than planned as jayne was in hospital for 3 days with an infection, but we fell in love with the place. All the best for the future
Thanks - same to you and Jayne.

Would love to hear more of your thoughts on your visit to NZ - maybe you could start a new thread. Where do you intend to move to now?
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 12:57 pm
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Originally posted by Kiwipaul
Get a taxis or bus from the airport as you don't really want to try and navigate a strange city with strange road rules after a 24 hour flight. The traffic in central Auckland can be a nightmare.
I'm with Paul on this one - driving after a long flight, especially in an unfamiliar city And with NZ's strange give way rule (have a look at: www.aahost.co.nz/roadrules.html) can be a recipe for disaster. An alternative is the Airbus (www.airbus.co.nz) that runs every 20 mins from the airport to the city and drops off at all of the hotels/backpackers etc. Costs $22 return, or $13 1-way.

As for hotels, you're spoilt for choice at the moment as it's the middle of winter here in NZ they're all empty, so you should be able to get a good deal (even at the top end places like the Stamford Plaza). The Heritage is good (& Avis have a car hire depot directly opposite, on Nelson St) so is City Life (on Queen St) & the Airedale is fine as flyboy suggests. The New President is a bit cheaper, & very central (on Victoria St) comparable to a travel inn back home.

Russ.
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Old Jul 30th 2003, 2:09 pm
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Originally posted by BritboyNZ
I'm with Paul on this one - driving after a long flight, especially in an unfamiliar city And with NZ's strange give way rule (have a look at: www.aahost.co.nz/roadrules.html) can be a recipe for disaster. An alternative is the Airbus (www.airbus.co.nz) that runs every 20 mins from the airport to the city and drops off at all of the hotels/backpackers etc. Costs $22 return, or $13 1-way.

As for hotels, you're spoilt for choice at the moment as it's the middle of winter here in NZ they're all empty, so you should be able to get a good deal (even at the top end places like the Stamford Plaza). The Heritage is good (& Avis have a car hire depot directly opposite, on Nelson St) so is City Life (on Queen St) & the Airedale is fine as flyboy suggests. The New President is a bit cheaper, & very central (on Victoria St) comparable to a travel inn back home.

Russ.
Yes sorry, come to think of it, now that the jetlag is wearing off (only returned Monday), when we landed at Christchurch we caught a taxi to the city centre and collected the car the next day. Probably was a good idea. I'll stand by what I said about driving on the roads though, it was easy to adapt and the roads were empty compared to what I'm used to. As for the give way rule, in 5000k and a months driving I saw a mixture of drivers sitting there waiting for the other to move (both tourists?) to both ignoring it and doing it the UK way and several near misses when the one turning right did it and the other didn't - if that makes sense?
And as I mentioned jet lag ....I wasn't prepared for the effect at all. We allowed for 1 day to acclimatise.....mistake....It took us 3 days to get into the right time zone and it looks like it will be 3 days to get used to uk time again.
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