UKNZAUS

Hi all

Just a quick question if I may! Tough, I'm asking anyway

We've decided on Auckland to settle in but are struggling finding out which areas to go for ... this is my question, what are the good/bad points of different areas ??

We're a family of 5 - 2 adults, 3 kids aged 10 (will be when we get there!), 2 and 1 yrs. We would like to be close enough to be able to pick and choose to visit the beach, close to schools (good ones pref.), playgroups, hmmm oh and have to be within commuting distance to CBD too!

Hope someone can help point us in the right direction ... I just can't seem to find much on Google grrr

Thanks in advance xx

Michelle & Carl

PS: Today has been a better day

kwprwn

Hi Michelle and Carl

I live in West Auckland in a suburb called Massey, a lot of the Brits on here live over on the North Shore, and although it is lovely over there, it was a little out of our price range house wise, and also Owen got his job in henderson.....house prices over here are fairly reasonable and have come down in the 10 months since we have lived here in Auckland...we paid $330,000 for a 3 bedroomed house with double garage, not a huge section but has a garden ( I hate gardening so this wasnt a major issue for me). We live in a failry quiet area but not to far from the north western motorway which can take you in to the CBD (but this does get fairly congested at rush hour) but I use the train to get to work as I work in Newmarket and although people say the public transport is crap, I dont find it to bad, we get the odd delay but have had nothing major in the time I have used it since last may.

Around the area we live we have the West Wave aquatic centre which has a great pool, plus other things like a huge slide (good for kids etc) and in Henderson itself there is a good shopping mall, and if you want to go a bit further afield there is the St Lukes shopping mall which is bigger

Also approx 25 mins drive you have the Zoo and Western Springs Park.
People tend to slate west auckland as being a rough area, but personally I havent experienced anything major here, you read in the papers about car chases and stuff in the area, but this is probably no different from any other parts of Auckland...or parts of the uk for that matter

The only draw back and this is not a great issue from were I am concerned you cannot buy alcohol in the supermarkets...for some bizarre reason Waitakere City Council wont allow it to be sold, you have to go to a liquor store to get it

ok hope this helps to give you an idea of west auckland...there are a few brits over this end of Auckland

and finally the view of the Auckland Skyline is just the best as you drive on the north western motorway...and dont let any one tell you different

Dawn xx

PS sorry cant help with the school issue as dont have any kids, but see plenty of kindergartens etc around

Nice Guy

Hi Michelle & Carl

In addition to the above any of the East Coast Bays should be good, does have a downside though…………you have to cross the bridge during rush hour to get to the CBD but the payoff is worth it.

Check out:

Takapuna $$$
Milford $$
Castor Bay $$$
Campbells Bay $$
Mairangi Bay $$
Murrays Bay $$$
Rothersay Bay $$
Browns Bay $$
Long Bay $$
Albany $$

All have jolly good schools and are near to the beach.

The $ sign is the Nice Guy indicator to the cost of housing, the more $ = more expensive

Avoid South Auckland...................

jueinnz

Hi ya,

I can't help with schools either!!! but I agree with everything the last two posters said.

What do you class as a reasonable commuting time??? cause if you prepared to go up to 45 mins, then pretty much everywhere excessable!!

jueinnz

And close to the beach??? Have you havd a good look at where Auckland is on the map??? (I ask becasue I never did!!!)
Thin litttle bit in the middle, !!! Beach or coast line is always accessable, 2 mins away I've got coast line no beach just a bit of mud and mangroves. But still nice for a walk!

UKNZAUS

Thanks all xx

Some great info for me there! Thanks for the $$ help Nice Guy!

Anymore ????

Michelle & Carl xx

Spacecake799

Hi Michelle and Carl,
Weve been here since November and have rented a house in Torbay, East coast bays, North Shore. We loved the area as soon as we arived. There are amazing beaches everywhere and great play areas for the children.
I also have 3 children of 14, 13 and 7. They easily got into excellent schools with a decile rating of 10. There are plenty of kindergartens to choose from.
The downside is that property is expensive, moreso if you can see the sea. You would need to spend around $450,000 to get something decent. However you could easily buy slightly out of the area cheeper and still keep the kids at the schools. Thats what we intend doing. Hope this helps. Carole

Littletoe

Hello,

Yes, I agree with this post. My husband lived in Torbay and was schooled in this area as well. After I had my first DD we went back for a few months and I loved it. Its very safe and very family orientated. The beaches are gorgeous, we were very happy there. If we moved back to Auckland, we'd live in the North Shore. I found it quite easy to tell the 'rough' areas in Auckland, that you'd rather avoid. Someone mentioned the harbour bridge, its is a BITCH in rush hour. The North Shore is usually a 20 min drive into CBD, but in rush hour it can take a good hour, sometimes longer if someone is inconsiderate enough to have an accident on the way in. But I do believe that the commute is worth it, and with your family dynamics, it sounds like the North Shore would suit you well.

Good luck!

Littletoe

Incidentally, what street you are guys renting on? You don't have to give me the addy of course, but just curious if you lived near me!

UKNZAUS

Thanks Spacecake & Littletoe! Will have a look into that area - I had my ye on that area as one on my shortlist.

Nice guy - do you have a $$ for Torbay ??? please!

Michelle & Carl xx

Nice Guy

Torbay is a relatively new and up coming area, a mixture of old and new.

The old tends to be at the bottom of the hill and the new towards the top, some gaffs have great views!

I hope I am not being rude to some that live there but I would avoid the bottom if possible.

The secondary school is Long Bay, it used to have a not so good reputation, but recently under new management so to speak things have dramatically improved.

The main beach nearby is Long Bay, it offers a truly lovely beach walk at low tide or hill tramp at high tide for about 5 Kms, but beware Puhotakawa beach as it is a nudist beach!

Grannies bay is lovely as well. At low tide you can walk from Long Bay to Browns Bay, mostly on the beach but with a small amount of road as well, just the job on a hot summers day!

Nice Guy $ = $$ depends where in Torbay...............

Littletoe

I second all of the above!

helinuk

A great thread!

So if we want to 'do' the suburbs and see for ourselves when we do the recce in April can you reccomend a route after arriving at airport area into city 'burbs and down east coast towards Tauranga? Thanks.

Spacecake799

Hi,
To answer you Littletoe we live in Rewi street, at the top of the hill. We have full length windows to view the sea.
To rent in Torbay for a family of 5 would cost from $400-$550 a week. To buy would be anything from $400,000 - $450,000 as a start and into the $500,000 mark to get a very good house.
Helinuk, if you want to check out the bays before going to Tauranga this is what i would suggest. When you arrive get a hotel. Aim to stay at least 1 night to get over the jet lag then you can fully appreciate what you are seeing. If you are going to hire a car to explore look at doing it online before you arrive as when we arrived all the hire cars were gone for a family of 5 with huge bags.
Head North over the Harbour Bridge to the East Coast Bays. You can check this area out in a day. Stay in a motel, then head south for your journey to Tauranga.
As regards rush hour. My husband cycles(15mins) to the bus station in Albany. Locks his bike and catches the bus. The buses run during rush hour every 15 minutes on the dot. They use a bus lane on the motorway where possible and the journey takes no longer than 30 mins to CBD. This costs$137 per full month. Later this year a high speed bus lane is opening alongside the motorway and this should speed things up even more.
I hope this info helps.
Carole

helinuk

Carole
many thanks. Trouble is most of the online maps don't show Auckland in detailed suburbs so I was a bit stumped as to where to go.
cheers.
Helen