Auckland area
 

Hello All

I previously posted here asking for advice on living generally in the Auckland area and got some great advice. I was originally looking at the Titirangi area but am now possibly considering other areas as my wife has a job offer in Takapuna, the opposite direction to mine. So i'm basically wondering if people could provide advice on good family locations in Auckland in general, or perhaps more importantly areas we should avoid? We have 2 young children so would be looking for nice community, safe areas, not ultra urban. The kids love the beech but it looks like wherever you are in Auckland you're never too far from the coast.

Thanks in advance!

Nick

Re: Auckland area
 

Where was your job based? Was it somewhere south of the CBD? If so you need to have a fight with the missus to determine who is going to draw the short straw and commute over the bridge Anywhere on the shore will be great for her and less so for you. The shore is largely suburban has some nice beaches and generally becomes more green with some potential for semi rural living the further north you go but going further north will add more time to your commute if you are needing to get into or out the other side of town. The biggest limiting factor of course will be affordability and that probably will decide on which suburbs you can afford to live in versus which ones you would like. You generally would need to pull together $1m for a house on the shore.

Re: Auckland area
 

Yes my job is in CBD. I'm working on the assumption that it'll be me with the longer commute. I'm used to long, sometimes stressful drives to work so nothing new for me, my wife has been far more fortunate over the years so would probably be a big shock for her. There's always the option for her to move job I guess, i'll be contractually tied to my job for sometime as part of a relocation package they have offered me so i'll be commuting to the same area for a while. Would you the south of Auckland generally cheaper than the north or is that too much of a generalisation?

Re: Auckland area
 

Bo-Jangles is right and like any larger city it will be what you can afford and not what you like. The best option is always filtering by budget on property websites and then checking what you can afford, or what's actually available.
There's no point if a millionaire tells you how nice their area is but you aren't a millionaire, or if someone who likes an apartment says property is affordable but you want a house with garden. You'll end up with so many areas that you might be even more confused, if you know what I mean.

Re: Auckland area
 

I have been using the web to look at affordable properties to rent in the general Auckland area which is why I am now more confused. Plenty of places come up within our price range but without having some idea on good or bad areas it's like being blind. I can look in a similar way in my area and find plenty of cheaper homes that look to be in a very leafy and tidy neighbourhood but I know they are bad areas where you would normally avoid living in if finances permitted. This was why I was hoping someone could list some areas to look at in particular or those to try and avoid.

I know that generally more expensive will be in 'nicer' areas but we are trying to find ok places on a moderate income, not such an easy task whichever country/city you're looking at without some inside knowledge.

Re: Auckland area
 

Maybe if you give an idea of the areas/properties that popped up within your price range, people who are familiar with Auckland can give feedback which areas they would choose from that list. Like in every city there are also rental shortages, so if I would tell you that area .... is great it's pointless for you if there are no rental houses available, or it's just not within your price range.

Re: Auckland area
 

If your wife has a job on the Shore then to my mind it is a no brainer you absolutely need to live on the shore and not worth looking anywhere else if the commuting distance is the priority for her; all schools are generally good, excellent senior schools and no really bad areas. Some obviously less des res than others but all reasonably affluent and safe. For cheaper burbs closer to Takapuna look at Sunnynook, Glenfield, Beach Haven. As far out as Long Bay, Torbay, Albany are all easily doable for a commute to Takapuna (maybe 45 mins on school days) but will be longer journey for you. Bussing it to town might be an option for you but depends on where you need to get to (see Norther Express).

Re: Auckland area
 

Thank you Bo Jangles, that was exactly the kind of advice i was after. That has given me some good places to now start exploring!

many thanks
Nick

Re: Auckland area
 

Depending on where in the CBD you will be working, you may be able to use the ferries from Devenport , beachaven, birkenhead,

Re: Auckland area
 

Otahuhu is the area and i'll have use of a company vehicle, assuming some or all the ferries permit cars/trucks?

Re: Auckland area
 

Otahu is 20km's from the CBD and could take you an hour or more at the wrong time.
A wise Kiwi always told us to steer clear of South Auckland for places to live as it's a bit rough. I doubt it's any worse than some of the worst places one could live in the UK but I do agree that in relation to North Auckland, South Auckland is a little shabby. Luckily we managed to avoid the living in Auckland scenario as I managed to get a job offer elsewhere before we arrived.
No vehicles on the North Shore ferries. It is foot passenger only.
You can take vehicles to/from Waiheke Island but that's your lot.
You'll be hoofing it over the bridge twice a day if you have a work vehicle.

Re: Auckland area
 

No, ferries are foot passengers only.

Assuming you don't want to and probably could not afford to live in the city 'fringes' of Newmarket, Mount Eden and Ponsonby then you are going to have a very difficult time finding somewhere that sits between Otahahu and Takapuna. One of you is going to have a helluva journey; North Shore to Otahuhu could be 1 to 1.5 hours drive in peak times and you'll be spending a lot of time in the massive carpark that is SH1.

Re: Auckland area
 

Even if some parts might be rougher in the UK, if you come from a small place like Hebden Bridge any larger city could be a shock.

Re: Auckland area
 

That's quite a sobering thought....have been using google maps to plot journey times from different locations to my work place and never seemed to be greater than 45 mins, even from Titirangi which is where i had originally been looking. I've tried this at commute times as well, i know google can sometimes be a bit out but didn't know it would be that wrong. I use it here all the time for driving around and google has generally been very accurate. If google is that inaccurate then that makes looking for a place to stay even harder! Back to the drawing board I guess, will start looking at places closer in to the centre and see what i find although not too keen on being located in the middle of a big city but i guess it is what it is.

Re: Auckland area
 

I'm not against being in a scruffy neighbourhood, I grew up on a council estate in London, have lived in large cities in Mexico and the US and my wife lived in Bangkok for a while so we're not country bumpkins but would certainly prefer a more chilled environment for all our family. From my experience big cities have lots of positives, just seems that generally you need a good wage to enjoy most of them.

Re: Auckland area
 

Hey - sounds like plans are coming along. Have you been doing these test travel times at peak NZ times? As previously pointed out south Auckland is generally less desirable and although there are some great parts there are some real rough parts there. Perhaps try areas (for a house) such as Mangere Bridge and Onehunga. Both are much nicer than they were years ago and I would say one of the best places to be close to south Auckland and not have to do the bridge every day. To be honest most the North Shore gets snarled up in the morning as people queue to get onto SH1 to go over the bridge - something I never fancied despite the nice beaches over there.

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

Thanks for the response simonsi. Do you mind my asking what sort of time you head out and home and what the rough commute time is for you either way?

Re: Auckland area
 

Yes, things seem to be speeding up and the whole process is looming large. There is so much to sort out, ideally it wouldn't be happening so quick, our plan had been to spend a year sorting it all out but my employer wants me there yesterday so we're on turbo drive! I find myself swaying between feeling totally up for it and then thinking it's all too much hassle and expense...i imagine others have had this same feeling when going this process?

I have been looking at the commute times at peak rush hour, you often see lots of red stretches on the route but the overall time never looks that bad. I suppose it depends on what you're used to, my current drive to work is just under an hour but it's fairly stress free as i start and finish early missing the worst of the traffic.

Thanks for the extra advice on areas to check out, will be glad when a decision is made either way so i can stop living on this computer!

Re: Auckland area
 

Nothing wrong with swaying a bit - its a big decision. After just coming back after 15 years there I guess I am a little on the negative side so I can completely understand that the mindset is different when you want a big change and you have a good job offer over there. One thing I will say is I hope its a great job as the thought of having to commute distance with the destination being Otahuhu wouldn't fill me with joy to be honest.

How bad can West Yorkshire be - my sisters in Skelmanthorpe - seems nice, have you considered somewhere else in the UK/Europe that would tick as many of the boxes you have. Just playing devils advocate but just think its good to work out your options closer to home without such a massive decision or ordeal. Or can you fly out for a visit out there? See Auckland in Autumn/ Winter - go visit some of your prospective colleagues homes etc.

As I say, devils advocate, could be the answer to your dreams out there.

Re: Auckland area
 

That's it and no matter where you move to, it's important to really look at why you want to move. It's the same here in Ireland and I had a few colleagues who moved from Galway to Dublin for a so called better job. The better job just meant that they ended up with less money at the end of the month, commute was longer, smaller property and the benefits of the city couldn't be enjoyed, as they didn't have the money. Then they couldn't experience the many outdoor activities we have on our doorstep here and were stuck in the city. But we can just go to the city for the weekend, fill up the shopping bags and really enjoy the city without the money worries and daily stress. During the week you work anyway:-)

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

I'm happy to keep a realistic head in all this, watching those 'wanted down under' programs, i feel, can paint too rosy a picture. If NZ were that amazing we'd all be flooding over there! I'm trying to weigh up the pro's and con's of going and staying. Very difficult when we have never been to NZ before and are simply going of friend's recommendations and the internet. We don't unfortunately have the funds to have a holiday there to get a flavour. I'm toying with the idea of maybe going out a month or two ahead of the rest of the family. If it seems like it's not the right place then at least we will have limited our financial loses.

Your comment about the job has really got me thinking too. It's within my current industry but the actual role is something I have never done before although I know plenty who have and they are generally positive about it. To use your expression though of it being a great job makes me unsure. The wages are about £7.5k more than i'm earning here, no huge increase plus I get the sense that the extra wages would be cancelled out by being in such an expensive part of the country. There is definitely more potential for future career development than i currently have here so it does tick some pro's there.

With regards to W.Yorkshire, I love it here, the people and countryside are great. Our main bug bear is the weather. We are in the middle of the peninnes where it seems to rain a lot! Grey skies and cold temperatures are taking it's toll on us. I know loads of people who have lived here for years and they continually moan about the depressing weather, many have left but a percentage have remained. I guess for some the weather isn't such a major consideration. We like to spend a lot of time outdoors and feel we are restricted for most of the year. We have talked about moving elsewhere in the country but down south where the weather is better the cost of property is ridiculous, plus everywhere seems to be mega busy, lots of people and cars wherever you go. NZ seems to offer a lot of the things we value, better climate, more layed back, an outdoors lifestyle and beautiful scenery, just a shame it's such a long way away...oh yeah, and no Brexit!

Another major consideration for us as a family is that our kids get a better quality of life. Moving to a new school in a foreign land will be tough for them, I know as i did that when i was 12. It was tough for me but ultimately it was an experience that i'll never forget and has proved useful in later life. I have read on here some comments regarding high levels of bullying at school. This is probably another thread that I'll get going but it has concerned me a little bit, both my daughters are approaching teen years soon and this is a difficult phase at the best of times.

Re: Auckland area
 

That's great, ,many thanks

Re: Auckland area
 

I'm not been nosey.
What sort of wages/ salary will you and your wife be making out here?
I know wages up north England are a lot less than down south.
You need take into consideration moving to Auckland is like living in London money wise.
So the extra 7.5k may end up your still going end up alot worse off in NZ.

Re: Auckland area
 

I know people

Re: Auckland area
 

I know people who have left NZ for Devon / Cornwall.
​​​they say the weather's similar and housing is affordable

Re: Auckland area
 

Me personally. I have lived all over the UK for long periods of time. Including rom Plymouth to Aberdeen and alot places inbetween for long periods of time.
Iv been in NZ a year and think weather is far better in Auckland than the UK.
Alot more sunshine. More daylight. Temperature is alot warmer all year round and more consistant.
Its winter and still only wear a t-shirt to work outside all day.
Only problem I find is the Sun burns bad in the summer. Never felt sun as hot and burn like I do here. Need factor 50 on twice a day and still burn.

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

Yes mate, the Sun burns here.
be very carefull with the young kids out here in summer on beach or even in the garden.
You need slap some serious amount sun cream on the young ones out here.
Iv been some extremely hot places and never burned in my life.
I put factor 50 on twice a day and wear a cap. My ears and nose still burn and peel lol I'm dark hair and quite dark skinned aswell.
So if your a ginger from the mountains stand by lmao

Also all the negatives you hear about South Auckland is mostly crap. I live in South Auckland and enjoy it. It's no rougher than any where else in Auckland.

Also beaches vary alot. you see what I mean when you get here.
If you like been tanned up laying on beach and a swim you go northshore or mission bay or Maratei.
If your into water sports like surfing ect you go west coast.
If your into driving 4x4, motor bikes and donuts in your car on beach you go waiuku beach.
Be very carefull in the sea here and at waterfalls. there loads and loads people drown here every year and mostly tourist. There 3 people drowned in one weekend in Auckland in summer at different waterfalls.

Also everyone goes on about negatives in here. If you lived in London the house prices are cheaper in Auckland than London and a lot more closer to commute to CBD. The traffic ain't anywhere near anything like London traffic.
Also I find food prices balance out. I eat two takeaway a week. the money I save on takeaways out here is about same as difference in food prices.
The rent prices you see includes council tax. Again if your use to London prices it's cheaper.
Cars are alot cheaper to run here. fuels is about 20p litre cheaper. insurance is 15 pound a month. Road tax cheaper.

Re: Auckland area
 

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I make about 75k plus company car.
My wife makes about 65k.
We have a far better lifestyle in NZ than essex.
We bank over 2k dollars a week. you have decent lifestyle. Well I think so. You ain't a millionre but very comfortable.

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

I don't have kids.
People that say they need over 100k salaries for husband and wife each to be comfortable. I don't know what sort of lifestyle these guys like to live. but it ain't normal to me. As long as you and your wife have decent paying jobs like that. you will have plenty money. If it was just one wage on 70k then yeah things might be a bit tight. same as any where else in the world really.
Its not like keeping up with the Jones out hear or a pissing comp to see who's got biggest house and newest car on tick. It's not materialistic like the UK. its like before everyone started getting debt up to there eyeballs like the UK.
How old is your kids?
kids have alot more freedom out here.
I'm 38 and its like living up in Scotland in a village when I was a kid.

Re: Auckland area
 

Re: Auckland area
 

That's is one of things that has been doing my head in for years here in the UK, seems everyone has an ultra materialistic attitude towards houses, clothes, cars, holidays etc etc and don't seem to mind getting into ridiculous debt in the process. I was brought up to buy only what you can afford. We as a family have always managed to have a decent sized home, 2 cars on the go (2nd hand of course) and the occasional holiday abroad and i'm proud that the only debt we have is the mortgage, even that is quite low.

The cost of kids is alarmingly high. For a start we'll need to rent a 3 bed home as my two are either best friends or hate each other depending on which way the wind is blowing! Child care is a killer but my 2 girls (10 & 11) are getting to the age where they'll be able to take themselves to school and home again which will greatly reduce outgoings. Despite this we like to be around as parents as much as we can and like doing stuff as a family. Which is another reason why NZ is on the cards. A comment that comes up regularly is that there is a much bigger outdoors lifestyle there, often at no or little cost, which on paper sounds like our ideal situation.

Another comment I've heard a lot too is about NZ being like the UK 20 years ago which ties in with your Scottish village comment. For some this is a negative but for us it sounds great as we want to get back to a simpler life.

Re: Auckland area
 

That's useful to know thanks. We have similar issues here, a simple breakdown or set of roadworks on our roads can easily double your journey time. I grew up driving around London and didn't realise how congested it was until I moved somewhere quieter, guess I'll either get used to it or find a way to work around it?

Re: Auckland area
 

If you enjoy living in Yorkshire you most likely love it here. most things are geared towards out doors. There campsites and nature reserves pretty much every where usually with nice beach too. If your into any sort of water activity it's good your only ever 10 or 15 mins away from a boat launch or water.
loads bush and trails everywhere if your into trekking.
If your into commercial places like America or places in uk like Blackpool for example, you dont get things like that in NZ. Also all the leisure centre here has free swimming for kids.
As I says Kids have alot more freedom out here. I see kids every where on there own.
There is big play parks everywhere for kids. where i live I have about 15 rugby pitches behind my house. They are packed every nite with kids. Aw don't be suprised if your girls wanna play rugby it's a big thing and everyone plays it.
I prefer NZ with nearly everything and my wifes the same. I only miss one thing Football lol. All games are on at silly times. That's only thing I miss.

One thing that does my head in about British people in general when I watch that wanted down under.
People just want want want.
I want to immigrate to NZ I live in 2 bed house terrace house in Newcasle. I work 60 hours a week to fund my life style.
I want to move to OZ or NZ. I want a 4 bed house on half an acre in Auckland with a pool. But I only wanna work 35 hours a week and my wife wants to work 20 hours to fund it.
Its just want want want.
If you work 60 hours a week in uk to fund your lifestyle your going have to do the same out here. I knew that before I come Work hard and start a new life in different country.
Also seen someone talking about Holidays. I work in construction. Everywhere always shuts down at xmas in uk for 2 weeks. You keep 5 days holiday plus the bank holidays you have 2 weeks off its same here. only difference is it's in the middle of the summer and when your kids have there 7 week holidays over Xmas. You still have 15 days to take off anytime of the year plus 5 days sick payed every year. Plus more bank holidays. I don't see what there is to moan about.

Also I would agree it would be best for you to go alone first even just a month or two before your wife and kids arrive. Have everything in place ready for your kids arriving. house ect.
Its very stressfull. I found it stressfull with no kids so wouldn't like to be doing it with a 10 and a 11 year old.
Most properties here are 3 beds. you dont really see many 2 beds. the 2 beds are usually units or apartments.

Also Auckland is nothing like London.
Its no where near as built up and congested.
I wouldn't even try comparing its so different.
I would say Auckland is more like Edinburgh sort of size. I think Edinburgh is more congested than Auckland.
If your use to driving anywere around London, Auckland is a breeze. Traffic doesn't jam like London. Out of peak or at weekends it's a joy to drive around Auckland honestly. I can leave my house and pretty much drive straight into city centre park up at sky tower going around shops have food and its stress free no traffic what so ever. The motorway pretty much goes through the CBD.

Re: Auckland area
 

Thanks for the feedback on your experience of AK life. It all sounds good to me, am still a little concerned on how far our wages will go with 2 soon to be teenage kids. Long term if all goes well we want to buy so there'll hopefully be savings there as we have a good chunk of equity in our house here.

Thanks again for all the input, much appreciated!