GoingIn2011

We moved in 2011. We have endured four years in Auckland.
Anyone thinking of moving here, I can honestly say that you really need to think twice about Auckland. The traffic is utterly horrendous and we live about 35-40kms from the CBD as this is all we can afford housing wise. This gives my wife a commute of sometimes up to two hours - oh, the traffic on the Northern Motorway. Needless to say, we are moving - to the Waikato. She will be getting a job in Hamilton and I work from home anyway.

I can honestly say that Auckland represents everything that we wanted to leave behind in the UK. However, you get out of Auckland and the real NZ is still there - a wonderful place to raise children. So, we are off to start living the dream after 4 years of enduring traffic and property hell.

desmondo84

Rated 9th best place in the world in the paper today..... Traffic is hellish. If you avoid the traffic, then it ain't so bad.

Tom H

Able to work on the viaduct harbor

Good links across the NI and SI

Higher salary rates than Wellington (voted 23rd best city to live in the world)

There must be a reason why Auckland and Wellington are considered the best places to live in New Zealand

barnsleymat

I did, then I didn't and now I wouldn't.

Justcol

Started in the Waikato, tried Auckland, lasted 2 years, hated it, moved back to Waikato
I didnt really move half way round the world to live somewhere that "Ain't so bad"

I do get a little tired of hearing about Auckland being the N th best city in the world
it has one shopping street that is anytown NZ
one average shopping mall
two or three unremarkable areas of bars
a few beaches dotted around

It really is nothing special

bearskin

We absolutely love living here in Torbay.

If you can: 1) get around the commute, and 2) afford to live somewhere you like and isn't 2hrs commute from your workplace, then Auckland IMO is a fantastic place to live. I would certainly think that here is more to life than driving from Whangaparaoa into the CBD every day. I do know people who have deliberately moved right out (to the back blocks of Puhoi) and even though spending what to me would seem horrendous amounts of time driving everywhere... seem happy enough.

We chose to live close to where I work - I have about a 15-20 min trip into work. My wife wasn't working when we first moved to NZ, but after having another child here, she now has a job that is quite a distance away, but as it involves a different commute than just up and down SH1 - it is from Torbay out to West Akl, it isn't so bad as just sitting in semi-stationary traffic.

I guess the plus side of living in Akl for 4 years then moving away, is if you bought a house back then, you will be quids in now?

jparsons

Auckland is great to live in. The traffic is minimal except on the SH's at peak times and it is truly one of the prettiest "big" cities in the world. The people who keep complaining dont realise how lucky they are!

GoingIn2011

Its not moaning for the sake of it! We have a huge mortgage, live in a shoe box, and my wife has a 2 hour commute into work. That's Auckland!

Moses2013

But wasn't it your own decision to live in a city?

GoingIn2011

I don't understand your point.

It is very hard to gauge a city before living in it.

I have lived in it, and now I am presenting a brief summary of my experiences of it.

I am not seeking any sympathy, merely sharing what I have found. This is one of the purposes of this site.

jparsons

Why would you commit to a place if you were aware of a long commute and as you have described unsatisfactory accomodation.

BEVS

Just a quick note here for others looking in.

Most often the would-be immigrant goes where the work is. Where the job offer pops up. That is because most everyone needs a job offer to uplift an NZ visa. So the process in reality for most everyone is job offer first .

As one would expect , the majority of those job offers are from the three main cities. Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland.

These days a job offer means NZ prizes so one takes the offer and gets a foot in the NZ door.

Ten years ago it wasn't quite like that as maybe Bearskin will testify. 'Things' were generally more affordable & job offers were not thin on the ground as they are now.

It is only after a while that the person knows if an area is a good fit for them or not. If not, then they are hopefully in a position to move area as some have.

From what I have observed , those that came a good ten years ago or so + with funds are fine in the Auckland area. For those that came later it is and has been tough yards.

That is why many folks eyes are looking to outside of Auckland. Even as far as to our area, Nelson and Tasman Bays. However it seems that Hamilton may be the area for those that do not have a good or easy foothold in the usual Auckland areas.

I will further add that I have lost count of the amount of times people still overseas scoff at NZ traffic in Auckland or the general driving standard. Almost always they cite driving on UK motorways and traffic jams and have this hazy notion that there are no traffic jams , rush hours or road works. Of course that is not the case .
For Auckland I have read many bemoan the traffic situation & Auckland bridge. Those that may commute via water taxi seem to fare better.

bearskin

To be honest BEVS, I am probably the wrong person to ask... We settled in Torbay quickly - bought a house back in 2004 that we still live in. I am still working on the North Shore with minimal commute (I have on occasions walked in...). As members may know, I also make rare trips into Auckland City. If I do, it is outside of commuter traffic for something like a Sunday stroll round the waterfront with the family, or to go to a nice city restaurant (or the Theatre etc). So I don't have the experience of someone who lives on a peninsula and has to travel 2hours to work...

To me it is about choices. If I had to work in the city I wouldn't live in Whangaparaoa. If I couldn't afford to live closer to my work, I would move elsewhere - as, indeed, the Op is doing... and fair play to them. I hope they had bought property and not just rented, as they will be may be getting a nice little nest egg thanks to NZ's lack of Capital Gains tax enforcement

Bo-Jangles

Several million other NZERs don't have a good word to say about it either, so quite understandable really that it wouldn't suit a fair few on here also.


Pretty in parts depending on your vantage point but we all know pretty doesn't pay the bills. It's largely a big ugly mother of a city, with more than its fair share of big city problems, notoriously bad transport and traffic. The suburban sprawl and traffic certainly ain't pretty and you need to be well cotchelled up to afford to shield yourself from the worst if it, and to have an easy ride in terms of getting too and from work.

jparsons

All i can say is that in relative terms auckland is a good city. People here take so many things for granted