Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

Hi - can anyone advise on my dilemma (sorry if I ramble - it's Friday night here and I'm on the oyster bay).

Hubby has been offered a job in North shore, Auckland and also a job in Newcastle (UK). Have to take one or other in next 3 months and we're totally torn as to what to do.

Been to NZ 3 times for a holidays and loved it - also have good NZ friends dotted about the country (although not in North Shore) but Newcastle UK is near to family and familiar (the safe option).

Current situation is that I'm a mum of 2 year old and 2 month old and have been living in a flat in central Edinburgh for the last ten years enjoying city life i.e pubs, coffee shops, shoes, etc. although more recently not the 2nd floor flat living/no garden situation that we currently experience with kids.

I don't know North Shore at all - I've been to downtown Auckland a couple of times and haven't been that impressed to be honest but I do hear North Shore is different and there's a real beach lifestyle going on there. Would I cope as a mum of small kids there? Would I meet enough people and is there enough to do or is it very quiet? I'm a people person who likes to be busy and if I had to stay in the house all day I think I'd go mental.

Can any North Shore mums give me the low down on how it is? Also what are the primary schools like?

Apologies again for the boozy rambling.....

Re: Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

Hiya - I've no small children but have a friend who does and who lives in Browns Bay. She arrived here with two little ones, 1 and 3 three years ago and she's got so much going on she hasn't a minute. She got very involved in Kindy (Kindergarten) and met loads of other mums. She's got both Kiwi and expat friends and loves it. The Shore is very beautiful - the closer you get to the beach the more expensive it is obviously but we live in Glenfield where you can get a decent house for around $450k now. Would you have to have a mortgage? Although they're going down they're still expensive, especially since you probably wouldn't want to work with the little ones. Cost of living is high in relation to salaries. Do you mind saying what sort of salary he's being offered? It obviously all depends on how you like to live but I'd say he'd need at least $80k with a mortgage and two children. Hope this helps.

Re: Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

Hi -thanks for quick response and sounds encouraging. Hubby will be on about $70K basic plus commission so about $120ish. I did work and could go back but hoping we could afford not to have to for next couple of years as wouldn't mind trying to pop another sprog. We have money in flat in Edinbugh but property market in UK shot as you probs know and thinking of trying to rent it out here and then rent in NZ. All we'd really want is a 3 bed house with a garden slightly bigger than a hankerchief - would that be realistic in north shore on say $120? We could maybe come with about $50Kish for deposit if we bought but not sure if we could afford the mortgage on $120K?

Re: Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

That doesn't sound bad at all. Have a look at www.trademe.co.nz for both rentals and properties for sale. We live on the Shore but in Glenfield which is closer to the City rather than the beach and is much less expensive than just 10 minutes away. We live in what's called "Coastal" Glenfield so we still have water views, just no beach. Great walks though through a load of reserves.

Re: Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

Can't help you with the young kids, but I think the North Shore is the best place to be in Auckland. But, it's not cheap. There are very, very expensive buys and rentals near the beach, but also very good rentals inland which are cheaper. Expect to pay around $320-340 a week for a two-bedroomed unit and around $450 plus for a house. But, these prices may come down in the future and the house prices are definitely falling around here.

You do need to spend some time travelling around the North Shore before deciding which areas suits you as some are certainly more attractive than others.

I think the North Shore has quite a different feel to it than the rest of Auckland, seeming much brighter and lighter to us.

Re: Calling north shore mums - advice needed
 

As a Brit, I relocated to Auckland, specifically the North Shore because of my Kiwi husband. We had children in the NS, a now 2 year old and a 4 year old, but have experienced a newborn in the NS as well.

The North Shore (IMO), enjoys a family orientated lifestyle. Mothers tend to group together for coffee meetings and fitness groups, etc. If you're in to that kind of thing.... finding Mumsy types is easy, playgrounds and safe areas are rife for the kiddies and the beach lifestyle is second to none.

We now live in Wellington. Again, lots of Mummy groups, trying to find Mothers that talk about other things rather than bowel movements and feeding habits is hard, but that's the same for anywhere.

The reason we moved back to NZ after a brief stint in Mexico and the UK is because it offered an outdoorsy lifestyle, better weather, etc. Basic requirements. Those things are met here in NZ in general. I'm sure you'd be very happy here. Kindgartens are accessible, childcare is hard to secure because of there being so many demands and little supply, but you'd get there.

Like anywhere the NS has its 'dumps.' Its important to explore the suburbs first to make a considered opinion. Some places do seem idyllic on the surface, none that I want to post publicly, but underneath they're pretty rough around the edges. Depends what you're after I guess.

Anyway, best of luck to you! Lifes short, at the end of the day, if you move here and don't like it, home will always be there.