Am Loolah

Don't know the place Trevor, but this might help? Haze and Steve on the site are in Taupo and might be able to help. I suggest you start a new thread in the main forum for info on rural Waikato or similar?

AngelaandJim

Hi Am Loolah,

Thanks will do

debnamnz

Hi We live about an hour from Rotorua, in Papamoa. Regularly visit the beautiful lakes with our boat around Rotorua. Very pretty area but yes, can have that 'smell' as you enter. Once you have been there a while, you dont notice it. We have always found it quite a quiet place but love it in Papamoa.
Have been here now for over 5 year. Good luck anyway.

fpower

Hi there - what about Hamilton - you can opt for mountains/beaches (check out www.aotea.co.nz) and still be within 30mins of city. There are plenty of large sections (pommie speak: plots) coming up for sale as farmers are sub-dividing. That way you can access international airport in Hamilton or 1 1/4 hrs from Auckland. Just a thought ........

Trevor Krueger

I'm dithering right now as I start to have doubts about NZ life. Hoons, speeding young drivers, bad language on poor TV, high teenage suicides, highest road deaths in the World, being cut off from World... etc etc. I may just be picking up all the bad points but it's hard to see beyond the stereotyping. I think I had NZ down as what is shown in the promo videos, now have to blend in reality, of course. But want to get away from bad elements in society, need to know the teens aren't going to be worse than here I guess...

Trevor Krueger

Thanks, what you describe sounds lovely. I really fancy the idea of having a small boat on the lake, that would be great. As for the smells, I'm a country boy used to a variety of those, that doesn't worry me too much. I have hang-ups about hoons to be honest, spoiling my shang ri la image of NZ. Just have to learn more and get things in perspective I guess. Thanks again!

strawbie

Hi, I think you would be lucky to find a place on earth where at least some of the population weren't 'affected' in ways which most of us find strange to say the least! I think its wise to do more research, we can get blown away with the stereotypical image of NZ, where everything is perfect (and teenagers drive with care!!), although it probablly aint just the teens!! you need to evaluate what qualites 'draw' you to NZ and do they outweigh the possible negatives. Is it possible for you to go for a hol? I've heard lots on here about Christchurch being 'hoon central' etc and people not being polite, etc, etc. We stayed in a hotel in central Christchurch with our 3 children for several nights. We walked about by day and never once came across anybody rude or rowdy, we ate out at night and meandered back to the hotel and again found nothing but reasonable people. The place was pretty busy, especially at night, the restaurants, etc. The street noise during the night didnt keep us awake (and we live very rural here in the UK), so take things with a pinch of salt and follow your dreams!

Before anybody jumps down my throat-I realise that a few nights in a city may not give you a true picture of what its like to live there, but I found it far less threatening than i would wandering around Leeds or Manchester. I would never choose to live directly in a city centre anyway. x

xxElainexx

Hi Trevor,
I too have started to have doubts about NZ, for some of the reasons you have indicated...and one more issue is the return of NZer's going back home, this causing a problem for those that have applied and are continuing to apply on WTR, the time and energy not to mention the cost...only to realise that our dream of living there could be short lived...such a shame really... like you l'm a realist and fully understand that life is what you make where ever you are, and that NZ has it's fair share of issues too.....but hey still researching and hoping that things look more positive than negative....hope you find the same too good luck to you

xxElainexx

xxElainexx

Hi there,

Just read your posting, thanks for the experiences shared, it's why l like the web site so many have experienced so much albeit postive and negative, besides as the saying goes 'it wouldn't do for us all to like and want the same would it' thanks to you anyway....

xxElainexx

strawbie

Thanks for your comments! I have to say also, that just before being granted pr I signed up to this site and i think one of my 1st threads was about having 2nd thoughts after coming on here!!! I think there are a couple of 'posters' who shall remain annonymous that seem to like the 'negative slant' on NZ, but.......they continue to live there, so, maybe they are up to abit of reverse psychology!!! Some people will not be happy wherever they live and will find the negatives in everything and everyone. No matter how bad things are in NZ I doubt they can be as bad as some of the places here in the Uk, for example parts of Manchester where there are regular fatalities in certain parts of the city due to gun/knife/drug crime, etc. I live rurally, but only about 20 miles away and this has little personal effect on my life. You just have to do some research and choose carefully!! Good luck. xx

xxElainexx

Hi to you,

Thank you too for your comments, yes your probably right about the slant on NZ, if l'm truthfull l think there are certain areas here in UK where l really wouldn;t consider living...each to our own...we shall be doing lots of research into NZ we are completing an assessment form to be sent of during this coming week to one of the Immigration specialists, we shall see what is our best route in.....again thanks for your comments...good luck with your move...when do you go...

xxElainexx

strawbie

.....go as soon as sold house I bet everyone on here is fed up of me saying that!!! There are some threads on here too about using immigration specialists/agents and i think the general concensus was to try and do it all yourselves-saves a hell of alot of money!!! It is alot of paperwork but even using an agent you still have to chase alot of it anyway and then forward it to your agent!! Anyway, i guess that depends on your circumstances! Good luck and let us know how you get on!!

Tomsk

Hi Trevor, I've just caught up with this thread, and I'm absolutely in agreement that NZ has it's downsides, Utopia it surely isn't, and anywhere imagining that NZ is perfect is going to be sadly disappointed. I'd suggest looking at what it is that you really want, and then exploring whether NZ can fulfill those dreams.
In response to your comments about teenagers & hoons...I brought over 2 teenagers a year ago, now aged 16 &17 they're having a great life here. I'm astounded at how well behaved and polite their multitude of friends are...often my home feels like some teenaged drop in centre, but every single teenager that rolls on up makes the effort to be polite to hubby & I, to say "hello" and "goodbye" and to actually wash up after themselves after they've emptied my fridge . In the UK I was lucky if their friends grunted an acknowledgement of me, as a boring parent I didn't seem to warrant any courtesy.
I live in pretty central Rotorua....hoons & boy racers simply haven't been an issue for me. I suspect that if I went looking for them I might find a few, but honestly they're simply not a problem for most of the population.
If you want some insight into the crime profile in the area I can probably ask a few questions of some Police friends I have over here.
I also work out in the rural back of beyond areas between Rotorua & Taupo, and have a reasonable knowledge of those areas, so I can give you a certain amount of info on those places if you want. However it's probably worth bearing in mind that NZ has a number of biggish towns & cities with all the services that we expect, supermarkets, doctors surgeries, town supply water, broadband internet etc etc......move into the rural areas and you gain space, beautiful landscapes, fantastic, friendly, tight-knit communities, but you lose some or all of the services, so a considerable drive for reasonably priced groceries (pretty much every small community seems to have local dairy, but prices can be steep)....and if your boiler blows it can take a long time and a huge expense to coax a plumber out of the nearest town . It's a trade off.
Have you ever visited NZ? Could you manage a trip over here to form your own opinions rather than looking at the stereotypes? After all if I looked at the UK simply from what I could read in forums or the Daily Mail I'd never want to set foot in the country never mind live there, yet I spent 40+ very happy years living there, and hold no grudges against the country, it's just that, for me, right now, NZ offers so very much more.
Good luck with the decision, I know it's not an easy one, I lost count of the number of times that cold feet and doubts nearly stooped us from making the move, but am so very, very pleased that we went with it. Best decision we ever made and I have no regrets. But that's a personal statement, NZ simply isn't right for everyone and in no way would I want to sway your decision. That said, if you want any info about Rotorua and it's surrounds just give me a nudge .

Willij

Hi Tomsk,

Hope you don't mind me taking you up on the offer of some infor but I am also interested in the Rotorua are.

What would you say are the other next largest towns in the area - heading North, East oe West. I am interested from the point of view of amenities - secondary schools etc.

Thanks

Tomsk

For sure, I'm always happy to chat about Rotorua . Rrua is a small city, but it spreads a long way, and there's a lot of suburbs for want of a better word which are like little villages in themselves, and I can happily chat about these surrounding areas, such as Kaharoa, Hamurana, Waikiti, Ngkaru, Okere Falls etc if you want to know more about them. For decent sized towns there's Papamoa which is approx 70kms to the west (I think, sense of direction is dreadful ) it's on the coast anyway, and Tauranga which is just a little bit further on from Papamoa. Heading South, and down the coastline from Papamoa is Whakatane, that's maybe 2 hrs drive from Rotorua, but I don't know the actual distance. Taupo is heading east, ie inland from Rotorua, and is a little over an hour away. Tirau is possibly 45mins northwards, keep driving past that and you reach Cambridge, (a little over an hour from Rrua), and then Hamilton's a bit further north from there. I could talk about Tokoroa, Kawerau & Murupara which are all maybe an hour or so away, but personally would be reluctant to recommend them as possible destinations to live. I'm sure that they have their charms....but I'm afraid I fail to see them
Outside of those places there are a lot of small communities, some larger than others of course, but generally fairly small. I have to admit that I only know the Rotorua- Taupo direction well, although I've done the Cambridge & Papamoa routes many times, but would hesitate to comment on those areas.
In Rotorua there are 5 high schools & several primaries and intermediates...all the other large towns/ cities that I've named have a good selection of schools. In the rural areas between there are lots of rural primary schools, which are generally fabulous little schools, but students have to travel some considerable distance to a high school. Between Rotorua & Taupo, some 78kms I think, there is only 1 high school in Reporoa. But there are great school bus services that transport the students around at reasonable cost.
I don't know if any of that helps, I've probably gone way off tangent, so do get back to me if you want to know more...or to push me back into the right direction