kathm

Hi,

I know similar questions have been asked before, and I have read back through some older posts to get an idea, but I hope some of you kind people will bear with me and answer my question.

My hubby is in IT, and much as I would like to live in Napier, or somewhere like it, I am coming to the conclusion that the only logical place for us to be for Dave's work is Auckland (prefer location of Auckland to the other bigger cities)

We have three children, aged 3 and 1/2, 2 and 1/2 and 13 weeks, so my main priority is an area commuting distance to Auckland CBD that is quiet and safe for the kids. I gather from other postings that the East coast is the place to be for safe sandy beaches, and Sarah on this forum has already kindly sent me somepictures of Beachlands which looks to be the kind of area we would like.

I guess my questions are:

Which areas would people suggest for a young family near the beach, with good schools, and a safe small town feel to them?

Can we afford a decent house in these areas - hubby has been told that he can expect at least $70,000, maybe more like $75-80,000 but he will be the sole wage earner, and we will bring approximately 80,000 UK pounds with us in equity from our house in the UK

Finally, a contact at an agency has said that even though Auckland is a big city by NZ standards he feels very safe there - to the extent that he accepted a lift from a stranger when he was walking home from Auckland city at 3am (something he says he would never have dreamt of doing in the UK)
What are your opinions on this - is Auckland a nice safe place to bring up children if you live outside the city?

Sorry this has been such a long post - hope someone can help me.

Kathryn

Radio Ham

Kathryn

Commute areas around Auckland are expensive but depends on what you're looking for... take a look at the north shore which give ferry access to CBD from Devonport avoiding the bridge. Takapuna Grammar is the intended school for my two.

Just need a job to get the last 5 points now and we're off!!

Colin

livewire

Hi there. I've already replied to this question elsewhere but thought I'd say it here too:

Well the North Shore certainly still retains a village type atmosphere in places and has the lowest crime rate in NZ.

Browns Bay, Mairangi Bay, Torbay etc. are all very pleasant. If you can find a cul-de-sac type location the streets should be fairly safe for kids but it can be quite hilly in places and cars do zoom down the through roads quite quickly. There are also plenty of local shops, doctors surgeries, takeaways, libraries etc. which are really handy, as are the larger shopping centres at Albany and Wairau Park.

The schools here are pretty good as well, many kids walk to and from. There are also good bus services and walking school buses are becoming more common.

The beaches on the east coast are lovely - very sandy and safe. The pollution levels are lower up here too - it's quite common to see a brown fug hanging over Auckland City on a cold morning.

Your only problem may be the house prices in relation to your husband's salary and the lump sum you are brining with you. The North Shore isn't the cheapest area to live in. You could be looking at houses starting at around the $400-500k mark. It is possible to buy cheaper than that but you might have to compromise on things like section size, age and condition of the house etc.

As for travelling into Auckland - well, the bus lanes and terminals are in the process of being built. When they are complete a lot of people are hoping that the traffic congestion on SH1 will ease and journeys into work will become a lot faster.

newkiwi

I agree that the North Shore is a good option, nice beaches, more affordable that inner Auckland, nice suburban feel to it. The further north you go the more affordable (generally) but the longer the commute. There are big plans to improve the public transport into the CBD by building a busway across the harbour bridge.

the other option is to the east in the area of Howick/ bucklands beach.