c_wal10

Hi,
OH had a skype interview this morning with some farmers 15/20 minutes from Gisborne.
Just wondered if anyone is there/ been there? Whats the schools, shopping etc like.
Thanks Claire

Hokey-pokey

I adore Gisborne but I wouldn't want to live there. A bit too out on a limb for me however that wouldn't bother many. It's a great place and has a lot going for it. Whenever I visit Gissie I feel like I've stepped back into my childhood. Love it. I have friends who have received good educations from schools in Gisborne. Lots of rural types send their children to boarding schools in Hawkes Bay as travel distances to and from secondary schools can be arduous. I'm not much of a shopper but IMO the shops are comparable to most small cities in NZ. Good arts scene. You can always make the trek into Napier for shopping too but that is quite a distance.

kiwigeordie

I used to travel there a lot about 15 years back. It was a 2+ hour drive from Napier (the nearest accessible place). It was an impressive drive scenerywise and although they may have improved the road since, I hear there are still times when it's cut.
Beautiful place but very remote. A large rural Maori presence if that's a consideration (interesting agricultural crops are grown. Very parochial in outlook (even more so than other places in NZ). I believe it used to have a train service from Napier but I think the service has been discontinued other than for freight.
Pete

Hokey-pokey

You're correct Pete. The passenger train was discontinued years ago. A shame because it was a fun trip to make as a kid, although extremely slow and uncomfortable ( tatty old seats and no diner etc ). Still a real shame. Gisborne is a friendly place and I have always found the locals warm and welcoming.

Charismatic

I like Gizzy but there isn't much going there in the way of jobs and it takes a long time to go anywhere else.

kiwigeordie

Yes, very friendly folk. Good weather too. I remember a day in Gisborne one February when it was 35 deg. I stopped to look at a shop window and when I went to walk away, my shoes were stuck to the asphalt pavement. I looked like the Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz, leaning over at 45 degrees
Pete