Dizibella

Hi all - if OH wants to commute into Auckland for work each day (via motorbike, or so he threatens!) can we live as far up the Hibiscus Coast as Warkworth?? We are used to fairly long commutes and prices do drop dramatically once you hit a certain distance away. Any nice spots up the coast to recommend?? Doesn't have to be bang on the sea front, inland is cool, we're just governed by price at the moment as we want to spend a max of NZ$500K or less for house plus bit of land for energetic kids, boards, boats and bikes!

Ta
Suki

ukkiwi

Hibiscus coast is within range of a commute - 1-2 hours depending on how far you live along the peninsula. Maybe worth looking at Gulf Harbour then you could take the ferry right into the CBD. Warkworth would take at least 2 hrs - there's a motoraway extension supposed to be happening but that will be years away. You could look at Owera, Torbay, Albany, Forest Hill, Beach Haven, Birkdale - your 500k should get you an OK place in these areas.

Dizibella

Thanks for that - AA routeplanner said 55mins to Warkworth, I wasn't sure if that was realistic or not, not is obviously the case. It's so hard planning places to live when you don't really know the lie of the land.... so any advice is greatly received. We are a way off yet, but NZ is a definite end goal.... just wish NZIS would get a move on!! Suki

Benji

Auckland traffic is notoriously bad, so try not to under estimate commute times.

Pompey_Paul

You can commute from Portsmouth UK ...but the jet lag will get you eventually

Great question though...i wil watch this thread with interest, i am kind of asking myself the same question.......what areas are reasonable to commute from.

Dizibella

Like your style... PP! My OH has this mad idea of getting up at dawn, donning the leathers and setting off in the sunrise.... yeah, he's been after a bike for years and with the accident rate down here in Cornwall, he's been told where to go..... so this is HIS big plan! I'd be happy to live loads closer to Auckland but I guess it would be nice to have a spot of land too. We just keep fantasizing (sp??) over 'lifestyle' properties, all built of wood and in several acres of lush green..... trade in the naff bungalow here anyday!

Pompey_Paul

We're totally with you on life style properties - and would gladly trade Pompey for Cornwall, as there is no longer enough room to swing a cat here - with govt planning for another few thousand homes over the next ten years cannot wait to escape... 2007 Bring it on

We toured NZ earlier this year, and I think we would be quite happy to be about 1 hour from Auckland, there are some really nice places, and surely the quality of life thing has to come into work and travel, however think I know where your hubby is at though. scenery is just fantastic, beats travelling in town like us and being stuck in it for an hour every day.

Good idea is to get some reading info if you havent already to get some good info on where to settle, NZ a land of 2 halves - Joe Bennett well worth a read, and we just got another publication called Living and Working in NZ a survival handbook,Mark Hempshell full of excellent stuff for those of planning our move Good Luck Pam

lapsed kiwi

I understand the harbour bridge is the big chokepoint, so how far north is reasonable depends on where you're working. I'm starting work at Devonport in November, and have my fingers crossed that Orewa will be commutable because it looks like a cool place. We plan to do some "practice" commutes from various locations once we get over there. I don't think $500k will get you a lifestyle block on the Hibiscus coast, although it will get you a nice house. If you want land, inland is better value - I just love the coast and want to be less than 5 min drive to a good beach.

I'll post some commuting time trial results once I'm there if I get a chance

Good luck

scottish

remember if you choose Bucklands Beach/Half Moon Bay or Beechlands you can get the ferry over to the CBD. Not a bad way to get to work if you ask me.

newstartnz

We timed Warkworth to central AKL a few times and it was usually just an hour.

There's a new motorway extension due anytime soon which will shave a few minutes off.

Sandspit has got to be the best bit of North of AKL? Beautiful.

Hibiscus coast - wonderful.

hubbard

An hour ??? In rush hour when the kids are at school???? That seems a bit light. I would anticipate you are looking nearer at 1 and 15 mins to a 1 hour and a half. The motorway is pretty much gridlock into the CBD from the Browns Bay Road (Greville Road). I know when I leave CBD at after work it usually takes me 45 mins to get to Otheha Valley Road (turnoff after Greville) and Warworth is quite a bit further. Been doing this drive for about three years. And traffic in Auckland is going to get worse due to lack of investment in public transport and roading infrastructure - so the times will get worse.

Dizibella

Thank you chaps.... seems like Warkworth is possibly a bit too far to commute from ... do you know at what point up the Hibiscus Coast the prices for houses start to go down a bit?? My OH thinks Orewa... I'm sure you'll know more. Like most expat brits, we plan to rent first and buy later... but we've never lived in a town or a city... come to think of it, we don't even live in the village, just outside of it! Hence the plan to commute.... OH has commuted all over UK for five years and home only at weekends, so whole idea is to live/work/play in more or less one spot!!

Any ideas or advice really appreciated!
Cheers from a soggy Cornwall!

Panda_Pops

Hi Dizi,

You should get hold of a copy of this book Where to live in Auckland. It includes detailed reports on every district of Auckland and is worth every penny.

I ordered one for delivery to us in the UK and it arrived in 3 days

HTH

PP
x

lapsed kiwi

From what I can see on real estate sites, the further you are from the CBD, the cheaper pices get - as a very rough guide. Obviously, sea views, beach front etc will always command a pice premium. We're going with a budget of around $500k, and this looks like being enough to get a nice (but not "dream") 3-4 bed house in Orewa / Red Beach or the upper East Coast Bays (but further inland in ECB).

If you'renot fussed about being near the sea, some of the inland areas near Albany might get you more for your money.

Dizibella

I think you're right... hey it's just occurred to me....if there's enough of us looking to commute into Auckland, live nearish the sea and possibly build our own houses (having read the responses to the Build your own home thread), we should club together, buy a massive and gorgeous seafront section and divide up accordingly. Then we can start our very own bit of expat Britain!!

OK, just a bit of fun.... but if we did, where do you think it should be? What should we call it? Should we go all eco and grow grass on our roofs or be a tad more hedonist and wanton and simply go for ostentation?? You know, I've got more turrets than you!!

So come on folk, let's get planning.... I like the look of the Lockwood homes...

Diz (aka Suki)