Am Loolah

Can away give me any links as to websites where I can research jobs in the above areas? I've tried the Bay of Plenty Times, but it takes me to the seek website which is nationwide? Just interested in anything that's currently on offer to get an idea? Waitress? Bar maid (only if I can wear low cut tops and Bet Lynch earrings?) Even shelf stacking at Pac `n` Save, providing there's scope to work my way up to Greeter or Employee of the Month?!!

Ultimately hope to have our own business, but don't want to dip too much into capital initially, so both happy to consider anything for an income. Although having seen the cost of kindergarden, am not sure it's viable! Anyone know the extend of funding for our 4 year old in kindy?

Thanking you muchly.

kateandmark

My 4 year old goes every morning to the local community kindergarten which costs $4.50 per morning. My 2 year old goes to a private run nursery for a couple of hours a week which costs $5.00 an hour.
Where are you going to be living? There are a few of the community kindys around, ours is in Bethlehem. You could also check out the NZ free kindys.

Am Loolah

We are looking at Papamoa/Bethlehem and anywhere but here!!! I read someone was paying $160 for 2 days a week for an under 2? If I get a job on minimum wage just to avoid dipping too much into capital is it going to be worth it?

kateandmark

Have just checked the leaflet for my son's place, they go up to 5 years old and cost $40 per day.

Am Loolah

Thank you, appreciate you going to the effort of checking. That doesn't make it seem quite so bad!!

We're struggling to find any kind of website advertising jobs for the great unskilled???!!! Any thoughts?

Where did you move from? How long have you been there? What are the best areas for kids/work/property and BEACH!!! Sorry, taking advantage of someone there!

kateandmark

We moved from Hong Kong in July.
Not sure about jobs as my husband is a teacher, you could try the job section on Trade Me. Tauranga has the nickname of $10 Tauranga as that is the average hourly wage!
We are renting in Bethlehem, a lovely 3 bed house for $400 per week!!!
Not sure how much you have to spend but we will probably not be able to but here as the houses we like seem to be in the $500,000 to $600,000 price range!
Papamoa is cheaper and by the beach, we thought we might like to live there before we got her but weren't to keen on it once we saw it.
THe areas we were advised to avoid were Welcome Bay as the traffic is bad into town, Mount Maunganui for the same reason and it also gets packed in the summer months, Greerton and Merivale seem to be the rougher end of Tauranga.

helinuk

Great thread- of interest to us...thanks to loolah for asking the questions we would be asking in a few months time....we'll follow in your footsteps, watch you make mistakes and take your advice
Helen

Am Loolah

So long as you pick up the pieces in the bar that's ok!!

Papamoa - what didn't you like Kate and Mark? And what is the difference between East & West, never seem to hear Papamoa West mentioned much?

Have found a couple of rental possibilities - one in Brookfield, do you anything about the area?

Many thanks.

Caroline

helinuk

Have you found a map of the Tauranga suburbs/BOP or even Auckland?
It's not nearly as easy to find info for NZ as it was for OZ! I spend hours on internet with little reward!

Am Loolah

"Papamoa - what didn't you like Kate and Mark? And what is the difference between East & West, never seem to hear Papamoa West mentioned much?

Have found a couple of rental possibilities - one in Brookfield, do you anything about the area?

Many thanks."

That bit was meant for Kate & Mark and anyone already there - sorry!! Al having Loolah day in LoolahVille!

kateandmark

Brookfield would probably be OK, but you never know until you get here, a good street can turn into a bad street very quickly! When we were looking we saw so many shocking properties, you could guarentee that the rental property on the srteet was the worst looking/kept hpuse on it, we must have driven past 20 or so properties in the first 2 days that were so bad we thought we would never find one, so when we found this one we snapped it up straight away. One of the problems we had was that by the time got up and going in the mornings, after getting 2 jet lagged kids up and ready it was already 11ish and by the time we got to any decent rentals they were gon already. Most of the real estate agents open at 9 so make sure you are there at that time to get the lists. we used Prime rentals in Tauranga who open at 8.30, they have a website which you will find by googling the name.
Hope this helps a bit.
Sorry don't know much about Papamoa other than it wasn't for us, to flat and just seems to be made up of new build estates.

kateandmark

Have you tried www.smaps.co.nz? you can type in a street name and it will show you where it is on a map.

Am Loolah

Thanks very much guys, sorry if you think I'm using you as my personal advisors!!

We intend to go into holiday rental on arrival - which we will fix up from here so no chance of seeing, but reckon a holiday property should be ok! Then I guess we target a few areas we've researched and go from there. As you say, we won't know till we get there. I'll try that agent tho. Am crap at early starts never mind with 4 jet lagged kids - may give hubby the role of property seeker!! And I could be self-appointed beach seeker?!

Markk

Hi again Am Loolah,
Brookfield is OK, though are a few streets that are a bit rough. Do you know what street the rental is on?
As far as Kindy's go, we are paying $8.50 per morning session for our 4 year old, so not too bad.
The commute in from Welcome Bay and Papamoa can be a bit difficult, as they both go through a bit of a traffic bottleneck. That's why we ended up on the other side of the harbour bridge! Having said that, compared to the commute you will be used to in the UK.....!
We were like you, drawn towards Papamoa, probably because of the beach?
You are a short distance from the beach anywhere in Tauranga so I wouldn't discount any suburb for that reason. A lot of Tauranga is around the harbour which is very nice!
Jobs. The Bay of Plenty Times is a good one, but I mean the physical paper rather than the website. Take a look at this website www.priorityone.co.nz.
Join up and they will e-mail a weekly summary of the jobs from the paper.
Good luck and hopefully see you here!
Mark

mojos

Hubbie says just let it go......but annoyed how much Greerton is slated. Your statement was one of the politest ones! Yes there are "bad" streets in Greerton just like other areas in Tauranga. The whole area isn't "rough" though. If anything, I'd say that it's 1 of the smarter and more cared for suburbs of Tauranga.