spursmac1967

Hi guys after some advise if this move comes off we are looking to live some place up the Kapti coast, we are happy to be as far up as the the last station on the kapti line out of wellington as we will both be commuting in to the city for work we have seven year old to consider as well so schools and clubs will also be a consideration any tips or advise.

MrsFychan

I think you need to look at the area's as some are more populated then others. We live in a small place called Pukerua Bay and absolutely love it but it is a small community and may not be your thing. The school is very central to the community and is high decile and a full primary, but we only have 3 shops, a book shop, a corner shop and hairdressers. But we are less than 10min walk down the goat track to the sea and less than 10mins drive to Paekakariki (sp) next community along and then of course you have the larger area's like Raumati , Raumati South, Paraparaumu,15min drive, Paraparaumu Beach, Paraparaumu 20min drive then Waikanae itself 25mins drive.
and the other way you have Plimmerton, under 10min drive then Mana 10-15min drive.

Where ever you decide give us a shout as willing to help out and know how important it is to have people around to help

MOSO

We're up in Waikanae - last stop on the train. My OH commutes to Wellington, we're about 5 mins walk from the station so it takes him an hour door-to-door.

Anywhere north of Pukerua Bay gets the better weather as you will have realised on your trip as the land flattens out. Paekakariki is quite arty with a primary school to match as is Raumati South. There is also a Steiner school in Raumati South. There are 2 secondary schools (Paraparaumu College and Kapiti College) and several primary schools in Paraparumu itself. Check out ERO reports (equivalent to Ofsted). Primary schools here tend to be quite large and all are full primary i.e. go to year 8. Nearly all have good reputations.

Waikanae has 2 primary schools (both with about 500 kids) and another school is being built. Both have excellent reputations and plenty of English kids to make yours feel at home! There are 2 supermarkets (Countdown & New World), library, banks, butchers, takeaways, small cinema, cafes etc. in Waikanae town centre opposite the station. There are also 3 restaurants/cafes and a dairy (corner shop) down by the beach. The beach itself is great, never busy, safe for kids to swim in the summer and there are streams and Waikanae River to play/paddle in and a cycle route which runs along the river to the beach.

There is a heated outdoor swimming pool near Kapanui School, which becomes a focal point for the kids in the summer, it's next to the park & skate park which are also very popular. It also has the usual array of kids clubs - sport, scouts, gym, dancing, etc etc.

One advantage of the Kapiti Coast is that it is flat. Waikanae tends to have the largest sections and offers the best value for money. The disadvantage with Waikanae is that the main area shopping centre and secondary schools are in Paraparaumu, but it's only a 5 mins drive. The other issue is the amount of old people, some of whom definitely should not be driving still It is quieter than Paraparaumu but there's enough for us all to do and still be able to access Wellington when we need to.

If you have any other questions then we'll try and answer them for you. Babybella is in Paraparaumu although her kids are older. Mrs F is also very helpful and can often be found lurking on Waikanae Beach

Teresa Green

Hi

We live in Paraparaumu, good beach, big shopping centre (well for here) recently opened airport (only flys to auckland at the moment but is hoping to expand to south island) and as from March next year a new indoor swimming pool. Don't have kids so can't help with other questions but we like it here.

good luck with whatever you decide