deb78

Hi all

Myself,my hubby and our 2 kids aged 4 and 5 will be moving to Auckland in September from Ireland and hope you will be able to help me with what areas are nice to live in with 2 small children. Somewhere close to a primary school and kindergarten would be great, with transport and shops nearby.
I have read some things on forums before about what areas are nice but they are from about 3 years ago.
It would be great to hear from other expats about their experience in Auckland so far and any help or advice very welcome.
Thanks

janeyk

you will have lots of choice, depends on budget, lifestyle and where work is
I recommend getting 'Where to live in Auckland'

an example I live in Torbay on the North Shore, I am 5 mins by car to Albany mall 10 min walk to Northcross shops and 10 mins or 25 min walk to Browns Bay with shops and swings etc. Plenty of playgrounds, kindys and beaches as well as 3 primary schools in Torbay alone!
Bus services are frequent to Albany, Browns Bay and CBD with the bus lane OH drives to Albany park and ride 5 mins away and takes the bus which takes 25 mins.

The are lots of other 'burbs similar

deb78

Thanks for that. I have read the North Shore areas are nice and have looked at Torbay, so its good to know whats round for the kids. Is there a swimming pool nearby or sports activities for the younger ones? How long does it take to the nearest beach? Trying to get organised and too much info to digest!
Thanks for recommending Where to live in Auckland - will take a look. Are you enjoying the lifestyle where you are? Thanks again!

scrubbedexpat094

Hello & to our cosy NZ forums Deb78.

Do you know where you'll be working as that will affect your decision on where to live. The book that Janeyk has recommended is definitely worth a read.

We are on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula which has become increasingly popular with parents with young children more recently. There are lots of lovely beaches here. There are lots of schools & kindergartens around but as I don't have children I'm no expert!
I can ask around though.

Best of luck with your plans

vicci

We live on the Hibiscus Coast,Stanmore Bay and it's great. Our little boy is 3 and a half and we are close to beaches shops etc. Def look to come up this way for sure loads of UK and Irish up here too so it will help you settle in all the best and keep in touch. Vicci

moonspinning

Definitely get a copy of 'Where to live in Auckland'. It has a wealth of info, tells you about schools in each area (we have two small kids too) and average house prices and rental costs. It and British Expats have been my major sources of info in planning our move (only 2 weeks to go!)

Saying that, I daren't commit myself to an area til we get there....

Rosemary

Hello and a big welcome to the New Zealand section of BE from the Consierge in Spain.

You will find excellent information in the BE Wiki, not forgetting the Living and Moving Abroad forum that will help you, another set of great help is the permanent threads at the TOP of each forum, they are very pertinent to that particular forum and makes sensible reading.

BE Moderators deal with any problems that arise such as inappropriate posts, spammers etc, you will find their names at the bottom right hand side of each forum's index in bold font. Also there are Consierges who can support and guide you.

Please contact me if I can give you any further help.

Rosemary

janeyk

I live inland Torbay but the 3 beaches are no more than 5 min drive, shops are 10 min walk (Northcross)
Just bear in mind Auckland is hilly! I did not realise this until I went on google earth how hilly it is, so if yo plan to walk take this into account. Obviously this gives great views!
We have spent this summer walking along the coastal path on the shore from Devonport to Long Bay and can not get over how many stunning beaches there are. The walk is fantastic and certainly keeps you fit in places thank god for the frequent Toilets and coffee shops!. Almost all beaches have toilets and some have showers and are very clean!

Browns bay has a really good park on the beach along with a skate park for older children which is always busy the latest craze here is scooters which 90% of the users of the park now have. Parks are to a high standard along with the opena areas which often have BBQs installed for public use. Many an evening you will find lots of people sitting on the grassy areas just behind the beach with a picnic or Fish and chips and a bottle of wine enjoying the view.

deb78

Thanks everyone. Its always good to know other peoples views. Thanks Janeyk for letting me know about the hills, its something I didnt know but you all make it sound so wonderful, cant wait to move!! The only thing I dread (apart from leaving family) is the 26 hour flight with 2 young ones!
Good luck with your move moon spinning and let us know how it goes when you get there!
PS JaneyK its 1130 here and you put me in the mood for fish n chips - whats it like by the way? Imagine me asking this question, moving halfway round the world and Im thinking what the local chip shop like - tee hee!

rogercruse

Most Fish & Chip shops usually cooked to order even on a Friday evening when there are be quite a queue. Pieces of fish are small and tasty, chips are ordered by price... Made the mistake once of asking for fish & chips and got one tiny piece of fish and a mountain of chips!

Also you need to tell them more than once to NOT add salt. The amount of salt added is extreme.

deb78

Thanks for letting me know, rogercruse. Whats Waimauku like to live? Is it commuting distance from the CBD?

janeyk

Hell Pizza is also worth a try we went out for a walk yesterday in Riverhead Forest got home to find our neighbours having a delivery 2 hours later we ordered mmmm!
certainly coming rom rural England takeaways are inabundance. We have found an excellant F & C which does snapper which is delious! although none of the shops adds vinegar I do miss that from my Brum days!

deb78

Well takeaway definitley sounding good over there. Whats the weather like as it is freezing here! Anyone any suggestions on where to get reasonable holiday rentals?

deb78

Sorry should have put short term rental in Auckland for when we first move over.

janeyk

go onto Trademe, they have a tab called holiday homes, a lot of owners will give a discount for longer rentals, we booked a one bedroom place in Torbay that took us and a dog for 6 weeks. i t gave us a base while waiting for our stuff.
Another site is bookabach.co.nz