Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Hi,
Although it says I joined this site in 2009 (which I did but never used it) I am back to use this site properly.
My husband has been in Aukland for almost 2 months on a wtr visa and myself and 3 children aged 13, 8, and 11 months want to join him as soon as husband finds suitable area, house, schools etc.
I have scouring the internet on trademe for places to rent and trying to look up areas.... Husband says to look 40 mins out of Aukland East or West .. I have a headache!.. I think obviously you need to be living there to get a proper feel for an area but would love any information that any of you lovely British Expat people may have on great family friendly areas that are reasonably priced (not expensive) that are close-ish to the beach and close to schools.. We are also looking to rent not buy as of yet..
Thanks guys in advance :D

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

First off, if you're gonna live here you may as well learn how to spell Auckland. :lol:

You need to narrow the area down a bit by look and feel and surrounds, before you start looking at particular properties. Also important to figure out where you can afford to live, before you get all carried away and awestruck looking at amazing places with swimming pools and sea views.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Just a spelling mishap! :/
I know but there are so many lovely places to choose from and having looked on lots of sites with many areas which are 'bottom' rating I am scared of moving to an area that just isnt right. Price wise we are looking for a 3 bed at no more than $400.
Thanks for your reply :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Hi
We have only been here for 4 weeks and are still in a holiday home in the Northshore area of Auckland which is about half hour drive from Auckland city. We are looking for a rental in the Northshore ( Browns Bay or Albany ) area for the schools as we have a ten year old daughter. We are trying to get her into school but school zones predict the school you go so need a house before we can get her into school, where in catch 22 at moment. As for rent we have viewed some right shitholes and they want $500 - $650 per week for 3-4- bed and the ones that are half decent are $650 - $800 per week for 3-4 bed and Northshore is classed as a good area so we are still looking.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

$400 a week is not much. Average rent in Auckland is $500 for a 3 bedroom. If you don't care that the house has no insulation and is cold and damp than you might be able to find a house for $400. If that is unacceptable to you better add at least $100 per week and the chances of finding a decent house in a decent neighborhood will be much better.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Which is why prices are higher on the North Shore than some other areas - more people want to live there. If you want better bang for your buck you probably need to compromise on area.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Hi

We live Cockle Bay/Howick - around 40 mins from Auckland - but that does depend on the time you leave for work/come home. It can be quicker say Sunday morning or late at night (20 mins), and it can sometimes be an hour to Auckland, but as I said it all depends on the time you leave for work and if there have been any accidents on the motorway.

We have lovely Howick village just up the road - lots of cafes, a few bars/restaurants, village market, good range of shops. We also have Howick beach very close and Cockle Bay beach in the area. A little further afield for a beach visit there's Maraetai (around half hour drive from Howick). There are also lots of little parks and reserves around.

We are around 10-15 mins drive from Botany Town Centre which has a very good range of shops, supermarkets, plus the bowling alley (which should be re-opening in the next few months), ice skating rink, cinema complex. There's Lloyd Ellsmore Park recreation centre with swimming pools.

The schools in the area are mostly Decile 10 - Botany Secondary College, Howick College, Macleans College, and there are very good intermediates in the area - Somerville being one. I don't know too much about the primary schools are our kids were older when we came but I think they are well regarded - Point View Primary, Cockle Bay Primary, being amongst them.

We originally rented rurally in Whitford (around 15 mins drive to Botany) for 18 months, before buying a house in the Cockle Bay/Howick area. We've been in NZ for nearly 5 years and are very happy in the area we live.

Hope the above helps :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

try manurewa east, the gardens and hill park area.:D

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Thankyou for your replies :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

I think the Northshore is probably abit expensive for what we are looking for, I have heard and looked around and can see that rented places are much more expensive there than other areas. But looks lovely :)
Thanks for your input

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Thanks... Lots of info for me to look into.. Do you know of the price range to rent around your area?

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Exactly!.. The idea of us moving in the first place is to give our children a better way of life and if we are going to skint ourselves on rent then it will leave no money for anything else..
Just hoping to land somewhere lovely first time round so as not to be moving the kids from pillar to post
Thanks for your reply :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

with your budget you'll have to compromise on something. Suggest you get yourselves out here and work out what you feel comfortable with, whether it be further afield or less cash. But if you want a nice house, nice suburb, great schools, great location, near a beach for 400 - you'll be disappointed.

Trademe and other search sites are great, however you really need to be on the ground to find something - a rental that is described as in one suburb may be the wrong side of the street for the good school...

That said - if you go way up on the north shore, even up towards Orewa you may find something (but commute will be longer).
West Auckland - Titirangi primary is good and it's a nice area, but its in the hills and get a house on the northern slopes and you'll spend 9 months of the year in damp darkness.
East - as mentioned around Howick is good, but you'll have to move quickly if you find anything suitable with a 400 budget.
If you can squeeze into a 2 bedroomed place (!!!) then the options become more varied and you can look closer to the city in some lovely suburbs!

good luck!

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Just had a quick look on trademe - Auckland, Manukau City - Botany Downs, Dannemora, Howick, Cockle Bay - there are a few 3 bedroom properties from mid-400's but realistically you'd be looking more towards the high $400's and towards the $500/week.

Good luck with your search :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Exactly what? A reality check I feel is required, if you're sticking with a budget of no more than $400 you can only expect the 'bottom' / least desirable and farthest out areas; Henderson, Massey, Onehunga, Manurewa, Papakura, Otahahu, Otara. None of which offer the typical expat dream lifestyle by the beach.

You'll be hard pushed to find somewhere 'lovely' and if you're other half has been here for two months has he not got it sussed and seen what's on offer already? :confused:

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Have something else to add .... If you upped your budget to 450, you could get a family home in glen innes - 15 mins from city a stones throw from lovely family city beach suburbs. Schools in general are not fab, however kohimarama primary occasionally take out of zoners (5 mins drive), then selwyn college is currently unzoned and definitely 'on the up' (I know a number of families with children there and very happy). There is one particular rental on trademe at the moment that is 'top of the hill' in a nice street literally across the road from posh st Heliers and kohimarama.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Exactly at the North Shore being obviously more expensive because everyone wants to live there.
I was looking at Beach Haven, there are some nice rented homes for around $400 per week... My husband hasnt really had time as of yet to properly look round, hes been working alot of the time but he will be doing soon as... I just wanted to help from this end and get prices etc.
I do agree that I am asking for alot with the kind of budget we have and maybe I do need a reality check :unsure:
However, I am just asking for a little insight on areas that are out of 'AuCkland' and there for coming a little cheaper but are still within small distance to beaches and nice schools :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Aww thankyou for you taking the time to have a look :thumbsup:
I am going to have a look at it now...
Do you know anything on Beach Haven at all??

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

sorry no, eastern suburbs is our neck of the woods - along with west in the waitakeres as we nearly moved there too....

you will get something nice, but you will have to compromise..... depends what you want to compromise on! I really think (as a mum - and I searched and found school/suburb on a budget myself whilst husband absent - you really need to get yourself over and have a shortlist of areas) .... another area where you may get what you're looking for is Green Bay - west - the college is "ok" and you'll need to search for primary - sections are larger - but you will have to check the aspect (ie northern slopes).... = damp and darkness.....!

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Ok thankyou.. I am so scared!.. I cant leave just yet, ive just sold the house and it will take another 6 to 8 weeks to go through and then I shall be leaving in which time I was hoping husband would have found somewhere... Im just hoping the 'somewhere' is where I want to be..
I will just have to keep looking ... Thanks again for all your help :)

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

I say go over and do the research yourself - blokes will fit in wherever they're told!! You need to make sure it's right for you to put down roots. The children can have "an adventure" for a few months and if they have to change schools more than once - so be it - they'll be fine. Kiwis are a transient bunch and will regularly move suburbs. Moving is scary but a good story to tell once you've been through it (a bit like childbirth)!!

Although I'm not there at the moment, we lived there for 7 years and 2 of our 4 children were born there. We still have a house, so will return at some point - PM me if you have any specifics.

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

We love it out west. Blockhouse Bay, Green Bay..still can find affordable rentals here.
Otherwise Beach Haven. I know people that love to live there. I think the ferry is starting in to the city soon too. Some people say it's a bit rought. Parts are. But mainly I think what people mean is it's a bit brown. Very culturally diverse. But I like it geographically. It's a mission to the harbour bridge in the traffic though in peak times.

Where would I live?
Glen Innes maybe, defo blockhouse and green bays, Oratia, Titirangi, konini, Hillsboro, Lynfield

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

Blockhouse bay 1

Blokhouse Bay too

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

I live in Beach Haven and I'm one of those who love it here.
There are some areas that are less 'nice' than others, just like most other places. There's a few streets I'd generally avoid but on the whole it's a sweet place to live and with the new ferry to the CBD starting soon it should really only get better.
Off peak its only 15-20 mins into the CBD, peak hours, well, I used to travel into Parnell at 7am and it could take anything from 60-90 mins.

Oh and as an aside, Beach Haven has an awesome chocolate shop, just in case you need a bit more convincing :thumbup:

Re: Nice family friendly areas 40 mins out of Aukland central?
 

You may want to consider Waiheke Island. It is unique in Auckland in that it is a complete community with perhaps the widest socio-economic range in one community. As an island it has its own rural/village life that attracts billionaires and beneficiaries, town commuters and a high concentration of artists. It is a strongly supportive community and people pitch in to help each other when affliction strikes. Art galleries and studios, lot's of home-made music, and a community-run movie theatre with sofas. The island has several internationally renown film and video makers, and the local movie theatre will run their works along side the latest hits. Also a theatre for music and plays, as well as a musical museum.

Everything is near the beach(s) - it's a long, thin island. The waters are clean, as is the air. The beauty of the island is extreme. Some of its attraction is what is missing. No traffic lights, no motorways (50K speed limit almost everywhere), no traffic to speak of. Crime tends to be teenagers getting into trouble... serious crime is rapidly nabbed by the police and the perps deported with the ferry vigilant to keep them off.

Waiheke has a wide selection of cafes and restaurants - far in excess of what a 9,000 population should have as it is an international destination, although if you are on a tight budget, dining out - as everywhere - can eat into the cash flow. Fish and chips on the beach is about $20. 5 star dining can set you back three figures - but get your overseas guests to treat you. Indian, Chinese, Sushi, Thai, Argentinian, Tapas, Italian (fantastic pizza) and other national cuisines can be found, and a wide mix of neo-Kiwi, meaning smart chefs who understand the fresh foods of NZ and offer innovative dishes. Coffee is consistently excellent - barista competition is keen.

Same holds true for vineyards... about 40 on the island with world-class vintages. One island brewery, Baroona, but not as good as the old country. The Saturday Market features local bakers, fresh foods as well as the place where people catch up with each other. In addition to the usual supermarket, the island has a butcher (venison and exotic birds), several bakeries, cheese makers (goat cheese is a speciality), four olive presses (one of which would do the whole island, but the competition is good), pesto makers and so on.

Socially, it has a wide range of migrants, thus nationality does not attract the same response as more Kiwi dominant localities. Being British will attract no negative reception until you start whinging :).

The cost of living is different than the rest of Auckland. On the down side everything that comes over on the ferry costs more. Petrol, food, stuff you order from town. The ferry is expensive and most folks travel on foot using Fullers to the central business district (CBD) of Auckland rather than the car ferry that goes to a suburb 40 minutes south of the CBD. You get used to seeing people hauling the most amazing stuff on the pedestrian ferry... Christmas trees, kitchen sinks, tyres and surfboards. Bikes are free but wash off the salt spray afterwards. Bikes are also free on the busses (a front rack) that are timed to run with the ferries. The ferry becomes a bit like a floating Italian piazza. At 35 minutes, it is a social event, especially for commuters, and with an upper and lower bar, it can be a convivial atmosphere.

On the up side, actual transport can be far less because you just don't use cars the same as in the city. If your husband commutes into the city, you can get by with one car (many do) because he will use the ferry and bus. Increasingly in lieu of a 2nd car, families are buying ebikes to get around the island... no license, no inspections, much lower running costs. Ebikes include pre-made bikes and aftermarket motors installed on conventional bicycles (if you are shipping a container, bring the bikes with you and order the motor/battery once you arrive).

Entertainment costs less because a lot is do it yourself. Pony Club is thriving (and grazing is year-round because winters that never see freezing), small-boat sailing and kayaking are popular water sports, fishing from the rocks or in a "tinny", and swimming on the northern (sandy) beaches lasts half the year (or more for the hardy). The island is safe for children, and it is not unusual to see pre-teens off all day without parental supervision. Instead of babysitters, families buy extra beds for sleepovers. Girls on ponies are a common sight, again unsupervised and no one worries about predators (it's an island).

The walks are world-class. The western-most one starts at the ferry terminal and hosts one of the nation's top outdoor art exhibits. Festivals include the walking festival, jazz festival, olive festival, writers festival, annual beach horse race (that also includes wheelbarrow, barista, tractor and now SeaLegs races) and so on. Lot's of entrepreneurs with dance classes, music, as well as various types of yoga and other new-age attractions. The Maori marae welcomes all peoples and all races which is unusual, but is because the whole community built the Marae on public land - which is also unusual. The usual selection of churches plus a few less usual like Quakers, and the Catholic and Anglican parishes share the same church building.

Climate is said to be warmer, drier and less humid than Auckland, and in the summer this is a two-edged sword as the days are glorious, but the water tank begins to drop. Water can be purchased, but folks learn to conserve. Always frustrating to see in summer a black cloud over Auckland dumping precious water while the sun shines on Waiheke. Relative to the British Isles, what Waiheke calls winter, the Irish call summer. Winds can be strong, very little fog, of course no snow, and rains tend to be fast moving showers rather than days of slog. Tail end of cyclones hit from time to time, downgraded to gales by the time they arrive, but these can cause low-land flooding and land slips. Curiously, summer is the poorest gardening season except for those who sink bores... little water for gardens.

If you stay a while, it is likely you will put in a food garden and join a food co-op to lower the cost of food while improving its flavour. Water is free (rainwater in cisterns) as is septic. Clothing budgets tend to drop as people dress for comfort not style and most hang their wash out to dry. Satellite TV is free and broadband is everywhere.

If your husband commutes into the city the monthly ferry pass for commuters is $350 and it lands downtown in the central business district next to the transport centre (bus and train).

Schools are smaller and they get fairly good ERO reports with much improvement over a decade ago. See below
Waiheke-Primary-School Year 1-8
Te Huruhi Primary School Year 1-6
Waiheke High School - Year 7-13

As everywhere in NZ (and perhaps the UK) drug abuse and drinking by the young is a problem. Parents who exert more supervision and have a better dialogue with their children will do OK, but there are social strata and running with the wrong crowd can be problematic. In the rich private elite schools in the city, the problem is also present and the child who refuses to drink sometimes finds the parties are not attractive because of the binge drinking.

A quick look at real estate turned up a few close to the $400 limit you set. You can find smaller 2 BR units below $400 and you also can run an ad in the Gulf News and the Marketplace looking for a holiday place to look after from now until the Christmas season.

http://www.realestate.co.nz/2032195
http://www.realestate.co.nz/2014814

Try emailing Bayley's real estate for rentals. They handle a lot, and may have homes coming up that never make it to the internet listings.

Well, that's enough for now. You may decide that island life is not on the cards for you, in which case, ignore all the above.