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Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Old Feb 10th 2007, 8:13 am
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Default Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Hello guy's - I know I am only new to this site (2nd post). We are off to NZ at Easter.

OH has a job in Tauranga, and we can't decide where to base ourselves to start off with upon arrival.

As we have two boys, I want to get the 6 year old into a school very quickly after arrival. I know he will settle in fast and so we will not want to move on again for a few years.

Hence my problem.

Having only been to Papamoa Top10 on holiday - I don't feel we can be good enough judges on area's in Tauranga.

Papamoa seams to offer what I think we are after beach / community/ good schools / 3 year old house, 3 bed apx $380,000. Though I am aware of the hugh developments going on and the high risk of flooding, read of people saying about the winds and perhaps a bit boarded up in the winter.

Bethlehem on the other hand has no risk of flooding, again good schools and community, though I don't feel we will be able to get a home that we would like within our price. Ok no beach, but I think we can get into a river with our Kayaks close by.

Bethlehem seams to be a place people move to from other area's of Tauranga and comes across as a desirable area. Papamoa seams to be a place you start off and then quickly move on.

Please can any of you throw me any advise.

Last time we were in New Zealand we lived in Taradale (Napier) and loved the village. It was pot luck we booked our first few weeks into a Motel their and then got our son into Kindy within two days off arrival - so we stayed. It was also pot luck the house we brought was on the 'correct side of the road' if you know what I mean. It was only after a few months we realised how lucky we were, with where we were living.

I am so worried that this time it will all go wrong and keep having to move our son from school to school until we find the right location - which for him, will be very unsettling.

Thanks in advance

Jo
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Old Feb 10th 2007, 9:22 am
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

IMHO Papamoa is boring and lifeless. Yards and yards of (often empty) beach houses and I don't think you'd find the community you're looking for. It's the poor man's Mount IMO (though that is a bit of a misnomer as the houses are really quite expensive) - those who can't quite get in there tend to trapse down the road to Stepford/Trumansville, and then trapse all the way back up the road the next day to go to the Mount where they really want to be and where something does actually happen.

Oh, I lie - there is the occasional foray into excitement. We know some people whose parents have a beach house there and about three years ago the guy next door beat his wife to a pulp (that old DV again) and set fire to the house with her in it.

I'd go with Bethlehem if I were you. And just think of the cool Christmas cards you could make to send to your friends 'across the miles'!
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Old Feb 10th 2007, 9:38 am
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

[/QUOTE]
three years ago the guy next door beat his wife to a pulp (that old DV again) and set fire to the house with her in it.

I'd go with Bethlehem if I were you. And just think of the cool Christmas cards you could make to send to your friends 'across the miles'![/QUOTE]

Nice!! - May be it should be Bethlehem - though I am worried we may not be able to afford a house, they seem really expensive.
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Old Feb 10th 2007, 9:44 am
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Hiya and welcome to the site

Well we have just come back from a reccie and these are the 2 areas around Tauranga that we liked.

We have a 2 kids 2 & 6. We feel that Papamoa would be best for them because of all the activities whether that be beach or other. The Schools looked nice and it had a feel good presence, if that makes sense. Bare in mind we only have 6 days experience of the place and that was in January so would have been in full swing. I too wonder about winter. Im not so bothered about the houses on the front being boarded up ect. but do wonder about the wind and how/if it would affect us.


If it where just me and my wife then maybe Bethlehem would be a better area for us. There are some great sections for sale and we could build a lovely home there. Its close enough to the town and all its facilities (bars ) and the beach isnt too far away.

I guess its a compromise either way. For us our decision is gonna be made around the kids ie. where we feel theres most to offer them now and when they grow up. Its a touch one

Last edited by Jack The Lad; Feb 10th 2007 at 9:48 am. Reason: Cos Im crap at spelling :(
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Old Feb 11th 2007, 2:42 am
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Originally Posted by mazi
IMHO Papamoa is boring and lifeless. Yards and yards of (often empty) beach houses and I don't think you'd find the community you're looking for. It's the poor man's Mount IMO (though that is a bit of a misnomer as the houses are really quite expensive) - those who can't quite get in there tend to trapse down the road to Stepford/Trumansville, and then trapse all the way back up the road the next day to go to the Mount where they really want to be and where something does actually happen.

Oh, I lie - there is the occasional foray into excitement. We know some people whose parents have a beach house there and about three years ago the guy next door beat his wife to a pulp (that old DV again) and set fire to the house with her in it.

I'd go with Bethlehem if I were you. And just think of the cool Christmas cards you could make to send to your friends 'across the miles'!
Totally agree with you
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Old Feb 11th 2007, 3:00 am
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Originally Posted by Family Maidment
Hello guy's - I know I am only new to this site (2nd post). We are off to NZ at Easter.

OH has a job in Tauranga, and we can't decide where to base ourselves to start off with upon arrival.

As we have two boys, I want to get the 6 year old into a school very quickly after arrival. I know he will settle in fast and so we will not want to move on again for a few years.

Hence my problem.

Having only been to Papamoa Top10 on holiday - I don't feel we can be good enough judges on area's in Tauranga.

Papamoa seams to offer what I think we are after beach / community/ good schools / 3 year old house, 3 bed apx $380,000. Though I am aware of the hugh developments going on and the high risk of flooding, read of people saying about the winds and perhaps a bit boarded up in the winter.

Bethlehem on the other hand has no risk of flooding, again good schools and community, though I don't feel we will be able to get a home that we would like within our price. Ok no beach, but I think we can get into a river with our Kayaks close by.

Bethlehem seams to be a place people move to from other area's of Tauranga and comes across as a desirable area. Papamoa seams to be a place you start off and then quickly move on.

Please can any of you throw me any advise.

Last time we were in New Zealand we lived in Taradale (Napier) and loved the village. It was pot luck we booked our first few weeks into a Motel their and then got our son into Kindy within two days off arrival - so we stayed. It was also pot luck the house we brought was on the 'correct side of the road' if you know what I mean. It was only after a few months we realised how lucky we were, with where we were living.

I am so worried that this time it will all go wrong and keep having to move our son from school to school until we find the right location - which for him, will be very unsettling.

Thanks in advance

Jo
Hi Jo
Likke I said in my last thread to you Papamoa is a great place to start but you won't be able to buy a decent house there for less than $430,000.00.
Don't put any pressure on your selfs when you first arrive.Why don't you just rent a holiday accomadation for a couple of weeks and have a really good look around Tauranga.There are some lovely areas to rent or buy in.It took us 3 years to discover this as we like so many Brits thought Papamoa was the place for us but its not the real NZ.
We have just built a big house in Omokoroa with fantastic breath taking views for less than 400k.It has a excellent school with more views to die for.
There is a great community spirit and a lovely beach which is safe for kids and kayaking.It is about 15 mins from Bethlehem and 20mins from Tauranga.
It does seem like a long way out when you first come here but it is so worth it,and you do get used to it.It takes about the same time from here to Tauranga as it is from Papamoa to Tauranga.So hope this helps a bit.
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Old Feb 11th 2007, 8:57 pm
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

I don't know if this affects your decision making, but Papamoa seems to me to be one of the British enclaves that are starting to spring up around NZ now. If that is what you are moving to NZ for then great.
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Old Feb 11th 2007, 10:00 pm
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Originally Posted by southerner
I don't know if this affects your decision making, but Papamoa seems to me to be one of the British enclaves that are starting to spring up around NZ now. If that is what you are moving to NZ for then great.
Must admit thats one of my concerns about the place. There are a lot, well lets say more Brits there than anywhere else we visited.
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Old Feb 11th 2007, 11:49 pm
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Default Re: Papamoa vs Bethlehem?

Originally Posted by Family Maidment
Hello guy's - I know I am only new to this site (2nd post). We are off to NZ at Easter.

OH has a job in Tauranga, and we can't decide where to base ourselves to start off with upon arrival.

As we have two boys, I want to get the 6 year old into a school very quickly after arrival. I know he will settle in fast and so we will not want to move on again for a few years.

Hence my problem.

Having only been to Papamoa Top10 on holiday - I don't feel we can be good enough judges on area's in Tauranga.

Papamoa seams to offer what I think we are after beach / community/ good schools / 3 year old house, 3 bed apx $380,000. Though I am aware of the hugh developments going on and the high risk of flooding, read of people saying about the winds and perhaps a bit boarded up in the winter.

Bethlehem on the other hand has no risk of flooding, again good schools and community, though I don't feel we will be able to get a home that we would like within our price. Ok no beach, but I think we can get into a river with our Kayaks close by.

Bethlehem seams to be a place people move to from other area's of Tauranga and comes across as a desirable area. Papamoa seams to be a place you start off and then quickly move on.

Please can any of you throw me any advise.

Last time we were in New Zealand we lived in Taradale (Napier) and loved the village. It was pot luck we booked our first few weeks into a Motel their and then got our son into Kindy within two days off arrival - so we stayed. It was also pot luck the house we brought was on the 'correct side of the road' if you know what I mean. It was only after a few months we realised how lucky we were, with where we were living.

I am so worried that this time it will all go wrong and keep having to move our son from school to school until we find the right location - which for him, will be very unsettling.

Thanks in advance

Jo
Hi Jo. We went for Bethlehem rather than Papamoa because we felt that Papamoa would be deserted in winter. Since we have been here we have been proved right we feel. Most of the othe Brits who have opted for Papamoa seem to find that it OK as a place to start but lack a real community feel outside the summer months.
You might also want to try the new Lakes development near Pyes Pa. It's on the main road from Hamitlon.The access to the CBD is good from there along the $1 toll road and there is a huge number of houses going up there.
There is also a large set of new sections going on the market just by the roundabout in Bethlehem which looks interesting.
We live in the Sterling Gate part of Bethlehem and the house next door to us was sold recently for $430K. Its a 3 bedroom/2bathrrom house less than 12 months old.

Hope this helps

Drop me a line if there's anything else you need to know.
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