br1an121

Hi All,

I know this has been answered before on her but times change, circumstances change etc. My wife and I are migrating to NZ in December to start work in CBD. I would like to know where the 'no go' zones are for living and some of the more favoured areas close to schools for my 3 yr old boy.

I am looking north of Auckland -Browns Bay area etc. but I have family on Wki island so I am also looking at options to live there [Cant spell it yet though!]. What are the pros and cons of Wki island for commuting etc. and where would you guys suggest me to look for housing [rentals].

Additionally, do you have any tips on 'must do's, must bring, don't forget to... etc." I think I have covered all bases thus far but there is always something I could have missed in my preparation. For example, will my UK driving licence be accepted there or do I need international licence?

Thanks in anticipation.

wez130

You will be able to use your UK license for up to 12 months before you have to change to a NZ license. I can't answer your other questions though, i've spent time on the Whangaparaoa peninsula and it's nice on there, there's a ferry from Gulf harbour to CBD which takes approx 40 minutes and from what i remember is reasonably priced.

I don't know much about Waiheke island myself, i know there are some good restaurants / vineyards on there, Mudbrick for one, apart from there, there doesn't seem much to do there.

Rentals are completely different in NZ too compared to here in UK, it's quite rare to get a long term rental (6 months plus), that said, i'm not saying you won't be able to stay there for that long, it's just not contracted. (I may be wrong here but this is what i read) also, rent is paid normally weekly / fortnightly.

Are you shipping your belongings over? If so, bring everything, even curtains are much more expensive there than here.

I think the general consensus is to try and avoid south Auckland for living, again, it's just what i've heard and may differ.

bearskin

I think moving to Waiheke would be an odd start to living in NZ, personally i'd want to be in a more 'normal' location in order to get a proper feel for my new homeland.

North Shore is a good safe bet. Browns Bay is lovely but would I suspect have prices to match. Lots of different folk there and rental properties to match, from units and apartments to mansions on the cliffs.

The West areas from Hobsonville through to Kumeu are having a boom time at the moment, and will also be a good intro to NZ - lots of options and a real buzz to the area, even though it is on the edge of Auckland - heading into rural.

jmh

I have a connection to Waiheke Island and visit regularly because my mum has a couple of houses there. Love the place and plan to move there in due course. People do commute into the CBD via ferry - you can read the paper and have breakfast during the 40 minute journey.

Downsides are, it is an island so, unless you can afford helicopter rides, you are reliant on one form of transport. Taking your car over costs a bit so you wouldn't want to be doing it that often. Having said that, residents get good discounts. Often companies don't deliver there and it's pretty quiet outside of the holidays - but busy during the holidays. It's also quite expensive to buy - don't know about renting options.

If you have family there and can stay, it's doable and worth considering.

Munchkjn

In Welly, we found the opposite, such a shortage of rentals that it's a landlord's market. They were picking the meekest, most professional looking people willing to stay a minimum of 12 months. We found it virtually impossible to get a 6 month let. Might be different up Aucks way though.

I visited Waiheke Is. last March and it is fab, but living there and commuting to Britomart could be an issue in poor weather. If we had settled up North, we would have probably gone for the Gulf Harbour option. Easy to visit the islands from there too.

br1an121

All, thanks for your comments. Appreciate it.