Wessa

Anyone from thes area?

Im looking to come out on my own first in the next few months, then the rest of the family will follow when the house in the uk is sold..

Can anyone tell me about the schools etc in the area, mainly Timaru.
Also the house prices look resonable too, any areas to steer clear of?
(not being disrepectful).



Thanks for your time.
Gary.

Buzzy--Bee

Timaru is not considered to be one of the better parts of NZ. Oamaru is quite nice on the eye, lot of old stone buildings. It's quite small though.

There's a bakery in Oamaru that sells the best caramel slice on earth. If I had to choose where to live in NZ this would be enough to influence me.

BB

Wessa

Can you elaborate on that please, as i can always look around for the permanent place when im there.
Timaru will probably be ok for me on my own for the time being then.

Wonder if anyone else will say different.

Thanks BB.

Gary.

Woodpigeon

Timaru is a place to stop for a quick coffee and petrol on route from Dunedin to Christchurch.

Oamaru is a quaint little place, nice for an occasional visit (mainly cos they have a Binn Inn there ), or a quick stop for an ice cream on route from Dunedin to Christchurch if you can't wait as long as Timaru

Bit of a drive from both of these to larger centres if you want to shop for anything other than essentials; though Timaru probably has more shops and ammenities than Oamaru.

Of the two if I had no other choice I'd choose Oamaru, but only if I didn't need a job and didn't have teenage kids.

Never heard of Pukeun, sorry.

Buzzy--Bee

Not really, but I notice you come from Essex, so if I compared people's attitudes in NZ towards Timaru as being similar to people's attitudes in Essex towards Dagenham it might help....

BB

Wessa

Ok i get ya... Looks like Oamaru then..

BEVS

I've personally known two lots of migrants that moved from Timaru , so Oamaru might be your better bet. Nice wee town. Quiet ,but a good looking place from memory.

shirl

Me personally, I would prefer Timaru to Oamaru. It has better shops, a nice beach, lots of stuff going on down in the bay at Christmas and New Year, close to the Southern Lakes, we go there lots to stay with my sister who has lived there for 40 odd years and would never move anywhere else. There are some lovely properties to be had down there and you get a lot more for your money. Stay north of the town and not South. Gleniti is a nice area and they are just doing a lovely subdivision called Hunter Heights I think(?) Up near the golf club. They will have lovely views over the southern alps from up there. You can be back in Chch within 2 hours and the road is quick. If I didn't have other things to consider I could live there and I am quite picky, but then it wouldn't do for us all to have the same opinion of where to live. I lived in Devon and Cornwall before coming here so not used to the bigger cities of the north!

Wessa

Thanks for the replies,
I being swayed to Timaru as it is bigger than Oamaru. I guess il have to decide for myself where we settle before the oh and kids come out in July. If the wtr Visa goes through ok, i should be there for April..

kenpom

Just my opionion but I alwayd find Timaru a bit soul less when we ever stopped over on reoute to CHC. Although it does have a great park for the kids as a stop over.
Oamaru is smaller but to me has a bit more appeal.
Best to do a reccy I reckon.

Black Sheep

In the off chance that it could possibly/somehow help you to make up your mind which (Timaru or Oamaru) might better suit you, check this guy out (because he chose Oamaru):

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizard_of_New_Zealand

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wizard...nd/10922008351

Wessa

Haha.. Now there's a character eh..

Fooferfish

:Oamaru is a quait Victorian seaside town , has some of the best Oamaru stone Victorian buildings in NZ , we live near Dunedin and we call that a village !! and Oamaru is way smaller , not much work for kids leaving school , so most head to the larger cities when they leave school. Everybody knows each other in Oamaru and as long as you like that small town atmosphere then Oamaru is gorgeous , low crime and thats because its a training ground for cops They have a penguin place , where you can sit in a gran stand and watch the Blue and Yellow eyed penguins come home to roost. Oamaru has every thing you need , about well over an hours drive from Dunedin , but with hardly any traffic on the roads , its an easy drive .

Been to Timaru a couple of times , just a larger version of Oamaru , and once you have visited most NZ small towns they will all look alike , with tumble weed rolling down the main streets and wild west sort of shop facades Where ever you move to in NZ , its all about making it your own , enjoy the challenge and move to NZ , it all takes time and effort, we started off in town and now live the dream in the countryside, BLiss.

kenpom

Nige you brought a tear to my eye

Wessa

Still undecided..

Omaru is now appealing to me..
When the famaily arrive a few months after me, i think Timaru may be more practical... as oh wants to get herself a job and children will want to keep busy.. I'l have to decide when i get there i recon...