Waitakere City
 

Hi All

Been looking into areas again today and have come across Waitakere City.

Please can anyone offer any advice - good & bad points :thumbup:

• Nice/bad areas to live?
• General feel of the place?
• Things to do day/night?
• What are the beaches like?

You get the idea - all feedback welcome - also any pics if you happen to have them would be great :thumbup: :D

Thanks

Georgina & (Andy - he is let out of the cupboard today) :eek:

Re: Waitakere City
 

Hi. We lived in Swanson, Waitakere for 3 years untill last december. Loved it, the beaches are very unspoilt, wild n windy. Lots of nice cafes around, it's semi rural, and quite tropical looking with the Waitakeres.
It seems to rain a fair bit ( which is why it's so green ) and mossies are a pain in the summer but we love it.
PM if you want more specific info !

Re: Waitakere City
 

Hi there,

Personally I would plan your chioces around where you are working as Auckland traffic can be a nightmare and a few hours onto your working day.

My advise would be to rent for at least a year until you get a feel for NZ and look at the options.

It is very difficult to offer advice into someone’s life ( a biggie) as your experience and outlook can be so different to mine. We have some friends that live on a lifestyle ( 7 acres) close to Swanson and it is awesome. They are Kiwis and are “westies”.

Henderson is in West Auckland and is a pretty rough place but again for someone coming from some rough area of Glasgow it would be tame. So it depends.

My point is it is always difficult to make a comparison unless you understand what it is being compared to.

NZ on the whole is awesome & we love it, there are beaches everywhere and heaps of things to do. Of course if you sit in traffic for three hours everyday the scenery can take a back seat.

So my advise to you is – planning. Plan around the geography of work place and don’t commit to buy a place until you have been here and gained “your own” experience. The whole “one man’s meat thing “….

Cheers & good luck…………. :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Re: Waitakere City
 

So where is Waitakere city?????

I live there but where is the city???

I like it ...and some places still have a reasonable commute distance from the city, I wouldn't want to be living in Henderson but thats a personal choice!!!

Every suburb has its good streets and bad streets you can usally tell the bad by the 8 cars parked on the front lawn with grass growing through the headlights!!! obviously if this isn't your cup of tea you wouldn't move down that street!

I don't feel where to live is a choice you can make from the other side of the world, get a short term holiday home and then have a drive around once you are here.

Re: Waitakere City
 

Didn't really answer the question did I....

Down side....no bear or wine in the supermarkets!!!! (some silly council thing that I can't explain!)

Beaches...yep OK on West cost more Rugged surfing type, but pitureesque with volcanic black sand!!!

Going out at night...Auckland City is only just down the road if you need it...

General feel...I would say pretty laid back and relaxed...

Couldn't find any photos on the computer only one of the puppys 1st day at the beach... this is Piha

Re: Waitakere City
 

Yes,
That is definitely the way to go. It can be horrendously priced though. We were paying $750 a week ( after discount of paying two weeks n advance) for a wee cabin in Northcote just over the Harbour bridge north of Auckland.

If it is just the two of you could get a room to rent in a house for around $150 - $200 a week / We organised that for a friend of ours and he stayed there for three months.

It also depends if you have kids and what spins your wheels. :D

If you are looking for nightlife or outdoors or sports clubs etc etc etc.

Have a look at www.trademe.co.nz there are heaps of rentals in there and you can look at property prices too. This is a great source of info as you can get an idea of the general taste of the Kiwis and the cost of things too. Great place to buy a car too!

I am a big fan of Trademe.

Cheers& good luck …………… :thumbup:

Re: Waitakere City
 

Hi, my girlfriend and I have recently moved to Waitakere and just wondered if you are here or still in Berkshire as your profile says as it would be good to meet some people of a similar age.

Re: Waitakere City
 

Georgina is no longer on this site, but she and Andy live in Auckland now. No clue where.

Re: Waitakere City
 

Wow, that's news to me. I lived in Henderson for a couple of years. I didn't know it had a reputation. It seemed OKish to me. Then again, I have spent a good portion of my life living in some Asian shitholes so my standards are pretty low. I'm easy to please.
Negatives:
The primary school was pretty crap and was constantly in the ERO's gun-sights, so to speak.
Positives:
Lots of services such as doctor offices, dentists, shopping centre, restaurants, supermarkets, courts, excellent indoor swim centre, etc. ...

Re: Waitakere City
 

I've lived in Massey since 2003 and chuckle everytime I hear someone say Henderson is rough. Suits me, less POMs to contend with - go live on the North Shore where your neighbour's kitchen overlooks your bathroom :rofl:

Re: Waitakere City
 

Hi

For links to some info on Waitakere City and many of its suburbs try this site

www.auckland-suburb-guide.co.nz

It shows all the suburb names in Auckland along with a map and a rating of each suburb. For most of the suburbs there are links to more info on them.

Might be a good place to start

good luck

Re: Waitakere City
 

:rofl: Splutter! Miaow :D

Re: Waitakere City
 

Lived in Titirangi when we were in NZ, Woodlands Park to be exact, (on the way to Huia, Nihotapu (think its the correct spelling?) Dam etc.,), loved it, never had any dramas yes it rained and it was damp, but as someone else said - Hi Westie Pom btw - in order for it to be green you gotta have the rain, but the peace and serenity it afforded us was fab. Best to look and see for yourself, what works for one doesnt work for another. :blink:

Re: Waitakere City
 

Exsqeeze me, but didn't you erect a bamboo screen to inhibit overlooking from your neighbour???????? :p:p

Re: Waitakere City
 

And then took it down and put up FOUR trees instead lol It's worked though :lol: