[nickydwuk]

We will be moving to Christchurch next September and wondered if there are any areas in and around Christchurch that we should avoid? We were told by a real estate agent at the expo to avoid Linwood but is there anywhere else that is not suitable for a family with 2 teenage sons? We hope to live just outside the city in one of the suburbs or a little further out.

I also read that Cathederal Square was to be avoided at night - why??

[EngiNurse]

Will be following this thread, as we'll likely be in Christchurch by January, hoping to rent fairly close to the hospital.

[peebles16]

Not in Christchurch yet but have been told by a few folks there to avoid Linwood, Aranui, Shirley, Philipstown and Wainoni. Have no idea why!? Any other views?
Karen

[constablechuck]

The areas mentioned by Peebles16 probably have the most crime in Christchurch, I imagine it has to do with socio economic factors.

When my wife and I first moved here we rented a flat in Linwood, all seemed well until someone tried to break into the neighboring flat while the neigbors were home, there was a burglary ring very active in the area as well, however the Police have done a good job of breaking up that operation, not to long ago a man in Linwood was shot after trying to attack police with a hammer, a few days later a guy standing at a bus stop in Linwood was stabbed by someone on a bicycle.

NZ has it's share of crime, P (Meth) users and out of control youngsters seem to be the biggest problem.

We live in New Brighton now and it seems relatively safe and quiet, there is the occassional beligerent drunk hanging around the pubs near the beach and mall area and of course the occassional boy racer screeching his tyres but overall I would say it's a good area.

I would recommend New Brighton, Sumner, Redwoods area for those that like the beach life, if peace and quiet are your main priority then the Rolleston area would be good.

[Jim&Karen]

we will also be following the thread as we will be in Christchurch Jan 08 what about us newbies planning a meet not forgetting Ben and clare Joanne 100 and thirtysomethings :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana

karen

[EngiNurse]

Thanks for the insight, ConstableChuck.

We've been looking at Riccarton, Merivale, and the City Centre. Any thoughts on those areas?

[Piper]

I also read that Cathederal Square was to be avoided at night - why??

I happened upon a 'youtube' video that illustrates this very well - some young guys having a laugh and poking fun at down&outs in Christchurch :(

I'm not going to post a link but if you're curious then type 'welcome to christchurch' into youtube's search.... You will find Part1 & Part2 - I think Part2 shows Cathedral Square at night but I could be wrong (I don't really want to watch them again myself - I prefer my own sweet memories of Christchurch!)

My personal view is that this type of silly laddish behaviour exists everywhere in the world - and it can be ignored quite easily if you choose to. These kids always seem to have itchy feet and be constantly on the move anyway!

Piper

[Moorf]

Agree with Chuck and Piper. Socio-demo problems in the suburbs mentioned and as for Cathedral Square it's pretty much like any city imho - a place for groups of youths to congregate. I remember, as a punk, hanging round Winchester Cathedral in the graveyards and round the monuments in gangs - I probably scared a few tourists too :D - drug problem was around then too, heroin was the choice back then - not for me glad to say.

I think every village/town/city has a central place where youngsters congregate. Doesn't make it any less intimidating but on the whole they're harmless.

But, I personally wouldn't view a crowd in, say, Aranui as being as innocuous - but that's cos of my perception and experience of the area.

We lived in Nth New Brighton too and felt very safe, although there were definitely more youths and colourful characters around than when we were in Sumner and where we are now (nr Darfield).

Basically it's the same as anywhere, keep your wits about you, follow your instincts and stick to well populated well lit areas at night if you're alone...

[Pip]

..Hmm... there have been several threads on this before, and usually for every person who says "avoid here", someone will else will day "I live there and its fine". Different people have different views on what is and isn't acceptable. Same as the UK, some suburbs are considered more desirable than others, and some seem to attract higher levels of crime, as constable chuck mentions due to socio economic factors.

What worked for us, was working out what we wanted, what was our max commute we were prepared to do (i.e how close to the city) and then what did we want, e.g to be close to the beach, or close to the mountains etc. How big a property ? What is your budget will also be a factor..do you want to be walking distance to cafe's & restaurants, or do you want to do the lifestyle block thing..

we spent a couple of weeks just driving round areas to get a feel of their commute times and the area. Now the following is only "my perception" based on my knowledge to date. If you want to be in the city, merivale and fendalton are fairly exclusive and lovely cafe's, boutiques, stylish bit of town and the house prices reflect that. Cashmere hills also probably falls into that bracket. Lots of high properties with dramatic views set on hills overlooking christchurch. (no way could we have afforded a 4 bed house with a large garden in those areas but we could by looking elsewhere ), There are just as nice suburbs such as Burwood, Harewood, St Albans, Riccarton and many many more which are a little cheaper and nice areas. If you want to be near the beach, then Sumner, New Brighton and Redwoods. If you want to be a bit further out, then to the North, look at Rangiora, Kaipoi, Ohoka/Clarkeville, Loburn - in the opposite direction, there is Lincoln, Rolleston, Springston, Halswell, and then out to to the west, West Melton, Darfield, Oxford, Templeton, Prebbleton.

Best advice is to keep an open mind, and remember, its a lot smaller than big UK cities to find your bearings. We got a sense of most places within about ten days!

as for cathedral square - its like anywhere - can attract trouble late at night - as its a central point of town - then again, I've walked through it without any problems at night!

Good luck with the house hunting!

[veronica]

we live right on the east side of the city on the edge between linwood and christchurch, not even sure if our address is city or Linwood as all the neighbours seem to have different views. we are two streets away from where the guy was shot by the police and about 6 houses away from where the guy was stabbed and knew nothing about either event until we read it in the papers. despite Pete walking the dogs every evening in the dark for an hour or so in this area the worst we have seen ourselves is a guy passed out drunk asleep on the grass just down the road. I've met a couple of lippy kids and also some really lovely ones while walking but I have never felt intimadated. I've also walked in some of the 'nice' areas and met both sorts of behaviour in kids and young adults, main difference is just those were better dressed.

Obviously poorer areas have their problems but a lot of the problems are between people who know each other, domestics, gang rivalries etc. I was talking to a lady who lived in the south side of arunui and she is regretting moving to Avonside, a supposedly better area as since she has been there she has had several bouts of vandelism at the front of their property in the new place but had never had any problems in the poorer area. Go figure. I wouldn't choose to live in the heart of Arunui myself but we are happy enough where we are.

Come over here, have a good look around and listen and make your own judgements, Property prices themselves will tell you where the more desirable areas are.

[nickydwuk]

we will also be following the thread as we will be in Christchurch Jan 08 what about us newbies planning a meet not forgetting Ben and clare Joanne 100 and thirtysomethings :raebanana :raebanana :raebanana

karen

Sounds good but we won't be there until September so save a space for us.:raebanana

[K&CS]

I agree with Veronica - you need to have a look round and have a feel for where you feel happy. I'm not sure I would exactly describe Linwood as a 'no go area' - just take precautions as you would do in the UK. Also, Linwood College has a very bad reputation (in Christchurch it's very much a 'thing' where you went to school) but it's our zoned high school (our kids aren't at that age yet) but everyone I know who has sent their kids there can't say enough good things about it (and some of those parents are teachers so know what they're talking about). It's another reason why you need to try not to dismiss anywhere until you actually get here!

I'm really not sure if anywhere in chch would be considered a 'no go area'. Some areas are 'better' than others, as is the case in all cities but social problems exist anywhere and everywhere. All I would say is with teenage boys, you might be best not to live in the middle of nowhere (for the time being anyway)!

Kate

[benandclare]

We came with a view of living in the Rolleston/templeton area but once we got here and reccied it we felt that they were too far out for Clares shift work and a teenage son(16). we then spent the next few days driving around and getting a feel for where we liked and what suited us. The house that we have bought was just fill in between two other viewings on an open day (these are generally at the weekends when they have 'open homes to view'). We fell in love with it straight away.
So i guess what we are trying to say is dont have too many preconcieved ideas and have an open mind :raebanana

Look forward to meeting you when you get here.

[nickydwuk]

We have area's here in the UK that I would not recommend to anyone but as many have said it is down to personal choice. I am just wary about finding a property and falling in love with it only to move in and a year later find that the area is a 'drugs den' or a haven for criminals. I don't want our location to ruin our first year in NZ. There will be enough to contend with as it is!!!:D

Thanks for all the suggestions - Just counting the months now.

[veronica]

I've heard good things about linwood college too. it seems that people who have children there really rate it while others who have only gossip to go on put it down. I think some of it might be based on its history rather than the actual current situation

[nippa&pippa]

We spent 6 months' of weekends touring visiting areas and viewing houses before we brought a house based few kms out of springston. Agreed with others, driving around to get the feel of places and how far out are you prepare to travelling to work, like our house is just 20mins from my OH's work that is enough for my OH.

[Moorf]

What you will find, Nicky, is that there are great houses in awful areas and awful houses in nice areas. Even in the poshest parts there seems to be a ramshackle old weatherboard house lurking somewhere.

It won't be long before you are familiar enough with the area to spot a less desirable area - the middle of the road places are more difficult to define imho. Many people overlook places like Opawa, St Albans, South Shore, Halswell because they're not as widely talked about and don't fit in to extreme area categories such as "extortionately expensive" or "drug baron" :)

You can always run a few properties you like past the Chch mob ;) we promise we won't buy them :laugh

[nickydwuk]

Thanks Moorf - we might do that. What is rental propertylike in Chch? We have the added problem of bring our dogs.

[Piper]

Thanks Moorf - we might do that. What is rental propertylike in Chch? We have the added problem of bring our dogs.

I think I've found the only rental property in Christchurch where pets are allowed... shhhh, don't tell anyone! http://www.allrealestate.co.nz/realestate/nzsi/canterbury/redcliffs/402962317

I'm seriously starting to think that it would be a good idea to buy a fair sized property in Christchurch and rent out rooms to people with dogs till they get settled :)

[Perksy]

While all you Christchurch experts are together - what is the Banks Peninsula like. Property there doesn't seem badly priced - is it easy to get round Christchurch to the rest of the mainland from there?

[Moorf]

Banks Peninsula is stunning.

Depending on where you want to live depends on whether you'll appreciate the commute.

You could commute from Akarao to Chch (around 90km) if you fancied a 1hr+ commute over steep hills and along the banks of Lake Ellesmere. Some might consider this a small price to pay, personally I think the drive would be a novelty for a short time!! I don't get car sick yet I've had to hang out of the window on the way up over the hills to Akaroa!

On the whole, Banks Peninsula property is a tad more expensive than anywhere else. Akarao is very expenisve imho and is a bit of a tourist trap too. Fantastic place to visit but could be seen to be a bit isolated. But there are also pockets of less expensive property - Little River, Diamond Harbour for instance.

We love Diamond Harbour and, in terms of its distance from Chch it's not too bad - probably 45 mins to CBD. Again, you can either go up over the Port Hills (can be scary if there's a nutter on the road) or through the Lyttleton tunnel. If you live in Diamond Harbour you can catch the wee ferry to Lyttleton where a bus meets it and takes commuters in to central Chch - not a bad way to start the day!!

There are others areas including Diamond Harbour, Charteris Bay, Duvachelle, Pigeon Bay, Little River etc. All lovely rural / coastal places where you can get a fab view.

I've rambled - let me know if you want any more specific info on places :nice1

Moorf

[Moorf]

I think I've found the only rental property in Christchurch where pets are allowed... shhhh, don't tell anyone! http://www.allrealestate.co.nz/realestate/nzsi/canterbury/redcliffs/402962317

I'm seriously starting to think that it would be a good idea to buy a fair sized property in Christchurch and rent out rooms to people with dogs till they get settled :)

That's a nice wee place you've found there - and the fact that pets are welcome is amazing. You're near Sumner beach where there is lots of room to exercise dogs - and lots of locals do so, a great way of meeting people, I could spend hours chatting to folks there when we first arrived!!

Redcliffs is a nice area, too. Easy to get in to town by bus or car and has a supermarket, doctors, shops, cafes etc on your doorstep.

In my opinion the $380 is about right for the area, especially coastal. Are you going to jump on it? I would....!!

As for dogs, you have to have a special licence to have more than 2 (i think) dogs residing in a residential house so i think you'd need a special permit - but it's certainly a good idea. Failing that, we use Bunnylodge near West Melton which the girls LOVE going to - swimming pool, heated beds and radio :D

Helen

[SharpBlade]

Hi,
We spent last Sunday at Orton Bradley Park, between Governors Bay and Diamond harbour, it is a great place for a day out , (barbecue areas, little playground, nice stream for the kids to paddle in, etc..) plenty of walking tracks for all abilities and as Moorf said, it is rather beautiful. I would love to live on that side of the hills myself but I wouldn`t fancy the commute (mainly in winter , dark evenings, etc..). For us, it works to live in St Martins, and I really like Opawa. Being in St martins means we are very close to the city but at the nearly at the foot ot the hills. It takes me 5 min to reach the city centre if I ever need to go there, the kids can cycle anywhere as it is safe, and my husband cycles to work in Heathcote, 15 min max.
But yes, the Peninsula is beautiful.
Laura
(by the way, there is an open day this coming weekend at Orton Bradley, the garden will be on full show (flowery bushes, etc..), free entry (usually 6$ per car) but I suspect it will be busy. We like empty places, I am afraid, so we won`t go but we will definitely go back another time for another walk)

[Moorf]

Hmm maybe we should head over to Orton Bradley - have always driven past as have dogs in the car and they don't allow them... so might leave mutts at home and go visit - I've heard the rhododendron displays are stunning... are the walks long?

[SharpBlade]

There are all sorts of walks, from an easy stroll through the garden (20-40 min) to a good day walk (Sign of the Packhorse, 6-8 hours return). We did the Waterfall gully track, 2 1/2 hours return but it took us 3hours as the kids stopped to play on the trees and in the river. If you like walking, it is a rather nice place. A nice change from Port Hills (although looks kind of the same). Laura

[nickydwuk]

........ Failing that, we use Bunnylodge near West Melton which the girls LOVE going to - swimming pool, heated beds and radio :D

Helen

Is Bunnylodge for dogs? It is early so perhaps my brain is not working? :confused:

[Moorf]

:laugh

Strangely, yes.. BunnyLodge is for dogs and cats :D Maybe they feed them bunnies?!

[nickydwuk]

I hope not :wah We may have to consider kennels when we come over - I take it you would recommend Bunnylodge? How far from Christchurch are they and are they reasonable prices?

[Moorf]

I'd certainly recommend Bunny Lodge.

From centre of town I'd say it's about, ummm, 25 mins or so? It's near West Melton.

Here's the link - there's a map etc on there and a contact form. My girls bound up to the door when we get there and can't wait to go through which makes me feel less guilty!

We pay $30 a day for a double room for two medium/large dogs. I think it's about $19 for one medium/large dog per day.

I believe they have a lot of British pooches there as lots of immigrants use the facilities.

http://www.bunnylodge.co.nz/index.php

[nickydwuk]

Thanks for that Moorf. I am sure I read somewhere (I can't remember where as I have read so much in the last few months) that in NZ once a dog has had its initial vaccinations they no longer need boosters but this kennel won't accept them without.

My dogs are all up to date with all boosters and kennel cough but at £45 a time it is quite pricey. How do the vets prices compare?

[Moorf]

It cost me $75 to get Amber fully vaccinated (that includes two visits) which included kennel cough etc and wormed, looked over. We'd just got her from the pound so wanted a thorough exam.

Boosters at our local vets are $50 once a year if I remember correctly.

Vet fees seem to cost as much as they do in the UK relative to income, iykwim! But directly compared to UK, cheap....

[Piper]

That's a nice wee place you've found there - and the fact that pets are welcome is amazing. You're near Sumner beach where there is lots of room to exercise dogs - and lots of locals do so, a great way of meeting people, I could spend hours chatting to folks there when we first arrived!!

Redcliffs is a nice area, too. Easy to get in to town by bus or car and has a supermarket, doctors, shops, cafes etc on your doorstep.

In my opinion the $380 is about right for the area, especially coastal. Are you going to jump on it? I would....!!

As for dogs, you have to have a special licence to have more than 2 (i think) dogs residing in a residential house so i think you'd need a special permit - but it's certainly a good idea. Failing that, we use Bunnylodge near West Melton which the girls LOVE going to - swimming pool, heated beds and radio :D

Helen

As usual, you can only ever find perfect places at the wrong time! I would indeed jump on it if I were set to go, but I'm not :(

Thanks, Helen, for the info on Redcliffs - I like the look of it but it seemed quite far out - apparently not... I will be doing a good old reccie when I get to Chch in a few weeks time. I will be working near Hagley Park (are dogs allowed there? - I bet not!) How long is the drive from there to there?

How strange that you need a licence to keep more than 2 dogs, but I reckon that's probably a blessing to a lot of people. A friend of mine keeps 12 dogs in his back garden and I think that must be torture for his neighbours.

I hope it's not still so windy by the time I make it to Chch - now don't tell me it's like that all the time! (My sister said that the wind in Marlborough can drive people away).

Isn't it funny how a thread can turn completely around :D

Piper

[Moorf]

Yep, you can walk your dogs in Hagley Park - very popular place to do so - lots of joggers and their dogs.

To get to Redcliffs from Hagley Park takes about, hmmm, 20 mins? K&CS has a better idea of those distances/timings...

And no, it's not always this windy - but we do get parts of the year where the winds (nor'westers) are prevalent. It's by no means a problem here.

HTH
Helen

[Perksy]

Thanks for the tips on Banks Peninsula Moorf. Not sure I find journeys over steep hills and nutty drivers particularly appealing. Do like the idea of a wee ferry trip though. Have to have a scout round when over in November.

Kim

[K&CS]

Just a quickie as we're going on holiday but yes, Redcliffs and Sumner pretty close to town. Should take about 20 minutes or so to get to Hagley Park. Great area - really recommend it!

Kate