[Andy&Carol]

Well, still applying for jobs up and down NZ! Although the final destination is in the lap of the Gods (or the Department of Corrections!) I'm trying to do as much research as I can about the regions.

Please would you let me know the town and region you're living in plus one good point and one bad point of living there.

Andy & I would really like to live somewhere a BIT rural, however with one/two sons in tow (18 & 19yrs) we think somewhere close to a lively city would be the best way to go initially.

All contributions will be gratefully received, love C

[BaldyBeardyBloke]

You could do worse han the Waikato. You sound like us, family-wise. 2 sons growing fast, but preference for a degree of ruralness.

We live on the edge of Hamilton. It less rural than we would prefer, but we can get to work in 15 minutes, generally and everything we need is really close. Hamilton isn't a spectacualr ciy, but is just the right size as it isn't a big sprawl.

There are some fab smaller towns around the Waikato generally that are still easily commutable to Hamilton (Cambridge, Te Awamutu etc).

Bad points? Depending what industry you work in employment can be difficult to find, but Hamilton is a real up and coming city - a place for the future, the council has a real forward looking, progressive attitude.

[Sam B]

I live in Cambridge, it's a nice smallish town and pretty rural. 20 minutes to Hamilton which is pretty lively.

Best things about Cambridge - ace schools, nice pretty town, good shops and cafes, really pretty park, lake nearby, close to a lot of places for weekends away.

Bad thing - the Waikato in general is generally uninspiring countryside although it's still pleasant, it's not a tourist destination in itself, quite over-farmed.