[migratory birds]

On a recent trip to NZ (Wellington/Kapiti coast, Nelson/Golden Bay, Dunedin) was very let down to see all the clear-cut/overgrazed areas in most of those areas. The towns all had trees not much taller than the houses (didn't explore much within Wellington). Stayed with/visited a few families who had homes IN the bush and were lovely but required driving anywhere/everywhere.

Wondering if any of you live in/know of areas where the town itself still sits within a sea of green growth/bush? (And all the usuals - great cafes, vibrant enough arts scene, strong cohesive community, multicultural, relatively quiet...but that may be asking too much!)

I'd love to live in the country but my youngster would love to live within walking distance of school and have easy access to friends' houses (walk/bike).

[ellenmelon]

i could be wrong...but i think you're asking to much! what you're looking for is utopia..i havent seen it yet :D

wellington has a lot of native bush and a lovely green belt...around the bays near where i live (miramar) are very green.

[Smiler]

The towns are unlikely to have flower strewn meadows or bush area's in the centre, it's just not viable for the land. :confused:

You don't say where in NZ you are heading or working. Maybe if you can be more specific, people could help with some opinions. Although I think you are asking too much of anywhere if you don't want to be rural.

[benandclare]

Fendalton, Merivale and St Albans in Christchurch might fit the bill, all seemed very green when we a had look round onour hunt for houses, also have Hagley Park very close by and we're finding Christchurch a very friendly city.

[tigerlily]

Parts of many towns would fit that bill. Some neighborhoods have lovely trees and bush. Have you checked out Waiheke Island? It's artsy, mostly walkable, and has bush left in some parts. Now jobs are another issue.

[westi]

Titirangi in West Auckland is in the bush, has a couple of nice bays and a lovely village with good cafes.

[Lupin]

Newcastle in Australia :exit

[Sam B]

What about towns on the West coast of the S.I.? Prob no jobs though....

[Lupin]

And it rains and rains and rains ...

You could plump for a 'greener' suburb, if cash allows, like Havelock North in Hawkes Bay. Havelock North is fab for kids and adults and rises up Te Mata Peak. Lots of open space to enjoy right on your doorstep plus TOP schools and two cities (towns) within 5 and 20 mins.

[migratory birds]

Oh, I know I was pushing it my original post (I, too, was thinking, hmmm, this is sounding a bit like Utopia when I was writing it!)

The very nature of towns and cities often (or used to) demand to the destructive leveling of the very beauty we ultimately seek in our living spaces - with the laying of the asphalt, sidewalks and driveways to accomodate residents and to raise up the homes.

May be one of those things I just get to leave behind having lived in regions with grand 300 yr old burr oaks with branches spanning 80' in the Great Lakes region, towering pines in the Pacific Northwest...

I know neither of those trees are indigenous to the islands of New Zealand but wonder if there are any communities old enough that the native growth has regenerated?? Or where recent generations of residents have had a mindfulness about land use and cared for their little plots in a way that is now reflected in overall greenness of the city - I know, that can get us into a whole 'nother discussion of the history of the people's of New Zealand...

As to where the job is? I'm hoping to find the right community first and create the work opportunities from there so either island could be an option.

[kidco]

I'm guessing that most people on this list come from places similar to NZ in that they have been very heavily cleared of forests as well.

Places such as almost all of populated Europe (UK included) have been cleared/deforested for many centuries now, I'd guess. So, NZ must look pretty green, forested, and "pure", by comparison.

However, it's not quite the same for a minority of listees, particularly those who come from certain western regions of Canada and the US. You might have noticed a pattern of "clearcut NZ" observations coming from listees over the years, from places like Oregon, Washington State, BC, etc. We are from BC ourselves, where we are really heavily surrounded by native forest on a very large scale.

My take on it is that Canada and the US are much younger countries than those in Europe, Asia, etc - at least in terms of development by societies bent on "development". NZ is young too, but it's also much smaller than North America - so there's been less to clear. Plus, I reckon that a greater % of NZ is viable agricultural land, compared to much of Canada and the US which is frozen or desert.

We were in NZ a few years ago, and now back in Canada. My experience in NZ, plus some time in Europe as well, opened my eyes to a new way of looking at forests. In Europe especially, you could take a nice walk into a forest, and actually come out the "other side". What a concept! Growing up all those years in vast Canada, a forest was something that you would normally enter and come out of in the same general area - or risk never being seen again...

But, since coming back from NZ, I have been looking more closely at what's happening to forests here in BC. It's actually a massive clearcut operation - of mammoth proportions, really. Especially in the north, where there is very little population to take notice. Even in the southern, more populated parts, one can see more and more clearcut patches within the viewscapes of towns and cities.

All-in-all, NZ's forests are really great and unique, I think. There's not all that much left, as a % of what was orignially there I'd reckon, but there are some huge swaths in various places, that you could really get lost in some of them for good. Hopefully these remaining forests will stay well-protected...

Cheers,

Kidco

[Oregonkiwi]

Wondering if any of you live in/know of areas where the town itself still sits within a sea of green growth/bush? (And all the usuals - great cafes, vibrant enough arts scene, strong cohesive community, multicultural, relatively quiet...but that may be asking too much!)


I second Westi - Titirangi has everything on your list. ("Multicultural'' maybe not quite so much but Auckland as a whole is very diverse so I still count that as a yes.) People who live there tend to be passionate about it; try searching the forum, there have been a few discussions about it. Also a real estate search will give you some pictures of the way the houses are within the bush, eg:
http://www.realestate.co.nz/666589
http://www.realestate.co.nz/675034

hope that helps

[andrewandjane]

Wondering if any of you live in/know of areas where the town itself still sits within a sea of green growth/bush? (And all the usuals - great cafes, vibrant enough arts scene, strong cohesive community, multicultural, relatively quiet...but that may be asking too much!)

I'd love to live in the country but my youngster would love to live within walking distance of school and have easy access to friends' houses (walk/bike).[/QUOTE]



sounds exactly like where i live! :yes

very vibrant arts scene, great cafes, lots of nice Bush areas, very strong cohesive sense of community, walking distance to schools etc, and quiet too!

did i mention fantastic beaches, and only 35 mins from Auckland CBD by public transport

shh dont tell everyone though!

[macs gold]

On a recent trip to NZ (Wellington/Kapiti coast, Nelson/Golden Bay, Dunedin) was very let down to see all the clear-cut/overgrazed areas in most of those areas.

Those are some of the better places for decent bush within an urban setting. I live in Dunedin and between the botanic garden, the town belt, the peninsular, Ross Creek and the two local mountains (Flagstaff and Cargill) there is plenty of bush to keep oneself happy in.

Reading your post I couldn't help wondering if the issue was not more to do with size of trees (sorry if thats stereotyping your north american "ours are bigger" viewpoint). In which case can I recommend Rotorua which has a wonderful redwood grove.

[migratory birds]

The areas surrounding Dunedin were the most stunning I'd come across in my brief visit to NZ. Just a few minutes outside of town were breathtaking views. And there were parts of Dunedin that still had that wild feel (just NE of the Botanic Gardens, as I recall, was a great little neighborhood, near Baldwin Street, with remnant bush as you crawl up the hills along the side streets); the area as you head further up that road (North St???) about 10 minutes out of town; and the large town belt was indeed quite green but it seemed once you got into surrounding neighborhoods it was back to relatively little green in yards and along streets aside from shrubbery.

[QUOTE=macs gold;169276}...I couldn't help wondering if the issue was not more to do with size of trees (sorry if thats stereotyping your north american "ours are bigger" viewpoint).[/QUOTE]

:laugh :laugh :laugh Not stereotyping at all!! Some of them ARE bigger...were here before European's colonized the continent...and have survived in spite of two centuries of agricultural/construction/commerce needs. (Kidco may be spot on about size of land mass and how long it takes generations of European settlers to clearcut the area they have to work with - it just happened quicker in NZ than in North America perhaps only due to sheer land mass - and has little to do with nationality but human nature in general - gobbling up resources till they're gone then backtracking to attempt to replace).

Really my feelings have more to do with the LACK of trees in so many urban and rural areas rather than the size of them (and disappointment that so much of what was likely once very wild and could support a wealth of biodiversity was long gone). When I was staying with/visiting friends whose homes were in the midst of bush it had a very different feel than those whose homes were in areas where the trees had long since been removed.

[Sam B]

Well, Cambridge (Waikato) could hardly be described as a bush setting, but its sign proudly declaims it to be "The town of trees"!

[ourquest]

There are pros and cons in everything. Titirangi might be set amongst thick bush and trees but apparently suffers from some damp and rotting housing as a result.

Utopia doesn't exist. Except for those who understand where it really lies and they have it with them most of the time.

[migratory birds]

It's really not Utopia that I'm looking for - just a bit of solid community spirit in the midst of native bush...because I value what strong communities can do for those who live within them (if you've ever lived in a neighborhood with that sense of shared work and support there's nothing like it - it doesn't just exist inside of us but it is a reality in many people's lives). And I enjoy birding and botanical exploration and would prefer to just walk out the door than make it a day trip.

Nothing mentioned about a community free of social problems, annoying neighbors and glaring street lights; abundantly fertile soil with 5 cm rain every week to keep the garden growing; parking lots on the edge of town where everyone leaves their cars and bikes or walks along meandering paths to their home; delicious meals that satifies the taste buds of every individual in the family magickly appearing on our clutter-free table every nite; dishes and laundry that does itself, etc, etc.

[Nick88]

Reading this thread brings to mind an article written by uber-environmentalist Paul Watson of Sea Shepherd. Where he writes

"We should not be living in human communities that enclose tiny preserved ecosystems within them. Human communities should be maintained in small population enclaves within linked wilderness ecosystems. No human community should be larger than 20,000 people and separated from other communities by wilderness areas. Communication systems can link the communities.

In other words, people should be placed in parks within ecosystems instead of parks placed in human communities. We need vast areas of the planet where humans do not live at all and where other species are free to evolve without human interference.

We need to stop burning fossil fuels and utilize only wind, water, and solar power with all generation of power coming from individual or small community units like windmills, waterwheels, and solar panels."

He goes on to talk about self-sufficiency, etc.

There is a cost, of course....