[andrewandjane]

Hi,

As weve just bought our own house we need to find some one to take over our tennacy, its a 3 bed house with sea views and nice neighbours on waiheke island near palm beach. $380 per week.

Right on the bus route, monthly ferry price is only $300 which includes all buses in Auckland City and waiheke too. so commuting is really easy to CBD just a short walk from ferry. great beaches and community. We likedd it so much weve bought a place further downt the same road.

If you know anyone who needs a rental pm me

thanks
Andy

[Hannah-NL]

So how is the commute from Waiheke? So far we've heard a lot (positive stuff) about it from colleagues of DH, but havent been there yet to have a look around. Today we had a look around in Devenport, but boy that road in and out sure is the pits!

[Tia Maria]

Hannah-NL wrote:

Today we had a look around in Devenport, but boy that road in and out sure is the pits!

It sure is! The bridge can be a pain also. Although a lot worse for being Waitangi Day. Devonport is somewhere people come on holidays so it is always busier then. We found it quite quiet when we headed out of Devonport this morning! :D

The advantage to the one road in and out is that there is very low crime in Devonport as you'd have to escape James Bond style in a speed boat and it leads to the villagey feel being at the end of the penisula, rather than having the main road running through the middle of it.

Cheers

Tia

[dusk]

Hi,

As weve just bought our own house we need to find some one to take over our tennacy, its a 3 bed house with sea views and nice neighbours on waiheke island near palm beach. $380 per week.

thanks
Andy
bah! if only we were planning on coming over sooner this would be perfect for us, sadly we're still about 8 or 9 months away (if things go to plan!)

[BoroCraig]

Hi There,

I'm completely new on here but we are hoping to be in Auckland by end of April. I'll be working out of CBD and just wondered if the ferries from Waiheke Island get cancelled due to the weather or other reasons and if so is it often, rare etc - just can't imagine having no alternative means of getting to work and my future employers accepting it?

Thanks,

Craig

[andrewandjane]

i work in cdb and have no issues, i doubt any employers would even care! its seen as another auckland suburb anyway (except by islanders!). the commute is fine, 35 mins by boat better than sitting in a grid lock which will only get worse. so far its only been cancelled once. (worst storm in 20+yrs) was pretty cool on last boat back mind! the ferry company put people in a hotel till morning. only reason it was so rough is we got atail end of a hurricane. so overall 1 journey in almost a year isnt too bad and not expected again for another 20 yrs!

waiheke is great, houses a bit cheaper than some areas too as people seem to be put off by the ferry, which is one of the best bits!

[Hannah-NL]

Sounds good, have to ask where does one keep their car. On the island?
I looked for ferry fares. (wow!) Or do you park on the main land?
Are there many shops there, supermarkets etc. And schools?
We have a 13 yr old who goes to year 10 this year, is their a highschool/college on the island or do kids have to get on the ferry every day? Lots of questions huh? But I like the sound of an (even smaller) island :)

[andrewandjane]

some people keep a car in auckland, (we dont, we like idea of no car and use the buses which are very regular and meet all the ferries etc)
theres a large supermarket and a few smaller stores for getting food then theres the market on saturdays and you can grow food to (theres even a market stalll where you can swap what youve grown for other food)
there is two department stores for furniture etc and a whole load of other shops too.

theres two primary schools and one secondary school. some kids choose to go to takapuna grammar school via boat as waiheke is in the catchment area but most tend to go to the local school which is good.

ferry passess work out quite cheap really as the buses on waiheke are inlcuded and all stage coach buses in auckland so works out well and when we were renting the house rentals on waiheke for a 3 bed with sea views plust the 300 bucks for teh ferry pass where still cheaper than what we could get in auckland itself.

[Tia Maria]

andrewandjane wrote:

theres two primary schools and one secondary school. some kids choose to go to takapuna grammar school via boat as waiheke is in the catchment area but most tend to go to the local school which is good.

Its interesting you should say this as I've met 3 people who moved away from Waiheke as they weren't keen on the secondary school. They were all quite sad about it as they loved the primary school and the Waiheke community.

They had all moved to the North Shore as they didn't want their kids to do the commute to TGS (boat and a bus). They also gave me the impression that this was quite common - is it not?

Cheers

Tia

[andrewandjane]

seems to be plenty of kids going to the local school, and its last report looked fine! i guess times change and so do schools,
i guess different people expect different things from schools and this too is relative, i grew up in runcorn and went to the local comp so know what poor schooling really is! have taught in some nice schools too though.ive not heard anything bad about waiheke secondary school since being here, but like any parent would consider all my options at the time. thankfully both mine are still only young boys.

[Tia Maria]

seems to be plenty of kids going to the local school, and its last report looked fine! i guess times change and so do schools,
i guess different people expect different things from schools and this too is relative, i grew up in runcorn and went to the local comp so know what poor schooling really is! have taught in some nice schools too though.ive not heard anything bad about waiheke secondary school since being here, but like any parent would consider all my options at the time. thankfully both mine are still only young boys.

I would have thought you've probably got the correct impression about the school being good. After all, all my info was from people who had left, so its bound to be biased in that sense. And with Waiheke being quite a small place I think you would have heard if there were problems with the secondary school.

I think you're right about expectations as well. TGS is one of the best non-fee paying schools in Auckland, with some great facilities and a recent injection of cash, yet lots of people I know are still considering going private, despite the cost and the longer commute for their children.

Like you, mine are too young for me to have to worry yet. :D

Cheers

Tia

[Hannah-NL]

With 3 of our family needing to go to work, college (year 10) and one for AUT we'd have to pay 900 dollars a month for the ferry. With younger children it would have been much better yes. But maybe in a few years when the kids have found their own spot.. Waiheke looks like a very nice place to live.

[jpmort]

Hi,
I am writing because I know that you were looking to rent out your house in January. Well, I am in need of a house on Waiheke around the end of October 2008, and I wonder if your house has become available to rent again?

Many thanks,

John M

[thewoodies]

We may be interested? Need to speak to OH -
Have you any details of your house eg rooms, garden any pics?

Thanks can pm me