[Tate6]

Hubby may have an offer for a job in Tauranga. We had not even looked at the North Island except Auckland. Anyone in th Tauranga area?

Any and all info and pix would be greatly appreciated. We have 4 kids-ages 14, 12, 4, and 2. So school info is needed also. Or if you know of good websites. I checked out a few, but was not that impressed with the lack of info.

Thanks!!
Kids want to know how the beaches are and the weather.

Terry

[Timbo]

This is a start. It has live web-cam link overlooking the main beach etc. as well as shopping info etc. etc etc.

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

[Timbo]

You could check some of these out too if you like;

Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2005 4:29 am Post subject: Useful links

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www.tauranga.co.nz
www.tauranga.govt.nz
www.tauranga.org.nz
www.gotauranga.co.nz
www.tauranga.citynews.co.nz
www.tbc.school.nz/
www.otumoetaicollege.co.nz
www.tgc.school.nz
www.taurangafestival.co

[Diny]

Terry

You could maybe get in touch with Jo B too. She's heading that way and is quite an authority on the location. She has family here too may be able to find out specific things for you.

We're heading to the Coromandel so we won't be a million miles away from you. It's a lovely part of the country with some cracking beaches. A couple of years ago we arrived in Tauranga late one night looking for a camp site (which we eventually found). The next morning we tried to leave and we couldn't find our way out of the town. Every turn brought us back to where we started ....... from that day on it's been known to us as The Black Hole !!!!!! It's a nice place though - I'm sure you'll like it.

Diny

[NW2NZ]

We're heading there and enjoyed a visit last year. The beaches are fantastic and uncrowded, although they won't be if I keep singing its praises! :roll: I believe it now has City status as the population is around 100,000 and growing. Has industry, leisure, immaculately clean town centre, and seems a great place to grow up. I wish we'd gone 20 years ago!

[Radders]

Hi,
We are in Mount Maunganui. We've been here for all of 3 weeks but if you have anything specific you want to know just pm me, and I'll try to find out. Having fantastic time so far, but then the weather's great, and have spent most of my time Surfing!

[jo b]

Terry,

Lucky you. Tauranga is the fastest growing town in NZ. It has a pop off approxiamtely 100k.

it is where lots of Kiwi's go to holiday as there as it is one of the driest areas in NZ.


Bethlehem is a nice area, Pyes Pa is growing rapidly. It is a little lore expensive on the mount as it is nearer to the beach.
Papamoa is V popular too.

try these links too.


http://www.taurangarealestateguide.co.nz/
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/graphical_search.php?gs_region=Tauranga_District

Tauranga is one of the areas Kiwi's most want to live (according to surveys :? )

Overall it is beautiful :nice1

Jo

[Timbo]

This is a nice little spot just up the road from Tga.

http://www.katikati.org.nz/

[ruthyroo]

Tauranga is just up the road from us - Rotorua looks enviously on all the growth that is happening up there as we wallow along! Coastal property has really gone mental in NZ over the last few years and Tauranga is booming - so plenty of diversions to spend your money if you like eating / drinking out etc. Also has one of the only big covered malls outside the biggest cities. Loads of housing development in recent years - though to my eyes they rather closely resemble a lot of the Barrat / Wimpy style developments of the UK - sections are pretty small and full of house. Town centre is clean and well stocked. Nice central location in NZ and gets good summers.

[richsadams]

Hi Tate6 and All :cool

We've been living in Tauranga for about seven months now and really enjoy it. Having lived in San Diego it reminds me a lot of that area, only without the high prices and the crowds. Mount Maunganui reminds me of La Jolla...but still not as pricey or she-she.

Property prices are higher than most places, but they continue to appreciate while most areas of NZ are now flat so it's still a good investment. It's easy to get most anywhere, locally and around the country, has a nice airport and the weather is wonderful.

As Ruthy points out, there are plenty of things to do, nightlife, etc. and the people are very nice to boot.

Traffic is a bit of an issue during rush hour (seems like they are working on every road at the same time! :uhoh ) but rush hour is just that, about an hour and then things settle down.

Schools are reported to be very good here, the air is clean and crime is low. It used to be known as "seizure world" for all of the retirees, but that is rapidly changing as the population continues to grow.

You can live in Tauranga proper or there are a lot of small communities both north and south.

We haven't visited every town but checked out a number of places on the North Island and decided to settle here. We can recommend it! :nice1

[Tate6]

Wow!! Thanks for all of the info!!
Timbo--
I especially like the link to Katikati! That is an awesome looking town!

I appreciate the fact that Tauranga is a fast growing city and that would be a good thing for hubby if he gets the job there. However, we would prefer a smaller town with character and close enough to enjoy the city when the urge hits.
So any other great areas within commuting distance from Tauranga??

Love to hear about them and appreciate any photos of Tauranga.

richadams--
Thanks for the info from someone who is living there and comparing it to somewhere in the US!!
Glad you are happy!
Beaches look great!! I have been checking the beachcam at Mount Maunganui today!! Sure wish I was there!! :cool

[richsadams]

Hi Tate6 :cool

We're here to serve!

Regarding Katikati...it’s a very nice little community (in fact we were just there today!) but if your hubby is going to actually work in Tauranga, it wouldn't be practical for him to make that drive every day...depending on the time of day, it can take from about 45 minutes to an hour - or longer if his job is in the southern-most part of town.

Te Puna to the north is nice and much closer...Te Puke is to the south and also about the same distance...both nice places, but it all depends on where his work will be as it's mostly two-lane roads in and out of Tauranga.

P.M. me if you have any specific questions! :yes

[Timbo]

If you ( or hubby) dont mind the drive into Tga, then another spot up the road even further is Waihi. This is the town where Billy C visited the gold mine in the recent series.
It is quite small with a population to match. Property is MUCH cheaper than Tga etc.

http://www.waihi.org.nz/pages/home.htm

[richsadams]

Hi All :cool

Waihi is also a nice little town, worth a look, but not within commuting distance of Tauranga unless you are in love with your dashboard. :no A drive from the CBD (Central Business District) to Waihi takes well over an hour one way...longer should you have the luck of being caught behind a logging truck or some nature of farm implement! :eek

Also keep in mind that the commute to Tauranga from either the north or south will be made even longer for the next few years as road construction is constant...30kph zones are very common now and by all accounts will be into the foreseeable future. :? The closer you can be to town the better if you have to drive in daily. If not...you have a lot of choices in many directions...as Timbo points out, for more affordable and quite beautiful property.

[Timbo]

Rich. An hour commute each way would be like heaven to a lot of Brits, especially those that use the lovely M25. :yes

[Mike & Nicola]

Timbo, especially with the difference of scenery too! :P

[Timbo]

Mike & Nicola, I would have to agree with you there. Although, I found the scenery somewhat distracting when there on holiday. Guess you get used to it if not blase.
I do admit that I am quite lucky in only having to travel very locally for my work. Had a shock to the system recently though. I had get to a contract in Sth. London for a six week stint. One hour to travel 12 miles. :wah And that was NOT during the typical rush hour.

[richsadams]

Hi Timbo and All :cool

Agreed, an hour commute wouldn't be too terrible if that were always the case...I've had worse myself. :no The great thing is you never have to deal with that here. Affordable housing can be found much closer in to almost anywhere...certainly less than 60K from your office! :eek Once you factor in the cost of fuel and maintenance (local roads are not kind to cars here compared to a freeway commute) the slightly higher priced housing closer to town becomes very reasonable.

We've driven all the "M's" around London (also used to drive all of the freeways in Los Angeles which are even worse)...the difference is that there are three or four lanes each way. Here almost everything is one lane each way (with the very occasional passing lane)...all it takes is one vehicle or God forbid an accident and the world stops cold. Unfortunately that happens fairly often. :? So an hour can turn into two in a heartbeat.

So luckily you really don't have to make that kind of sacrifice here...what a country!

Oh, and after almost a year, the scenery can still be breathtaking. :nice1

[Timbo]

Thanks Rich. There really is NO substitute for on the ground type info. :nice1

[Annierobrigado]

Terry,

Lucky you. Tauranga is the fastest growing town in NZ. It has a pop off approxiamtely 100k.

it is where lots of Kiwi's go to holiday as there as it is one of the driest areas in NZ.


Bethlehem is a nice area, Pyes Pa is growing rapidly. It is a little lore expensive on the mount as it is nearer to the beach.
Papamoa is V popular too.

try these links too.


http://www.taurangarealestateguide.co.nz/
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/graphical_search.php?gs_region=Tauranga_District

Tauranga is one of the areas Kiwi's most want to live (according to surveys :? )

Overall it is beautiful :nice1

Jo

jo b,

thanks for sharing the links, it gives me an idea how other areas in nz look like. and the rentals look good too, so maybe if we move there, we won't get lost.

annie