[MandC]

Hi, I've been looking online at areas to live and the Bucklands Beach/Howick penninsula has really grabbed me - but I've never been there. I'll be working in Tamaki near the Auckland Uni campus and want to live somewhere that has a 'community' feel and a good school. Can anyone tell me any specifics about the primary schools there? Both my children really enjoy sports but the facilities at their primary school here aren't great. My 10 year old daughter is really into art and gets special classes in art, and also plays clarinet and guitar and gets lessons at school. Do the schools provide music lessons? My 7 year old son is really into his football and goes to football club on a Sat morning (at 9.30 :( ) Do they play football at school and have football clubs? Both my husband and I will be working and the kids will need to go to after school club - does anyone know what they are like and whether all the schools have them? Sorry, loads of questions... but given that we'll have no family or friends to help us with school drop offs and pick ups the school facilities become even more important - we do lots of swaps with friends here picking up and dropping off - and have a great baby sitting circle too, so we're keen to get it right! :)

[nickiware]

Don't know the area I'm afraid, I used to have a friend living in Howick all I remember was that the school uniform was very expensive!

[YouMeAndThree]

We are in HMB. We have 2 DD's at school, yr 1 and 2. I think pretty much all the schools are in the decile 10 or 9 range round the areas you have mentioned. As for children's clubs and activities - there is a much or as little as any child could want to do. My girls don't belong to anything yet, but DD1 has a friend who is out to something after school all but one afternoon. There is also an after school club, great for working parents. We also use the walking school bus (groups of children walking along designated routes with parent helpers in case you've not heard of it before).

We have a bmx track nearby, free public swimming baths, cinema, small shopping complex, sports grounds, ballet and dance schools, marina, play parks and many lovely beaches in the area.

Several past and present ENZ members in the area too :nice1

[dharder]

I'll be working in Tamaki near the Auckland Uni campus and want to live somewhere that has a 'community' feel and a good school.

Is that the same as the Auckland Uni Tamaki Campus in Glen Innes? Or is this a place actually in Tamaki?

If this is the Tamaki Campus, I would probably look towards Glendowie/St Johns, as it is much closer to it and you wouldn't have to deal with traffic as much (if at all).

Daniela

[gil]

Have you done a forum search for this? There are some great threads on locations in Auckland that give much info. I live in Bucklands Beach and will happily answer any PMs - am not around so much these days and rarely pop into the fourm any longer.
The drive from BB to Tamaki campus is fine. I have a client based there and it's one of the easiest trips I can make!
Gil

[Bergita]

I live in Sunnyhills / Farm Cove area which is near where you're looking at. I love the area, and love my dd's primary school too. The principal is very much into music and has just had a music hall built. The older children do a lot of sport, and there are sport programs that come to the school that you can enrol your children in. Feel free to PM me if you have any specific questions.