[Duncan74]

So when we had the recce we looked most places, apart from Auckland as clearly that didn't fit in with the chilled out rural life we wanted. However, and it's only early days yet, but the two companies I've spoken to have been very very keen to have me in Auckland rather than ChCh. So as someone that wants to have some peace and quiet, doesn't do restraunts, bars, theatre, but does do long cycle rides and long jogs through the countryside, is there any chance I could stick Auckland as a means to an end? Would almost certainly need them to get me out there for a second recce over xmas before I put pen to paper, but is it even worth the trip? At the moment I live a 40 minute cycle or rush hour drive into manchester where I work, but a 2 minute walk onto the open access peak district hills.

[JandM]

Yes, you could certainly get what you want in Auckland. I suggest you go to this link http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl then call up 'Auckland NZ'. Then zoom out till you can see Torbay in the north and Manukau City in the south - this is all Auckland. Then make sure you're looking at the aerial photos. Notice the green and blue? Apart from in the very tight downtown district, this beautiful green and blue are everywhere, in gardens and parks and areas of native bush. The place is built on mountain-tops, and yet minutes from the sea. It's different from anywhere else. You'll gather that what I'm saying is there is peace and nature and a lot of space even WITHIN the city boundaries. Zoom in on different areas. Have a good look at Waitakere, for a start, on the western side (right out to the sea). It's almost all protected native bush, with miles of walks and cycle trails through it. Use Google StreetView to stand on a road or two, and have a look around.

[YouMeAndThree]

Yes, you could certainly get what you want in Auckland. I suggest you go to this link http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl then call up 'Auckland NZ'. Then zoom out till you can see Torbay in the north and Manukau City in the south - this is all Auckland. Then make sure you're looking at the aerial photos. Notice the green and blue? Apart from in the very tight downtown district, this beautiful green and blue are everywhere, in gardens and parks and areas of native bush. The place is built on mountain-tops, and yet minutes from the sea. It's different from anywhere else. You'll gather that what I'm saying is there is peace and nature and a lot of space even WITHIN the city boundaries. Zoom in on different areas. Have a good look at Waitakere, for a start, on the western side (right out to the sea). It's almost all protected native bush, with miles of walks and cycle trails through it. Use Google StreetView to stand on a road or two, and have a look around.

Great post JandM. (sorry can't rep you as I need to spread it around)

Me and OH were adamant that we were not moving to Auckland as it had been described as being like London. I'm not a city girl. However, that's where the job offer came up and tbh I'm very surprised. Auckland is huge and not all city............and it did come joint 4th best city to live in the world :D

[hosebergine]

If you are happy to continue having a 40 minute commute you will find a place to live in Auckland that gives you very easy access to hills/bush/countryside. Titirangi in the West is superb and as JandM said, Torbay would be good in the North. The thing about Auckland is it is there is just so much water. Yes you're in a big city but you have a feeling of space that is very unlike Manchester.

We visited Auckland and Wellington on our recce last year. I was genuinely surprised about how much we loved Auckland. Having been before I thought we'd head for Welly. We arrived 2 weeks ago in Auckland for good this time and seeing the water everyday is fantastic. I went for a quick run early on Sunday morning - we're in CBD at the moment whilst we house hunt - and I must have seen about a dozen cyclists and there were many more as we headed out to Titirangi. If you love hills you'll be fine! But I can't tell you that you'll love it, there are opportunities to achieve what you want out here but whether it will really suit you only you can tell. So if you get the chance, hop on a plane :)

[ck38]

I would seriously consider looking at beachlands, Maraetai or Whitford.
These suburbs are in East Auckland, and are areas I had not considered when moving to Auckland. They are rural, with about a 40 min commute to CBD by car. However from Beachlands Pine harbour, you can get a ferry to the CBD which takes 30 mins. It runs regularly throughout the working week. It is a great service, not too expensive either.

The cycling is great around here, as well as great horse riding in the area. We have moved to Maraetai, the beaches are fantastic and I love the slow, friendly pace of life!

[925dancer]

I live two minutes from Cornwall park, was up One Tree Hill taking piccies, as you can see, not completely urban sprawl.

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1526.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1527.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1530.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1537.jpg

[925dancer]

Some more............

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1532.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1538.jpg

http://i268.photobucket.com/albums/jj35/925dancer/DSCF1539.jpg

[92Immigrant]

I live two minutes from Cornwall park, was up One Tree Hill taking piccies, as you can see, not completely urban sprawl.

Stop, stop. You'll get the rest of the country jealous :cool:

Dave.

[Duncan74]

Cheers. Pictures look great, but can be a bit misleading. I'm not criticising, jsut trying to understand. Both London and Manchester have simmilar views from Richmond Park and Heton Park resepctively, but they are pockets of 'Park'. How viable is public transport in NZ as I'd prefer not to rely on the car everyday, is it reliable, or if you're on a PT route does that mean you're restricted to more urban areas. Do you get commuter rail services to rural areas?

[chocolate cake]

Walking areas nearest to Auckland would be the Waitakere's to the West and Hunua to the South East. Both are remote but there's no such thing as open access besides the marked paths. The Waitakere's particularly are impressive, but opportunities for mtn biking pretty much none existant - Hunua has a stack load of no biking signs on wide forest roads.

Road riding opportunities are fine, but not because there are less roads there's more variety in the Peak District. But the Peak District doesn't have the sea and same opportunities for sailing and sea kayaking.

The traffic in Auckland is horrendous and a 40 min commute in normal working hours from to the CBD wouldn't take you into the countryside. Whitford/Clevedon/Maraetai out east are away from the sprawl but a 40 min commute on the road would be more than a tad optimistic. Public Transport isn't good, and train particularly limited.

[Duncan74]

Cheers cake, that was pretty much what I thought. Great thing where I am now is it's 40 mins by pedal cycle now, 20mins off peak or 1 hour peak in the car. Would love to be about 40 mins pedal cycle away from the office as that's the perfect distance for weekday training from the commute.

[JandM]

Have you Googled off-road cycling for the Auckland area, if that's your particular 'thing'? You might find mention of some member of the cycling community you could contact direct.

[Duncan74]

Do road and a bit of MTB, but it's really road riding currently for training for my triathlons. But it's more a general 'life balance' thing. To be able to just get out and relax without the need to drive somewhere.

[JandM]

This may help, then. http://www.waitakere.govt.nz/abtcit/cp/walkandcycle.asp

[dusk]

people keep saying public transport is terrible, but that's not really true - it's fantastic on some routes - there are express bus services into the CBD from a variety of places - ferry services and some train services (with limited coverage but it IS there)

I certainly would not consider commuting into the CBD every day by car from where i live but have no issues getting to work in a clean, regular and timely manner, so don't write the whole system off because it doesn't work so well in the area you know

[JandM]

Link for Auckland public transport. http://www.aucklandnz.com/index.php/listing_A/?L1=65&L2=95

[akp713b]

If you're looking to cycle to the CBD anything on the North Shore is likely out as there are no bike lanes or pedestrian access to the Harbour Bridge. You would need to bike to Birkenhead or Devonport and then take the ferry. Also you have to keep in mind how incredibly hilly parts of Auckland are.

The train service is not good at all, and again, there is no train service at all to North Shore at all. So Torbay would likely be out for you. Traffic tends to be worse going to South and East Auckland as well, but there is of course the ferry to East Auckland mentioned earlier.

I've lived in two real major cities, Boston (metro area pop:5 mill.) and Washington DC (6 mill.) and while both did have park areas and reserves, neither came close to Auckland. The fact that even in inner suburban North Shore there are horse farms and cows grazing right beside schools and industrial parks shows that the whole urban/rural divide is more blurred here.

Aucklanders don't feel like city people either, they have a much more relaxed atitude that I usually associated with rural living back in the US. There are parks all over and areas of dense native bush that always seem to be threatening to devour the neat homes on their edges. Titirangi would be a good area to look at, as well as Greenhithe.

If you really want truly rural living a short commute from the CBD though, Waiheke Island would be the best choice. The whole island really has one supermarket and it honestly feels like you've driven three hours from Auckland. But it is only a 30 minute ferry ride from the CBD. There is a car ferry that takes you to East Auckland as well, but for the most part you'd need to rely on bike or foot if going downtown.

[andrewandjane]

would have to second that last post, I live on waiheke, 35 mins by boat and youre a world away from Auckland city. can take a bike on the ferry too if you wanted, most places where people live are about a 10 min cycle ride from the ferry, theres a local cycle group and a few off road tracks through the parks etc.

has a it more than one supermarket *(but shhh! dont tell everyone as theyll all want to come!)

[Duncan74]

Thanks guys, still thinking about how to move forward with this, but the input is appreciated.

[Kerry and David]

I never fancied Auckland either for all of the reasons you have mentioned but we ended up here:)

We live on the Coast. It takes us 25 minutes in to the City of peak, peak is more if you travel by car but lots of people get in to the City by Bus and/or avoid peak travel times. David was working right down in South Auckland and he did the journey in 45 minutes that was getting accross the bridge and through the outskirts of the city. He would leave earlier at the beginning and end of the day. I believe that a number of employer are open to this idea. I certainly wouldn't rule out the North side of the city.

We love where we are - great beach at Orewa and smaller bays at Stanmore/Red Beach. I have friends who do Triathalons, who are both in a club which meets each week for practices. Both have taken part in some big events this year.

At weekends we travel to different National parks, where you do feel like you are in the middle of no-where. Most have some great walking tracks. On Sunday we went to Shakespeare Park to see the Waterfall. The tracks were good, even for winter time.

We fall under the 'Rodney' district which makes housing cheaper then the 'North Shore' IMHO.

This link may be worth a look

http://www.arc.govt.nz

http://www.orewabeach.co.nz

Cheers

Kerry

[hosebergine]

don't forget that the express buses in dedicated lanes from North Shore into CBD are terrific. Really worth investigating.

[norma]

I've lived in Auckland for three years now and, despite its obvious natural attractions, I find it very claustrophobic. We lived in the Peak District prior to our move where we could go walking from the front door. Plodding the streets and parks of suburbia doesn't do it for me and the only decent walks are in the regional parks at least an hour's drive away. NZ doesn't have the networks of public footpaths the UK has, so apart from the regional parks, the countryside is pretty inaccessible.

[Familyofmonkeys]

don't forget that the express buses in dedicated lanes from North Shore into CBD are terrific. Really worth investigating.

Agree....the buses are very good and run from very early in morning to the early hours. There is a bus something like every 4 minutes during peak hours. This has meant we've not needed to buy a second car for the almost 2.5 years we've been here. It takes OH about 20 minutes from the Albany Park & Ride into CBD in rush hour for work and we were surprised how cheap a monthly bus pass is too.

And Auckland traffic isn't always a nightmare. Last time we drove into CBD from Albany it took us 7 minutes from our house to a carpark near Queen St, so you don't have to get stuck in heavy traffic everytime you want to go somewhere at the weekend or middle of the day.


As far as cities go, Auckland is nothing like any UK city I know of with beautiful beach suburbs galore. We have about 4 or 5 beaches within 10 minutes drive of us, and we can access a reasonable number of regional parks in under half an hour for walking etc. That said, Auckland is still a city with prices to match, which is why we're not staying here long term, but we've still enjoyed our time here.

[chocolate cake]

I've lived in Auckland for three years now and, despite its obvious natural attractions, I find it very claustrophobic. We lived in the Peak District prior to our move where we could go walking from the front door. Plodding the streets and parks of suburbia doesn't do it for me and the only decent walks are in the regional parks at least an hour's drive away. NZ doesn't have the networks of public footpaths the UK has, so apart from the regional parks, the countryside is pretty inaccessible.

Agree with fully with those sentiments. I lived on the fringes of the Peak District and had little difficulty finding excellent bridleways for mtn biking virtually from the front door and so many other opportunities close by too. Here as you say access is generally very poor and almost none existant outside regional parks.

[Duncan74]

Cake / Norma, I think that's what my main worries were. I suppose for a while then we'd be getting settled, and would be doing a bit of travelling on weekends anyway. But medium and long term then that's what would do me.

Still sticking to plan A of looking for the ChCh job, but must admit that the OH is considering a temporary base in Auckland.

[norma]

If you do end up in Auckland for a while you could consider the west coast area, such as Muriwai. It is commutable to central Auckland and it would put you within striking distance of Woodhill mountain bike park. See http://www.bikeparks.co.nz/home.html.

[straff]

I think that certain areas of auckland have sucky public transport, personally I would suggest the north shore, we never considered it till we were here but it is fantastic, not for country but we have lake pupuke 5 minutes walk, the beach 5 minutes walk and the CBD is 15 minutes by bus. If you are on the north shore, the council have definitely spent a bit of money in their transport links. (have a look at maxx.co.nz for transport times) Out up the shore is loads of country, the express bus goes as far as albanyish so anywhere up there is fine. BTW the express bus doesn't go on the motorway, they actually built a specific busway so the buses have it to themselves so no traffic jams!! Everybody moaned about auckland before we came here, but it really is fantastic, 40 mins outside auckland by bus then car and you really will be in the wilderness, even as close as orawei or puhoi!

[Familyofmonkeys]

Still sticking to plan A of looking for the ChCh job, but must admit that the OH is considering a temporary base in Auckland.

That is what we did, as we always intended to move to Canterbury but at the moment the work is up here. We've been in Auckland for nearly 2.5 years and are finally moving to S Island later this year.

[Stephen Jones]

Yes, you could certainly get what you want in Auckland. I suggest you go to this link http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl then call up 'Auckland NZ'. Then zoom out till you can see Torbay in the north and Manukau City in the south - this is all Auckland. Then make sure you're looking at the aerial photos. Notice the green and blue? Apart from in the very tight downtown district, this beautiful green and blue are everywhere, in gardens and parks and areas of native bush. The place is built on mountain-tops, and yet minutes from the sea. It's different from anywhere else. You'll gather that what I'm saying is there is peace and nature and a lot of space even WITHIN the city boundaries. Zoom in on different areas. Have a good look at Waitakere, for a start, on the western side (right out to the sea). It's almost all protected native bush, with miles of walks and cycle trails through it. Use Google StreetView to stand on a road or two, and have a look around.


This is an excellent idea!
Thanks

Steve

[JandM]

I'm glad it's helped. :)

[TheBigSaxon]

I think that certain areas of auckland have sucky public transport, personally I would suggest the north shore, we never considered it till we were here but it is fantastic, not for country but we have lake pupuke 5 minutes walk, the beach 5 minutes walk and the CBD is 15 minutes by bus. If you are on the north shore, the council have definitely spent a bit of money in their transport links. (have a look at maxx.co.nz for transport times) Out up the shore is loads of country, the express bus goes as far as albanyish so anywhere up there is fine. BTW the express bus doesn't go on the motorway, they actually built a specific busway so the buses have it to themselves so no traffic jams!! Everybody moaned about auckland before we came here, but it really is fantastic, 40 mins outside auckland by bus then car and you really will be in the wilderness, even as close as orawei or puhoi!



I couldn't agree more. We thought we wouldn't like Auckland either it ended up being our fave city.

[JandM]

You might guess, I love it, too!

[Duncan74]

The lack of bridleways for walking and running slightly concerns me, but being absolutely honest, I don't make the most of the ones I have here in the Peaks now. Having talked to a few more of my Kiwi contacts (they really do get everywhere!) then I don't think it would be too much of a change from Manchester. But then in itself, that is a worry as what's the point of moving so far to just have the same... But I think this is all down to context, and that overall life isn't going to be the same as Manchester. For now then I'm jusst pressing on with the PR and sticking my head in the sand about location, that can wait until November!

[JandM]

I don't think it would be too much of a change from Manchester.Like I said above, Auckland is not like anywhere else. Before I ever went there, my son had tried to tell me, but even he (and we're much on the same wavelength) hadn't managed to get across just how things are. Trust me, you would not confuse it with Manchester. :D

[Ally Bally Bee]

If you moved to Auckland you'd have heaps of tris to choose from ;-) AND you and Jane can come and visit me too (but only when it coincides with a race as we'd be far too busy training otherwise!).
One thing that does put Chch above Auckland though is the (IM Talk famous) Canterbury Tri Club, though Auckland has a big tri community (Panasonic tri series for one and lots of stroke and stride races in the summer).
Hope your move is coming along well.

[Duncan74]

Cheers ABB, I must admit it was a point I had already considered - the visit, not that training stuff ;) Hope the new house is working out OK.

[Ally Bally Bee]

All is well, Casey is enjoying his job (but more so that we live so close to the redwoods we can hear the morepork at night).
Hoping my work will lead to a permanent position (fixed term maternity leave contract at present).
Just written a transport story funnily enough, interviewed another expat.