[denisesykes]

I have spent the last 7 months studying Christchurch , schools , suburbs, good areas, bad areas etc etc .My cousin in ChCh said that I could probably take her for a tour of the city as I have been very focused on these issues!
It is therefore typical that the first positive thing that has happened in the past 7 months is that a company in Auckland are interested in my hubbys experience and think that they may have a position he can fill!!!!
I am probably getting ahead of myself but am now in a major panic as I know nothing about Auckland whatsoever.
My cousins in Christchurch slag off North Island and Auckland in particular but I think that is just a North /South rivalry thing as I know alot of you on the forum are in Auckland and love it!
The company in question are on the East Tamaki Road so I wondered whether anyone could let me know what the area is like, whereabouts , relatively close at hand could we live, is it near the coast, are the schools good and is it very built up and urban as we are after a bit of peace and quiet and rural life although we do need plenty of facilites for the kids.
Thanks to anyone who can help.

[Paul and Linda]

Denise, as far as I could tell east tamaki is out of the main part of the city. There are some lovely places to live around there (east side of and slightly lower than (on the map) auckland city.

There are significant differences in the prices in property between CHCH and Auckland, so you'll need to be prepared for that....I know I wasn't and it has eventually put me off working in and around Auckland.

If you have a good chunk of money to put down on a house (more than £80K GBP) you should be alright though.

Living on this side of the city you may have the option of living a bit further out and finding somewhere more reasonably priced.

Best of luck with the job.

Paul

[Kim39]

Hi Denise,

Where to start. Good question. Ok my advice is don't look a gift horse in the mouth. Go for it, just get yourself in country to begin with and take it from there.

East Tamaki. Sorry can't help you with that, but according to the book Where to live in Auckland, it is saying it has a high population of Asians as it is in the Otara district. You could always commute from the outlying districts such as Howick, Botany Downs, Pakaranga to name but a few, as well as Manukau/Clover Park and Manuwera. All these being close by.

Has hubby got sorted with a HGV job? as i remember you PM'ing me with certain questions a while ago.

Invest in the book, as it will help you decide on where you want to drop yourselves for either a short or long period of time.

Hope this helps

Kim

[kiwidebs]

The best people I can think of on this forum for this would be Ali and Linda Jax and Jubjub and Foolsgold as they're out East/South Auckland and could fill you in a bit. Try PM'ing them. The book 'Where to live in Auckland' as mentioned by Paul is a great start if things are looking like heading in that direction.

Debs

[shagen]

Hi Denise,

If you want an unbiased opinion on Auckland, ask someone living in Auckland.

We are living in Wellington and Wellington is the best! I have been to Auckland a few times for work and don't like it for all sorts of reasons. Likewise, you ask someone living in Christchurch and you will get a similar response.

[ukiwibird]

Denise, good to hear that you've finally got some positive news concerning your move. We love Auckland and that is where we are heading :clap Don't forget that Christchurch is accessible by plane from Auckland so seeing your rellies wouldn't be a problem. How is the house selling/renting going?? Regards Trudy

[foolsgold99]

East Tamaki is quite an industrial area, with some retail developments (supermarkets, DIY warehouses etc). I drove through it yesterday and there seems to be some new hose building going on. Seemed mostly to be townhouses and apartments. Reminded me of the kind of developments you see next to golf courses in spain (I do hope this makes sense)

There are lots of good "established" suburbs within a 10 - 15 commute to work though, Howick, Pakuranga, Botany, Danemora are all close. Bucklands Beach, Farm Cove etc are a little bit further (and a bit more expensive)

[denisesykes]

Thanks everyone, excellent info as always.Just got to wait for that job offer now!