[UktoKiwi]

Be really nice to get some sensible advice and input from some people in NZ.

We have recently been granted PR status and expect to move to NZ about Easter time 2006.

We are a family of Dad, Mum, 3yr old and new born.

Work wise we are able to live anywhere.
BUT WE WILL EXPECT TO BE IN THE AUCKLAND AREA FOR SURE due to not being able to have too much culture shock moving from a large city as well as numerous other reasons such as travelling from NZ, people visiting, the reasonable climate etc..

SO WHERE IN AUCKLAND AREA?

We are fortunate enough to be able to afford a high value house if required.
We might consider renting a place for some time and getting a new house built if we cannot find the right house.

WE DO NOT WANT:-
To be too close to the Sea (although close to river or canals/estuary for canoeing etc could be great)
To be too remote as the wife is used to people and neighbours to some degree.

WHAT WOULD BE NICE ALTHOUGH WE REALISE THAT WE CANNOT HAVE EVERYTHING:-
To have a house which could be a family house for the rest of our lives.
In a good zone area for schools (schools good for sports would be nice)
For much of the plot to be reasonably level enabling good use of gardens for sports etc..
If within walking distance of good food supplies, food markets or good supermarket great (we are not lovers of cars and prefer not to use one too often, and we do love to be able to shop almost every day if we can for fresh provisions)
Close to large Mall would also be convenient.
Nice to have a view with mountains or hills if possible (seeing the sea is ok also)
Could be nice to be part of a semi private estate or estate which had some recreational facilities such as sports/gym/health club/golf etc.. Any special developments like this in NZ or Auckland area?
Place which is low on crime and good on security.
Close to places good for walking and cycling (nice if pavements to leave property so not having to walk on roadway etc.)
Little pollution (dirt and noise)
We would want at least 4 bedrooms, good size room for office and would be great to have separate or annexe accommodation for visitors)

Hope what I wrote not too long.
Thanks for reading

[Smiler]

Hi UK


Have you seen Ivy's thread on Wattle Cove, it's here, www.emigratenz.org/forum/showthread.php?t=3456

Ivy is an absolute mine of info and the pics are fab. May give you some idea of what you get for your pennies.

Good luck.

Deborah

[gil]

Hi UKtoKiwi,
We're not in NZ yet, but seem to have similar criteria for living. Done lots of web research and thought the following links may be of help:

Schools:
http://www.cocklebay.school.nz/ , http://www.howickcollege.school.nz/ (high school, but fed by Cockle Bay Primary), http://www.bbps.school.nz/ (Bucklands Beach Primary) http://www.macleans.school.nz/ (fed by Bucklands Beach). All these schools are extremely helpful if you contact them. On Cockle Bay Primary's website, if you go to FAQs, select "is your school zoned" and you'll get a multimap type thing of the streets atht you need to live in to attend the school.
These schools are in the Howick area, see this link for more info http://www.howickvillage.co.nz/index.html
For casting the net wider, http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/index.php is THE place to look. Other people have posted about this site, including (I think) Carol, who teaches in NZ.
Property:
As Smiler mentioned, Singel's posts on Wattle Cove are brilliant. It is in a different part of Auckland, so the above schools wouldn't apply.
Hope that is of use,
Let us know what your research uncovers,
Gil

[jubjub]

I would say east is probably your best bet for quality schools, but to get a house in a good school zone, you do have to pay, MacLeans and Howick seem to have the best school reputation in this area.

The area itself is nice, green, but a little hilly, so not sure you would find your flat section, although you may get flattish! And the shops within walking distance would mostly be a "dairy" the local version of our corner shop, and probably a bakery and a takeaway of some sort. Most supermarkets seem to be a bit away from the houses, which is good for avoiding traffic in residential areas, but not so good if you want to walk to them. A couple of houses I found on a quick search of the Barfoot & Thompson Website that are in a good school catchment area

http://www.barfoot.co.nz/scripts/db.dll?sid=300.2&ref=319873

http://www.barfoot.co.nz/scripts/db.dll?sid=300.2&ref=316729

Of course if you are feeling real rich, you could go for the Auckland Grammar catchment area, that is THE top school, http://www.ags.school.nz/ have no idea what the area is like, but I bet its posh!

[Singel]

Hello UKtoKiwi

If you want to send your children to the gifted-children school, this is the place to live : www.rwmanurewa.co.nz/show?rd=1&ref=MAN11278
Information about gifted children in NZ : www.giftedchildren.org.nz

The houses in The Gardens are 0-3 years old and situated next to the Regional Botanic Gardens (http://tinyurl.com/323p52) :


The gifted-children school is new, started this year : http://www.alfristoncollege.school.nz/main.cfm?id=61
http://www.tki.org.nz/e/schools/display_school_info.php?school_id=6929
:cheers

[gil]

I just checked out Auckland Grammar and found that it's boys only. Shame, as we have 3 girls and 1 boy!
Still, it looks great, thanks for the link,
Gil

[kiwidebs]

Gil - check out Epsom Girls Grammer and Auckland Girls Grammer - EGGS is a fantastic school and I think their catchment area is similar to Auckland Boys. People pay a huge premium to live in this area though. If you can afford it (to live in zone - the schools are state schools) then I'd go for it!

Debs

[gil]

Thanks Debs, EGGS looks really good, so I've starting browsing properties aound there. For whatever reason, I am very drawn to the Howick region, but till we get there, we can't tell.
Thanks for the advice,
Gil

[kiwidebs]

Funnily enough Gil, we've started looking fairly seriously at Howick and Bucklands Beach. There are three decile 10 high schools in the area - Howick College, Pakuranga College and (best of them all) Macleans College. There also seems to be lots of good shopping, cafes, beaches, close to the city but not right in there. It ticks alot of boxes for us.

Debs

[jubjub]

We live just down the road from Howick, its a pretty place, has its own high street with boutique kind of shops, cafes & restaurants (tried a couple and they were good). also close access to beaches, some streets have fab views over the bay. there is also historic village of Howick nearby along with an excellent sports centre/swimming pool (free swimming) and lots of different sports clubs/activities around.

As we dont need schools for around the next 3-4 years we did not move over that side of the road as it was a bit too pricey for us, but our two local first schools have a reasonable decile anyway.

You are also not far from Botany town centre which has just about everything else that you could need.

[Singel]

Another popular place worth considering is North Shore City with several good schools. It is pretty hilly there. Expensive suburbs such as Takapuna are easy access to the beach; and Birkenhead or Devonport or Stanley Bay have breathtaking views to the Sky Tower and Harbour Bridge.

Here is the website with information about houses and schools in North Shore City : http://www.enterprisens.org.nz/live/index.html

:cheers

[UktoKiwi]

Thanks very much for the replies so far.
Wattle Cove seems interesting.
I came across a property at Gulf Harbour Hibiscus coast- The property not what we are looking for as on a postage stamp but the location looks interesting- nice photos of area:- says close to Primary School, Country Club, Wentworth College
Anyone know anything about this area?

[Singel]

Hello UKtoKiwi

We went through these seaside towns on our way to a friend's house in Warkworth a couple of weeks ago, and we find these places look great.

Here are some information about Hibiscus Coast (part of Rodney District).

Location
To the north of Auckland, the Hibiscus Coast embraces the beaches of the Whangaparaoa Peninsula, the township of Orewa, the thermal area of Waiwera, the riverside community of Stillwater and the industrial settlement of Silverdale, backed by the farmlands of Wainui.

The Hibiscus Coast is just 35kms to the north of downtown Auckland via a modern motorway and has become popular with overseas travellers, New Zealand visitors, Aucklanders and locals enjoying their own surroundings. It has a population at present of little more than 28,000, supporting seven primary schools, an intermediate school and two secondary schools.

Shopping centres may be found at Gulf Harbour, Manly Village, Pacific Plaza on Whangaparaoa Peninsula, Orewa Beach and Silverdale. The area has developed rapidly over the past few years and now caters for a diverse range of interests.

Sidewalk cafes, restaurants and entertainment facilities surround the area, and of course the numerous beaches of the area all offer endless alternatives for recreational activities summer and winter.

Eight different boats ramps allow the launching of leisure craft no matter what the conditions - although we can say that we are fortunate to have an excess of beautiful weather. The Hibiscus Coast Peninsula is known to be a number of degrees warmer than the city because we have a narrow land mass surrounded by plenty of water.

Wentworth College is a private school : http://www.wentworthcollege.school.nz/index.html

Facilities
Whangaparaoa Narrow Gauge Railway
(09) 424 5018
Berkley Cinemas Whangaparaoa
(09) 428 0700
Windows Restaurant
(09) 424 8288
Whangaparaoa Steam Railway (restaurant)
(09) 424 5018
Orange Tree Café and Bar
(09) 428 0289

Community
Whangaparaoa Library
(09) 424 8205
Whangaparaoa Medical Centre
(09) 424 8618
Whangaparaoa Dental Centre
(09) 424 5294
Coast Care Medical Centre
(09) 427 9130
Rodney District Council
(09) 426 5169
Barnardos New Zealand
(09) 426 8040 or (09) 426 2990
Hibiscus Coast Leisure Centre
(09) 424 1914
Hibiscus Coast Community House
(09) 426 3596

Sport
There are many sporting facilities and clubs in the area:
Coast Dive Centre
(09) 424 8513
Pacific Plaza Tenpin
(09) 428 2469
Boats 2 Go
(09) 424 7014
Hibiscus Coast Association Football Club
(09) 424 3160
Orewa Surf Life Saving
(09) 426 5058
Red Beach Surf & Squash Club
Whangaparaoa Golf Club
Manly Boxing Gym
(09) 424 0141
North Shore Aero Club
(09) 426 4273
Raiders Rugby League Club
(09) 424 0686
Stillwater Boating Club
:cheers

[Michelle and Richard]

Thanks very much for the replies so far.
Wattle Cove seems interesting.
I came across a property at Gulf Harbour Hibiscus coast- The property not what we are looking for as on a postage stamp but the location looks interesting- nice photos of area:- says close to Primary School, Country Club, Wentworth College
Anyone know anything about this area?


Lovely but wouldn't go there unless you can work up there the road is notorious for traffic. The houses are big on tiny sections so not for us but I suppose its each to their own.

I live in Devonport and personally think its the best, I get on the ferry at night and I am home in 10 mins. Its a real village feel and we feel miles away from the city even though we can see it ! Very few modern houses mainly villas, its a heritage zone and we got a house on a full site as sub divison is restricted. Takapuna Grammar is a great school, Belmont primary is also pretty damn good although not having kids I probably shouldn't comment.

Getting a house in a good school zone ie Takapuna, EGGS, Auckland, Rangitoto college etc can add 100 k onto the price but you are getting a good education for your kids.

Michelle

[Questor]

Sorry to resurrect/hijack this thread - but thought it best to not start another one

We have no kids and are not too bothered about schools etc.
We eould like nice views, as the one from our house over here is fantastic - We're looking at probably lower mid range prices - Where do you recommend in Auckland?

[jubjub]

Somewhere like the Te Atatu peninsular has great views over to Auckland city, and the eastern suburbs have good views over to Waiheke and Rangitoto, if you go further out west to the likes of Swanson you get good mountain views of the Waitakere ranges, but a bad commute if you dont work in the west.

[Singel]

Hello Questor

The place to live depend very much on your work place. This is very important because the traffic here are pretty bad during the rush hours.

If you are coming here to look for a job, it is better that you start with a rental in Central Auckland. So that you could commute easily for job interviews. In fact, this is how we started when we first arrived in Auckland, looking for jobs.

:cheers

[Oregonkiwi]

hi Uktokiwi,
I'd recommend Mt Eden, (it's the part of Auckland I think of as home so maybe I'm biased), it has a lot of the things you're looking for. Nice places to go for walks, really nice big Victorian-era houses (expensive but it sounds like that's not too much of a problem for you), good schools, lots of cafes and food shops, including really good bakeries, a big new supermarket, and close to St Lukes Mall (big & modern). Everywhere in Auckland is close to the sea but it's not too close. My parents' house has a view across the city to the Waitakere Ranges but of course the view would depend on where your house was situated.
Happy hunting!