[real_sunfire]

Hi guys,

Caz and I are looking for a self contained apartment for 2/3 weeks - hopefully under $800 a week for when we arrive in Auckland in November until we find somewhere to rent. It can either be in the CBD or in a suburb (with good public transport to the CDB) with a nearby supermarket, shops, and restuarants. It would be nice to stay somewhere which is not a "concrete box". Oh and we need a fully equiped kitchen as we will be cooking for ourselves at least some of the time.

There appears to be alot on the web, but does anyone have any personal recommedations?

Rgds.,
Nick.

[KerryS]

My parents stayed at this place when they came over to visit me:

http://www.questponsonby.co.nz/

They were very impressed, and although it is right on Ponsonby Road, is opposite a park and a great location. (P Road isn't overly busy, so not too much noise.)

Close to the city, fantastic bars, restaurants etc in the area.

[jo-and-jeff]

You might check to see if this place (http://www.auckland-apartment.co.nz/) is available. We lived here our first 3 months in NZ, and it was great for a lot of reasons:


2 reserved underground car parks
secure building
close walking distance to lots of shops and cafes in Ponsonby
close to the CBD
great view
2 bedroom, 2 bathroom + study


The closest big grocery store is not within walking distance, but there are lots of small grocery and convenience stores nearby where you can get fruits, veggies, canned goods, bread, beverages, etc.

We paid $700 per week. If you're interested, don't use the website's contact form (he's in Australia), call the property manager:
Harcourt's Grey Lynn
584 Great North Road
Grey Lynn, Auckland
09 360 4193
enquiries.greylynn@harcourts.co.nz

[KerryS]

OK, I'm going to disagree with Jo and Jeff - I wouldn't recommend anyone to live off
K-Road in their first stay in NZ. Not such a great area... I have a friend who lives in this very block, and there is a public toilet at the entrance, used by the prostitutes that gather there... Shame, because it is a really lovely block.

Although there is a huge supermarket within walking distance. New World at Victoria Park is about a ten minute walk from Howe Street.

[jo-and-jeff]

OK, I'm going to disagree with Jo and Jeff - I wouldn't recommend anyone to live off K-Road in their first stay in NZ. Not such a great area... I have a friend who lives in this very block, and there is a public toilet at the entrance, used by the prostitutes that gather there...
We lived there three months, did a lot of walking to places, and never found the environment to be a problem (I never saw a gathering of prostitutes anywhere nearby).

There are some "adult marital enhancement items" shops on K-road, so if you have particularly delicate sensibilities, it may not be the place for you, but it's certainly not a slum area, either.

Jo

[jo-and-jeff]

As for myself, I'm not sure to what KerryS is referring. Yes, there is a public toilet right outside the building, but I never once saw a prostitute out there. (But, even if I had, since prostitution is legal here, their presence would not necessarily indicate a crime problem.) Yes, there are around 4-5 adult book/video shops across K-road from our building, and yes, I was concerned about what that might portend when I first viewed the flat. In the end, it was a non-issue for us. We always felt safe at night, though things on the street could get a bit loud on Friday and Saturday nights. The view from this flat is of the city and harbour bridge, though you can go to a second patio to view the book shops if you wish. The building is ridiculously secure, and the tenants of the building appear to be quite affluent, from what I can tell by looking at the cars in the car park and from what I could see of one of the flats that had an open home while we were living in the building. You can easily walk to the CBD, and Ponsonby Road is just a block away, but we did drive to do the bulk of our grocery shopping. I wouldn't recommend trying to walk to New World unless you are keen to carry your groceries all the way back to your flat, uphill, for about a 15-20 minute brisk walk, but that's just one man's opinion....

Obviously, opinions can differ, and if I owned property in the area, I probably would not be thrilled about the adult toy stores, but I think it's a fine place to rent while you're getting settled. In the end, I would encourage you to at least have a look and decide for yourself, if the place is even available.

Cheers,
Jeff

[KerryS]

Prostitution may well be legal, but I personally don't really enjoy it being touted on my doorstep. I have also been propositioned in the vacinity of this block - and I was wearing jeans and a big coat at the time, so was in no way flaunting myself. There are certainly plenty of prostitutes on the street in the vicinity. (And street prostitution is not legal in NZ.)
I live around the corner in Ponsonby, so frequently walk down K Road. During the daytime it is a vibrant and colourful area - at night even more so. There are some great bars and clubs. But, as I said in my post, maybe K Road isn't the best location, especially if you are unaware of the fact that it is the local red light district.

[Tia Maria]

We stayed here, at the Wynyard Apartments in Devonport:

www.selections.co.nz/default.cfm?pageid=000341&lid=10035420

I think it was about $850 a week, 2 bed, 2 bath (with showers not bath), proper fitted out kitchen. Roof terrace with views of buildings one way and Mount Victoria the other way.

Shops, restaurants, supermarket, estate agents, ferry and buses all within a minutes walk. As it is near everything it can be a bit noisy, but nothing too bad.

Oh yeah and Devonport chocolates is practically next door.

Cheers

Tia

[real_sunfire]

Thanks for the hints guys. We managed to find a nice flat in Herne Bay to stay in for three weeks. The couple who run it have been very friendly and helpful via email. Hopefully this will give us enough time to find a 6 month rental as we are going to start contacting letting agents next week.

Nick.