Quiet suburbs outside Tauranga

[jenswaters]

Hi Everyone

We have decided that the area we want to aim for is Tauranga/Mt Maunganui. My partner is really keen on moving to an area that is pretty quiet and low-key, with space and a bit of tranquility (his ieda of a village), so obviously central parts of Tauranga are off!!! Can anyone recommend areas that fill his criteria, but still are no more than a 30-40min journey into town, beaches etc??? I wanted somewhere like Papamoa or Papamoa Beach, but he thinks this may be too built up!!! We have 2 young children, so I dont want to be too far from a park, or some outdoor space for playing etc. Does such a place exsist in this area?!?!?!?!

All help and advice greatly appreciated

Jen

[Charlene]

Hi Jen,
I moved to Papamoa from Ireland almost 10 months ago. I am here with my partner and our 6 year old daughter. You have decided to go to the nicest part of nz in my opinion!!!Really close to everything.Lots of stuff to do!Papamoa is approx 20min drive to Tauranga and 10min to Mount Maunganiu (beautiful). The next closest place to live would be Te Puke, my partner works there. Te puke is less built up than Papamoa and parts of it are quite rural.Its main street has everything you would need, bank, postshop, cafes etc. Te Puke is a 10min drive from Papamoa and therefore the beach.
I honestly think that you should give Papamoa a go, there is alot of houses but some of the cul-de-sacs are just beautiful!And there are loads of parks for the kids!And everywhere is within walking distance of the beach. Where we live, there is a river and a beautiful walkway through it, its such a quite neighbourhood!
Some more info, the schools your children go to will depend on where abouts you live! Some schools are better than others. I have exact info on this if you want it email me. We are Catholic so we sent our daughter to the Catholic school in the Mount which doesnt take into account where you live-there was fees but not much.
Rent prices- we pay $400 wk for a new 4 bed house with heat pump(v import to get house with heating!) Generally a house over $350 wk would be good.
Also you should type in Gravatt Road into google earth and have a play about with it to get a feel for the area ( Fashion island is on this road-this is where you will spent your saturadays while the other half is mindin the kids!)
My email, charlenemcgrath@hotmail.co.uk
Contact me if you need to ask any questions!!

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by jenswaters

....Can anyone recommend areas that fill his criteria, but still are no more than a 30-40min journey into town, beaches etc???

How about Katikati?
Its a small town about half an hour to the north of Tauranga, as you go towards the Coromandel. We have friends there and it seems like a lovely little place.
Look at lifestyle blocks too - they have an avocado orchard.

[kelvinkayesha]

Te Puke township in The Sunny Bay of Plenty.

Hi Jen,

I am a Kiwi from the township of Te Puke in the Gorgeous Bay of Plenty, currently living in Britain. We've been here for 17 months & wish to stay MUCH longer because we are tracing our Ancestry---at least another few years.

Why I'm writing is because we have a STUNNINGLY unique 4 bedroom home, also with a Studio Unit---plus 5 acres of land (friends are currently grazing sheep there)---that we have just this week wondered about leasing out---we've had it rented out on a room by room basis but have found it too difficult to manage, from the other side of the globe. I don't really know whether it's appropriate to say all this, on this site---but I have---Anyhow---I thought I'd come on this Expat site to put a "feeler" out---& your Message was the FIRST one I saw!

Our place is sheltered--it is a 5 acre Farmlet---almost in the middle of the small township---the main grocery shop is 70 metres away---the main High Street about 120 metres away---the Farmlet has an abundant birdlife---it is INCREDIBLY "Safe"---loads of parking---plus a big double garage---we think of our farmlet like an Oasis----could go on & on but would rather do so in an e-mail----so if you would like to know any more please let me know.

What we LOVE about Te Puke (having live in Tauranga, Katikati, Mount Maunganui & Papamoa plus Whakatane)---we moved there from the Waikato District about 12 years ago---We find Te Puke is VERY central---45 minutes South West to the beautiful town of Rotorua & all the lovely fresh water lakes, waterfalls, bush walks---45 minutes South---to the picturesque township of Whakatane, where I actually travelled to work as a Practice Nurse---the entire coastline has hundreds of miles of very, very beautiful beaches---40 minutes to Tauranga which I only went to on occassion but it's got some good shopping & yummy restaurants---about 13 minutes to Bayfair Shopping Centre, Mount Maunganui---bit further to the Mount itself. Papamoa & it's lovely beach are about 8 minutes away---then my personal favourite beach called Pukehina is on the road South towards Whakatane---about 13 minutes away. Te Puke is the Kiwifruit Capital of New Zealand. There is a quaint Cinema in Te Puke, which has been revived where we went to the Movies quite often---plus the larger Cinemas at Rotorua, Tauranga, Whakatane & Mount Maunganui. There's great sporting clubs, gyms, squash courts, rugby grounds, preschools, schools. My son completed his intermediate & High Schooling there from age 11 to 18 did really well---now a qualified Pilot.

I've got oodles of photos, information, leaflets---you name it---that I could e-mail to you---but I don't want to bombard you.

Cheers,

Kayesha & Kelvin.

[jenswaters]

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all soooooooooooooooo much. I am soo excited all over again by all of your news.

Firstly, apologies for not replying sooner,,,I am in the process of starting a senior lecturing job and am SNOWED under!!!! Should have been on a long time ago.

In all honesty, both of these places sound lovely. I am feeling very reassured that my gutt instinct is paying off about the area...it certainly sounds like it is ticking all the right boxes.

Kayesha and Kelvin...your house sounds PERFECT!!! The only downside is that right now we cannot move out until September 2010 (issues with saving money etc). If the house is still available then I would LOVE to talk!!!! Could you send me pictures and ideas of what kind of price you were thinking anyway??? It would certainly reassure my husband who is slightly worried about things being too built up and touristy!!!

Charlene, I will be certainly emailing you VERY soon with a mountain of questions.

One thing I would love to know...when we move out my son will be just over 4 (his birthday is in June). At what age do children start school, and is it based on the YEAR they turn 5 (i.e. start when 4 and turn 5 during that academic year), or is it they cannot start until they are ACTUALLY 5??? Intrigued about what kind of schooling set-up we would be looking for.

HUGE hugs and thanks for all your help lovely people!!!!!! P.S. Topcat...you have been a fountain of knowledge all the way through!!

[kelvinkayesha]

Hi Jen,

I have posted our e-mail address on to our Profile Page for the day---until I hear from you then I'll remove it. It's under: "Biography."

I can send photos etc by e-mail---I can't seem to attach any here---& I'll answer your Queries Re: how much etc.

As far as touristy---I think your partner will get a pleasant surprise. It's only touristy around Rotorua really---Yes there are some tourists---just like there are everywhere around the world---but really in my opinion---Tauranga & Mount Maunganui are mainly popular with New Zealanders---who come from other North Island areas---for their summer holidays---however mostly that's only from Christmas time, for about a month---the rest of the year is really very laid back---Te Puke is not touristy---it is mainly an agricultural township---so close to the less populated beaches---eg: Pukehina---miles & miles of beach often with just a couple of fishermen.

Have a lovely day.


Warm Regards,

Kayesha.

[topcat83]

Originally Posted by kelvinkayesha

As far as touristy---I think your partner will get a pleasant surprise. It's only touristy around Rotorua really---Yes there are some tourists---just like there are everywhere around the world---but really in my opinion---Tauranga & Mount Maunganui are mainly popular with New Zealanders---who come from other North Island areas---for their summer holidays---however mostly that's only from Christmas time, for about a month---the rest of the year is really very laid back---Te Puke is not touristy---it is mainly an agricultural township---so close to the less populated beaches---eg: Pukehina---miles & miles of beach often with just a couple of fishermen

LOL! Thanks for reminding me Kelvin - I'd forgotten what 'touristy' means in the UK. I still remember a Bournemouth beach on a sunny day where there was so little space you couldn't put a towel down without encroaching on your neighbour...

Jen - we actually aim for towns that we think might be a bit 'touristy' simply because we're more likely to find a choice of cafes there! The ONLY places we've found that might be considered 'touristy' in the UK sense are Mount Maunganui (which I will say is my most unfavourite place - sorry Mount Maunganui-ists!), Paihia, in the Bay of Islands, and, as Kelvin says, Rotorua (head for the park on a Saturday morning to see the locals playing bowls and croquet - very English!). Other than them - well, we have pictures of someone resembling Ursula Andress emerging from the waves on a deserted beach, horses galloping through the waves on a deserted beach, motorcycle trail bikes racing along a deserted beach.... get the picture?

Oh - and roads - get out of Auckland and you'll wonder where all the traffic went.

[ConfusedKiwi]

Hi All,

As a Mountie... Mount Maunganui is touristy over the summer months when the population triples in size and the holiday parks, caravan parks and hotels fill up with tourists (Many English and Irish ;-) ) coming to enjoy a warm summer and a infamous New Year on the beach... They disappear towards the end of January when all the kiwis return to work and the town shrinks again...

Good Luck on your search for the perfect town :-) After living in London i am looking for a bustling city to move too :-)

Bye

[Sarahben8]

Hi all.I am moving to Tauranga in Jan2010 and would love to meet any UK ex pats once Iam over there.We are moving to Otumoetai as I have 2 teenagers who want somewhere a bit busier as we currently live in Bristol,UK.Nice to see all the positive comments about the area and know we made a good choice, but feeling a little nervous now! Sarahb

[jenswaters]

Originally Posted by Sarahben8

Hi all.I am moving to Tauranga in Jan2010 and would love to meet any UK ex pats once Iam over there.We are moving to Otumoetai as I have 2 teenagers who want somewhere a bit busier as we currently live in Bristol,UK.Nice to see all the positive comments about the area and know we made a good choice, but feeling a little nervous now! Sarahb

I reckon you may become my new best friend!!!!! Let me know how it is out there. We are still on for September, but may move sooner if things in the job market are better (waiting for teaching roles).

We are currrently packing up from Trinidad to move back to UK (temporarily at least) in the middle of December. I AM GOING TO FREEZE!!!!!! I wish you all the best of luck. Let us know how it works out for you