AUCKLAND/ALBANY AREA

Hello and Kia Ora.
Can anyone give me as much info/links to the above areas.

I am after any info that one ( sounds posh ) would need when emigrating!
EG schools/houses/renting/entertainment........You get the picture? ::):

Hi

If you do a search on Google.co.nz for Albany you'll find loads of stuff.

Cheers

What sort of information are you looking for? perhaps I can help.

Hi Skybluearmy,

we're in North Shore at the moment (arrived 5 days ago). We are moving to Gulf Harbour on monday, and are in Takapuna at the moment. We have passed Albany virtually every day going between GH and Takapuna. They are building a lot of new houses there at the moment, and they are supposed to be reasonably priced. Also we were told that they are building the largest mall on the southern hemisphere in Albany.

It looks really nice, and it is a short drive to Auckland City, as we found out yesterday. It takes around 20 minutes depending on traffic. There is definitely no long commutes, like in the UK.

Can't tell you much about the schools in Albany, but the NZ education system looks very promising. There is a newspaper call the North Shore Times that comes out on a Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday and has lots of listings for rental properties. But there are also lots of letting agents in each suburb. There is plenty to keep you entertained, plenty bars, restaurants, cinemas, bowling, sports etc.

Hope this helps, will try to find out some more info when we go up tomorrow to look for a car (big car dealerships)

Midder

I can tell you a little about secondary schools as we are moving our 15 and 13 year old boys out mid august. Just recieved confirmation of PR last night, so all go here at the moment

Long Bay colledge is the local state school, seems to have a good name, though didn't have a while back. I am told its very good now:

http://www.lbc.school.nz/

There are 3 independent schools in the area:

http://www.pinehurst.school.nz/
http://www.kristin.school.nz/kristin/index.asp
http://www.wentworthcollege.school.nz/

Available places seem hard to find, we are having to apply to go on waiting lists, not that the boys will mind.

The school sites also give links to inspectors reports, which are interesting

Sorry, can't help with primary schools, though there are a couple of local Albany internet directories that will carry the info, as mentioned before try google search.

Once we're there and having gone through the local work of getting them into school, I'll be a better poition to advise on the detail.

Hope that helps.

Regards

Tony

Ther is a big indoor Ski centre being built there like that in Leeds and Milton Keynes.

Hi Middar, how are you finding Gulf Harbour?

We're looking closely at it as possible place to settle, have checked out various web sites and house costs and all looks good.

We have two teenage boys, so are looking for a place suitable for them, only worry was whether the place had much more to offer than golf and sailing!

We have PR already granted, just waiting to sell house and then we're on our way.

Regards

Tony

Hi Tony,

Gulf Harbour is a beautiful place to stay. I would recommend that you rent somewhere first, just to see if you really like the place. We are renting a 3 bedroom new property for $300 per week. The schools here have really good reputations, and there are lots of extra curricular activities - soccer, basketball, hockey, athletics, etc.

Gulf Harbour can be really quiet for some people though. And you really need to have a car, but the buses have just improved their routes and timetables. You can get a ferry from GH into Auckland City if you don't want to take the car.

Saying all that though, you're close to a lot of places, Silverdale has a large snowcentre for skiing and snowboarding, there is also a go-kart centre. Albany is about 20 mins away and has a huge shopping centre, Orewa has a gorgeous beach which is supposed to be really good in the summer. Whangaparaoa town centre, 10 mins away, has ten pin bowling, cinema, niteclub and plenty of shopping and take-aways/restuarants.

Hope this helps someway, any other questions, just ask or pm me.

Nikki