Best and worst places to live

MotherBear · #1 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 05:19 PM

Escape from the madding crowd
5:00AM Sunday September 09, 2007
By Nicola Shepheard

Mike King has found his Elysian Fields. They're an hour-and-a-half north of the city where the working man's comedian grew up. Here, the men - and the women - wear gumboots and Swanndris, even if they're millionaires.

But the thing is, you don't have to be a millionaire to live here. At Waipu, a town of 1500 and growing, you can still get a four-bedroom renovated villa for less than $370,000 (try tripling that in inner Auckland).

King moved here with wife Rose Nathan and 9-year-old daughter Alexandra from Auckland's Mt Albert two years ago. "We love it. If I had my time again I'd have moved here 20 years ago," he says.

They're typical of the human trickle flowing out of Auckland into the provinces, in search of that elusive trifecta - lower living costs, job opportunities and just enough urban amenities and diversions. Yesterday's hicksvilles, dull farming towns, and dodgy backblocks are today's desirable real estate. Organic cafes, yoga classes and bars have sprouted where once you could find only pubs, RSAs and ladies' walking groups.

More, including the 5 best places and 5 worst places to live, here .

Dawn · #2 (**permalink**) 09-09-2007, 10:47 PM

Bloody hell, did you read that report? We are from near Mansfield, the place that got voted in the top five worst places to live in the UK. Actually I know of the report and we were 96th out of the 100 worst places to live. It was a bloody hole. Jeez!! They're even mentioning Mansfield in NZ now!! It freaked me out