location advice please

[josie]

Hello, I'm new here and have a question on locations please.
We hope to move to NZ within 12 months and I know the country well, however its one thing to know locations that you have been to on a holiday or sent to for work and another to live there.
We are retiring soon and looking for a location outside of the main cities. Really looking for an active community with clubs to join a few good cafes and as we are older healthcare services not too far away. We would also like to be within 3 hours of any major city (shopping fix), our hobbies are horse riding, walking and gardening. Thinking about Nelson/Blenheim/POB/HB area, but to be honest can go anywhere.
Hunting on the real-estate forums is almost impossible other than a general idea on price and I would appreciate some location ideas to start narrowing down our searches. We though we might like a tourist area and would consider starting up a B&B or the like, as we have done that before, many thanks!

[Fern49]

If POB area means Poverty Bay, was my hometown for 40 plus years, and while it has great safe beaches, etc.etc, it is isolated.

[tanmar]

More likely to be BOP i'd guess, which would be my first choice. Papamoa beach and the mount area.

[Pippasmum]

If you were really were retiring and not doing B&B as a main concern I would suggest Howick in Eastern suburbs of Auckland as the weather is good, lots of restaurants, clubs and outdoor pursuits with 5 different beaches within a few minutes walk or drive away, and there is easy access to the ferry for trips into Auckland central or out to the islands, like Waiheke. My husband and I are retired and have been living there on holiday on and off for 10 years and have finally made the decision that life permanently there is the best one for us as it has so much going for it. We have had immigration approval so we are now in the throes of researching shipping agents. Yippee!