Tokoroa

Anyone have any info / opinions on the Tokoroa (Waikato) area? Specifically, a suburb / nearby village called Amisfield?? :nice1 We have the chance of a rental there, need to make a decision! :?

Hi,

My husband works in Tokoroa at Kinleith Mill, we live in Papamoa (1.25 hours away)! He travels every day, in a car pool, we weren't keen on Toke (as the locals call it). ;)

It depends on what you are used to and what you want to hand. Tokoroa is a small mill town, and has probably seen better days, apparantly booming in the sixties, but automation cut the workforce of the Mill (town's main employer) from 3000 to 300, and maybe similar to some of the Northern UK mining towns, isn't what it used to be!. There are no restaurants, no cinema, but there is a swimming pool. The town has a good sense of community, with a high maori population. Not really any new housing developments in the area, mainly older small weatherboard type houses (which can often be V. cold and a bit damp and foisty!) The location of Tokoroa is good, within travelling distance of Rotorua (40 mins) Taupo (40 mins) to the snow (1h 30). It is bang in the middle, so 1h 30 to each coast. The housing is probably the cheapest in N.Z. and this is for a reason. :?

Quite alot of the Mill's employees commute.

If you are in Scotland at the minute, I wouldn't panic. :wah

Cambridge and Hamilton are also close (Cambridge 40 mins from Tokoroa, Hamilton 1 hour). If I were you I would have a look around, before committing yourself!

Are you going to working in the Tokoroa area?.

Hope that was helpful, if you want any further info let me know.

Can't comment on Amisfield, but if Tokoroa is the nearest main town, I can't imagine there would be much going on.

DLW. :nice1

Thanks for the info, DLW :nice1

Problem is we are bringing 2 dogs and a horse with us... so we're ideally looking for a lifestyle rental, which are few and far between. At the moment we have the choice between one at Te Pahu, outside Hamilton, for $350 pw and dogs not in house :( , or the Tokoroa one for $200 pw and the dogs can come inside. Big price difference, but then if it's a miserable place to live..... :uhoh
Decisions decisions!

think the price differernce says it all I wouldn't live in Tokoroa, its a bit grim and not a particularly good introduction to NZ

Although I haven't been to Tokoroa, if the other small, rural, maori, forestry towns are anything to go by, then I would heartily recommend that you keep looking... Think northern exposure, lose the quirky eccentrics and replace them with drugs, gangs, poverty and maori 'activism'. You aint seen rural hicksville until you've seen it NZ style - and that's from someone who grew up on a farm in scotland.

Having lived in Tokoroa for 15 years of my 28yrs, Im not particularly happy with what Ive read and the information passed on to you dinnaefash. Can i please, if any right given, correct some of the information given to you?

Tokora does have restaurants, just not where you would normally find them, you will find that Tokoroa has an Italian, an Indian and Chinese restaurant, they have countless Takeaways, and if you get to know the locals or the former-locals (like myself) they can tell you exactly where to find the best fish n chips or burgers according to your liking (everyone is different) You will also find that the Clubs, like the Cosmopolitan & Tokoroa Club Inc, also offer a dinner service which on particular nights will also host as a bar, night club or concert venue. And places like Timberlands (Trees as I think it is now known as) will also provide a dinner service. If you arent too picky and want a taste of what everyone else in New Zealand is eating, theres always McDonads, Burger King & KFC.

The Cinema has indeed been removed, but just in the last couple of years, you're better off however, saving your money and hiring videos instead, but if you want the movies, Rotorua & Hamilton are your nearest cities, its also ideal if you're planning a romantic weekend away as well (Just an idea)

Tokoroa is made up of many cultures, although high with the maori populations (which shouldnt be an issue in the first instance anyway), it also has a growing Polynesian community, particularly Cook Island & Samoan, and you will find that when these communities have an open day or a special project at hand, the whole town is invited. I'll you what Tokoroa has taught me that Auckland and many other town/cities in New Zealand have yet to learn... "Respect and Value for the Diverse Cultures of Aotearoa"

The people in Tokoroa, diverse in culture and personalties, are very friendly, extremely helpful and always smiling. The colour of your skin or political stand means squat to them. If you want to know the real Tokoroa, get to know the locals, only the locals will know the knicks and knacks of their town, how to get things done quickly, and who knows, with the population being as small as it is, you may even get some some great benefits from your new found friendships.

Theres plenty of grass areas for your dogs and horses to run and play around in, and the fresh air is aplenty (at least till theyve cut all the trees down!) and you'll get over the smell coming from the Kinleith Mill (hehe).

Housing costs are by far the lowest in New Zealand but definitely not because of the housing standards, there are beautiful homes in Tokoroa which have been around far longer than the leaky homes in Auckland, and it may be a buzzing Foresty town, and drugs, gangs and poverty are an issue - but tell me a place in New Zealand or in most parts of the world where that ISNT a problem????

And Im sorry, but since when did Maori activism become a part of description of a forestry town ruthyroo from scotland?? In all the years Ive lived in Tokoroa there has been, to my knowledge, no maori activism or political agendas that I can think of? Maybe you've been watching too much Once were Warriors (which potrays a part of life, that most cultures also experience)

When my family moved to New Zealand, we stayed in Auckland first, the housing rate was disgusting, when Dad got a job in Tokoroa at the Mill, we moved, we didnt have this forum to tell me what Ive just read and I can tell you, I could not have asked for a better introduction to New Zealand.

Eek airetos, my comments have upset you and I apologise for that. I have not been to Tokoroa, and probably should not have made a comment on a thread that was related to it as I did (though I did make this clear in my post). And it is obviously a place that you hold very dear, from your time living there.

My comment was made after a day travelling round the area south of Opotiki, down towards Murupara, with a colleague who regaled me with tales of her time working in the area with communities that have been affected by the employment cuts in the forestry industry. Her experience was that many of them were places where she, as a white female, would not be happy to break down in or visit alone, and she explained this in terms of a local maori population with a strong sense of (perhaps justified) grievance. Having spoken with other people living / working in this area, I would agree with that, and also that there is a relatively high incidence of poverty and drug use in these communities. However, I do agree with you that the local perspective on this would probably be quite different to that of an incomer / stranger.

So apologies for lumping Tokoroa in with other places, and it's good that Dinnaefash is getting a variety of opinions on his potential move to the Tokoroa area!

Thanks *everyone* for all the info! Looks like the rental has fallen through anyway, unfortunately ;-( If anyone else knows of any rentals with land, pm me pronto!!