Hello,
If you are given a choice to choose between Hamilton, Napier & Stratford...what would you choose & why ??
Pls let me know your opinions with reason...
Hello,
If you are given a choice to choose between Hamilton, Napier & Stratford...what would you choose & why ??
Pls let me know your opinions with reason...
It would help if you told us a bit more about yourself/family/lifestyle so people that are in similar situations to you can answer.
I live in Hamilton, and for me, it's a really great choice. I'm a married nurse with a baby and a 7 year old. I live close to the hospital and there's a uni in case I wanted to do more coursing. There's good schools and daycare centres in Hamilton. My cost of living/wage ratio is pretty good here. There's lots of free activities all throughout the year that are family friendly.
The best thing about living here, to me, is leaving here. Hamilton is close to EVERYTHING!!! You want to hit up a big city, we're an hour/hour and a half from Auckland. If you want to surf, we've got the west coast beaches less than an hour away. You want calmer seas, hit up the east coast in an hour. Want warm water or to see some really breathtaking scenery, head north to the Coromandel. Want to do some major trout fishing, hop in your car and head down to Taupo. If you want to ski, we're about 2 hours from Mt. Ruapehu.
Everyone kinda looks at Hamilton like they do Palmy. It's not right on the beach in the middle of breathtaking scenery, BUT I'll argue, where else in New Zealand can you live that's as conveniently located as Hamilton is. Plus...the Waikato itself is pretty farm country. Not many places have pastures that shimmer when the wind is blowing across the grass.
Hamilton does have some downsides. It gets quite warm during summer and it's a bit humid. The traffic in town can turn a 5 minute drive into a 30 minute drive, and then there's the city council. They're quite shady, and now we have a big massive fluoride debate that I'm quite sick of hearing/reading about. Some areas are more costly to live in than others, and then there are a few bad parts of town, but you get that anywhere you live.
Any more questions about Hamilton, I'm happy to answer. Sorry I can't shed light on the other areas you're looking into, but others will be along that can answer.
What a thoughtful and well put together reply!
Napier! Beautiful city.
Thanks Auburn for ur detailed response.
We have also planned to choose Hamilton considering it near to Auckland & having a better cost of living/wage ratio.
We are a family of 2 & love sports & would like to be on the move whenever given the time.
I am an engineer & will be working in Te Rapa.....what would be a good place to live in Hamilton & the ones to avoid (prefer not to be very far from workplace). I do not plan to rent a big place, for a family of 2 with a budget of max $ 350 (the lesser the better), would be a great if it comes with a small garden.
Is Whitiora or Chedworth or Claudeland good places to look for?
The places to shop around in Hamilton & other details, if any.
Last edited by Shrub Tub; 3rd December 2013 at 06:20 PM.
Some suburbs closer to Te Rapa would be worth looking at like parts of Pukete, St Andrews or maybe Beerescourt & Forest Lake. These are more established suburbs, though there is also some newer housing. Other newer areas on the east side of the river near Flagstaff/Rototuna could be of interest, especially once they finish adding the extra lanes to the east/west link road that were removed from the original plan to 'save money'.
Auburn provided a good summary of Hamilton. It is a provincial city, though has most of what you would need and is close to a variety of activities. As Hamilton is more centrally located I think it would a good fit for what you are looking for.
Great response, Auburn. I've bumped Hamilton up a few notches on my possible places to look into because of your response.
I keep telling myself I'm not going to plug Napier anymore, because I've written several lengthy posts, then invariably, the OP takes a job in Auckland. But since you're actually considering a move to Hamilton...
Napier has some of the best weather on the North Island, and some of the cheapest property (especially if you only include coastal regions). We have an extensive network of bicycle trails, numerous nearby walks of all distances/difficulties, an active sailing club, an active triathlon club, and did I mention wine? City beaches are not the greatest for swimming/surfing, but there are nice ones a short drive away. I won't go through all the things that are close by, because Hamilton would probably have a better list. I've only had very short stops in Stratford, but I suspect you will end up driving to New Plymouth often. Napier is self contained...the only reason to drive 20k to Hastings is if you work there (and the Farmers' Market).
Wellington is a 4 hour drive and Auckland is 5. It does make oversees travel more difficult/expensive. It is sometimes cheaper to get from Auckland to Australia than it is to get from Napier to Auckland.
You will find that most (maybe most isn't the right word) New Zealanders would live in Hawke's Bay if they could. If you have a job lined up here...well, you could end up in worse places.
We moved to Hamilton from the US. I recommend most the Rototuna suburb. Also nice are Callum Brae, Queenwood, Huntington, and Chartwell