Hamilton - opinions

[kirkandliz]

Hi All

This is one of those 'What do you think of ...' questions - in this case - Hamilton?

To date I have primarily been focusing on Wellington and Auckland in relation to job searching as they would be the main areas for Data networking/Telecoms ....but I've been told about a couple of positions in Hamilton which sound interesting but I don't really know enough about the place.

I'll be bringing my young family with me so need good family areas and schools. Also would be looking for all the amenities and activities to keep said family happy.
We're not really (inner) city people and on the face of it Hamilton sounds and looks a good match because it does not seem too busy but is only an hour or two away from everything at Auckland - would that seem fair?
But what else does it have?

Can anyone give me an honest opinion? Would be very appreciated

[Kim39]

Ok folks i'll be honest with you on this one as we are only 20 mins from Hamilton in Te Awamutu. On a personal note i wouldn't live in Hamilton, only because like you we are not inner city folk either, but remember that as much as Hamilton is classed as a city, and the 4th largest one in NZ, its not a city to us. Its feels more like a BIG town. As for living there then i can't really pass comment, but what i would say is there are some lovely area's such as Rototuna(big prices i'm afraid), but you also have your deprived area's such as Nawton. If you are looking for a town close to the amenities that Hamilton has to offer, such as sporting events, and remember Hamilton boasts a football club that plays(or trys) in the NZ league, the Chiefs are there, as well as a international cricket venue then you won't go to far wrong with the outlying area's. Have a think about Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Pirongia to name but a few.

What i will say and i'm sure folk who live within this vicinity will vouch that really you can't go to far wrong with the Waikato region, and what the place has to offer. You are only a short drive from the coast, and a short drive from the touristy spots, and you have all sorts of amenities on your doorstep.

Anyway good luck with your decisions, and if i can be of any help regarding the small area's such as TA and Cambridge then don't hesitate.

Kim

[CarolineReid]

Just found your post - I'm going to be living in Cambridge, working in Hamilton. My daughter's been doing the same for three years, and I've done 3 extended visits. My experience is that Hamilton/Waikato has some different skill shortages to Aukland and the more Southern Cities, and because it is the only inland city there do appear to be lots of jobs available.

I would agree with Kim, that there are some lovely towns about twenty minutes out, and without the traffic jams we're all used to in the UK, it really will be twenty minutes every day, any time of the day!

Good Luck

[Hannah]

Have been to Hamilton while travelling, and frequently due to work (meetings at the hospital).
My honest opinions, from passing through, are two things:
1. Boring
2. Crowded/very built up

Can't comment on it from a "living there" perspective. Not being near the beach lets it down in my opinion.

Has a nice park with boating lake, playgrounds etc., but doesn't rate in my list of top parks.

hannah

[Cardy]

Hi we live in Cambridge and its very easy to get into Hamilton . I personally wouldnt live in Hamilton ,never liked it but as kim said cambridge ,te awamutu are nice and handy for most places. My kids go to school in Cambridge and are doing very well. If you need any info feel free to contact us
cardy and Bev

[b&k]

The Tron is the fastest-growing city in NZ and has a lot of job shortages. However, everyone I know who has been there only stayed a couple of years before moving away. It's a good place to find work but the town itself is a letdown - badly designed, lots of concrete, unexciting shops and restaurants.

On the plus side:
- The surrounding countryside of the Waikato is beautiful and there are many places of interest nearby.
- The Hamilton to Auckland road is probably the best in the country (but hey, there's not much competition!) so getting to Auckland is quite easy.
- It is attracting a lot of high profile sporting events.

I'd work there if it was the right job but I'd live outside the city - Cambridge would be my choice with it's greenery and old-world charm.

[Babette & Andy]

For a daytrip we visited Hamilton on Tuesday, from AKL Bucklands Beach. Loved the drive down, loved seeing a bit of the Waikato after being in the Howick area for so long (10mths already).

We did like what we saw, a lot smaller than AKL but still all the conveniences of a city. CBD was dead as it was a holiday day, but looked pleasant enough. We ended up having a picnic at the lake with the wonderful playground(s) - Rotoroa I think it's called. Then drove to the zoo and spent a few great hours there.

Can't comment on living / costs etc but Hamilton was on our list of possible destinations when we were looking to move to NZ, purely the lack of IT related jobs moved it from our list.

Babette

[KerryS]

I like Hamilton. I work in the town at least one day a week, and am often there at weekends too, as I have a house out in the wilds of the Waikato. Many of my friends in Auckland originate from the Tron, and my partners family live there, so I have a lot of connections with the place.
I guess I have only seen the positive sides - a neat CBD area, nice cafes and restaurants, decent bars. (Although it did have a bar that refused to let me in wearing sneakers after a rugby game!)
Some of the new developments and suburbs are a bit densely built, but they are very popular and affordable.
It's a short journey to Raglan and the coast, or out into the country. It only took 75 minutes to drive to Waihi Beach.

[Gilly1973]

Hi All,

This is my first post on this forum and looking through all the posts to gather as much information as possible.

I am looking to move out to the Waikato district in April as part of the UK NZ police recruitment. I am expecting to get posted to the Hamilton area, but this is not 100% confirmed and probably won't be until I arrive in the country. There is some possibility that I may be posted to Huntly.

I was just looking for peoples opinions of Hamilton and surrounding areas to live with reasonable housing and reasonable prices (Cheap ). I don't want to have a massive commute but also looking for a bit more open space and greenery.

I am moving over with my wife and 3 year old son, so schooling will be an issue in a couple of years but not at the moment, just want to give myself the best chance of making this adventure work out.

I will be posting other questions elsewhere in relation to wages and cost of living etc on the relevant threads but if anybody wishes to PM it would be appreciated.

I like to spend my recreational time fly fishing for trout, mountain biking, golf and getting out and about in the country, is this good area for this? My wife likes to go shopping but I am desperatly trying to cure her of the terrible affliction.

Many Thanks
Gilly

[Jeany]

I lived in Auckland for 4 years before moving down to Hamilton 3 years ago. There are pros and cons for both cities, but as for work and family life, Hamilton suits us better. The biggest upside is daily commuting. There is no traffic jam even in peak hours. with both of us working, this is very important, since we can choose to live in any area that we like, all within 15-20 min drive.

Another plus is the affordable housing. There are some run down areas in Hamilton, like in any cities, but the average streets are better than that of Auckland and there are some very attractive neighbourhood, with good quality houses at very affordable prices. You can get a substantial 4 brm house in the best streests along the river for 60-70k, which is the price you pay in Auckland for a basic 3brm in the very average central area (still needs to spend 40-50min in traffic to get to work). For a decent 4brm house (new or fully renovated) in a good area, that's 40k-50k. And a comfortable family home for 30k-40k. Still neat and tidy first homes for 25k-30k.

There are plenty of good shopping centres in both city and suburbs, same supermarket chains as in Auckland, and much better parking and access. The facilities in malls are also comparable to that of Auckland. There are excellent schools from primary to college, all within easy access. the walks along the Waikato river is beautiful, and there are plenty of parks. I also love the central location of Hamilton, very good for the family to spend a weekend in Rotorua, the Mt, Taupo, Raglan, or Coromandal. Auckland is only 1.5 hr drive away if we need a visit.

I still miss the beaches in Auckland, but at hindsight, we haven't spent much of our time there anyway, given that we'd been busy and spent almost 2 hrs daily commuting (we tend to work extra time after work since there was no point sitting in the traffic anyway). Now that we go for river walks or parks on a daily basis. We even used to go fishing in Raglan and mountain biking in Rotorua after work before we had the babies. Our home and garden is much more enjoyable and we can actually spend some time there after work.