To think Auckland traffic won’t be any worse than London? (Any Kiwi experience welcome!)

[yarpole]

Posting here for traffic (haha - no pun intended) - and hoping some New Zealanders may see this.

I am about to relocate to Auckland, as I have a job at Greenlane hospital in Epsom. We have primary school aged kids and had been considering renting a home in Takapuna, for schools, beach and community feel. However my relocation consultant (based in Auckland) has expressed shock at the commute it would involve and is encouraging us to look at a more central suburb.

Google maps says the drive at 7:30am would be 30-35mins. I would then need to park somewhere and walk to the hospital, so figured whole journey would take 45mins, maybe an hour on a bad day. I currently live in London and this would not be an unusually long commute. Is my frame of reference for a “long commute” just different from a local’s, or am I being ridiculously optimistic, and in reality the commute would be worse? I keep being told horror stories about Auckland traffic, and the bridge in particular.

Would really appreciate views from anyone with recent experience of Auckland, even better if you also know London!

@FenceFuckery

Agree with the others - Remuera is really quite dull. Some amazing houses but that’s about it really. Epsom is nicer but still proper suburbia and a huge premium on houses if they are in the Grammar zones. Do you have kids and how old? Schools are all based of zoning access, unless you go private.

I’d honestly try to stay on the western side of central. Mt Eden is great (and still grammar zoned), Kingsland and Grey Lynn are both really vibrant and loads going on, but properties are squeezed in a lot more. Mt Albert is excellent, and the Grammar school is great too. Less buzzy than the others. If they are over budget, the suburbs between Mr Albert and Greenlane are more affordable (but not as nice) - Mt Roskill, Royal Oak.

On the other side Ellerslie is nice, and as mentioned before Onehunga would be good too.

If you have school age kids though you really should look at school zones as that should be a consideration too.

It is interesting how much weight many people afford to being in grammar zone.

I work in the education sector and you couldn't pay me to send my kids to AG or MAGS.

There are so many excellent schools in all areas if you can drop the decile 10 neurosis. The decile relates only to the income of the contributing population and in no way reflects the quality of education provided.

Where would be your pick @TheTuesdayPringle? Like any school I think it depends on your child. DH and I have discussed this extensively as both are options for DS but personally I’m not sure I like that very old school testing and streaming approach. Obviously both are excellent academically but that’s attributable to the catchment as much as anything the school offers.

OP doesn’t say how long she’s planning for b being here so in that sense a school like Auckland Grammar which offers the Cambridge system might be preferable if her kids are transitioning back to the UK at some point?

The Catholic schools around central Auckland are also excellent if that’s an option for you OP.

I’d go Mt Eden over Remmers or Epsom - or Kingsland as PP have said. The local school for most of Kingsland is Newton Central Primary which is a well regarded
Primary & has a Maori immersion unit which could offer an amazing experience for British kids!

See @yarpole you will find Auckland v similar to London - traffic, property prices, school zones 😳😂

I know all that @TheTuesdayPringle. For my kids, the style of education has been taken into account. One of my kids would fall apart if left to their own devices in an open plan ‘modern’ setting. Another is a super-nerd so adores the structure of Grammar.

There are some fantastic schools outside of the grammar line though which definitely aren’t to be dismissed.

Isn’t one of the best schools in Auckland / the country - according to the Crinson ranking - Macleans College, which is a decile 5 or 6?

I also work in education, and deciles are heading out (thankfully), to be replaced by an equity index.

I don’t think this will have any substantial impact on property within the grammar zones, though - perception is everything.

I think Macleans ia probably 9 or 10 @FierceBarrie given how affluent Howick, Mellons Bay etc is. I don’t know how deciles are calibrated but if it’s done on property values everywhere in Auckland would be a 9 or 10 now just about.

The old boy’s network is a powerful tool for those Grammar/traditional boys’ schools schools, I don’t think girls’ schools can compete on that aspect, no matter how good the education they offer is. The same world over no doubt.

Macleans is 9 with an absolutely fantastic principal which ultimately is what makes it so good, leadership is everything.

@FenceFuckery

I know all that *@TheTuesdayPringle*. For my kids, the style of education has been taken into account. One of my kids would fall apart if left to their own devices in an open plan ‘modern’ setting. Another is a super-nerd so adores the structure of Grammar.

There are some fantastic schools outside of the grammar line though which definitely aren’t to be dismissed.

True, though again it is mere perception that students in innovative learning spaces are "left to their own devices". They're not.

Exactly - they’d all be failing if left to their own devices, and innovative use of the learning spaces naturally includes smaller groups much of the time.

Back to the poster whose kids are primary aged ...

@SueblueNZ

Back to the poster whose kids are primary aged ...

Primary school age children grow older of course...

Sorry @yarpole half my post is missing (must start using the preview thingy) and it wasn't meant to be as arsey as it comes across

Remuera/Epsom areas will be a hood start. Be aware they're tinkering with catchment areas for schools at the mo so depending on age of children and wants/needs, you pos may need to take this into account.

If you're bringing pets with you though, that's a whole nother headache so far as getting a rental, decent or otherwise, goes.

Another thing, if you're thinking of shipping furniture/household things, there is huge backlog getting containers offloaded, processed and released, plus price has rocketed so another potential headache.

That said, Auckland is great and has a lot to offer. When do you head over?

This is all so interesting. Re Epsom / Remuera - “proper” suburbia / potential dullness was exactly why we were looking at Takapuna to begin with. We didn’t want to be somewhere that was mainly just residential streets with nothing much going on. However, we’ve done a bit of an about-turn and thinking perhaps it doesn’t matter too much if we can get out to other places quickly and easily and my commute isn’t horrific.

We will only be there for up to 2yrs so not looking for perfect area long-term. However I’m the one working full-time - my husband isn’t allowed to work on our visa, to begin with at least. So I don’t want him to be bored out of his mind!

Schools-wise, our kids are 8 and 11 so looking at primary and intermediate. Not so worried about senior as we will be heading back to UK for GCSEs.

I’ve been trawling ERO reports and trying to read through the lines! Completely understand decile ratings are not a measure of teaching quality. But it’s also hard not be wowed by a flashy website and Auckland Normal Intermediate looks amazing but has a recent clutch of awful Google reviews (! - not that I would normally pick a school based in a Google rating!)

@FenceFuckery

I know all that *@TheTuesdayPringle*. For my kids, the style of education has been taken into account. One of my kids would fall apart if left to their own devices in an open plan ‘modern’ setting. Another is a super-nerd so adores the structure of Grammar.

There are some fantastic schools outside of the grammar line though which definitely aren’t to be dismissed.

Really interested in what you mean about style of education- what are the open plan, modern settings? I’ve noticed a couple of schools say they have mixed age groups (2yrs together) - is this what you mean?

@CrikeyPeg
Thanks for warning re container backlog - ours is two weeks late setting off from UK already - oh God!!!

@Gennz18

See *@yarpole* you will find Auckland v similar to London - traffic, property prices, school zones 😳😂

I think we’re going to fit right in 😂😂

Hi @yarpole I’ll message you - Mt Eden/Kingsland would fit the bit for you, or Grey Lynn/Ponsonby/Herne Bay (though commute would be a bit longer and you’d have to negotiate the dreaded motorway!)

With regard to choosing schools, honestly don't worry too much. In general, primary and intermediate schools are excellent and it really isn't worth choosing a school zone over a property if you're not needing to worry about secondary given how fierce gee housing market is atm.

ERO reports are coded haha. Some tips:

A four or five year review is the mark of a school considered excellent. An annual review is the mark of a school in crisis.

At the bottom will be the ethnicity breakdown. The areas you are talking about are likely to be mostly European students so if diversity is something you want that's a good way to check.

There is also a section for how well the school delivers to its Māori and Pasifika learners. The schools in which Māori and Pasifika students achieve at or well above expectations are considered the best. So that is a good hint too.

The main downside with the decile 9 and 10 schools is the high percentage of neurotic parents which can filter through to the atmosphere of the school. And also that, because they are in expensive areas, they are often short of teachers as teachers can not afford to live in those areas. There is a very big shortage of good maths and science teachers and it will be some years before this is corrected.

*Fit the bill

I’ve just sent you a very long winded novel 😳

@yarpole I’m not in the education sector like some other posters, so they will have a different perspective. As a parent though, I don’t love the new composite style of schooling which is coming through more. Those are where classes are mixed across years, up to 60 kids across 2 year levels but 2-3 teachers for the set. That’s my experience from my kids primary, but obviously will differ depending on school.

Kowhai Intermediate is excellent, based in Kingsland and with a good catchment area. Individual classes (my preference), and a really nice mix of cultures as well.

If your DH isn’t working, then I really recommend staying as central as possible. Close to good (haha for Auckland) public transport, and vibrant suburbs.

Honestly, anywhere in the Kowhai or Balmoral Intermediate zones will be good for you. I’ve heard very average things about Auckland Normal these days too.

Auckland traffic is nothing compared to London traffic - happy adventures to you, Auckland is an amazing place to live x

I've lived in Auckland and London. In London you can estimate your journey time reasonably because public transport is an option, . In Auckland, you just can't do this. The same journey at the same time might take 3 times as long.

When I lived in Auckland I cycled. That got round the traffic jam problem. But even if this is an option for you I wouldn't recommend it. Auckland gets quite a high rating for cycling. In fact, unless you're near a cycle path, it's a horrible city to cycle around: lots of hills, changeable weather, very aggressive drivers, nowhere to lock up bikes, quite the worst place I've ridden a bike in.

As 'just don't live in Auckland' isn't really an answer I agree with the advice not to travel from the North Shore.

Auckland travel has changed a lot in the last few years. Our city centre is a big traffic jam of roadworks as they build the new CRT. But Aucklanders have discovered public transport. The Eastern Bays have a bus every 15 minutes into the city which takes about 25-40 minutes. Here your kids can go to a school with a view of the sea and beach on the doorstep.

I'd also recommend staying central if you are in healthcare as it gives you options in the hospitals across the region for the future. (We came for a year over a decade ago. Be prepared to fall in love with NZ)

Wherever you end up, don't take a rental you have not seen!

@Turangawaewae raises an excellent point! What are your immediate plans when you get here (post MIQ of course).

Don’t jump straight into a long term rental. Look at a furnished apartment somewhere for a couple of months. Get the lay of the land - at least until your container arrives. Spend a lot of time driving around and looking at the suburbs that interest you. You’ll get a gauge of things pretty quickly without needing to commit straight away.

[quote FenceFuckery]@yarpole I’m not in the education sector like some other posters, so they will have a different perspective. As a parent though, I don’t love the new composite style of schooling which is coming through more. Those are where classes are mixed across years, up to 60 kids across 2 year levels but 2-3 teachers for the set. That’s my experience from my kids primary, but obviously will differ depending on school.

Kowhai Intermediate is excellent, based in Kingsland and with a good catchment area. Individual classes (my preference), and a really nice mix of cultures as well.

If your DH isn’t working, then I really recommend staying as central as possible. Close to good (haha for Auckland) public transport, and vibrant suburbs.

Honestly, anywhere in the Kowhai or Balmoral Intermediate zones will be good for you. I’ve heard very average things about Auckland Normal these days too.[/quote]
I agree.

And in fact some ILS classrooms have as many as 120 students. These are in new build schools though of which there are few in AK