# Napier & Hastings Information PLEASE



## anski

We are moving back to NZ & we are considering Hawke's Bay in preference to Auckland (where we lived for 8 years whilst working) However now we are retired we are wanting somewhere cheaper to live.
Could anyone give me any information on the Napier/Hastings area? Which parts to avoid, where is nice to live etc?
Only ever visited Napier once & it was winter wet & cold & drove around a little but hard to really get a feel for a place in those conditions.


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## topcat83

anski said:


> We are moving back to NZ & we are considering Hawke's Bay in preference to Auckland (where we lived for 8 years whilst working) However now we are retired we are wanting somewhere cheaper to live.
> Could anyone give me any information on the Napier/Hastings area? Which parts to avoid, where is nice to live etc?
> Only ever visited Napier once & it was winter wet & cold & drove around a little but hard to really get a feel for a place in those conditions.


We only know that area from holidays, but does have the warmest climate in NZ. Have a look at Havelock North and Hastings. Havelock impressed us.


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## anski

topcat83 said:


> We only know that area from holidays, but does have the warmest climate in NZ. Have a look at Havelock North and Hastings. Havelock impressed us.


Hi topcat83,

Just logged onto your website & had a quick read of the account of your trip to Gisborne & Napier/Hastings. Your comparison of the two areas confirms my brief impressions from my visit in 2002. I get the feeling that perhaps Havelock North & Hastings will win out over Napier with the exception of Taradale.

I am so impressed, what a wonderful informative journal for anyone to read about life in NZ.

Have you decided yet where you will retire?

For us I think 8 years of Auckland was enough the weather got me down, made me realise the meaning of land of the long white cloud!

We hopefully will continue to return to Europe (probably North Tenerife, where we currently live) to miss winter in NZ. Although things do not always go to plan I know.


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## topcat83

anski said:


> Hi topcat83,
> 
> Just logged onto your website & had a quick read of the account of your trip to Gisborne & Napier/Hastings. Your comparison of the two areas confirms my brief impressions from my visit in 2002. I get the feeling that perhaps Havelock North & Hastings will win out over Napier with the exception of Taradale.
> 
> I am so impressed, what a wonderful informative journal for anyone to read about life in NZ.
> 
> Have you decided yet where you will retire?
> 
> For us I think 8 years of Auckland was enough the weather got me down, made me realise the meaning of land of the long white cloud!
> 
> We hopefully will continue to return to Europe (probably North Tenerife, where we currently live) to miss winter in NZ. Although things do not always go to plan I know.


We have! And it surprised both of us. We've just bought a cowfield on the hills above Miranda, on the border of Franklin and Waikato. As my husband says, we found nowhere and are moving to the middle of it!

However, the deciding factor is it's about half an hour to Thames in the Coromandel, and about an hour to Auckland and all the amenities like hospitals. Unfortunately important when you reach a certain age


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## anski

topcat83 said:


> We have! And it surprised both of us. We've just bought a cowfield on the hills above Miranda, on the border of Franklin and Waikato. As my husband says, we found nowhere and are moving to the middle of it!
> 
> However, the deciding factor is it's about half an hour to Thames in the Coromandel, and about an hour to Auckland and all the amenities like hospitals. Unfortunately important when you reach a certain age


Congratulations, when do you start building?

Yes agree about being near hospitals. Friends of ours moved to Northland then husband had cancer & the trips to AKL were dreadful for chemotherapy & follow up care.
My husband had 6 coronary artery bypass surgery whilst we were still living in MB, being close to Mercy hospital was wonderful & on his retun home had nurse come most days to collect blood in order to monitor his warfarin dosage. Times like that you are pleased these servies are available.


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## Darla.R

anski said:


> We are moving back to NZ & we are considering Hawke's Bay in preference to Auckland (where we lived for 8 years whilst working) However now we are retired we are wanting somewhere cheaper to live.
> Could anyone give me any information on the Napier/Hastings area? Which parts to avoid, where is nice to live etc?
> Only ever visited Napier once & it was winter wet & cold & drove around a little but hard to really get a feel for a place in those conditions.


How's it going with the move to Hawke's Bay Anski, it can't be long now until you return to New Zealand. Did you find somewhere suitable or are you going to wait until you arrive before looking around?


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## anski

Darla.R said:


> How's it going with the move to Hawke's Bay Anski, it can't be long now until you return to New Zealand. Did you find somewhere suitable or are you going to wait until you arrive before looking around?



Nothing planned as yet moving back into our Auckland house, much to our poor tenant's horror & during RWC too . Bad timing on our part.

But find plans so often change, so will wait & see what unfolds next.

However wherever it may be, it has to be in close proximity to the ocean.
It has been said if you can look at the ocean daily, it will extend your life by 10 years & I like that theory.

Anski


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## Darla.R

So do I  I couldn't envisage living in a land locked country.


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## topcat83

anski said:


> Congratulations, when do you start building?
> 
> Yes agree about being near hospitals. Friends of ours moved to Northland then husband had cancer & the trips to AKL were dreadful for chemotherapy & follow up care.
> My husband had 6 coronary artery bypass surgery whilst we were still living in MB, being close to Mercy hospital was wonderful & on his retun home had nurse come most days to collect blood in order to monitor his warfarin dosage. Times like that you are pleased these servies are available.


Things have changed 

Just before our hols we were at the 'field' planning, and the house just along the road had an Open Home. It had a 3 year old house, built by one of the builders we're interested in, and virtually to the same plan we wanted too. Plus, more land, and all the landscaping already done.

To cut a very long story short - we bought it! It all completes at the end of June. So we're moving quicker than anticipated  

And now we have to re-sell the field!

We'll have to swop stories of heart attacks & coronary bypasses - Hubby had a quadruple this time last year (in Auckland - we can't sing their praises high enough)


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## Darla.R

Congratulations for finding yourselves a house and saving yourself the expense and inconvenience of building. Given your husband's health condition it was probably a wise decision.

It should be easy enough to sell off the land and not have to pay capital gains on it. Will you be using an agent or selling it privately?


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## topcat83

Darla.R said:


> Congratulations for finding yourselves a house and saving yourself the expense and inconvenience of building. Given your husband's health condition it was probably a wise decision.
> 
> It should be easy enough to sell off the land and not have to pay capital gains on it. Will you be using an agent or selling it privately?


If you saw my hubby, you'd know it wasn't a problem. As he says, there was never a problem with the pump, and now the plumbing's been fixed he's in a better position than many other people. 

We'll wait til spring (when hopefully the punters and sun will be out) then probably put it on Trademe. It really is an idyllic spot, with views over the Firth of Thames, so we're hoping someone else loves it as much as we did. Otherwise it's landbanked!


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## Darla.R

topcat83 said:


> If you saw my hubby, you'd know it wasn't a problem. As he says, there was never a problem with the pump, and now the plumbing's been fixed he's in a better position than many other people.


Well that's a relief, I'm glad to hear he's fit and well now.



> We'll wait til spring (when hopefully the punters and sun will be out) then probably put it on Trademe. It really is an idyllic spot, with views over the Firth of Thames, so we're hoping someone else loves it as much as we did. Otherwise it's landbanked!


Landbanking is a certainly an option, I'm sure you'll have no problem letting it out for grazing. Of course you could always keep your own stock on it if you wanted to dabble a bit?


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## topcat83

Darla.R said:


> ....Landbanking is a certainly an option, I'm sure you'll have no problem letting it out for grazing. Of course you could always keep your own stock on it if you wanted to dabble a bit?


Alpacas! Apparently more intelligent than sheep, and easier to keep....


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## Darla.R

I hope you're good at knitting!


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