# Moving to Tauranga



## eddy5

Hello all,

I am really keen to move to the Mount this year. I'm 28 and I will be looking to buy a house and live in either the Mount or Papamoa as I have heard great things about both. 

My passion in fishing to I am thinking that the place will suit me rather nicely.

I am just a little nervous that there won't be many people of a similar age to me. I was wondering if anyone had any views on this please?

Also what is everyones experiences of how welcoming people have been? 

I hope that I can meet lots of people through my fishing and other sports etc.

Many thanks in advance for any information or advice


----------



## escapedtonz

Don't blame you.
It's awesome here in Tauranga. 
Mt. Maunganui was the reason why we moved up here from Wellington last November. Just such a nice and welcoming place. Fantastic in summer when the place gets so busy and this lasts till mid Spring time.

Buying a house at The Mount may be difficult as they are very expensive and rarely have much land, however in relation to Auckland probably a lot more affordable. A lot of people from Auckland seem to be buying down here now which is keeping the prices up and the demand high. Houses are never for sale very long while we've been researching the housing market.
Mt. Maunganui does stretch East down the coast for some way until it becomes Papamoa Domain. I think the boundary is on the Eastern side of Bayfair ?
After Papamoa Domain it becomes Papamoa East.
In my opinion Mt Maunganui's appeal reduces the further East you go. 
Being right down at the end in Pap East can take 40 mins in the car in heavy traffic or in bad weather when the roads slow down to get to the end of Marine Parade at the Mount.
We'd love to live at The mount but since I commute to Hamilton it would put an extra 15/20 mins on a 1hr 10 mins journey so we'll be staying around Bethlehem.

You'll be fine if you're in to fishing. Many many people all over the Bay fish from the whole coastline or sail out and sea fish.
There's also many people a similar age. It's not quite the retirement place that it's reported to be that's for sure.

In our experience of the area it is beautiful, the people are great, always getting hello's etc when walking about. The sun shines often, there isn't as much rain as we thought. The temperatures are perfect. Yes there are many older people knocking around, but there's equally people of all ages around especially at The Mount which is very cool, hip and full of twenty somethings doing their sports or leisure training round the Mount track etc.
I go there often for a walk, jog, tramp and everyone is so friendly. It really is a great place. Just wish I was in my twenties!

If you join clubs and regular meetings for sports you'll soon meet lots of people. Events around The Bay are regularly advertised and if you join Facebook groups and read the small ads in the local paper there's lots going on.
Don't fish myself. Never took to it although I've never done proper sea fishing etc. Not too good on small boats so it never appealed.
I'm a mad keen golfer, so if you ever want a knock I can introduce you to my club at Fairview, Katikati or any of the other courses here as I've played most of them. 
I also regularly cycle - MTB mostly although I have a road bike which is just collecting dust. Was well used in the UK, but just never fancied road biking here for some reason? Idiot drivers possibly. 
Last but not least I'm a motorbiker. The roads up here are just ideal for the motorbike. So many places to go.....East, Rotorua, Taupo, Napier or Gizzy, Coromandel, The Waikato etc.
Love it here!


----------



## eddy5

Thank you so much for such a great reply and with so much good information. It really does make such a difference to get some great feedback from someone living in the area. 

I feel much more confident about making the move at the end of this year now. I'm really looking forward to making the place my home and getting involved with lots of different activities down there. 

It would be awesome to have a round of golf when I get down there. I am surely a little rusty by now but I do enjoy a good game!

Many thanks again for such a speedy and positive reply.


----------



## JDub

*Moving to Tauranga from UK*

Hi all,

I've just joined thanks for having me.

I was born in NZ and grew up in Chch till I was 18 and then we came to the UK in 2006.
I'm now 27 and having just spent 3 weeks back in NZ for time in 9 years I've realised that I want to go back to live.
As much as Chch is a great city after seeing what the EQ did I couldn't live there again as its not the city I remember, so after weighing up different factors and visiting there very briefly on my trip I've decided on Tauranga as my destination of choice, not so much for work purposes but for lifestyle as I'm outdoor person and want to get a better balance in life after working none stop while in the UK.

To get the ball rolling I've decided to go to Tauranga for about 4 weeks in September and get a house sorted etc before officially moving in late October. It sounds quite daunting but I'm really excited even though I'm doing it solo as I don't know have any family in NZ as their all from the UK.
I've got plenty of friends in NZ from school etc but most are still in Chch or now live in Auckland so will need to mingle but I'm not shy and I'm into sports so should meet plenty of people involved.
I've done some research and would like a house in the Avenues as I don't drive so really need to be near amenities and more central.
In terms of work I've always worked in retail and have 9 years of experience and have just worked my way up the ladder.

Sorry for rambling but I guess the more you know the easier to help.

Would be grateful for any advice on real estate agents, job sites or rugby clubs etc that would be great but also from people who have done the move solo to Tauranga.

Thanks


----------



## JDub

Hi, 

I've just posted a thread about moving to Tauranga and I'm 27, I'm all in terns of moving and got my heart set on having a BBQ on Christmas day in my flip flops/jandals.
Funny you mention fishing and golf because apart from me being a rugby coach in my spare time I fish a lot with my Grandad here in Yorkshire but would love to get on the sea in BOP, and in terms of golf that's my job as I'm a custom club fitter/analyst.


----------



## escapedtonz

eddy5 said:


> Thank you so much for such a great reply and with so much good information. It really does make such a difference to get some great feedback from someone living in the area.
> 
> I feel much more confident about making the move at the end of this year now. I'm really looking forward to making the place my home and getting involved with lots of different activities down there.
> 
> It would be awesome to have a round of golf when I get down there. I am surely a little rusty by now but I do enjoy a good game!
> 
> Many thanks again for such a speedy and positive reply.


No worries.
I'll still be here on the forum and in Tauranga and always up for a round of golf.
Cheers


----------



## escapedtonz

JDub said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I've just joined thanks for having me.
> 
> I was born in NZ and grew up in Chch till I was 18 and then we came to the UK in 2006.
> I'm now 27 and having just spent 3 weeks back in NZ for time in 9 years I've realised that I want to go back to live.
> As much as Chch is a great city after seeing what the EQ did I couldn't live there again as its not the city I remember, so after weighing up different factors and visiting there very briefly on my trip I've decided on Tauranga as my destination of choice, not so much for work purposes but for lifestyle as I'm outdoor person and want to get a better balance in life after working none stop while in the UK.
> 
> To get the ball rolling I've decided to go to Tauranga for about 4 weeks in September and get a house sorted etc before officially moving in late October. It sounds quite daunting but I'm really excited even though I'm doing it solo as I don't know have any family in NZ as their all from the UK.
> I've got plenty of friends in NZ from school etc but most are still in Chch or now live in Auckland so will need to mingle but I'm not shy and I'm into sports so should meet plenty of people involved.
> I've done some research and would like a house in the Avenues as I don't drive so really need to be near amenities and more central.
> In terms of work I've always worked in retail and have 9 years of experience and have just worked my way up the ladder.
> 
> Sorry for rambling but I guess the more you know the easier to help.
> 
> Would be grateful for any advice on real estate agents, job sites or rugby clubs etc that would be great but also from people who have done the move solo to Tauranga.
> 
> Thanks


Hi and welcome to the forum,

Yes I agree Tauranga is an excellent lifestyle choice. It was ours too and hasn't disappointed.
Avenues is fine and within walking distance of the city.
I've merged this thread with your other post so we don't have multiple threads with the same topic discussion.

Real Estate agents are a pain. Difficult to talk to, difficult to get any advice from and difficult to get any feedback from. You really have to push hard and do the leg work before they'll give you the time of day, unless of course you have the status to buy a property then they'll be ringing you up weekly to try and make you part with the cash 
Obviously they work on commission from the house sale and rentals wise they just get a letting fee so isn't particularly lucrative for them.
I assume you'll be renting first and not buying straight away ?
If so, as soon as you see a house for rent online that may be suitable just fill in the online rental application form and the agent will most likely get in touch to tell you when the property is available for view. If you don't hear from them after 24/36hrs get in touch with them. You may find at this point that the house has already gone!!!
You are under no obligation to rent a property just because you have filled in a rental application form.
If you get to view the property and like it, then just tell the agent and they'll consider you to be the tenant along with all the others. It is entirely at their discretion so luck needs to be on your side.
I'd say a single professional with a good job and good references is going to get the nod over a family or a couple as there's less risk involved and less chance of damage to the property for the owners.
Job sites are the usual Jobs on SEEK - New Zealand's no.1 Employment, Career and Recruitment site and Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me
No idea about rugby clubs sorry.


----------



## escapedtonz

JDub said:


> Hi,
> 
> I've just posted a thread about moving to Tauranga and I'm 27, I'm all in terns of moving and got my heart set on having a BBQ on Christmas day in my flip flops/jandals.
> Funny you mention fishing and golf because apart from me being a rugby coach in my spare time I fish a lot with my Grandad here in Yorkshire but would love to get on the sea in BOP, and in terms of golf that's my job as I'm a custom club fitter/analyst.


Gee it's a small world.
Know Wakefield very well. Was my second home for years. Met a few lads from Wakey in my youth when on holiday abroad and visited often with them coming to me in Wigan - taking it in turns for weekends away. They were all from Walton so have spent many many nights there, in Wakey - Rooftop Gardens was a regular haunt and the other place across the road...maybe Sloanes - my memory is failing 

Custom club fitter / analyst....you sound way too good at golf for me 
Dunno how you'll get on for work in that industry. Not really any driving ranges or major golf shops in the BOP that I can think of.
There's a big store in Mt. Maunganui called Prodrive I think as they have a few stores across the NI. They have a decent size store in Hamilton with a driving range attached.
But for Tauranga, driving range wise there's one at Bayfair near Omanu Golf Club and there's another one at my club Fairview near Katikati but it's private and part of the club albeit anyone can come and use it.
Can't think of any others around so unsure where you'd be able to work that position ?

By all means though if you want a knock when you're over I'm always keen


----------



## eddy5

I was just wondering if I could ask some more advice from you escapedtonz?

I was hoping I could benefit from some of the research you have done into the housing market in Tauranga and especially The Mount. 

If you could offer any inslight into the best areas within the Mount and any thoughts or musings you have regarding prices and what to look for. I have no experience of buying houses in NZ or UK but I know estate agents can be slippery fish - especially when their livelihood rests on the commision. 

Any thoughts or ideas you have would be much appreciated. 

Cheers


----------



## escapedtonz

eddy5 said:


> I was just wondering if I could ask some more advice from you escapedtonz?
> 
> I was hoping I could benefit from some of the research you have done into the housing market in Tauranga and especially The Mount.
> 
> If you could offer any inslight into the best areas within the Mount and any thoughts or musings you have regarding prices and what to look for. I have no experience of buying houses in NZ or UK but I know estate agents can be slippery fish - especially when their livelihood rests on the commision.
> 
> Any thoughts or ideas you have would be much appreciated.
> 
> Cheers


Yeah no worries. 

All subjective of course as an area I feel isn't nice you may like and vice versa.

The further West you are or the nearer you get to the Mount the nicer it is and of course the more expensive the housing as it's closer to the central area there between both bays at the end of the peninsula. Property and/or land on Marine Parade and Pilot Bay side is very expensive for obvious reasons. To get something affordable you must look further inland. 
Land is scarce and a premium due to the excellent reputation of the area so there isn't much spare land available to build on and sections aren't big so rarely have much of a garden unless you wanna pay big bucks. A colleague has lived in the hub of the town for years and has recently built his own property but had to buy an old house on a small section in order to get the land he wanted then had the house removed so he could build his own.
Personally speaking I probably wouldn't live anywhere further East than Golf Road, however properties that surround the golf course and have views over the golf course are massive and expensive and also command a premium as Mt. Maunganui golf course is pretty posh.
The further East you travel the cheaper it gets although the area doesn't appear as desirable in my opinion. It's not rough by any stretch of the imagination compared to places I lived close to in the UK. Maybe I've just become a snob ?
Mt. Maunganui carries on maybe 1km past Bayfair before it turns into Papamoa. There's a big shopping centre at Bayfair and a swimming / leisure centre.
I'd urge you to come and rent initially to get a feel for the areas, properties and prices before diving in feet first.
For a young single lad, living centrally would be awesome. Right in the middle close to the Mount, cafes, bars, restaurants etc.

Really all depends what you can afford as a deposit and mortgage ?
That will tell you where you'll be able to afford.
Interest rate a lot higher here - around 5% at the moment for mortgages and you must generally have a 20% deposit. Some lenders will allow 10% but there'll be an indemnity premium to pay and of course the interest rate will be higher on the lending.

Further East is of course Papamoa. We seriously looked into living in Papamoa but for one reason and another discounted it as being a bit run down, in need of freshening up and a bit rough for our liking. We joined a few Facebook pages and regularly saw comments about thefts and the police attending to crimes and violence etc so decided it wasn't for us. I don't mind Papamoa but even though we go there every now and then I'd probably only live in the most expensive part. There's me and my snob coming out again.
Papamoa is nicknamed Pommiemoa for obvious reasons and there are many more older folk there than at The Mount. My wife works in a gp surgery in Papamoa regularly and 90% of the staff and patients are English !!!
All that said though you may find you are unable to live elsewhere just to the cost of housing etc. If comparing the two you can get a lot more for your money in Papamoa, the climate is very good, the beach close by but it's a bit of a drive to the Mount and Tauranga.
There's a new road being built now that upgrades the state highway from Bayfair all the way to the Eastern side of Te Puke. Part is normal highway upgraded to dual carriageway and the other half will be toll road. It's called the Tauranga Eastern Link and plans can be seen on www.nzta.gov.nz 
Should be finished early - later this year instead of 2016 and will cut journey times dramatically.
If you want to know anything else feel free to send me a Pm and I'll look into it for you.
Cheers

p.s. also forgot to mention the whole of the area Mt. Maunganui down to Papamoa East is at risk of being wiped out if there was a Tsunami!
40kM off the coast of Whakatane around 90kM East of the Mount there is White Island which is an active volcano!
May concern you, it may not ?


----------



## lorb

Hi, I am also intending to move to tauranga in August, with my husband - a returning kiwi expat - and our two daughters (11 & 9). I appreciate all the information above...we are finding the choosing of an area very difficult by simply looking online, but as we want to get the girls into school as soon as possible, we don't want to make a mistake and rent in the 'wrong' area. It would be unfair to rent somewhere, start to settle in, then decide that when we buy (as soon as we can after moving) we want to be some other area, and the kids have to start all over again! All advice and info greatly appreciated!
Laura


----------



## escapedtonz

lorb said:


> Hi, I am also intending to move to tauranga in August, with my husband - a returning kiwi expat - and our two daughters (11 & 9). I appreciate all the information above...we are finding the choosing of an area very difficult by simply looking online, but as we want to get the girls into school as soon as possible, we don't want to make a mistake and rent in the 'wrong' area. It would be unfair to rent somewhere, start to settle in, then decide that when we buy (as soon as we can after moving) we want to be some other area, and the kids have to start all over again! All advice and info greatly appreciated!
> Laura


I'd say nothing is more important than your kids education, so with that said, use the internet to research schools in the area and when you've decided on the school or schools you want them to attend - in your case primary for the 9 year old, intermediate for the 9 year old after 2 years and secondary for the 11 year old (primary school is ages 5 to 11) that will usually dictate the area you need to live as most schools are zoned. 
If you choose schools that are not zoned (usually the fee paying schools) then you can live anywhere but they will have other qualifying criteria - eg catholic or church of England etc.
Things to look for are the ERO Reports for the schools which mention how they have performed but are only done every 5 years so looking at a school with an old report may not give a good indication how the school is performing now. 
The other thing is Decile rating. 
This is dictated by the quality of the families who's kids attend the schools. It looks at parents education, jobs, earnings, homes, how many people live in the house etc and gives a representation of the quality of the area serving that school. The higher the score, the better quality the area but the lower the funding the school receives from the government. I think Decile 10 which is the highest score receive nothing from the government or very little so are self funding and generally means the school comes knocking on your door for assistance with funding.
All schools will ask for some sort of contribution and usually have a small compulsory fee and then some voluntary fees on top of the cost of uniforms, text books, stationary, school trips, meals etc.
It is a subject we have been painstakingly mulling over for months. Our boy is 4 and will start school just before his 5th birthday as he turns 5 just a few days after the start of the school year in Feb 2016.


----------



## lorb

escapedtonz said:


> I'd say nothing is more important than your kids education, so with that said, use the internet to research schools in the area and when you've decided on the school or schools you want them to attend - in your case primary for the 9 year old, intermediate for the 9 year old after 2 years and secondary for the 11 year old (primary school is ages 5 to 11) that will usually dictate the area you need to live as most schools are zoned.
> If you choose schools that are not zoned (usually the fee paying schools) then you can live anywhere but they will have other qualifying criteria - eg catholic or church of England etc.
> Things to look for are the ERO Reports for the schools which mention how they have performed but are only done every 5 years so looking at a school with an old report may not give a good indication how the school is performing now.
> The other thing is Decile rating.
> This is dictated by the quality of the families who's kids attend the schools. It looks at parents education, jobs, earnings, homes, how many people live in the house etc and gives a representation of the quality of the area serving that school. The higher the score, the better quality the area but the lower the funding the school receives from the government. I think Decile 10 which is the highest score receive nothing from the government or very little so are self funding and generally means the school comes knocking on your door for assistance with funding.
> All schools will ask for some sort of contribution and usually have a small compulsory fee and then some voluntary fees on top of the cost of uniforms, text books, stationary, school trips, meals etc.
> It is a subject we have been painstakingly mulling over for months. Our boy is 4 and will start school just before his 5th birthday as he turns 5 just a few days after the start of the school year in Feb 2016.


Thanks escapedtonz! If you could see the pieces of paper with...school area, roll number, decile rating, website impressions,...oh my goodness - you'd think I were about to inspect all schools within Bay of Plenty! I am trying to narrow it down to a few schools to visit when we first arrive to find which will suit my kids, then hope to go to Real Estate and give them zones we'd like to live in...the extra problem is that we are bringing our dog, so finding a house which is available, one we like, in the right zone and will allow pets...risky and scary!! I need to slow down and just accept that it will take a while, but I'm so keen to get started!! I can always homeschool the kids for a few weeks as I'm a Primary Teacher myself, but socially, it's so important to get them settled in and making friends. :fingerscrossed:


----------



## tauranga321

Hi all,

In the next two years we (gf and I both in our early 30's) plan to move from London to Tauranga, she's a kiwi and I'm Irish. It will be a change in pace of life but one I'll look forward to, since being in London I've wanted a more outdoorsy type of life in a few years time.

We have been looking at houses over the last 12 months and noticed an awful lot seem to be going to auction which I can't say I'm too familiar with given most purchases are directly done through estate agents here. We have ruled out the Mount, a bit too expensive and from what I gather very few houses have a back garden of note. We are looking more towards Otumoetai (seems a really short distance from the city) but few houses appear on the market from this area and Bethlehem where there is numerous property's on offer. Houses in both of these areas appear to come with front and back garden, a bit more space compared to the Mount. Can anyone advise of other good areas in the city to look at? We did briefly look into The Avenues which seems nice and extremely close to the city.

Lastly as I said I'm an outdoorsy type, have ran a few marathons so will be looking for running routes, also when I get away from the manic London roads I hope to take up cycling so a few cycling loops. I'm also a huge rugby fan and have adopted the Chiefs as my new team when I get over, hopefully I'll get down to Hamilton to watch a few home games. In the ITM Cup Bay of Plenty play in Tauranga so hope to catch a few of their games too.

However my main pastime or maybe the better term addiction is golf!! I'll need to join a new club and after looking at location, course photos and coursecards I've narrowed it down to mount maunganui, Omana or Tauranga golf club. Are there any I'm missing out on or could advice on these courses?

As this will be my every Saturday activity (and any other time I get a spare moment!) for those golfers out there can you please tell me if it's difficult to get on the time sheet on a Saturday morning at say 7.30-8am in Tauranga golf courses? In my club in London it can be near impossible to get a Saturday morning tee time if you don't book straight away when the timesheet comes live 7 days in advance. As I'll probably have kids around that point of my life is there clubs that have two or three ball policy's that you can get round and home quicker? Any other things of note (regular competitions?) that is difference from clubs here in the UK compared to NZ, any info would be great.

Thanks in advance for any help and sorry for rambling on!!


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Hi all,
> 
> In the next two years we (gf and I both in our early 30's) plan to move from London to Tauranga, she's a kiwi and I'm Irish. It will be a change in pace of life but one I'll look forward to, since being in London I've wanted a more outdoorsy type of life in a few years time.
> 
> We have been looking at houses over the last 12 months and noticed an awful lot seem to be going to auction which I can't say I'm too familiar with given most purchases are directly done through estate agents here. We have ruled out the Mount, a bit too expensive and from what I gather very few houses have a back garden of note. We are looking more towards Otumoetai (seems a really short distance from the city) but few houses appear on the market from this area and Bethlehem where there is numerous property's on offer. Houses in both of these areas appear to come with front and back garden, a bit more space compared to the Mount. Can anyone advise of other good areas in the city to look at? We did briefly look into The Avenues which seems nice and extremely close to the city.
> 
> Lastly as I said I'm an outdoorsy type, have ran a few marathons so will be looking for running routes, also when I get away from the manic London roads I hope to take up cycling so a few cycling loops. I'm also a huge rugby fan and have adopted the Chiefs as my new team when I get over, hopefully I'll get down to Hamilton to watch a few home games. In the ITM Cup Bay of Plenty play in Tauranga so hope to catch a few of their games too.
> 
> However my main pastime or maybe the better term addiction is golf!! I'll need to join a new club and after looking at location, course photos and coursecards I've narrowed it down to mount maunganui, Omana or Tauranga golf club. Are there any I'm missing out on or could advice on these courses?
> 
> As this will be my every Saturday activity (and any other time I get a spare moment!) for those golfers out there can you please tell me if it's difficult to get on the time sheet on a Saturday morning at say 7.30-8am in Tauranga golf courses? In my club in London it can be near impossible to get a Saturday morning tee time if you don't book straight away when the timesheet comes live 7 days in advance. As I'll probably have kids around that point of my life is there clubs that have two or three ball policy's that you can get round and home quicker? Any other things of note (regular competitions?) that is difference from clubs here in the UK compared to NZ, any info would be great.
> 
> Thanks in advance for any help and sorry for rambling on!!


Hi tauranga321, 
We're in Bethlehem. Been living here 7 months now and in our opinion it is defo the nicest, has the best amenities and most affluent suburb in tauranga, BUT it is very expensive because it has everything you need. Excellent schools. Right on SH2 for access to auckland. Easy access to sh29 for Hamilton or SH36 for Rotorua. Bethlehem shopping area is very nice and has all you need. It's also only 10 mins to the city centre.
Yes there are many houses on offer for sale but they rarely last long on the market. Maybe a few weeks only. Many houses are sold by auction. We went to one a month or so ago just to see what it was like and it opened our eyes. You'd be very lucky to find a decent 3 bed house of around 170-190 Sq meters on a 700 Sq meters section for less than $550k. Auctions are a good way for the seller to get more than the valuation. Most houses are sold with a guide price but generally go for more.
Bethlehem properties usually have a front and back garden and a double garage. All electric also. No mains gas. Some properties have gas but it'll be a bottle delivery. You also have to pay for water here and refuse collection.
For $100k less you can find exactly the same or maybe better in Pyes Pa. It is more spread out but is very up and coming. It's growing fast with lots of investment. There's a new shopping centre being built now which will be like the one in bethlehem. For these reasons we're looking at Pyes Pa to buy. 
Otumoetai is fine just older. The further north you go towards Cherrywood and Matua the nicer it gets with great views of the Mount and Tauranga harbour. 
Some parts of Avenues is fine. There are some huge houses there but a bit too close to the city and outer lying businesses for me but yes some streets that are close to the estuary are very nice.
Just be careful with properties that state they are in bethlehem. Many adverts claim the properties to be there when in fact they aren't so for example Tauriko, Te Puna etc. Not a problem unless you wanna be in a particular school zone.

There's some decent tracks for running and walking. There's also a few loops for cycling. Done over 70kms last couple days. The cycling is getting better and the council have pledged their part of funding a cycle route to Omokoroa which will be excellent. Don't do running anymore. Hurts the knee too much.
I was big into watching rugby in the uk being from Wigan but lost touch with it here due to the time difference and no one to go watch the games with in Hamilton but I'd be keen to go along one day.
Now one sport I can comment on here is golf. I too am slightly addicted.
I've played all the courses around here. Mt. Maunganui golf course is nice. Good greens, good clubhouse but very strict with their rules as it gets very busy and has lots of members. You can't just rock up anytime and tee off which is why I don't like it. It's also a boring course. Just straight up and down tree lines fairways. There's probably 5 decent holes. It's also pricey at $1200 a year.
Omanu golf club is a better course but again gets very busy. Lots of holiday golf played there and again in the $1200 range.
Tauranga Golf club is good. Great course but again very busy and pricey $1200. They have a lot of comps on which means you are restricted to when you can play. I'd prefer this one out of the three and nearly joined last November.
There's a 9 holer at Renner Park, Oropi which is a good test. Also another 9 holer at Otumoetai which is also a good test but gets many kids and lots of holiday golf played there.
So where do I play.......
I joined Fairview Golf club. It's 25 mins / 20 km from Bethlehem just short of Katikati right on SH2. It is stunning. Fantastic pro shop, awesome club house, cafe, restaurant, driving range, putting and practice area, great changing rooms. The course is awesome and labelled as one of the longest in nz but alas now the tiger / black tees have gone. The management took the decision to stop using them as the course was just too long and hard and only 1% of the membership could play it. It's a great course off the blues though and still pretty long around 6600 yards. It's very interesting with no boring holes. Lots of water and sweeping dog legs and/or trees. It has 6 holes in an area called Death Valley for good reason. Hard as nails!!!
It's fantastic. Should have played today but it lashed it down so I rode the bike instead.
Get this though it's only $795 full adult membership a year and majority of the time you can just turn up whenever you want and tee off and for $10 extra you can pay weekly. I pay $15 a week. It doesn't have a high membership. It is rarely busy. Lots of retirees but it suits me as all I wanna do is play golf. Not interested in comps. Just wanna play and meet people who share the same ideas that they just wanna be out playing golf.
You'll never get on the start sheet for a Saturday morning unless your a member and in the comp if you go to one of the main Tauranga clubs unless you book well in advance and pay full price as a visitor.
Golf isn't that expensive here. Generally $30 - $50 will get you a game at a private course.
Lots of people play more than 4 balls here. Most I've seen is 7 and tends to be the older generation. It isn't strictly allowed but you do get it everywhere. I've not come across 2 or 3 ball policies here.
Membership is completely different here. As part of your golf membership that you pay to the club around $90 goes to nz golf who look after everybody's handicap. It's a national system not just associated with your course. All courses have a slope rating (difficulty rating) and nz golf continually work out your handicap every time you play at any course assuming you hand in a card of course. You get a personal log in and password and can view your history and stats etc.

Sorry for rambling on 

Always here to answer any questions you have.


----------



## tauranga321

Awesome reply, thanks very much for taking the time it really is appreicated.

Yeah the house prices in Bethlaham are certainly scary. As you say it seems to have everything schools, shopping, close to major roads etc so the attraction of living there is huge. Pyes Pa certainly seems to be the place to look so we’ll include that in our ongoing search.

Encouraging to hear about the cycling route. In regards to rugby at least Hamilton is an option being only 1.15hrs away. On another note I take it theres loads of gyms in Tauranga? I presume so in this day and age!

That’s very interesting about how busy the courses get. I know Tauranga is a deserable place to go on holiday but I didn’t realise the courses would get so much uptake given there seems to be so many in the general area.

Interesting you say Omanu is better than Mount Maunganui. I obviously haven’t got a clue and only go on website course photos which doesn’t tell you much. I was hoping to join either of these two (or Tauranga GC) as it would be a shorter drive meaning it would be eaiser to get out for a few mid-week holes after work in the summer. I’m off a UK 8 at the moment so like to play as often as I can. Compered to London memberships it seems very affordable obviously the Tauranga clubs are a bit more though. $800 for Fairview which looks a great course is amazing value. To my surprise I didn’t know about Fairview it must have been slightly out of my search location but it looks the best of the courses I’ve seen. 

I would join a course pretty much straight away, after trying them out, to make sure I can play Saturday mornings. I presume on Saturdays in the Omanu, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga to enable you to get a teetime you have to play in the competition and book a week in advance? I’m hoping to get out early around 8am and be finished by say 12, would that be possible? Would rounds take between 4-4.15hrs? You know yourself that golf takes long enough and I would have to be doing other stuff with my partner in the afternoon. The weather must be great for year round golf with quite mild winters, and with the hotter air the ball would fly a little further. Hope the existing members in these places are friendly and will play with new members, some places in London can be funny about that. 

These are only little things but when making such a long move and not know many there its good knowing my social actitivites are taking care off. 

p.s. Can’t believe about 7 balls, that’s crazy!! I never see higher than four!


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Awesome reply, thanks very much for taking the time it really is appreicated.
> 
> Yeah the house prices in Bethlaham are certainly scary. As you say it seems to have everything schools, shopping, close to major roads etc so the attraction of living there is huge. Pyes Pa certainly seems to be the place to look so we’ll include that in our ongoing search.
> 
> Encouraging to hear about the cycling route. In regards to rugby at least Hamilton is an option being only 1.15hrs away. On another note I take it theres loads of gyms in Tauranga? I presume so in this day and age!
> 
> That’s very interesting about how busy the courses get. I know Tauranga is a deserable place to go on holiday but I didn’t realise the courses would get so much uptake given there seems to be so many in the general area.
> 
> Interesting you say Omanu is better than Mount Maunganui. I obviously haven’t got a clue and only go on website course photos which doesn’t tell you much. I was hoping to join either of these two (or Tauranga GC) as it would be a shorter drive meaning it would be eaiser to get out for a few mid-week holes after work in the summer. I’m off a UK 8 at the moment so like to play as often as I can. Compered to London memberships it seems very affordable obviously the Tauranga clubs are a bit more though. $800 for Fairview which looks a great course is amazing value. To my surprise I didn’t know about Fairview it must have been slightly out of my search location but it looks the best of the courses I’ve seen.
> 
> I would join a course pretty much straight away, after trying them out, to make sure I can play Saturday mornings. I presume on Saturdays in the Omanu, Mount Maunganui and Tauranga to enable you to get a teetime you have to play in the competition and book a week in advance? I’m hoping to get out early around 8am and be finished by say 12, would that be possible? Would rounds take between 4-4.15hrs? You know yourself that golf takes long enough and I would have to be doing other stuff with my partner in the afternoon. The weather must be great for year round golf with quite mild winters, and with the hotter air the ball would fly a little further. Hope the existing members in these places are friendly and will play with new members, some places in London can be funny about that.
> 
> These are only little things but when making such a long move and not know many there its good knowing my social actitivites are taking care off.
> 
> p.s. Can’t believe about 7 balls, that’s crazy!! I never see higher than four!


No problem. Its what I'm here for 

Yeah the house prices here in Bethlehem can be shocking. A small 3 bed bungalow just down the road from us went on the market recently. 168 sq metre house fully renovated on a 700 sq metre plot. Was lovely inside but small. Would have suited either a young couple no kids or a retired couple. Went to one of the open homes to check it out and as usual was quizzed by the agent. I was telling her that it needed to be bigger for us so needed a $25000 extension to make it liveable meaning in our opinion only worth mid $400k's considering the work we would need to do. We went to the auction where it sold to a retired couple for $560k OMG!
The people that live in Bethlehem seem to be either young families or retired folk but it is a beautiful area. Very safe.
Pyes Pa should certainly be a consideration.

Cycling is good here but not as good as other places like Rotorua which is excellent. All depends what cycling you wanna do. 
If you're in to a road bike then it comes with the territory that you'll be riding on the road so it's not a consideration. If you're in to MTB you generally want to steer clear of cars and roads and stick to paths. If you only wanna do short MTB rides like 10KM etc then there are off road circulars, reserve paths and coastal paths that link up with short stints on minor roads but if you want to do lots of KM's like me then it's unfortunately inevitable that you need to go on a state highway at some point. 
Will be better in the future when the coastal path to Omokoroa is completed as that will give probably another 15KM of pathway meaning a 70KM round trip for me from home on majority coastal paths and not many roads 

I work in Hamilton between the airport and the city and it takes me 1hr 10 mins when there's no traffic. The ground is on the opposite or Northern side of the city. Going to watch a rugby game take at least another 20/30 mins and then a 10 minute walk from the car as you'll never park close to the ground unless you're very early. You've gotta take driving times with a pinch of salt here as there are no motorways in Tauranga or Hamilton just major state highways with the odd passing lane. It's sloooow progress 
Yes there's loads of gym's in and around Tauranga and Mt. Maunganui. Never bothered with them here as life is so much more outdoorsy so have carried on doing my training out in the open although I do use a small gym at work for an hour a shift for the weights.

I did a lot of research on golf courses prior to the move to Tauranga - we did 2.5 years in Wellington before here. We'd been up to Mt. Maunganui a number of times while living in Wellington for holidays etc and used accommodation right across the street from Omanu Golf Club so have played it many many times. Used to sneak on there at least once a day with the little boy for a few holes at dusk 
It really is an interesting course with many hazards and good greens, fairways and tees. It's well set out and in my opinion has the added bonus of being right next to the airport so often has turbo probs zomming overhead coming in to land. The 1st green and 18th tee are directly in the flight path and right next to the fence at the start / end of the runway. Little boy loved it there. We've sat in the semi rough of the 18th fairway just watching planes taxi, take off and land 
In comparison Mt. Maunganui golf course is just straight up and down. Front 9 just seems like one straight tree lined par 4 after another....yawn! It's only when you get to the 13th tee does it get slightly better.
I was determined to join Tauranga Golf club and played in an open comp there just after we moved up. Yes it was great. The clubhouse, the members, the facilities, but after talking to lots of people there it was easy to see that it get's a lot of business. I've been up a number of times and the car park is always generally full. I took my boy up there a couple of months ago for a game. Just turned up on spec and was told I'd have no chance to tee off for at least an hour and this was mid to late afternoon. Thanks but no thanks. We had 30 balls on the driving range and left.
With my golf membership I can play all the other Tauranga courses for a reduced rate - $25. It was $20 but has just gone up.
I rocked up at Mt. Maunganui course mid morning and it was empty. No-one on the course and no cars in the car park. Got myself ready and went in the pro-shop, showed my Fairview membership card but was told I couldn't play as it was too busy......WTF! Pro explained that they do a 3 tee start there from 1, 7 and 13 and me teeing off at that time would mean I hit traffic when I get to 7 and 13 which is against the rules. I had to beg and plead with him to let me play and promised I'd go quick so I got through 7 and 13 before the crowds hit. Not be going there again.
Fairview just hasn't got any of that and the course itself knocks the socks off any of the courses in Tauranga. I'd recommend you play them all before making a decision on membership.
I was off 13 when I left the UK and went worse for the first year, but after some work on my game I finally managed to get down to single figures so now off 8.2 so depending on the course difficulty and tee used my course handicap could be 8, 9 or 10. It is recalculated immediately after entering a scorecard but only changes every 2 weeks. Your individual website page gives you your projected handicap from the next period start. Not played for a couple of weeks now due to work commitments and the weather. Itching to have a game.
Most expensive round you'll pay here is around $300 and that's for the likes of Kauri Cliffs or Cape Kidnappers which are pimp. Royal Wellington is probably the dearest course I've played at $115 a round, however it didn't cost me a penny as a workmate gave me a voucher that was due to expire.
Average membership in Wellington was approx $750 a year so I was looking to pay something similar, however was surprised when all the research turned up membership around $1200 in Tauranga. It's probably because you can play more of the year here ? Instead of looking at courses in Tauranga, look at Bay Of Plenty instead. There's a few more. If you want t really long course, Te Puke has 4 sets of tees. The Tiger / Black tees make the course very long - over 7000 yards and take it from me, every hole is a driver.......even the Par 3's!
I didn't know about Fairview until we drove past one day so went along for a knock and couldn't believe how good it was compared to the others in Tauranga. Signed up straight away.


----------



## tauranga321

It's pretty late here so I'm about to hit the sack and will reply in full tomorrow. Great having these golf chats, I'lol be moving all the way round the world and it feels like I'm most interested in golf!!

Just a quick question playing in the winter must be fine? The summer must get quite hot in the BOP. You reckon on a Saturday morning you could get round the Tauranga courses in 4 hours? Your dive to Fairview would be around 20-25 mins I take it with a round 4-4.15hrs. I'm trying to work out how long it would take on a Saturday morning getting up and around and back for around 1pm.


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> It's pretty late here so I'm about to hit the sack and will reply in full tomorrow. Great having these golf chats, I'lol be moving all the way round the world and it feels like I'm most interested in golf!!
> 
> Just a quick question playing in the winter must be fine? The summer must get quite hot in the BOP. You reckon on a Saturday morning you could get round the Tauranga courses in 4 hours? Your dive to Fairview would be around 20-25 mins I take it with a round 4-4.15hrs. I'm trying to work out how long it would take on a Saturday morning getting up and around and back for around 1pm.


Cool. No worries. I'm off out with the boy shortly.
Got to get your priorities right 

Yes playing in winter is generally fine. It's very mixed and one day to the next can be poles apart. Tauranga and up the coast to KatiKati is obviously near to the sea so we don't suffer from snow, ice or hail but we do get a lot of rain and you can get the tail end of tropical storms as they move East from the South Pacific Islands to the North of us. I don't mind playing when the weather is a bit questionable. Was just struggling for time yesterday and with grey clouds and fine rain I decided to give it a miss and play on the bike. I didn't even get wet so maybe should have golfed 
Summer's are long here. We were in shorts here from September last year all through till mid May this year and you'll find yourself throwing layers off during the day late Autumn/Winter as the temp rises considerably over the morning as the sun comes up. It was fairly mild this morning maybe 10 degrees but will be 16 degrees or so by midday. It can drop to 4 or 5 overnight. That's the coldest we've seen here in the Bay over the last couple months.
The sun is way stronger here than you'll believe.

If you tee off early on a Saturday (usually gents comp day) before 8:30am you should be out before the start and will easily do 18 in 4 hours. If I'm on my own it only usually takes me 2hrs 45 mins maybe, 3hrs tops to do a round. All courses are like this but just depends on the course and who's in front of you.
If you play at Mt. Maunganui, Omanu or Tauranga there's more chance the course will be closed till the afternoon because of the comp.
Sunday's is generally a clear day with no major comps so free to play anytime. Monday's is generally cheaper green fees as no-one seems to golf on a Monday apart from me, however if you're a member somewhere in the Bay you'll get cheaper green fees elsewhere any day of the week  

My drive is 25 mins to Fairview. Say 3hrs for the round. Cup of coffee in the member's lounge or out on the patio afterwards then the drive back. Easily home for early arvo.


----------



## lorb

Hi, I'm now booked and ready to come to Tauranga this August with my husband and two daughters (9 & 11)!!lane:
The latest challenge in moving is proving to be where to stay when we get there. I don't want to choose the area over the internet, but I do need to get my kids into school fairly sharpish! This means deciding on where we plan to live, by checking out the local schools as soon as we can. I need to get it right, as I don't want to have to move the girls again when we then decide to buy - that's some challenge! SO. Here's where I need help, please! We need to find somewhere (affordable!) to stay for a few weeks before we find a longer-term rental in the 'chosen' area. The rental market itself is tricky enough, but when we will be looking for a specific school zone, it's quite scary! :noidea:
Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay for a couple weeks while we check out the areas? I think we're aiming towards Otumoetai, but keeping a (very!) open mind! Everywhere is so expensive! Also, any other tips on what to pack in the suitcase for use before our 'stuff' arrives, or essentials to put in the container that we'll struggle to find over in NZ, would be gratefully received! Thank-you!


----------



## escapedtonz

lorb said:


> Hi, I'm now booked and ready to come to Tauranga this August with my husband and two daughters (9 & 11)!!lane:
> The latest challenge in moving is proving to be where to stay when we get there. I don't want to choose the area over the internet, but I do need to get my kids into school fairly sharpish! This means deciding on where we plan to live, by checking out the local schools as soon as we can. I need to get it right, as I don't want to have to move the girls again when we then decide to buy - that's some challenge! SO. Here's where I need help, please! We need to find somewhere (affordable!) to stay for a few weeks before we find a longer-term rental in the 'chosen' area. The rental market itself is tricky enough, but when we will be looking for a specific school zone, it's quite scary! :noidea:
> Can anyone recommend somewhere to stay for a couple weeks while we check out the areas? I think we're aiming towards Otumoetai, but keeping a (very!) open mind! Everywhere is so expensive! Also, any other tips on what to pack in the suitcase for use before our 'stuff' arrives, or essentials to put in the container that we'll struggle to find over in NZ, would be gratefully received! Thank-you!


Hi,
Great news. Congrats!
Hopefully you're using www.trademe.co.nz to see properties that could work for you. I'm aware that you can't register on the site if your outside of Australia or New Zealand so may struggle to see advertisers details.
Have you looked at motels ?
They are probably the cheapest accommodation you'll find and great for holidays and road trips. They're just compact rooms with everything you need - lounge area, tv, dining area, kitchenette, bathroom, bedrooms and fully furnished. Some also have pools and stuff for the kids and some also do food so you don't have to cook yourself. They are usually around the $100-$175 a night range depending on size but you can get high discounts for longer term stays like 2 weeks etc. May be worth it and takes all the hassle out of a rental search and will most likely be cheaper. We paid $725 a week for our first furnished rental for 8 weeks till we found somewhere else.
Other than this all I'd advise is getting in touch with an agent and get them working for you to find you something.

Luggage wise just bring clothes/shoes for the end of winter and spring - it'll still be cold here and not really shorts weather till at least mid September. Bring a jacket each for when your out and about.


----------



## tauranga321

escapedtonz said:


> Cool. No worries. I'm off out with the boy shortly.
> Got to get your priorities right
> 
> Yes playing in winter is generally fine. It's very mixed and one day to the next can be poles apart. Tauranga and up the coast to KatiKati is obviously near to the sea so we don't suffer from snow, ice or hail but we do get a lot of rain and you can get the tail end of tropical storms as they move East from the South Pacific Islands to the North of us. I don't mind playing when the weather is a bit questionable. Was just struggling for time yesterday and with grey clouds and fine rain I decided to give it a miss and play on the bike. I didn't even get wet so maybe should have golfed
> Summer's are long here. We were in shorts here from September last year all through till mid May this year and you'll find yourself throwing layers off during the day late Autumn/Winter as the temp rises considerably over the morning as the sun comes up. It was fairly mild this morning maybe 10 degrees but will be 16 degrees or so by midday. It can drop to 4 or 5 overnight. That's the coldest we've seen here in the Bay over the last couple months.
> The sun is way stronger here than you'll believe.
> 
> If you tee off early on a Saturday (usually gents comp day) before 8:30am you should be out before the start and will easily do 18 in 4 hours. If I'm on my own it only usually takes me 2hrs 45 mins maybe, 3hrs tops to do a round. All courses are like this but just depends on the course and who's in front of you.
> If you play at Mt. Maunganui, Omanu or Tauranga there's more chance the course will be closed till the afternoon because of the comp.
> Sunday's is generally a clear day with no major comps so free to play anytime. Monday's is generally cheaper green fees as no-one seems to golf on a Monday apart from me, however if you're a member somewhere in the Bay you'll get cheaper green fees elsewhere any day of the week
> 
> My drive is 25 mins to Fairview. Say 3hrs for the round. Cup of coffee in the member's lounge or out on the patio afterwards then the drive back. Easily home for early arvo.


Major congrats getting the handicap down, a 5 shot decrease is great going. I had a further look at Fairview and it looks like a proper championship set up unlike the Tauranga clubs which all look standard parklands (if you get me) in their set up. They look like lovely USPGA greens and nice flush fairways. Great having a proper driving range and new short game practice area to avail of too. Looks like they spent a bit on the clubhouse and entry into the course too.

Played this morning at 8:10am, the 2nd group out and got round in 3.40hrs so was pretty pleased. I'm hoping to carry on playing at 7:30-8am when I make the move over meaning I could be home by 12 if needs be. Good knowing in some clubs this could be a possibility. I see from their website Omaou operate a roll up system on Saturdays between certain times meaning you have to get there well in advance to make sure you get in the draw which is a bit of a pain. I'd like the reassurance of a tee time booked at a certain time in advance rather than hanging about  I bet Tauranga GC was such a pull for you given you must live on its doorstep in Bethlehem! However that said I would feel much more comfortable joining a better course knowing I would enjoy every week over convenience.

The year round golf much definitely put up prices in Tauranga as they would need intense year round maintenance due to the heavy traffic. The thought of playing during winter in 10 degrees is appealing given I've played in 2 or 3 in London!! Sweet how the summers last so long, it really means you get a lot of good golf out of your membership. Here in London we had a long winter although not freezing we didn't get proper grass growth till May and the head greenkeeper said he only got the greens rolling perfectly at 10.5 on the stimpmeter last week. By the end of September/October the proper season will be over giving only a few months of real play. I say you wouldn't want to be playing too much in the summer peak weather with that strong sun but morning and late afternoons would be perfect. After hearing all this I must admit I'm envious!!


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Major congrats getting the handicap down, a 5 shot decrease is great going. I had a further look at Fairview and it looks like a proper championship set up unlike the Tauranga clubs which all look standard parklands (if you get me) in their set up. They look like lovely USPGA greens and nice flush fairways. Great having a proper driving range and new short game practice area to avail of too. Looks like they spent a bit on the clubhouse and entry into the course too.
> 
> Played this morning at 8:10am, the 2nd group out and got round in 3.40hrs so was pretty pleased. I'm hoping to carry on playing at 7:30-8am when I make the move over meaning I could be home by 12 if needs be. Good knowing in some clubs this could be a possibility. I see from their website Omaou operate a roll up system on Saturdays between certain times meaning you have to get there well in advance to make sure you get in the draw which is a bit of a pain. I'd like the reassurance of a tee time booked at a certain time in advance rather than hanging about  I bet Tauranga GC was such a pull for you given you must live on its doorstep in Bethlehem! However that said I would feel much more comfortable joining a better course knowing I would enjoy every week over convenience.
> 
> The year round golf much definitely put up prices in Tauranga as they would need intense year round maintenance due to the heavy traffic. The thought of playing during winter in 10 degrees is appealing given I've played in 2 or 3 in London!! Sweet how the summers last so long, it really means you get a lot of good golf out of your membership. Here in London we had a long winter although not freezing we didn't get proper grass growth till May and the head greenkeeper said he only got the greens rolling perfectly at 10.5 on the stimpmeter last week. By the end of September/October the proper season will be over giving only a few months of real play. I say you wouldn't want to be playing too much in the summer peak weather with that strong sun but morning and late afternoons would be perfect. After hearing all this I must admit I'm envious!!


Thanks. Yeah it was hard work getting the handicap down. The game will suffer now though as through winter I naturally won't play as much - a little bit because of the weather but mostly because the nights draw in and it's only light enough from 07:30 and dark at 17:00. I do find it tough going in the winter when the ground is wetter etc. I'm the kind of person that likes playing from solid ground and drilling into the back of the ball where you get that rebound or bounce from the earth and take a divot. I love playing the Tiger Woods stinger shots with a bit of draw (when it works ha ha!) but in this weather it's like you have to change your game as that stuff just doesn't work due to the heavier ground. Takes me a while to adapt the game. Looking forward to a game on Friday if the boss let's me out  Hopefully I won't make a mess of it as I've not really played a proper game in these damper conditions this year :fingerscrossed:

You are correct. Fairview is set up as a championship course and I'd say it's what they are looking for further down the line - to get bit more of that status and some recognition from the golfing bodies. It has had a lot of money spent on it. It was actually built in the early 90's I think and has had a few owners. The current owners also own a massive area of land surrounding the course and they've been selling off sections for residential building. It isn't cheap land. They have sold many and the community of retired folk buying them and building new detached properties is growing. It's like a new subdivision is emerging but with Fairview Golf & Country Club as the focal point. It's all really cool. The country club is there for the residents - it's a different membership with a pool, gym etc but at the moment there are no deals to have cross membership. In my opinion it has everything you need for championship status with the facilities, buggies, practice areas etc. Tees/greens and fairways are awesome. The course is so varied and interesting with many hazards. The blue tees just make it longer but so much harder. I love courses where you stand on each tee and say "damn - what should I take here!". I suppose it all depends how confident you are with the driver. Up and down parkland courses with straight par 4 after straight par 4 bore me. They all look the same and its either a driver or a driver....yawn!
In my opinion that's Mt. Maunganui all over. Not so at Omanu or Tauranga. 
I couldn't ever commit to playing in comps at the weekend or mid week chuck-ins/medals and playing with the same bunch of guys on the same day every week due to shifts so it suits me to play somewhere that is quiet where I can just rock up and play and if there's someone else there I'll always ask if they want a game. I do tend to play a lot on my own up here in Tauranga at the moment but I'm sure that'll change as I meet people. Only been a member there 3 months.

When you become an affiliated member of NZ Golf by joining a club as I said you get the online login/account to view scores/stats etc. It also has an electronic booking system where you can book and pay for rounds of golf at courses online, so maybe that's an option for you instead of taking the time to ring up the week before etc.


----------



## tauranga321

escapedtonz said:


> Thanks. Yeah it was hard work getting the handicap down. The game will suffer now though as through winter I naturally won't play as much - a little bit because of the weather but mostly because the nights draw in and it's only light enough from 07:30 and dark at 17:00. I do find it tough going in the winter when the ground is wetter etc. I'm the kind of person that likes playing from solid ground and drilling into the back of the ball where you get that rebound or bounce from the earth and take a divot. I love playing the Tiger Woods stinger shots with a bit of draw (when it works ha ha!) but in this weather it's like you have to change your game as that stuff just doesn't work due to the heavier ground. Takes me a while to adapt the game. Looking forward to a game on Friday if the boss let's me out  Hopefully I won't make a mess of it as I've not really played a proper game in these damper conditions this year :fingerscrossed:
> 
> You are correct. Fairview is set up as a championship course and I'd say it's what they are looking for further down the line - to get bit more of that status and some recognition from the golfing bodies. It has had a lot of money spent on it. It was actually built in the early 90's I think and has had a few owners. The current owners also own a massive area of land surrounding the course and they've been selling off sections for residential building. It isn't cheap land. They have sold many and the community of retired folk buying them and building new detached properties is growing. It's like a new subdivision is emerging but with Fairview Golf & Country Club as the focal point. It's all really cool. The country club is there for the residents - it's a different membership with a pool, gym etc but at the moment there are no deals to have cross membership. In my opinion it has everything you need for championship status with the facilities, buggies, practice areas etc. Tees/greens and fairways are awesome. The course is so varied and interesting with many hazards. The blue tees just make it longer but so much harder. I love courses where you stand on each tee and say "damn - what should I take here!". I suppose it all depends how confident you are with the driver. Up and down parkland courses with straight par 4 after straight par 4 bore me. They all look the same and its either a driver or a driver....yawn!
> In my opinion that's Mt. Maunganui all over. Not so at Omanu or Tauranga.
> I couldn't ever commit to playing in comps at the weekend or mid week chuck-ins/medals and playing with the same bunch of guys on the same day every week due to shifts so it suits me to play somewhere that is quiet where I can just rock up and play and if there's someone else there I'll always ask if they want a game. I do tend to play a lot on my own up here in Tauranga at the moment but I'm sure that'll change as I meet people. Only been a member there 3 months.
> 
> When you become an affiliated member of NZ Golf by joining a club as I said you get the online login/account to view scores/stats etc. It also has an electronic booking system where you can book and pay for rounds of golf at courses online, so maybe that's an option for you instead of taking the time to ring up the week before etc.


Hopefully you'll still get out a bit with mild winter days of 10-14 degrees should be fine for general play however when you get used to the BOP sun during the summer months it's takes a bit of adjusting!! That said golf much be so much better in the general Tauranga area compared to the winter in London/Wigan? I'm sure those fairways at Fairview get dry and almost links like during the summer months so you'd have lovely dry hard turf to play off. I presume it can be quite windy playing in that general area given its close to the coast?

I looked on google maps and see what you mean about Mt. Maunganui. It's quite compact in a rectangle with the holes straight up and down with trees along every fairway. Yeah Omanu looks much better from the satellite view with the odd dog leg here and there. There looks to be a fair bit of water on Fairview so make things interesting! 

I would be identical to you in the respect I always play at my own convenience. Very often I'd head out on the own at 7pm for a quick 9 holes and hope there's not a slow three or four ball ahead of me. I generally only play Saturday morning out of habit and to play the odd competition to keep my handicap current. I was meant to come on here to find out different areas to live in Tauranga which I suppose I've done but it's ending up more of a golf chat which has been great!! Then again one of the main reasons why I find Tauranga an attractive place to live is due to the lifestyle... playing on the numerous courses, going for bike rides, walking up the mount and heading off for a drive in the countryside! It all sounds very appealing!


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Hopefully you'll still get out a bit with mild winter days of 10-14 degrees should be fine for general play however when you get used to the BOP sun during the summer months it's takes a bit of adjusting!! That said golf much be so much better in the general Tauranga area compared to the winter in London/Wigan? I'm sure those fairways at Fairview get dry and almost links like during the summer months so you'd have lovely dry hard turf to play off. I presume it can be quite windy playing in that general area given its close to the coast?
> 
> I looked on google maps and see what you mean about Mt. Maunganui. It's quite compact in a rectangle with the holes straight up and down with trees along every fairway. Yeah Omanu looks much better from the satellite view with the odd dog leg here and there. There looks to be a fair bit of water on Fairview so make things interesting!
> 
> I would be identical to you in the respect I always play at my own convenience. Very often I'd head out on the own at 7pm for a quick 9 holes and hope there's not a slow three or four ball ahead of me. I generally only play Saturday morning out of habit and to play the odd competition to keep my handicap current. I was meant to come on here to find out different areas to live in Tauranga which I suppose I've done but it's ending up more of a golf chat which has been great!! Then again one of the main reasons why I find Tauranga an attractive place to live is due to the lifestyle... playing on the numerous courses, going for bike rides, walking up the mount and heading off for a drive in the countryside! It all sounds very appealing!


Yeah I should get out a bit after next week is over as I'll be back to normal shifts for approx 2 months. The weather is always decent enough for a round and there's a couple of shelters at Fairview to dodge the worst of it if it comes down off the mountains quickly. You can usually see a storm rolling towards you off the Kaimai's. My roster has been mucked up for the past few weeks and unfortunately been on days Mon-Fri so have been unable to get out midweek when I'd normally be on days off, boy in kindy and wife at work meaning I can golf all day. I don't often golf at the weekend unless I take my 4 year old along.
Golf in the NW of England was pretty poor from October/November through to at least April/May. Just too wet unless your playing an expensive course or a links course.
You will find that courses here get very dry with burnt brown grass from mid summer. Only the really expensive courses have fairway irrigation. Fairview has fairway irrigation but it isn't built in to the course. They have portable devices and long hoses that they put out during the evening but the place is still bone dry and burnt in summer. It isn't the worst I've played on though. Some of them are just fairways of dusty dry earth and hardly any grass.
It's actually not that windy in Tauranga. We used to live in Wellington as I said and it's way windy there which is why it's called windy Wellington. You get the odd windy day here but majority of days are calm. Sometimes get a breeze blowing down Death Valley on the back 9 off the sea which is why some of the holes there are so difficult. 

Feel free to ask about other topics other than golf 

Hopefully this link will work. View from the top of the mount as the sun goes down....Ah bliss!








This one is at Fairview, overlooking the 18th green from the clubhouse. The fairway behind is the 10th as the 10th tee is to the right of the 18th green just out of shot. This is a driveable par 4 that just curves nicely around the trees. Ideal for someone who can draw the driver. The 9th green is far left and as of yet I haven't played it as it's a brand new hole. It was a par 4 from near the 18th tee up the hill and dog leg left but a few errant tee shots kept hitting houses so they redesigned it and have made it a new par 3 up hill to the club house. Hopefully it'll be open when I play this week. 18th fairway slots in between just to the left of the tall trees in the distance and the little river/water hazard all the way up the rhs of the fairway then your second shot flirting with the lake. Real tough finish but a beaut of a hole. 3 wood / 6 iron...ish! Many of the holes have water....1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 10th, 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th.








Bloody awesome. I love it


----------



## tauranga321

escapedtonz said:


> Yeah I should get out a bit after next week is over as I'll be back to normal shifts for approx 2 months. The weather is always decent enough for a round and there's a couple of shelters at Fairview to dodge the worst of it if it comes down off the mountains quickly. You can usually see a storm rolling towards you off the Kaimai's. My roster has been mucked up for the past few weeks and unfortunately been on days Mon-Fri so have been unable to get out midweek when I'd normally be on days off, boy in kindy and wife at work meaning I can golf all day. I don't often golf at the weekend unless I take my 4 year old along.
> Golf in the NW of England was pretty poor from October/November through to at least April/May. Just too wet unless your playing an expensive course or a links course.
> You will find that courses here get very dry with burnt brown grass from mid summer. Only the really expensive courses have fairway irrigation. Fairview has fairway irrigation but it isn't built in to the course. They have portable devices and long hoses that they put out during the evening but the place is still bone dry and burnt in summer. It isn't the worst I've played on though. Some of them are just fairways of dusty dry earth and hardly any grass.
> It's actually not that windy in Tauranga. We used to live in Wellington as I said and it's way windy there which is why it's called windy Wellington. You get the odd windy day here but majority of days are calm. Sometimes get a breeze blowing down Death Valley on the back 9 off the sea which is why some of the holes there are so difficult.
> 
> Feel free to ask about other topics other than golf
> Hopefully this link will work. View from the top of the mount as the sun goes down....Ah bliss!
> View attachment 46105
> 
> 
> Bloody awesome. I love it


As you can see I could golf all day!! Not a blade of grass looks out of place in that photo. I think in Tauranga with year round good weather you can easily get great value out of your membership. I think you've sold me Fairview too! I presume they have regular members competitions and you can pre-book tee times for Saturday's mornings? It reminds me of a course I used to play back in Ireland called Roganstown which is a newish with lots of water but probably wouldn't be as nice. Having to think about each shot is great, nothing worse than constantly whipping the driver out as it's the only option. Great too that all memberships include cheaper access to other local courses for only $25, that's like £12.50. To play good courses at that prices is exceptional value plus you'll never really get bored playing the one course as there's between 6-8 courses within a 30 mile radius of Tauranga! 

News on my side - we are hoping to make a trip to NZ and Tauranga nthis coming January/February than make the big move at the start of the following year. Well that's the plan but as you know these major life moves can take a bit longer! I'll certainly look forward to walking up the mount and taking a similar photo!!:fingerscrossed:

In regards to areas we've looked at Bethlehem is the number 1 followed by Pyres Pa, Otumoetai, Mauta. We have discounted the Mount as its too expensive plus none of the reasonable priced houses come much garden space. I've noticed an area called Greerton quite close to Tauranga centre. Is that a good area? Another question this one quite random! Given our money will be tied up in a house and we'll need separate cars, can you get a decent secondhand motor in NZ for $10,000 which is about £5,000. I heard cars are very expensive in NZ and secondhand ones have crazy mileage on the clock.


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> As you can see I could golf all day!! Not a blade of grass looks out of place in that photo. I think in Tauranga with year round good weather you can easily get great value out of your membership. I think you've sold me Fairview too! I presume they have regular members competitions and you can pre-book tee times for Saturday's mornings? It reminds me of a course I used to play back in Ireland called Roganstown which is a newish with lots of water but probably wouldn't be as nice. Having to think about each shot is great, nothing worse than constantly whipping the driver out as it's the only option. Great too that all memberships include cheaper access to other local courses for only $25, that's like £12.50. To play good courses at that prices is exceptional value plus you'll never really get bored playing the one course as there's between 6-8 courses within a 30 mile radius of Tauranga!
> 
> News on my side - we are hoping to make a trip to NZ and Tauranga nthis coming January/February than make the big move at the start of the following year. Well that's the plan but as you know these major life moves can take a bit longer! I'll certainly look forward to walking up the mount and taking a similar photo!!:fingerscrossed:
> 
> In regards to areas we've looked at Bethlehem is the number 1 followed by Pyres Pa, Otumoetai, Mauta. We have discounted the Mount as its too expensive plus none of the reasonable priced houses come much garden space. I've noticed an area called Greerton quite close to Tauranga centre. Is that a good area? Another question this one quite random! Given our money will be tied up in a house and we'll need separate cars, can you get a decent secondhand motor in NZ for $10,000 which is about £5,000. I heard cars are very expensive in NZ and secondhand ones have crazy mileage on the clock.


Ha Ha yes me too although there's just not enough hours in the day. Would be great if golf was my only hobby, but as golf doesn't really keep you that fit unless you jog round with the bag on your back  I have to leave other time for walking/tramping/cycling and not forgetting the motorbike and being Dad to a 4 year old 
Fairview really is as in the photo. Very well manicured everywhere and always staff out working on the course which is a good sign for sure. The surrounding residential area is also very well manicured and virtually new.
They do have regular comps. The gents one is every Saturday morning from around 9am but I don't think there's a lot of people play in them ? I'm also not sure how you book in for them if you want to play. I've not seen a start sheet on the notice board so maybe you just have to rock up before 8.30am/9.00am and put your name down for a draw ? I haven't even got a club diary so no idea what's on each weekend. There's also a couple of weekly chuck-ins Tuesday and Thursday but again they start from around 10am/10.30am and I'm usually tee'd off by then. I do see them on the course and they appear to be 2, 3 or 4 groups of owd geeza's ? I think the women also have a comp on a Sunday morning and a chuck-in on a Wednesday am but there's even less of them on the course. Every now and then there'll be a visiting group for the men's or women's local league or a big organized golf event when I arrive so I sometimes just go off 10 and do the round back to front. I've only ever seen the course closed twice and that was just for coring in April.
Been to Ireland many times drinking and golfing. Haven't played Roganstown. I did play at St. Margarets which was awesome! Think my favourite golf course of all time in the whole world is still Woodenbridge, Wicklow. Was like being in the Rockies 
Since I work in Hamilton I also golf a lot in the Waikato so the likes of Cambridge, Narrows, Lochiel, Ngaruawahia, Te Awamutu etc. Bit more expensive to play them as being a member in Tauranga doesn't get you a discount over in the Waikato but Monday and Tuesday is usually cheap day $15 to $25 a round. It's only $40 worst case without a discount so 20 quid...yes golfing is cheap here. The equipment isn't though so if you're fancying some new clubs or gear, get them in the UK and bring them with you.

Will be great for you to come along for a holiday first. We did intend to do that but wife fell pregnant (planned) so we decided to save the cost of the trip and just jump in with both feet. Luckily it worked out 

The Mount is a great place to live for sure but you are correct it is the most expensive area of the BOP as it's the best beach resort in the BOP. You can find cheaper property further out by heading East - e.g near Bayfair (across the state highway North from Omanu GC), but even though this is still classed as Mt. Maunganui you are at least 10/15 mins drive from the actual Mt. itself. Not keen on the area myself. Houses and streets that surround Mt. Maunganui GC are very nice but expensive.
Greerton itself is quite nice - the village centre I mean and a lot of the surrounding streets. There's a few streets of shops and just out of the centre there's the racecourse and entrance to Tauranga GC, BUT it's very close to the least desirable place to live in Tauranga which is Merivale 

Yes you can get a decent priced car in NZ. What you have heard is slightly skewed.....Yes used cars are more expensive here in comparison say to the UK, BUT there's a reason for that and if you understand the reasons then it ain't so bad. No they all don't have high mileage, but it'll depend on the car you are looking for.
So, in NZ there's around 4.5 Million people versus 70 Million in the UK. That means there's a very high demand for used cars in the UK but I massive pool of used cars for sale - you only have to have a scan through Autotrader to see that. This means prices will remain low for cars as people compete to sell them. There's also the issue that running a car in the UK is high cost - fuel is expensive, road tax is expensive and goes off emissions, insurance is astronomical and these all keep the price of the cars themselves down.
In NZ, fuel is a lot cheaper - Regular unleaded is around a quid a litre, high octane unleaded approx. 5 pence dearer a litre, diesel around 70 pence a litre, so lots of people run cars with bigger engines or turbo's etc because it's very affordable to chew through fuel.
In NZ the cost to road tax a petrol car is about 70 quid a year. A diesel is a bit more at around 120 quid.
In NZ, car insurance is not compulsory. It also doesn't have an element for personal injury as that is covered by ACC which is a government body and centrally funded as another income tax so meaning it is half the price of insurance in the UK, which is why you'll find 17 year olds driving around in turbo'd EVO's and Impreza's plus 4 litre V8's etc cos it doesn't cost them 5000 quid a year to insure them!
So, cheaper costs to run a car and a lack of demand for used cars because there's less people after them mean the price of a used car is strong here.
Another factor is that cars last a long time here. There's no keeping up with the Jones'. You don't have to have a new car every 3 years. Lots of people run older cars here and run them into the ground with 300, 400, 500 + thousand KM's on them. They don't rot as there's no road salt.
I bought a 2007 Mazda CX-7 2.3 turbo luxury last June with 60 000KM's for $15000 and last November I bought a 2008 Vauxhall Astra 1.9CDTi with 47000KM's for $9000 as my work horse. There's always deals on for Warrants Of Fitness (like a UK MOT) for $20....they're only $40 full price and also for servicing, cambelt replacement etc etc so long as you're subscribed to the websites like GrabOne or TreatMe who send out the deals by email daily.
Have just re-taxed both cars....$130 for the Mazda as it's petrol and $235 for the Astra as it's diesel.
Oh the other thing about diesel is the fuel isn't taxed at the pump so you have to buy Road User Charges (RUC's) in Kilometer's. It's $58 per 1000KM's.
Again used motorbikes really hold their price here, but cheap to run in comparison to the UK. Unfortunately there's a higher ACC element of NZ road tax for bikes so it's near $600 to tax a bike over 600cc for the year here which is the only difference. Insurance is just as cheap if not cheaper than a car.
Have a look on Buy online and sell with NZ's #1 auction & classifieds site | Trade Me at used car prices. Anyone who's anyone advertises on there.


----------



## tauranga321

Cheers for that info. I'm weighing up all the options when it comes to my golf membership. No matter whereabouts I join at least I can get out on all the other courses for $25, which means I shouldn't get bored of my home course with so many other options on the doorstep! Good to know about NZ cars, peace of mind knowing a decent secondhand motor won't cost the earth.

Interesting for NZ, however it not so good for Tauranga,that Jetstar are looking at starting more regional flights. The bad news for Tauranga is they are not considering them for the new routes but hopefully this changes in time. Pity as it's the fastest growing city in NZ. Another airline Kiwi Regional Airlines are starting up in Tauranga in November with flights to Palmerston North connecting onto Nelson and/or Blenheim. Regional flights are quite expensive in NZ so this new competition will bring fares down which will be great and make getting around NZ so much easier.

I see in the local paper their getting all worried about potential frost! Temperatures dropping to 3 degrees one night then between 13-14 degrees in the day. We've had a very slow spring/summer and I'm not joking but it was like the upcoming Tauranga weather in May here!!

Chilly nights for Tauranga this week - Bay of Plenty Times - Bay of Plenty Times News


----------



## inhamilton

tauranga321 said:


> I see in the local paper their getting all worried about potential frost! Temperatures dropping to 3 degrees one night then between 13-14 degrees in the day. We've had a very slow spring/summer and I'm not joking but it was like the upcoming Tauranga weather in May here!!


Yea, Tauranga gets very few frosts (maybe 1 or 2 a year), being on the coast. In contrast, here in Hamilton, on the same latitude, we get quite a few (maybe 14 a year?). It was -2C here this morning, but it usually is a forerunner to a nice sunny, yet crispish in the shade, day.


----------



## escapedtonz

Yes we've had a couple of 3 / 4 degree mornings in Tauranga and one frost that I had to scrape away before the drive to work last week.
I've been in Cambridge near Hamilton the past 2 days on a work seminar at the Avantidrome and Monday night walking around town at 9pm after our meal was probably the coldest evening I've experienced for a year Brrr! Was a frost on the car this morning outside the digs and it was -2 or so it said on the temp gauge in the car.


----------



## tauranga321

For running those who would like a flat half marathon there's one that goes through the CBD and out to Mauta normally takes place in April of each year. I much prefer running on flat surfaces and walking up things places like the Mount!! ;-)

A general question for anyone on here. We've been looking for houses throughout the whole of Tauranga and have been checking houses against their listed value price on the Tauranga city council website. This one is listed as $640,000 however it's going for auction... would it go for $800,000?? We just want to get a generally idea on how much to expect to pay over the listed value.

HOME OF THE YEAR - EVERY YEAR - Realestate.co.nz


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> For running those who would like a flat half marathon there's one that goes through the CBD and out to Mauta normally takes place in April of each year. I much prefer running on flat surfaces and walking up things places like the Mount!! ;-)
> 
> A general question for anyone on here. We've been looking for houses throughout the whole of Tauranga and have been checking houses against their listed value price on the Tauranga city council website. This one is listed as $640,000 however it's going for auction... would it go for $800,000?? We just want to get a generally idea on how much to expect to pay over the listed value.
> 
> HOME OF THE YEAR - EVERY YEAR - Realestate.co.nz


Ha Ha I can't beleive it  You lay off that house it's our's!!! 

We went to the open home last Saturday. We'd spotted it when it appeared on TradeMe and have had a couple of drive by's earlier in the month. We really really like it, but it's just the wrong timing for us as we are still awaiting the completion of our house sale in the UK so can't even make a pre-auction offer or be in any chance to offer at the auction as you need to have a cleared deposit and funds in place - i.e you have to be unconditional. If the auction was the end of the month or mid August we'd probably have a chance and neither of us can attend the auction.

Had a chat with the agent only yesterday and it doesn't have a listing price as it is due for auction. The RV (council valuation) is $625k but this was done a while ago so not up to date.
It has no double glazing and it doesn't have a 4th bedroom even though it's advertised as a 4 bed. It is a 3 bed plus study. The office/study is big enough for a single bed and has a built in wardrobe so can be used as a bedroom but the double doors leading into it are straight from the kitchen. Would need the doors blocking up and another access making in the hallway to turn it into a proper bedroom. There's also an odd additional route from the entrance hallway to the kitchen through a door and some steps to the right hand side instead of going left down the steps into the lounge and through the dining area. Wasted space in our opinion and maybe would make a pantry ? There's also some road noise from Carmichael Rd to the rear but great views out and over the Reserve. Otherwise the house is a beaut. Good back garden, very open and bright.
In general - for Bethlehem, due to good schools and a quality suburb (probably the best in Tauranga) houses are pricey and competition fierce. The agent told me anyone thinking they'll buy it with a 6 at the start will be disappointed. He reckon's mid 7's at least but 800k is a possibility as houses going for 200k over their RV isn't abnormal, but in all honesty.....750k / 800k for a 3 bed house is insane and not something we would pay. Would have to sell a kidney for the mortgage!!! 
You can get a pimp place for that in Pyes Pa so we've been looking there this week although we can wait as we're renting in Bethlehem and can stay as long as we wish.

Be aware there will be a premium to pay just because this house is in Bethlehem and has an open view over Gordon Carmichael Reserve. There was also a few Chinese families at the Open Home when we attended. Turned up in their big SUV's and seem to have money to burn. We don't stand a chance but fingers crossed it doesn't sell as we'll be throwing an offer in if it doesn't or it falls through.


----------



## tauranga321

Ah that's crazy soooo funny!! 

It was the only house in the area that I and my girlfriend agreed on. I'm easy going while everything has to be prefect for her!! ;-) ;-) Ticked all the boxes, we liked the study, the kitchen, two living rooms with a decent sized garden plus and a big plus for us is that house appears to have a lot more privacy than others we've viewed. It seems like a lot of new houses in Tauranga are built on one plot of land closely backing onto another which was originally there. I can see why owners do it to remove the back garden to build on it instead to gain extra income but it's a massive turnoff for us. Back to that house! It's situated so close to Bethlehem shopping centre which would be so handy and yet very close to the city centre plus. Right beside the No. 2 road for trips to Auckland and only a 15 minute drive to any of the three golf courses!!! Haha!! I've my fingers crossed it works out for you as it does seem like an ideal property plus I'd say you can get away without double glazed in BOP! 

We looked at Pryes Pa but can't really see a whole pile there but we'll certainly keeping looking. We're not actually going there for another 18 months!

Generally speaking and I know it all depends on the area and if extra work was undertaken on the house since its valuation but would $150,000 over the council valuation be a decent guide to use? When houses are listed as auction we just don't have an idea if they are in our budgets or not.


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Ah that's crazy soooo funny!!
> 
> It was the only house in the area that I and my girlfriend agreed on. I'm easy going while everything has to be prefect for her!! ;-) ;-) Ticked all the boxes, we liked the study, the kitchen, two living rooms with a decent sized garden plus and a big plus for us is that house appears to have a lot more privacy than others we've viewed. It seems like a lot of new houses in Tauranga are built on one plot of land closely backing onto another which was originally there. I can see why owners do it to remove the back garden to build on it instead to gain extra income but it's a massive turnoff for us. Back to that house! It's situated so close to Bethlehem shopping centre which would be so handy and yet very close to the city centre plus. Right beside the No. 2 road for trips to Auckland and only a 15 minute drive to any of the three golf courses!!! Haha!! I've my fingers crossed it works out for you as it does seem like an ideal property plus I'd say you can get away without double glazed in BOP!
> 
> We looked at Pryes Pa but can't really see a whole pile there but we'll certainly keeping looking. We're not actually going there for another 18 months!
> 
> Generally speaking and I know it all depends on the area and if extra work was undertaken on the house since its valuation but would $150,000 over the council valuation be a decent guide to use? When houses are listed as auction we just don't have an idea if they are in our budgets or not.


You both have impeccable taste.

Funny though as it isn't that private. As you look at the house front from the street, No 47 next door to the right sits above it by around 20 metres so they can look right onto the top of your roof and the garden and equally you can do this to No 43 the other way. It is open to the rear though which is excellent.
In general, many years ago all homes in NZ where built on 1/4 acre plots which is pretty big and around 1000 Sq Metres but the majority of these especially in and around the major cities the sections have been subdivided and as you say owners have done it to make money on land however in reality it means everything is crammed in. It's not so bad on new estates. I feel they have more of a sense of space than a new estate in the uk. One good thing here is there is never just one builder like Fairclough's, Wimpey or Barrats that owns the whole estate so all the houses are different which makes it all look so much better. 
You do have to view pics with a pinch of salt when looking at properties as the agents do a great job of hiding most things that would put a buyer off. You really have to see it in the flesh. We've seen maybe 10 over the last week and still only that one would suit us with the rest having too many compromises. 
On a new estate average section size I'd say is around 500 Sq Metres. A 200 Sq Metre 4 bed 2 bath double garage 2 storey takes up around 130 Sq Metres so leaves a little room for some grass. A lot more houses here are single level (bungalows) as they are much safer in earthquakes. You'll pay a premium for a 2 storey home as the foundations and frame have to be that much stronger. Obviously if you have a single level home on the same sized section the garden will be heaps smaller!
Yes the house in question is in an excellent position. Walking distance to the reserve, a kids park with bbq, the school, the shopping area etc. Auction is in 5 days!
You can get away without DG in the BOP. The house we live in now is single glazed and we've not seen any yet this last week that have been DG. The agents prattle on that it's a benefit as single let's the warmth of the sun heat up the house from early morning when DG doesn't allow that yada yada. Utter bullsh1t. Did point out that in actual fact DG is better in so many ways but it falls on deaf ears cos the quality of DG here is appallingly bad. It's all aluminium framed and gets so cold and covered in condensation. There are a few companies that offer UPVC DG but it's virtually unheard of this far North as the sun is so strong it attacks the UPVC so shortens it's lifespan a massive amount. You can get it but it's around $1k per window. It's the same story with central heating and radiators.

A good rule of thumb for Tauranga is $100k over the RV/CV. In Auckland it's getting ridiculous and many properties are $150-200k over the RV/CV.
You can get info by googling the address and looking at qv or a similar site which will for a fee give you all the insider info about its build date, type, how much a property has sold for and when plus a whole host of risk factors. Similar to zoodle I suppose.
Lots more houses are going to auction nowadays to maximize the return for the seller and because of the chance of outsider or overseas investors. Many people from auckland are selling up and moving out this way as property is so much cheaper for them. Its worth selling a house they paid $300k for 10 years ago for $700-800k and buying a house here virtually mortgage free and just having a small city pad for work during the week.
Selling a house here is expensive. The agents charge around $30k in fees so maybe 3 times as much as in the uk. You can do it yourself for about 5% of those costs using Homesell but you do all the work yourself. You just pay them for the advertising. Easy if your house is sellable and advertised at the right price.

Going to around 4 open home's tomorrow and one on site auction just to be a bystander. Should be fun....not!


----------



## tauranga321

Totally agree about the photos. You really have to view the property and have a few drive by's to really get a feel for it. Good god you'll be wrecked after all those open houses. Funnily enough I've a golfing partner who went to over 100 in the past year in London and constantly got outbid. Hope I or you don't suffer with the same faith! However the London housing market is crazy, probably on a level even above Auckland and thats saying something!! How was the auction, I bet they are real eye openers?! 

We know of another Kiwi couple currently living in London bidding on houses in the Mount from just looking at house photos. They link up via phone and have someone doing the bidding for them. Thats a bit crazy if you ask me. So much could go wrong.

This is another house we like in the avenues. Valued at 690 but I presume will go for between 800-850. I really like the position not far from the strand but maybe its a bit too close to the city.
When Quality Counts - Realestate.co.nz

Must admit I haven't liked many houses in the Mount but do quite like this one. Again its listed at 690 but i presume as its in the Mount it will go for 900?
http://www.realestate.co.nz/2592358

P.s. hows the swing these days? Got my handicap cut to 8 yesterday after creeping back to 9, was delighted! Haha! I'm looking at the temp in Tauranga and these days its generally 12 degrees from 9am which must be prefect winter golf weather? Its much more mild than a UK winter. Reckon I'm looking forward to year round golf and the general outdoors the most about BOP living!


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Totally agree about the photos. You really have to view the property and have a few drive by's to really get a feel for it. Good god you'll be wrecked after all those open houses. Funnily enough I've a golfing partner who went to over 100 in the past year in London and constantly got outbid. Hope I or you don't suffer with the same faith! However the London housing market is crazy, probably on a level even above Auckland and thats saying something!! How was the auction, I bet they are real eye openers?!
> 
> We know of another Kiwi couple currently living in London bidding on houses in the Mount from just looking at house photos. They link up via phone and have someone doing the bidding for them. Thats a bit crazy if you ask me. So much could go wrong.
> 
> This is another house we like in the avenues. Valued at 690 but I presume will go for between 800-850. I really like the position not far from the strand but maybe its a bit too close to the city.
> When Quality Counts - Realestate.co.nz
> 
> Must admit I haven't liked many houses in the Mount but do quite like this one. Again its listed at 690 but i presume as its in the Mount it will go for 900?
> http://www.realestate.co.nz/2592358
> 
> P.s. hows the swing these days? Got my handicap cut to 8 yesterday after creeping back to 9, was delighted! Haha! I'm looking at the temp in Tauranga and these days its generally 12 degrees from 9am which must be prefect winter golf weather? Its much more mild than a UK winter. Reckon I'm looking forward to year round golf and the general outdoors the most about BOP living!


Yeah its knackering to be honest. Especially with a 4 year old who just wants to jump on everyone's bed and poop in their toilets!
It's like a military operation trying to work out the order to view as they're all on around the same time and usually only last 30 minutes.
Auction was an eye opener. There was maybe 50 people there but only one older couple bidding for it against the vendor who obviously had high expectations and a high reserve price. Bidding went up to 690k but didn't sell as the bidder refused to go any higher so that was that it goes back to the market.
The advert has now changed and the property now has an asking price of 769k!!! It'll never sell for that as it just isn't worth it. It's only 3 bed 3 garage 2 bathrooms. Was a showhome. Back garden looks out over The Lakes reserve but there's a public bridle path passes right past the rear garden so it's not private. You could make it more private by planting but then you lose the view over the reserve! It's also a triple garage which is a remnant of the showhome. Really needs converting to a 4 bed with a double garage but that'll cost at least 20k. Lovely house but we wouldn't pay more than 680k.

Insane bidding on a house over the phone from overseas that you haven't seen. Just asking for trouble. To bid at auction you also have to be unconditional so you must have 10% deposit which has to be paid ad soon as you win and you also have to have the remainder of the funds agreed from wherever that may be. You also have to have completed all the searches, got thr LIM report and maybe a builders inspection on the house you are bidding on so you are bidding knowing everything you can and need to know. Those reports alone cost over a grand!!! You don't legally have to do these checks however I'd be sure if you were getting a mortgage for the remaining balance it would be a condition of the mortgage offer just like searches and a survey is in the UK. Bidding on a property without these checks is just suicide but each to their own!

Yes the Avenues house is nice but likely to go for $800k. The Avenues is just too close to the city and Merivale for my liking.

The Mount house also nice and yes its likely to go for 850k plus. Many houses round that specific area go for a Mil or more. A mate from work lives on Oceanbeach Rd. Built a brand new house last summer here. Cost him a packet and it'll be worth over a Mil easily.

Swing is rubbish. Went today for the first time in 2 months. Just not had chance with work commitments and we've all had bad colds. Every time I've been ready to go I've had to look after the boy sick from pre-school. Last game was mid May. Was pushing everything right today and the greens frighteningly fast. Must have been coming across slightly. Pain in the arse. Must have lost 3 or 4 balls. Shot 86. Was a lot of rubbish with a few moments of magic. Not a happy bunny. Still off 8.2 which is a killer when your shooting in the 80's.
Was very cold last couple days. Maybe 2 degrees and frost but yes it does get to around 10 degrees by late morning. It was 8 degrees when I teed off today and by half way round I was too warm so taking layers off. Was a stunning blue sky and dry day. No wind. Just beautiful sun and clean fresh air. Pity I ruined it with the golf. My putter also broken which isn't helping matters. Can't fix it so need a new one. I have had it around 25 years so I'm due!
Was gonna go tomorrow also but wife told me she's home early so that's another round of practice out the window...gonna have do a few hours on the bike instead boo!!!


----------



## Mark D

Alright fella,

How is the new life in Tauranga?

Not got the time to troll through the thread LOL.

Mark


----------



## escapedtonz

Mark D said:


> Alright fella,
> 
> How is the new life in Tauranga?
> 
> Not got the time to troll through the thread LOL.
> 
> Mark


How do chief. 
Yeah all going sweet thanks. Loving the place. The weather is great and there's heaps more to do and more places to go nearby and the beach and the beach resort at The Mount is awesome. Joined a pimpin golf club only 20 mins drive. The next plan is to buy a hoose 

How about yoy? Hows the new job n life in Christchurch ?


----------



## Mark D

Busy busy.

Got my golf membership  

I worked with a guy who lives in Tauranga. 

It's been a cold winter here.

I would love to move up their.

We have considered buying too but. If I am honest I don't fancy buying unless I am building the quality is very poor for what you get. Having seen a large proportion of the homes here my eyes are fully open. 

Mark


----------



## tauranga321

Any luck with your house search?

I've heard from friends living in Tauranga also looking to buy that the market has gone a bit crazy at the moment. The Bay of Plenty news are also reporting the vast amounts of money young couples are losing getting lawyers plus housing reports on properties before going to auction each costing them roughly $700! Hope your seach has been more successful.

I've seen this amazing house pop up in Pyes Pa but it will probably go for something crazy like $1.2million or maybe I'm going over the pop on that amount.

Rising To The Occasion - Realestate.co.nz

There does seem to be a few more houses popping up in other areas too. Think we'll widen our search and include welcome bay more. 

It's finally the summer in the UK probably like your spring weather!! So finally getting out for a lot of golf


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Any luck with your house search?
> 
> I've heard from friends living in Tauranga also looking to buy that the market has gone a bit crazy at the moment. The Bay of Plenty news are also reporting the vast amounts of money young couples are losing getting lawyers plus housing reports on properties before going to auction each costing them roughly $700! Hope your seach has been more successful.
> 
> I've seen this amazing house pop up in Pyes Pa but it will probably go for something crazy like $1.2million or maybe I'm going over the pop on that amount.
> 
> Rising To The Occasion - Realestate.co.nz
> 
> There does seem to be a few more houses popping up in other areas too. Think we'll widen our search and include welcome bay more.
> 
> It's finally the summer in the UK probably like your spring weather!! So finally getting out for a lot of golf


Still ticking along. 
A few we've liked have come and gone. Been to a fair few open homes and auctions to get a grip of the market. Mostly they go for way over their RV and one or two have surprised us and gone for less than we thought and have been affordable but we aren't unconditional so unable to bid. To be a part of the auction you basically have to be ready to pay 10% deposit there and then and sign a contract with no conditions - so you can't say the offer is subject to a mortgage or a survey or anything like that as they are all conditions. As you say, if you go to auction hoping to buy a particular house you must have already done all the ground work, council searches, builders reports etc and yes these are likely to cost around $1000 each time and you've no guarantee you'll buy the house. Not really comfortable with that so unlikely we'll be buying at auction.
You must take the RV/CV with a pinch of salt as it's only a valuation for council rates purposes. Owners/Vendors rarely ask for up to date valuations as it'll mean their rates will keep going up 
The market in Bethlehem is certainly going crazy and not something we're prepared to get into. Made some bold decisions over the past couple weeks.
We'd gladly spend our highest budget on our dream home but we just can't afford our dream home in Bethlehem and in the school zone. There isn't the land anyway. We want a decent size section - at least 1/4 acre so around 1000 sq metres which is difficult to find. Average is around 500 sq metres. When you've got a 200 sq metre house on it the garden is tiny. There is a section on a new exclusive development called Waiawa off Moffat Road, Bethlehem. The smallest section 3065 sq metres is still available but the price is mid $500k!!! What the flip!!! Over half a million dollars for a piece of grass. It'll then cost around $400k to build a decent house so near a million dollars all up when you've done the garden, furniture, carpets n curtains yada yada. Just can't afford the mortgage on that. We'd be eating beans forever 
In Bethlehem we'd just about be able to afford a normal 3 or 4 bed home on a modest section in the middle of suburbia which we just don't want. We've been there and done that a few times already. We came here for a change of lifestyle so I've finally got my way and the Mrs has agreed that we do need to find something semi-rural and with a huge garden. We love it in Bethlehem but there's nothing that ticks the boxes within our price range but it remains on our searches.

The house you speak of in Pyes Pa is a beauty. Freeburn Road, Pengary Lane, Malloy Rise is a stunning exclusive development. All sections are around the 3000 sq metres plus size and up there on the hill where this property is it's all well established gardens etc. It really is stunning. Spoke to the agent last week and they are introducing potential clients to the vendors who have at least $1Million to spend however this price will not own it. As you say it is likely to go for at least $1.25Million. Now that house is our dream home in one package but again not affordable. We just need something a little smaller with a smaller section.

We have 3 properties on our list at the moment. One on Pengary Lakes Estate but that'll go for a price in the 9's most likely and although it has a 5200 sq metre section, only around 800/900 sq metres is usable. It is in a lovely spot though overlooking the lake but nah not for us as no garden to speak of.

The other two are elsewhere. We've stretched our search and found a couple of other areas that are semi-rural but offer the lifestyle but still within 10 mins of civilization so we are looking at Oropi and Ohauiti. There's an older exclusive development in Ohauiti called Boscabel which we love. Had a drive around today looking at a few properties there. We've got a couple of viewings arranged for Tuesday. One is a traditional kiwi weatherboard house on a 3000 + sq metre section which is ok but needs some tlc new kitchen/bathrooms etc and the other is kind of move in ready but on a 9000 + sq metre section and one we really like. It's a tad over our price range but with stuff that needs doing to it I'm sure we can do a deal. It's also been on the market 10 months and we are virtually cash buyers with no house to sell so we are in prime position really and the auckland set hasn't moved that far South yet 
Have to see how we get on Tuesday when we view.

Don't like Welcome Bay personally but there are some nice houses. Too far out for my work also.

Played a couple of games golf recently. Nothing spectacular shooting 4 or 5 over par for the round but just getting the swing back together and I got a new putter last week. On night shift at the moment and playing Cambridge tomorrow arvo after a few hours sleep.


----------



## escapedtonz

Awesome drive off the first at Cambridge this arvo, then bent over to mark and clean my ball on the fairway (winter rules) and BAM!!! Strained my back Aaarrrggghhh!!!
Managed a par but then had to change my swing till it eased up but Woh I wish someone would kick me in the back before every game of golf....Played out of my skin. Level par front 9 and +5 on the back 9 as it eased up so started to get cocky!!!
Best round for months


----------



## tauranga321

escapedtonz said:


> Awesome drive off the first at Cambridge this arvo, then bent over to mark and clean my ball on the fairway (winter rules) and BAM!!! Strained my back Aaarrrggghhh!!!
> Managed a par but then had to change my swing till it eased up but Woh I wish someone would kick me in the back before every game of golf....Played out of my skin. Level par front 9 and +5 on the back 9 as it eased up so started to get cocky!!!
> Best round for months


Haha!! Good stuff congrats! +5 on a course which isn't your home course is great going.

I see Cambridge GC is New Zealand's best river bed course, now that's a claim!! The club photos do make it look very nice and at only $30 that's crazy value for a round.

I'm suprised they even have clean and drop in the north of the North Island. 

Golf is a great game to level you as a person. I played well on Saturday, well to my handicap then on Sunday as the weather was gorgeous I played a quick nine thinking I would be 1 or 2 over... Big mistake played some of the worst course in the last six months.. Well that's golf for you!! Bet your itching to get out for a few tomorrow on the back of your +5!

P.s. I reply about the houses reply in the morning when I've a bit more time


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Haha!! Good stuff congrats! +5 on a course which isn't your home course is great going.
> 
> I see Cambridge GC is New Zealand's best river bed course, now that's a claim!! The club photos do make it look very nice and at only $30 that's crazy value for a round.
> 
> I'm suprised they even have clean and drop in the north of the North Island.
> 
> Golf is a great game to level you as a person. I played well on Saturday, well to my handicap then on Sunday as the weather was gorgeous I played a quick nine thinking I would be 1 or 2 over... Big mistake played some of the worst course in the last six months.. Well that's golf for you!! Bet your itching to get out for a few tomorrow on the back of your +5!
> 
> P.s. I reply about the houses reply in the morning when I've a bit more time


Yeah it was pretty good going but I have played it many times over the last few years so know it well. 
It is an awesome course. Very undulating and a true river bed course.
Normally the green fees for an affiliate member is $30 but Mondays are half price so 18 holes for $15 on a private quality course!!!

The preferred lies seems to be an NZ wide thing for winter. All courses do it and many seem to do it all year round so long as it's your fairway. My old course in Wellington had that rule all year round.
Yeah looking forward to the next game.

Off work for 4 now but supposed be going snowboarding with mates from work in a few hours after viewing a couple of the Boscabel houses which were off to in 5 mins. Weather report not good. Ski field currently closed so just hope the forecast picks up so there's a reason to go later or in the morning.

Take it easy.


----------



## escapedtonz

tauranga321 said:


> Any luck with your house search?
> 
> I've heard from friends living in Tauranga also looking to buy that the market has gone a bit crazy at the moment. The Bay of Plenty news are also reporting the vast amounts of money young couples are losing getting lawyers plus housing reports on properties before going to auction each costing them roughly $700! Hope your seach has been more successful.
> 
> I've seen this amazing house pop up in Pyes Pa but it will probably go for something crazy like $1.2million or maybe I'm going over the pop on that amount.
> 
> Rising To The Occasion - Realestate.co.nz
> 
> There does seem to be a few more houses popping up in other areas too. Think we'll widen our search and include welcome bay more.
> 
> It's finally the summer in the UK probably like your spring weather!! So finally getting out for a lot of golf


Found our alrernative dream home in Boscabel, Ohauiti!!! Nowhere near as spectacular as the Pyes Pa house but considering that'll go for well over a $1 Million it's way out of our reach.

This one just not on as grand a scale. A more modest house but on a bigger section overall. Its a bit dated being 13 years old but nothing offensive and it's a well looked after brick home. Needs some minor updating like fresh kitchen, new bathroom suite and some heat pumps but has heaps of potential for the future to make it bigger by developing the double garage and building a detached one away from the house maybe even with a sleepout and the section is huge at over 9000 Sq Metres. The section is also really diverse and so interesting having loads of different levels and walkways etc with well established trees shrubs flowers and fruit trees. Theres also a pond and a stream runs through it which is maintained by the council as its a storm water route. Proper kids adventure garden. We love it.
Gonna be spending some time now working out how much things will cost to do our desired renovations so we can decide on an offer.
The owners are also apparantly desperate to move due to family reasons and have been trying to get rid for like 10 months. Agent says there's defo a deal to be had as they'll more than likely accept anything reasonable. Just have to work out what that's gonna be.


----------



## eddy5

*Eddya*

Hi guys,

Just a quick update as the original poster here of what happened. 

Found a great place in the mount, close to the beach, quite close to Bayfair. 

It was too expensive for me any closer to the mount. 

Went to auction and was successful. Was tough though and at the time (6 months ago) I felt I may have paid too much. It was right at the limit of my budget. Luckily now it is looking like a bargain and a decent investment. 

Anyway loving life here and could't be happier.

Thanks for all the advice along the way. Great forum.


----------



## escapedtonz

eddy5 said:


> Hi guys,
> 
> Just a quick update as the original poster here of what happened.
> 
> Found a great place in the mount, close to the beach, quite close to Bayfair.
> 
> It was too expensive for me any closer to the mount.
> 
> Went to auction and was successful. Was tough though and at the time (6 months ago) I felt I may have paid too much. It was right at the limit of my budget. Luckily now it is looking like a bargain and a decent investment.
> 
> Anyway loving life here and could't be happier.
> 
> Thanks for all the advice along the way. Great forum.


Hey congratulations. Tauranga is an awesome place to live.


----------

