Just another thought! If you haven't come across these guys - Eis On New Zealand -you could check out their channel. They're Americans about your age and been in NZ about the same amount of time I think. They're living in Christchurch. Cheers!
Anika Moa, The Mutton Birds, The Exponents, The Dudes, DD Smash, Dave Dobyn, Hello Sailor...classics off the top of my head. These go back a few decades.
Nelson area has most of that. Tends to be one of the sunniest areas. Nice beaches close. The sounds arnt to far off. Kaikoura not far off and it has everything you need but isn't a big city.
New Plymouth, hands down. Sunshine capital of New Zealand for the past 2 years and leading for a 3rd! Go skiing in the morning and surfing in the afternoon. It's got it all, beaches, parks, the mountain and the national park on your doorstep. Good schools, a thriving arts scene. I moved here from Wellington and I absolutely love it here. Small enough to have that community feel, but big enough to get lost in.
Waikanae On the Kapiti Coast, 50 minutes north of Wellington. Lovely community, warm weather, excellent schools, with native bush from the mountain down river to the sea.
Not sure about work but for real estate, family, things to do, good size town and scenery....I love live Lake Taupo. Surprised Lorde wasn't on your list as she was really famous all over the world for a while.
I actually think that the Western Bay of Plenty ticks a lot of boxes: good climate, good beaches, good connections, not too many earthquakes, fairly affluent, etc. We live in Cambridge, which is nice too, except we are about an hour from the nearest beach.
Wow! That's a BIG question! And one with no "right" answer. I'm born and bred in Christchurch so I have a bias there I guess. And definitely biased to the South Island. You may know that the South Island is roughly two thirds of the total country by area but only has about 25% of the population. I'm not even sure it has crossed the one million mark yet! Which means generally a lot less people where ever you go, particularly when you head out of town! I notice it in particular when taking a road trip. It is (comparatively) rare to be on a North Island road without another car in sight. That is common in the SI. So Christchurch (Chch) has about 400,000 people and I think it's the second biggest city in NZ - although Wellington may dispute that! However, I live at Rolleston, about 25km from the CBD and Rolleston is about 25,000 people. Advantages of Chch - good climate, easy to get to beaches or mountains, good facilities, schools, etc, cheaper house prices than the other bigger centres. It's mainly flat (which can be good or bad) but there are the the Port Hills (Bank Peninsular) right close to town with some houses actually on the slopes, and that means it's a great recreational area. Right that's Chch, but the place I would probably "chose" to live, presuming you want a reasonable size place with all the normal facilities that cities have, is Dunedin. Population about 120,000 although that's probably just during the academic year because I believe there's around 20,000 students going to Otago University. I'll leave you to check out the advantages/disadvantages of Dunedin but it's worth looking at. I think Tauranga is now bigger than Dunedin. As to safety, I don't think you have to be concerned too much in any NZ city, although most of them will probably have bad areas. But from what I've heard people from overseas talking about safety, particularly Americans, I don't think there's many areas in NZ that you might consider unsafe. I just heard today an English woman being amazed that most schools here are left open outside school hours so that people can use their playgrounds, sports grounds, etc. She said that didn't generally happen in the UK. Anyway, that's enough for now. If you can find a small town close enough to a big(er) city to be able to access the city's facilities that might be the best option. PS: I notice a few people saying Chch is cold. Depends what you're used to I guess, and logically the further south you go it will get colder. But the other side of that is humidity. Auckland is definitely warmer than Chch but it is also wetter so you get a lot of humidity. Chch is drier and I've heard it said it has a Mediterranean type climate - not that I'd know if that is true or not.
Christchurch is a pretty good place to live. I grew up there now live in a small town in the Selwyn area approx 25 to 30 minutes. from Christchurch and drive into the city to work each day. Close to the mountains, rivers and not far to a beach The weather can be cold in winter but we've also had some nice warm days this year. Generally Pretty good in summer. There are so many great places to live in NZ. Just depends what you're looking for really.
The hauraki plains north east waikato ngatea thames coromandel all on back door step from there most places only 1 to 2 hours drive away like tauranga Hamilton auckland
Kāpiti Coast ❤️. It's not too far from Wellington, you have the choice of a few towns to choose from. (Paekakariki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Te Horo, Otaki) Great variety of parks for kids, fabulous art scene, lovely beaches. Loads of wildlife, nature reserves. Early childhood centres, primary schools and secondary schools.
You're going to find all that pretty much anywhere in New Zealand. I was born and bred in Auckland but have lived in several places around New Zealand and even in the States (Kansas). I divorced in my mid 30s with four young children and I wanted to go somewhere out of Auckland, that I could raise them away from the rat race, so moved to Whangaparaoa. It is about 30 mins north of Auckland. While Orewa itself it built up, if you go up the peninsula it is just like was when my kids grew up. Beaches everywhere, safe, close community but Auckland close if you need it. My youngest son has just moved back there to raise his family. A few minutes walk to the beach and my 18 month grandson has Manly Beach for his backyard playground.
I actually think you are already there, it’s got a fantastic climate and lots to do. Further south the winter becomes gruesome. If your ok with cold then the suburbs north of Christchurch
Other music option is an app called ROVA .has all the main radio stations on it. I live in Marlborough and unless you like wine and cycling it sucks here. We are looking to relocate to selwyn just outside of Christchurch city.lots of stuff to do close down there . Just a bit cooler being closer to snow
Yeah I would say Wellington maybe if you don't like Auckland it's a bias suggestion only because I was born there and grew up there I'm sure there are a lot of other options in NZ that maybe more appealing ! I read once an Aussie described Wellington had a country feel with amenities of a city or something to that affect so but anyway it's a lovely hilly city near the sea. surrounded by mountain ranges and a hop skip and a jump to the south island if you so desire meaning not far just a ferry trip or a plane ! The weather factor could dampen enthusiasm sometimes but like they say you can't beat Wellington on a good day 🙂
Wellington is definitely my suggestion. I'm a Wellingtonian but moved to Hastings 10 years ago. I would move back in a heartbeat if it were practical. All the benefits of living in a city but on a much smaller, more practical scale compared to Auckland
Other bands thats have similar vibe to six60 L.A.B Coterie Mako road Kora Masaya Sticky fingers (australian) Ocean alley (australian) Also i live in the mount😜🤙🏽
Plenty of good suggestions being made and zeroing in on Tauranga in the first instance was a pretty decent choice to be honest, lots of Aucklanders have moved there , better climate, big but not too big etc. One thing to consider with many of the small town suggestions is proximity to specialist hospital services - thinking of your kids here you just won’t find them in the small or medium sized towns. Auckland has the Starship hospital which is a specialist children’s facility. I noted somebody suggested Whangaparaoa - close to all facilities and some of Auckland best regional parks, good schools , sheltered safe beaches, handy to two good shopping areas , Silverdale and Orewa , beach views - well worth considering .
It all depends on what you're looking for really. I live on the same side of the island as you (though a wee bit south-east - Gisborne). Each part of New Zealand has it's pros and cons and some people who do not live in ones city/town may have bias/anti-bias opinions towards towns/cities due to media coverage. I can't speak on a family basis so I can't literally pick up, pack up and off and start fresh anywhere. As an aside, regarding the first video... I note you mentioned some sports were recreational which is true... however they are also competitive sports here in New Zealand (there are a lot of National competitions for most of the recreational sports as well as Pan-Pacific competitions and sometimes can lead to international comps). I'm sure the people in the other comments have cool recommends. Tauranga/Papamoa/The Mount is a good place. Not my cuppa personally but my hometown is an acquired taste lol. Cool series though. See you next video (missed the second one because I forgot to turn notifications on)
Warmer weather options...whangarei, with all of northland nearby, Napier or hastings also brilliant. If winter sports are your thing then either taupe or somewhere in South island
The ENZ in Split ENZ is pronounced "Endz" and half of that group were half of Crowded House after Split Enz disbanded. I'm sure Benee is "Benny" as I've heard that name. I'm 61 so I'm into the older stuff and now nothing else about Benee. I'm from South Auckland so the best I can do with your question is answer pretty much anywhere in New Zealand.
Practically anywhere in small town NZ. For a small city places, like Taupo or Whangarei are hard to fault. Similarly most small town NZ has its attractions. If you want a warm climate with truly spectacular coastal amenities than you can't really go past the bay of Islands, paihia ( which is literally a contraction of the moari word Pai, which loosely means good, and the English word here, go figure) or the far north ...
from an Old Timey migrant (came here in '95) ... here's a list of Kiwi music, some Aust ones that I have found quite listenable (mostly rock / punk / grunge / easy listening) as well as still being popular here ... - Shihad/Pacifier - Crowded House - The Exponents - Blindspott - Elemeno P - The Feelers - Fur Patrol - Gin Wigmore - Goldenhorse - Goodshirt - Kimbra - Lorde - Stellar (headed by Bic's sister, Boh Runga *Roo-nga*) - Stereogram (White Trash video is really funny/cool) - Strawpeople - Supergroove - Tadpole - Zed ofcourse ... AC/DC ... here's a full list if you want ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_musicians
North Island = Whangarei, New Plymouth, Napier. South Island = Nelson, Akaroa, Timaru, Oamaru, Hokitika. My personal preference would be as far north as possible for mild winters. There's lots to see and do in Northland and Whangarei puts you within close proximity.
I wouldnt really rule any place out that fits the size you are looking for. Smaller coastal towns can either be really wealthy or more on the impoverished side, but the mid sized towns are all beautiful and safe in the grand scheme of things. You specifically mentioned beaches, but may I suggest dont rule out inland towns. They can meet all of your requirements (I live in Matamata, which I love) but are never more than an hour or so from a beach and bigger city if you feel like shopping.
Well that's really a hard one due to the fact that you'll find safety in most places in compared to American But if you're looking for small town cities not far from a beach there's Whakatane, Napier/Hastings, Gisborne, Coromandel region, Nelson, New Plymouth, there's also a lot of lakeside places too I'm sure a lot of other people might add to this list too 😊
Ah! That’s my fault. People did mention Lorde but I forgot to talk about her in the video. I dropped the ball on that one. She is certainly very popular and I had no idea that she was from New Zealand till you all mentioned her!
To be honest, you guys did pretty well by choosing Papamoa from the US. But other places of interest would be Gisborne and Napier in the North Island. Nelson and Timaru in the South Island
If you can afford the middle of Auckland, it IS the best place to live. But in my opinion go to Christchurch, schooling is really good, thousands of brand new homes (great compared to normal NZ), cheap rent. Although it can get very cold down there, and you won’t get a huge amount of the beach days you talk about.
Christchurch can actually have wicked summers, day after day after day of heat and very little rain. But the winters are very cold and dreary and they last a good 6 months really... all the other things mentioned here are the absolute drawcards for Christchurch but there are also many stunning beaches and proximity to other South Island destinations is amazing. In saying all that, we moved from Chch to the Western Bay of Plenty 4 years ago and are absolutely in love with our new home, we never want to leave.
Find a CZcams channel of kiwi music. Flying Nun, the record company has a channel. Trinity Roots and Holly Smith are whole levels of mind blowing. The Chills are always a favourite.
Just another thought! If you haven't come across these guys - Eis On New Zealand -you could check out their channel. They're Americans about your age and been in NZ about the same amount of time I think. They're living in Christchurch. Cheers!
Anika Moa, The Mutton Birds, The Exponents, The Dudes, DD Smash, Dave Dobyn, Hello Sailor...classics off the top of my head. These go back a few decades.
Wellington... Great food, Family friendly, Best Education, Can't beat it on a good day ;)
Nelson area has most of that. Tends to be one of the sunniest areas. Nice beaches close. The sounds arnt to far off. Kaikoura not far off and it has everything you need but isn't a big city.
L.A.B is awesome too and from Tauranga
Huh I live here and never knew that
Oh one more thing, I think you guys should check out Kaiate Falls. Not that far from paps (papamoa)
New Plymouth, hands down. Sunshine capital of New Zealand for the past 2 years and leading for a 3rd! Go skiing in the morning and surfing in the afternoon. It's got it all, beaches, parks, the mountain and the national park on your doorstep. Good schools, a thriving arts scene. I moved here from Wellington and I absolutely love it here. Small enough to have that community feel, but big enough to get lost in.
Waikanae
On the Kapiti Coast, 50 minutes north of Wellington.
Lovely community, warm weather, excellent schools, with native bush from the mountain down river to the sea.
Not sure about work but for real estate, family, things to do, good size town and scenery....I love live Lake Taupo. Surprised Lorde wasn't on your list as she was really famous all over the world for a while.
I actually think that the Western Bay of Plenty ticks a lot of boxes: good climate, good beaches, good connections, not too many earthquakes, fairly affluent, etc. We live in Cambridge, which is nice too, except we are about an hour from the nearest beach.
Wow! That's a BIG question! And one with no "right" answer. I'm born and bred in Christchurch so I have a bias there I guess. And definitely biased to the South Island. You may know that the South Island is roughly two thirds of the total country by area but only has about 25% of the population. I'm not even sure it has crossed the one million mark yet! Which means generally a lot less people where ever you go, particularly when you head out of town! I notice it in particular when taking a road trip. It is (comparatively) rare to be on a North Island road without another car in sight. That is common in the SI.
So Christchurch (Chch) has about 400,000 people and I think it's the second biggest city in NZ - although Wellington may dispute that! However, I live at Rolleston, about 25km from the CBD and Rolleston is about 25,000 people. Advantages of Chch - good climate, easy to get to beaches or mountains, good facilities, schools, etc, cheaper house prices than the other bigger centres. It's mainly flat (which can be good or bad) but there are the the Port Hills (Bank Peninsular) right close to town with some houses actually on the slopes, and that means it's a great recreational area.
Right that's Chch, but the place I would probably "chose" to live, presuming you want a reasonable size place with all the normal facilities that cities have, is Dunedin. Population about 120,000 although that's probably just during the academic year because I believe there's around 20,000 students going to Otago University. I'll leave you to check out the advantages/disadvantages of Dunedin but it's worth looking at. I think Tauranga is now bigger than Dunedin.
As to safety, I don't think you have to be concerned too much in any NZ city, although most of them will probably have bad areas. But from what I've heard people from overseas talking about safety, particularly Americans, I don't think there's many areas in NZ that you might consider unsafe. I just heard today an English woman being amazed that most schools here are left open outside school hours so that people can use their playgrounds, sports grounds, etc. She said that didn't generally happen in the UK.
Anyway, that's enough for now. If you can find a small town close enough to a big(er) city to be able to access the city's facilities that might be the best option.
PS: I notice a few people saying Chch is cold. Depends what you're used to I guess, and logically the further south you go it will get colder. But the other side of that is humidity. Auckland is definitely warmer than Chch but it is also wetter so you get a lot of humidity. Chch is drier and I've heard it said it has a Mediterranean type climate - not that I'd know if that is true or not.
Christchurch is a pretty good place to live. I grew up there now live in a small town in the Selwyn area approx 25 to 30 minutes. from Christchurch and drive into the city to work each day.
Close to the mountains, rivers and not far to a beach The weather can be cold in winter but we've also had some nice warm days this year. Generally
Pretty good in summer.
There are so many great places to live in NZ. Just depends what you're looking for really.
The hauraki plains north east waikato ngatea thames coromandel all on back door step from there most places only 1 to 2 hours drive away like tauranga Hamilton auckland
Wow you really have looked into the local music a lot! Kudos
Kāpiti Coast ❤️. It's not too far from Wellington, you have the choice of a few towns to choose from. (Paekakariki, Paraparaumu, Waikanae, Te Horo, Otaki) Great variety of parks for kids, fabulous art scene, lovely beaches. Loads of wildlife, nature reserves. Early childhood centres, primary schools and secondary schools.
Cromwell South Island, beach, lakes, wineries, views and it’s a mean Māori mean place to stay, close to Queenstown/Wanaka and in winter it snows 🤌🏾💯
You're going to find all that pretty much anywhere in New Zealand. I was born and bred in Auckland but have lived in several places around New Zealand and even in the States (Kansas). I divorced in my mid 30s with four young children and I wanted to go somewhere out of Auckland, that I could raise them away from the rat race, so moved to Whangaparaoa. It is about 30 mins north of Auckland. While Orewa itself it built up, if you go up the peninsula it is just like was when my kids grew up. Beaches everywhere, safe, close community but Auckland close if you need it. My youngest son has just moved back there to raise his family. A few minutes walk to the beach and my 18 month grandson has Manly Beach for his backyard playground.
I actually think you are already there, it’s got a fantastic climate and lots to do. Further south the winter becomes gruesome. If your ok with cold then the suburbs north of Christchurch
Other music option is an app called ROVA .has all the main radio stations on it. I live in Marlborough and unless you like wine and cycling it sucks here. We are looking to relocate to selwyn just outside of Christchurch city.lots of stuff to do close down there . Just a bit cooler being closer to snow
Yeah I would say Wellington maybe if you don't like Auckland it's a bias suggestion only because I was born there and grew up there I'm sure there are a lot of other options in NZ that maybe more appealing !
I read once an Aussie described Wellington had a country feel with amenities of a city or something to that affect so but anyway it's a lovely hilly city near the sea. surrounded by mountain ranges and a hop skip and a jump to the south island if you so desire meaning not far just a ferry trip or a plane !
The weather factor could dampen enthusiasm sometimes but like they say you can't beat Wellington on a good day 🙂
The only beach suburb of any note and perfect for families in the best city in New Zealand is Sumner in Christchurch.
Wellington is definitely my suggestion. I'm a Wellingtonian but moved to Hastings 10 years ago. I would move back in a heartbeat if it were practical. All the benefits of living in a city but on a much smaller, more practical scale compared to Auckland
Other bands thats have similar vibe to six60
L.A.B
Coterie
Mako road
Kora
Masaya
Sticky fingers (australian)
Ocean alley (australian)
Also i live in the mount😜🤙🏽
Plenty of good suggestions being made and zeroing in on Tauranga in the first instance was a pretty decent choice to be honest, lots of Aucklanders have moved there , better climate, big but not too big etc. One thing to consider with many of the small town suggestions is proximity to specialist hospital services - thinking of your kids here you just won’t find them in the small or medium sized towns. Auckland has the Starship hospital which is a specialist children’s facility. I noted somebody suggested Whangaparaoa - close to all facilities and some of Auckland best regional parks, good schools , sheltered safe beaches, handy to two good shopping areas , Silverdale and Orewa , beach views - well worth considering .
Yeah its friken annoying tool, they're bringing all there bad habits down here with them lol
It all depends on what you're looking for really. I live on the same side of the island as you (though a wee bit south-east - Gisborne). Each part of New Zealand has it's pros and cons and some people who do not live in ones city/town may have bias/anti-bias opinions towards towns/cities due to media coverage. I can't speak on a family basis so I can't literally pick up, pack up and off and start fresh anywhere.
As an aside, regarding the first video... I note you mentioned some sports were recreational which is true... however they are also competitive sports here in New Zealand (there are a lot of National competitions for most of the recreational sports as well as Pan-Pacific competitions and sometimes can lead to international comps).
I'm sure the people in the other comments have cool recommends. Tauranga/Papamoa/The Mount is a good place. Not my cuppa personally but my hometown is an acquired taste lol.
Cool series though. See you next video (missed the second one because I forgot to turn notifications on)
Napier. New Plymouth. Nelson.
Mangawhai/Warkwork if you want warmer, and smaller.
Papamoa is pretty good.
Warmer weather options...whangarei, with all of northland nearby, Napier or hastings also brilliant. If winter sports are your thing then either taupe or somewhere in South island
The ENZ in Split ENZ is pronounced "Endz" and half of that group were half of Crowded House after Split Enz disbanded. I'm sure Benee is "Benny" as I've heard that name. I'm 61 so I'm into the older stuff and now nothing else about Benee. I'm from South Auckland so the best I can do with your question is answer pretty much anywhere in New Zealand.
What's wrong with where you are?
You have some of the best weather in NZ.
Personally I love Hawkes Bay as the weather is great there also.
Your probably already there bro. Depends on the definition of what you want and what your idea of perfect is i guess.
Nelson
Also I think Papamoa was an amazing choice to land.
Love Stan Walkers Tennessee Whisky version❤
Practically anywhere in small town NZ. For a small city places, like Taupo or Whangarei are hard to fault. Similarly most small town NZ has its attractions. If you want a warm climate with truly spectacular coastal amenities than you can't really go past the bay of Islands, paihia ( which is literally a contraction of the moari word Pai, which loosely means good, and the English word here, go figure) or the far north ...
from an Old Timey migrant (came here in '95) ... here's a list of Kiwi music, some Aust ones that I have found quite listenable (mostly rock / punk / grunge / easy listening) as well as still being popular here ...
- Shihad/Pacifier
- Crowded House
- The Exponents
- Blindspott
- Elemeno P
- The Feelers
- Fur Patrol
- Gin Wigmore
- Goldenhorse
- Goodshirt
- Kimbra
- Lorde
- Stellar (headed by Bic's sister, Boh Runga *Roo-nga*)
- Stereogram (White Trash video is really funny/cool)
- Strawpeople
- Supergroove
- Tadpole
- Zed
ofcourse ... AC/DC ...
here's a full list if you want ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Zealand_musicians
My fav is Bliss from the Dudes
Ah enz is a contraction of the word ends
Napier or Nelson!
Also Evermore for an amazing NZ band
North Island = Whangarei, New Plymouth, Napier. South Island = Nelson, Akaroa, Timaru, Oamaru, Hokitika. My personal preference would be as far north as possible for mild winters. There's lots to see and do in Northland and Whangarei puts you within close proximity.
Whangarei has half the population of Tauranga
I wouldnt really rule any place out that fits the size you are looking for. Smaller coastal towns can either be really wealthy or more on the impoverished side, but the mid sized towns are all beautiful and safe in the grand scheme of things. You specifically mentioned beaches, but may I suggest dont rule out inland towns. They can meet all of your requirements (I live in Matamata, which I love) but are never more than an hour or so from a beach and bigger city if you feel like shopping.
Well that's really a hard one due to the fact that you'll find safety in most places in compared to American
But if you're looking for small town cities not far from a beach there's Whakatane, Napier/Hastings, Gisborne, Coromandel region, Nelson, New Plymouth, there's also a lot of lakeside places too I'm sure a lot of other people might add to this list too 😊
Flight of the Concords. Lorde. Funny no one mentioned the biggest selling NZ artists in the USA.
Kimbra too.
Ah! That’s my fault. People did mention Lorde but I forgot to talk about her in the video. I dropped the ball on that one. She is certainly very popular and I had no idea that she was from New Zealand till you all mentioned her!
LORD FEMAIE SINGER
To be honest, you guys did pretty well by choosing Papamoa from the US. But other places of interest would be Gisborne and Napier in the North Island. Nelson and Timaru in the South Island
If you can afford the middle of Auckland, it IS the best place to live. But in my opinion go to Christchurch, schooling is really good, thousands of brand new homes (great compared to normal NZ), cheap rent. Although it can get very cold down there, and you won’t get a huge amount of the beach days you talk about.
Christchurch can actually have wicked summers, day after day after day of heat and very little rain. But the winters are very cold and dreary and they last a good 6 months really... all the other things mentioned here are the absolute drawcards for Christchurch but there are also many stunning beaches and proximity to other South Island destinations is amazing. In saying all that, we moved from Chch to the Western Bay of Plenty 4 years ago and are absolutely in love with our new home, we never want to leave.
Everyone dishing out the old as music.
Find a CZcams channel of kiwi music. Flying Nun, the record company has a channel. Trinity Roots and Holly Smith are whole levels of mind blowing. The Chills are always a favourite.