Auckland - Post Report Question and Answers
What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
We have a very nice, sunny apartment in Parnell, about 30 minutes walk or 15 minutes direct bus to the US Consulate. People without kids are usually in apartments a little closer in, while families will be in larger houses slightly farther out. The post is small, and therefore, the Consulate often has to find a new housing for arriving officers if they don't match up to the household size as those departing. The housing pool changes often but the local staff do a great job of finding nice places with public transit options to work (there's a decent network of buses and trains and the Consulate is right across from the city's main transit hub). There is limited parking at the office that is allocated by a parking pool sign up so those who want to drive will usually get a spot a few times a month. One quirk of housing in Auckland is that it often does not have any kind of central heating or cooling so you'll be using portable units for both, which are not terribly effective. Expect your house to be colder than you're used to in winter and hotter in summer. Post has very little storage so they won't remove embassy-provided furniture from your house and storage in apartments is somewhat limited. Otherwise, housing is very nice. - Jun 2019
The central city is dominated by apartments, although houses start within 20 minutes' walk of the city centre. The majority of Auckland is low rise - one- or two-storey detached houses. Newer developments have seen terraced housing and high density housing developed. Traffic can be quite severe if you are driving into the city from the North Shore or South Auckland. There is only one harbour bridge from the North Shore. There are many ferries, though. It's worth noting that it is very difficult to live anywhere other than the city centre without your own car. - Feb 2015
Homes with small or no yards. It is a 15 to 30 minute commute, which can be much longer depending on where you live. - Apr 2012
Very varied. I've seem some huge ones with spectacular views of the harbor, and I've seen moderately sized ones with views of their neighbor's back yard. Yards are very small and houseing is poorly insulated. - Jul 2011
Housing design varies dramatically on every street. You can have what appears to be a castle on a street right next to a 2BR flat. Again, zoning laws seems to be non-existent. Commute time can be anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour, depending on where you live. Traffic on Auckland's motorways is horrible during peak hours. There are trains but they are very unreliable. - Mar 2010
