'Bye traffic, hello leisure lifestyle

A BETTER LIFE: Marina Parshikova moved to Tauranga from Auckland with her family in February 2015 for a more appealing lifestyle. PHOTO/JOHN BORREN

Aucklanders in search of a better lifestyle are finding it in the Bay of Plenty, new figures show.

New Zealand Post statistics show 406 households requested a postal redirection from Auckland to Tauranga or the Western Bay of Plenty in the past six months. That was an increase of 40 per cent on the previous six months when 290 households had their mail redirected.

The number of Aucklanders moving to the Bay of Plenty had been steadily increasing, with 270 mail redirections between October 2015 to March 2015 and 265 between October 2013 to March 2014.

Last December proved to be the most popular month by far for mail redistribution between Auckland and Tauranga/Western Bay of Plenty, with a total of 97 households, with the next highest being 68 in February.

However, a spokesperson from New Zealand Post said the mail redirection requests might understate the number of people relocating to the Bay.

"In reality this increase may be even higher as not all people moving use this service," they said.

Marina Parshikova moved to Tauranga from Auckland with her family in February 2015 because of the lifestyle and to have "more family time".

They first lived in Welcome Bay before moving to Pyes Pa, both times building each house.

"We feel so blessed to move here after 12 years in Auckland," Mrs Parshikova said.

A former fulltime industrial chemist, Mrs Parshikova said her husband, a builder, had "no problem finding a job" in Tauranga.

The move had cut commuting times, and they were able to enjoy family and outdoor activities "before the kids grow and we become old".

"We worked hard to earn a house and to sell and invest into Tauranga's market," Mrs Parshikova said.

"It's a great place."

Harcourts joint managing director Nigel Martin said they have "definitely" seen the increase of people from Auckland moving to Tauranga.

He said there was a strain on rental properties, which had not increased in response to the shortage, but the number of houses on the market had "remained steady".

Mr Martin said he had also seen a lot of locals buying and selling due to the low interest rates.

"It's roughly 60 per cent of the local market and 40 per cent from Auckland and out of town," Mr Martin said.

When asked what the attraction of the Bay of Plenty was for Aucklanders he said, "it's pretty obvious".

"It's affordable, close to Auckland and a great place to live."

He said the people moving from Auckland were a "real mixture, not just one demographic".