Roller derby Pirate Kristain Midgely enjoys the quiet treelined streets, estuarine environment and community feel of Conifer Grove. She talks to Elisabeth Easther.
I'll have lived in Conifer Grove for six years this September. I had been living in Papatoetoe but circumstances meant I had to move. Luckily, at the same time, my cousin and her husband were off to Perth to live and work. I needed a house and they needed a tenant, and here I still am. I'd always been envious of the area, because it's just really beautiful. No two houses are the same, these days in subdivisions, all the houses look the same, you open your door and your neighbours are right there, but Conifer Grove is quite the opposite.
It's spacious and everything's very green. I think the area started being developed in the late 1960s to 1970s and bits of the 80s too. I remember it was the place to be back in the 80s, it was the up and coming suburb, the quaint little place on the side of Takanini. From here it's about 25 minutes up the Southern Motorway to Auckland City, Manukau is just 10 minutes away, then there's the Papakura town centre which is five minutes in the opposite direction. And we have the train stations - it's five to 10 minutes walk to the Takanini train stop, which is on main trunk line, and the Southern Motorway is right behind us. There are stops for Manurewa and Papakura, we're very well connected.
One thing I love about the area is there are so many beautiful trees, every street has greenery, In my backyard we get quite a few tuis, and a lot of chatter in the trees. Also, all the properties are well cared for, and there's a nice community feel. I love the walks, the wonderful paths along the mangroves, and the little estuary areas where kids can paddle, dogs can swim, and kayakers can pop their boats in.
There are also lots of playgrounds and big open reserves next to the water, so lots for families to do. There's lots of sport too.
