Blockhouse Bay

Including Wesley, New Windsor and Lynfield

This may be a fairly low-profile part of the city but Blockhouse Bay offers some hidden treasures in terms of lifestyle. Sitting on the southern edge of the Manukau Harbour, many houses have outstanding sea views. Lynfield is on a point of land which means there is no through traffic.

This area has traditionally been a suburb for middle-class Pakeha families but it's now home to a mix of nationalities, including Fijian Indians and Asian immigrants. Popular with first home buyers and investors, the area has many young families who move here for the numerous schools. Many owner-occupiers are 30-plus and consider Blockhouse Bay a good stepping stone to more central suburbs. Lynfield College's strong reputation attracts education-conscious migrants.

The most common houses in this area are weatherboard bungalows built between 25 and 35 years ago. There are also a number of brick and tile homes.

There is some terrace housing at the bottom of Blockhouse Bay. Infill housing is common, typically with an older bungalow on the front section, and a 10- or 20-year-old house at the rear.

Amenities: The area is well served with schools, including the esteemed Lynfield College.

The Blockhouse Bay shopping centre has a village atmosphere, with about 20 shops. Lynfield has a modern shopping complex including several new fast food outlets and a supermarket.

Local sporting amenities include excellent parks, a skateboard park, an ice skating rink, a tennis centre, and the recently refurbished Blockhouse Bay Boat Club, bowling clubs and rugby clubs. On a cultural note, there is a good library and many artistic and creative events take place throughout the year. It's possible to swim at Blockhouse Bay and Wattle Bay and there are beautiful parks with children's play areas nearby. The region is well supplied with parks, including Craigavon, Avondale South Domain, Manukau Domain and Wattle Bay Reserve.

The restaurant and cafe scene is improving in Blockhouse Bay village.

Trends: The area has a reasonably high turnover of properties but gone are the days when nine out of 10 properties sold above vendors' expectations, although prices are still buoyant. The area has many long-term Kiwi owners who tend to be very stable. By contrast, immigrant families often buy and sell to consolidate their equity. Anything larger than 750sq m is snapped up for its subdivision potential. Properties near the new motorway extension in New Windsor are taking longer to sell.

Rental and investment: This is a high rental area, but the range of prices is relatively small.

Best streets: Gilfillan Street, Mitchell Street, Endeavour Street and the seaward end of Blockhouse Bay Road.