Reality Check: Pauanui - What you can get for your money

Mention Pauanui and many people imagine flash houses and elite living. Ask the people who live there and they will say it's not like that at all.

Yes, there are some magnificent homes but there are also houses that were built 30 years ago when Pauanui was first developed, and it still has houses of all descriptions and prices. A two-bedroom Lockwood with a sleepout is currently for sale for a very reasonable $459,000, while a family size holiday home with a new kitchen and bathroom is $529,000. For those with flying on their mind or wanting a quick commute, a house on the edge of the airfield located in the heart of Pauanui will be auctioned on October 23, where interest is expected above $650,000. A four-bedroom waterways apartment right on the canal is for sale at $849,000. If you're looking for beachfront with 180-degree views, a five-bedroom, design and build Lockwood is for sale by tender closing October 31. Interest is expected above $3 million.

Pauanui has a permanent population of around 900, a weekend population of 1800 and during the summer holidays it jumps dramatically to more than 12,000.

A cleverly designed town, it is built on the flat with a couple of main roads sprouting culs-de-sac and avenues . Parks, reserves and walkways intermingle with million dollar houses and basic kiwi holiday homes, making walking through the town an interesting pastime.

The homes are well tended, the gardens are tidy and creative. The people who live here full-time love it - and it shows. Many families have been holidaying in Pauanui for years. Now it is the turn of the second and third generation to bring their families.

It was built to make the most of its location with streets and houses facing the long east coast ocean beach, Tairua Harbour and estuary to the west, and now the waterways. Access to the islands off the coast are only a short boat trip away.

Pauanui grew up with major input from the Pauanui Sports & Recreation Club, so has become quite community oriented. The club is the centre for many sports and activities that the permanent population enjoys throughout the year and which the holiday crowd slot into when they come to town. There are also two golf courses in town and a new 18-hole international standard course minutes out of town.

The Pauanui Primary School has a roll of 83 (age 5 to 13) and the children then go to Thames High School, Whangamata or boarding school. Thames is 40 minutes' drive away, Auckland 90 minutes and Tairua just a 10-minute ferry ride.

The small shopping centre caters for the permanent population and has developed its range to cater for the city tastes of the holiday crowd. You can get a decent coffee, takeaways or a sit down meal, or buy your own food at the supermarket. There are also a couple of shops if you feel the need for some retail therapy.

It is a quiet, relaxed place with a slower pace - perfect to unwind before heading back to the other world.

For enquiries about any of the houses mentioned, contact Richardsons Real Estate, ph 07 864 8607.