Howick: An exclusive extract

This area was popular with Dutch and English immigrants in the 1950s and 1960s, and it has long had more exotic foods on offer than other, more staunchly Kiwi areas. More recently, the immigrants have been South African and Asian.

There's a strong sense of community with many established families with older children. Not all of the youngsters move out of the area - there's certainly a good percentage of young professionals and students living near the town centre. When they're ready to settle down and raise a family, they'll often strive to buy in the area. Boat clubs are very active here as it's a great spot for weekend sailors. And as you'd expect, around the waterfront properties, you'll find some folk with fairly deep pockets.

Howick's gradual development over many decades has resulted in a vibrant mix of architectural styles. There are century-old cottages and villas, but the majority are mid-20th-century brick-and-tile or weatherboard homes. The influx of Asian buyers has meant that many of the homes built in the past decade have Botany Downs-style features such as plaster exteriors, double-height porticos and pillars.

A heritage zone has been imposed on the seaward side of Bleakhouse Rd, which means the sections can't be smaller than 1400sq m. In other areas, large sections have succumbed to in-fill housing, particularly in the Macleans College zone.

Amenities The high quality of the local schools is a matter of pride around here. Macleans College is particularly admired.

Howick Village has a wide range of shops, with more than 100 owner-operated stores. The footpaths are wide, making this pleasant mainstreet shopping for pedestrians.

The range of eateries reflects the ethnic diversity of the locals - there are Asian restaurants of many flavours, including Japanese, Vietnamese, Malay, Korean and Indian.

Beautiful beaches below pohutukawa-clad cliffs are a major drawcard. Although they get crowded in summer, there are numerous small coves accessed by steep pathways which only a few know about.

The reserves are plentiful and beautiful - the Mangemangeroa Reserve walkway is well worth the effort.

Howick also has sports clubs for cricket, netball, rugby league, squash and tennis, and Cockle Bay has a petanque pitch.

There is an active cultural scene, too, with Howick Little Theatre and the Howick Operatic Society. Howick Historic Village is a fascinating showcase of olde worlde everyday life.

Trends House-proud and spurred on by high real estate values, many Howickians are investing in renovations of older homes. In other cases, old houses are being removed to make way for a contemporary home. Most sections which can be subdivided, have been. Rental and investment Demand for rentals is steady and the tenants are generally good.

Best streets Pleasant Pl in Mellons Bay, Island View Tce in Howick, Pounamu Pl in Shelly Beach, Seaview Tce and Pah Rd in Cockle Bay