Manurewa

Including Weymouth, Clendon Park, Homai, Hill Park, Manurewa East, Randwick Park, Wattle Downs and Conifer Grove

Diversity is the key description for this area, which includes everything from run-down state housing to luxurious contemporary homes, and some of the city's cheapest waterfront real estate. It has numerous reserves, many on the waterfront, and some glorious tracts of native bush. Manurewa is home to the 65ha of gardens that make up the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens. The availability of fairly cheap rental homes has made the area popular with those on low incomes, including refugees and other immigrants. Ethnicities represented include Iranians, Iraqis, Fijians, Indians (there is a Sikh temple on Great South Rd), Maori and Europeans.

To the east of the southern motorway around the botanic gardens, the homes are new and more upmarket, so the residents are young professionals and families with more money. Further east, lifestylers live on larger blocks of semi-rural land.

Most Manurewa homes were built in the 1960s or later so are usually either weatherboard or brick-and-tile, and the section sizes are generous. New and more grand developments are typically of brick and plaster construction.

Amenities

The high number of schools reflects the high proportion of families here. The new Alfriston College, which some parts of this area are zoned for, is the most highly regarded.

Manurewa has both mainstreet and mall shopping, but both are looking rather down-at-heel. Most people go straight to Manukau City to do their shopping.

Nathan Homestead, built in 1925 and still surrounded by 3.5ha of much-loved lawn and gardens, is an arts, community and function centre. The Manurewa Leisure Centre has full gymnasium facilities and a swimming pool.

Parks and reserves dotted all over the place make life more pleasant here.

Totara Park and the Auckland Regional Botanic Gardens are the key places; other parks like Weymouth Domain, which runs along more than 3km of coastline, are well used by locals.

Trends

Three-bedroom homes are popular in this area, with demand normally outstripping supply. Hill Park, near the botanic gardens, has long been popular and its new development, The Gardens, has enhanced that.

Anything near the new Alfriston College is considered a desirable locale, because of the school's good reputation. In all suburbs, prices are heading steadily up.

Rental and investment

From the most humble abode through to the prestigious homes near the botanic gardens, there's plenty of demand.

Best streets

Any of the streets in Conifer Grove or next to the botanic gardens.