Panmure

With an abundance of flat, good-sized sections and quality homes, buying in this suburb is the perfect entry-level into the Auckland market. CHARLOTTE COSSAR reports.

Established in the 1800s, Panmure is a vibrant and cosmopolitan area with a diverse mix of residents.

In the 1840s James Hamlin, a European settler, established the Waipuna farm and seven years later a local administration was formed.

Fifteen minutes from the city centre and close to Manukau, Botany Downs shopping centre and St Heliers and the other bays, Panmure is a buzzing community which is bordered by Mt Wellington, Tamaki Estuary and, across the Panmure-Pakuranga Bridge (built in 1865), Pakuranga.

The main shopping strip, which runs from the Panmure roundabout to King and Queen Sts, boasts a variety of ethnic restaurants and cafes - and the parking is free. The area has nearly 300 shops, stores and services, but if you are looking for a mall-type shopping environment, Pakuranga shopping centre and Botany Downs are just across the bridge.

And once your shopping needs have been catered for, you can enjoy the fun and leisure activities the suburb has to offer. For water lovers, there are rowing and sailing clubs at Panmure Basin and Tamaki Estuary. The land-based activities include rugby, touch rugby, cricket and soccer. There are also lots of sports fields for walking and running as well as the walking track from the reserve beside Tamaki Estuary to the bird sanctuary in Glendowie.

Handy for commuters, there are trains from Panmure to Henderson, the city and Papakura and you are close to the motorway and the Eastern Arterial route, which runs from Howick to Onehunga.

Panmure attracts a lot of first-home buyers and investors because the houses are reasonably priced and on good-sized sections. You could expect to pay from $140,000 for a unit, $200,000 for a townhouse and $220,000 for a three-bedroom home on a full section.

The homes are a mix of new and old and there are still a few old homesteads dotted around. The most sought-after area is the "golden triangle", which starts at the roundabout by the old stone cottage and runs down King and Queen Sts to the estuary. Houses in this area start from about $280,000.

A fairly large suburb, there are also lots of ex-State homes, which are very popular at present. Young families and couples are snapping these up and revamping and decorating them, making the most of their solid construction and wooden floorboards.

Ever changing, Panmure is a great suburb with friendly residents who will stop and have a chat.