I visited Christ Church several yrs ago. Someone was showing me the hillside homes outside the city that would sell here for a couple million, that were selling for maybe $175,000 NZ dollars.The Port Hills? Not any more! You'd need at least half-a-million now. ;-) But still cheap considering the breathtaking view across the plains to the Southern Alps away in the distance. My wife grew up in those hills. As for Auckland- budget at least 3 mill for a hillside home with a view in Remuera.
As a matter of fact, I had a hard time getting a hotel room that week because there was a big tourist industry convention in Christ Church that week. They were trying to drum up more vacation dollars in NZ.Tourism is a fairly important source of foreign $ for NZ. I hope you spent lots of US$ when you were here!
Where are you in LA?
"... They ne'er cared for us
yet: suffer us to famish, and their store-houses
crammed with grain; make edicts for usury, to
support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act
established against the rich, and provide more
piercing statutes daily, to chain up and restrain
the poor. If the wars eat us not up, they will; and
there's all the love they bear us."
-- Shakespeare: Coriolanus, Act 1, scene 1
