BIG WIN – NZ’s favourite place to live

December 12^th, 2010

At Parliament last Thursday night the Keep New Zealand Beautiful Awards were dished out.

And the envelope for the honour of NZ’s favourite place to live went to?

It went to Stoke, where I live, my hometown.

Punching above its weight, Stoke won, just like it did earlier, for a different award……. back in mid 2009.

Commenting on last weeks national win, recently elected Nelson Mayor Aldo Miccio, says he’s thrilled for Stoke residents;

“….Stoke is a fine place to live and this award celebrates this special community. I’m not at all surprised Stoke attracted a swag of votes because it offers so much. It’s got a strong identity and this is in part a reflection of the people of Stoke and also the superb amenities.”

While also mentioning the win by Motueka as NZ’s Town of the Year……..

click to enlarge....

……Mayor Miccio continued on about Stoke…..

“Saxton Field sporting complex is fantastic, and the Stoke library is a little ripper. There are beautiful parks like Isel and Broadgreen to enjoy, and the Railway Reserve is a haven stretching the length of Stoke. It has fabulous schools and a great wee shopping centre. And with the hills and sea two minutes in either direction, it’s quite simply a place of great heart, great opportunity and perfect for bringing up a family.”

Earlier I mentioned September 2009 as a time when Stoke was in the headlines again……..

CLICK TO READ THE ARTICLE

……I’ll just reprint here the first few lines from that NZ Herald article back in mid 2009.

The Nelson suburb of Stoke survived the housing slump in the strongest shape…..

While most homeowners have watched their home values slide since the market peak at the end of 2007, Stoke, Pukekohe and Wellington Central defied the downturn, enjoying gains.

The Nelson Mail covered the story of Nelsons largest suburbs win on their front page. (article here)