pimlico

Hi,
Some great information on this forum, and have been reading up on the area of interest.
We are renting in Scarborough Perth at the moment but having looking around the canal areas of Wannanup East Port Canals and Port Quays and canals on the seaward side. Lifestyle wise the area seems to be excellent but from what I read unemployment is a big problem in the region?
Also, how long is the mosquito season and how bad are they?
The few times we have been down there the place seems quite deserted on the weekends, are there a lot of weekender homes?
Would anyone know what Port Quays is like in the holiday and summer seasons?
My wife is a very good bridal seamstress and were thinking of Mandurah as a place to set up business. I have run ecommerce businesses and have a background in IT.
Any information positive or negative is welcome.
Richard & Deborah

renth

Hi, I have lived in Perth nearly 13 years and have literally never heard of these places. I've heard the mozzies are bad in Mandurah though, you don't want to be getting Ross River virus. I've heard it's quite boganish too. If you are looking for affordable maybe Yanchep or Two Rocks might be a better bet (North).

bruce67

I live in Mandurah, Halls Head to be more accurate. Wannanup is a very scenic place to live right next to the Dawesville cut and a nice stretch of beaches.

The mozzie problem is no where near as bad as it used to be and the council has an ongoing spraying program. Coastal side suburbs are almost mozzie free, when there is an increase in mozzie activity its usually near the estuary suburbs such as Yunderup, Greenfields etc.

Mandurah is still very much a overgrown Holiday and Retirement city so it does lack in large employment sources. There are mainly service industry type jobs like restaurants, shops and any services that would suit an older population. the only large scale employer is the Alcoa mine refineries out at Pinjarra and Wagerup. There are quite a few small businesses in Mandurah but with a limited clientele one would have to do ones home work. Shop rentals are quite expensive. Mandurah is also the first WA site for NBN fibre with almost all the northern and central suburbs either up and running or under construction - good for ecommerce I would imagine (don't hold your breath for NBN southern suburbs the current government have stuffed that one up).Quite a few canal homes are probably holiday homes but not a majority - Mandurah is generally quiet during winter - nothing new there. If you are going to work and run a business locally thats fine but if you are going to commute to Perth Wannanup may be a bit far South, you will take about 35 minutes to get to the freeway from there where as central Mandurah it would take 15 minutes to the freeway. Hope this helps.

verystormy

Hi, we are in Dawesville on the Cut golf course on the south side of The Cut channel.

Would agree with Bruce, except that I have commuted to Perth and didn't find it that bad. Train is the easiest and fastest way.

Unemployment is an issue - currently at 17%. However, there are also a lot of new businesses thriving because there is also a lot of people moving into the area.

Wannanup is a lovely place.

pimlico

Hi,
Thank you for the replies.
Renth, I did see on the title of one East Port canal block in wannanup that there is a notice to prospective purchasers that Ross River virus is known in the area. Yanchep and Two Rocks are very good but would not have the same lifestyle as the canal properties. But will consider all things before committing to buy, thanks.
Bruce67, that is good to hear that the mozzies are less of a problem on the coastal side. NBN would be very handy but as you say is not down Wannanup at this time. I can see what you mean about commuting to the city which could be a challenge. There doesn't seem to be a lot in the way of inexpensive office/retail space as you have mentioned.
Verystormy, we really liked Wannanup and the cut, it would be difficult to be for lifestyle without spending a much larger amount elsewhere. You mention the unemployment rate of 17%? Is that youth unemployment? I read somewhere it was somewhere around 6+% ?

Thanks again, we will keep doing our research and follow up more on suggestions and comments made.
Richard

verystormy

No, In Mandurah there is a major issue with unemployment. However, the region includes all of the Peel region which includes many small townships.

I would not worry too much about the mozzies. We get a few waves of them each year that lasts a couple of weeks. The council undertake airborne spaying to prevent it. Also, the only bad mozzie areas are to the east of the old coast road. The areas such as wannanup to the west get enough coastal breeze to keep them down.

Wannanup also does not need the NBN as it was smart wired during building with a system provided by EWire - each house gets TV, telephone and internet through them by a fibre optic cable network.

renth

My 'burb has EWire and it's shit.

brits1

Hi,

Scarborough is VERY different to where you are thinking of relocating, we did a stint of seeing what life was like on the canals in Mandurah and after a few months we found the area (although pretty) to be a bit confining, ie City Shopping and choice etc, the train can get busy at peak times and the cost over a week (if commuting to the City) can be expensive, it's a lovely place to visit so we decided to move nearer to Perth and visit often instead. Do you want to live near the water (there are some other lovely areas around Perth) and if so are you on a budget as that is what decides where you can and want to live? Good luck with everything

pimlico

Hi, Thanks for your reply, we were not too worried about the shopping options but were concerned about crime rates, unemployment and the cost of commuting as you mentioned. The demographics in places like Wannanup and Halls Head etc are not bad. We are in our fifties and have looked around northern side of Perth but haven't found an area we would like to settle in although Mindarie is nice. The lifestyle in the Peel region looks attractive but there is a lot more to consider. Everywhere has it's good and bad points. We have even considered Queensland where we lived for 18 years. Did 10 years in back the UK before coming back to Australia.

brits1

Have you thought of Bussleton or Bunbury? nice little towns, a nicer green area than Perth, lovely beaches that are not packed at weekend (well out of the holidays season anyway) and your also near to the South coast, ie Albany and Margaret River. What is that you are not keen on living in the Perth beach areas? that might help with which areas would be good for you both.