BagManRich

Hi Again,

The decision is made, and we are in the process of filling out Spouse/Partner Visa Application forms and getting the kids Aussie Passports, we are now in process of discussing areas to live.

My wife is from Melbourne, and we quite like this area, your getting the seasons (so to speak), and it is somewhere we we both happy on settling in.

However, we are both agreed (for now), that we don't really want to live in main Suburbia of Melbourne, or live in new development areas as we both previously liked and discussed.

We are quite liking the idea of Bendigo, Geelong or Ballarat, but out of the CBD and in a smaller outer town area with that community feel. Something that gives the kids that main town feel, but at the same time far enough away to have the nice family life as well as in to to be able to buy so etching with a little it of acreage. Well, that where the thoughts are at the moment.

What I'd like to know, is if anyone has experience of these towns/cities, and if anyone can give any pointers as to good schools as well as areas, and also areas/schools which are a no go.

Hope to hear back from you all soon, and thanks again for your help.

Cheers.

OzTennis

Good luck with the move. I'm from Melbourne too but married a Scot who was out in Melbourne to teach for a few years and then return home - she met me, we married and she stayed 10 years before we moved to Scotland!

We both taught in secondary schools in Melbourne and also decided after a few years of doing this we also would like a tree or sea change. After much research of country towns (including Bgo, Bt and G'l) we finally settled on Bendigo. This was in the days when teaching jobs were more plentiful (or the supply of those looking for them was smaller) and so we could pick and choose.

I taught in the TAFE and Year 12 parts of what was then Bendigo Technical College. It was part of a tertiary institution which eventually was absorbed by Latrobe University. My wife taught at Girton College, a private school. We both enjoyed our jobs thoroughly and we got very involved in sport in the town so had little need to head for the 'big smoke' of Melbourne, other than to see my family and our friends. We had 5 wonderful years there and we only moved as my wife was a bit homesick having stayed 8 years longer than she originally thought.

FWIW I would heartily commend Bendigo but I don't know too much about the primary schools there now. At a guess the schools might be better to the east of the CBD but I stand to be corrected! Ballarat was a serious option and I'm sure it would have been on a par with Bendigo, you will know they are similar size and background (gold). It is colder in winter in Ballarat if that's relevant!

Geelong was lower down our list - frankly it's too close to Melbourne if you are wanting a move away but to some that may be an advantage, it just wasn't to us.

OzTennis

It's always gratifying to get some feedback from an OP or other contributions on a thread.

BagManRich

Hey there OzTennis,

Didn't mean to appear ignoring on the thread!!! Your reply is greatly appreciative and info is all good. In between, filling out forms for the kids for dual nationality, as well as Spouse/Partner Forms, searching areas on the Internet as well as houses to live in/rent and searching schools, time has been short. Also been trying to sell my business here and all of the legalities as well as good wil involved, been a bloody hectic fortnight!!!

It looks as though Bendigo looks like the area to move to, you get the country life, watersports at Eppalock, not too far from Melbourne and the beach, and nice beaches down Barwin Heads/Torquay area too.

Thanks again for all the info, it seems like that is one problem solved, for the time being. Haha.

BagManRich

Also, forgot to ask, what does OP mean??

Cheers again.

quoll

Ballarat's not too bad and there are nice enough parts of Geelong. Perhaps check them all out and see which one floats your boat.

old.sparkles

OP = Original Poster

chris955

Having grown up in Geelong I really couldnt recommend it as somewhere to live, years ago it was a nice enough place but after our last visit we just couldnt wait to leave, dozens of empty shops, the centre was full of bogans and it just had a neglected feel about it. Just my personal opinion of course.

OzTennis

Funny but when I visited Geelong a few times just over a month ago I got a different perception - but that's just my personal opinion of course. If when I visited English towns I looked for chavs etc then I'd see them and could make that my overwhelming impression - but I don't. There's an 'underbelly' everywhere you go in the world but concentrate on the doughnut and not the hole as one wise philosopher once said.

OzTennis

Wasn't having a shot at you, just wondered where you'd gone, thought busy with preparations. It's just when you see nearly a couple of hundred looks and no comments you wonder.

I'll post a few Bendigo photos taken recently for you tomorrow.

There's some good information here:

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/bendigo/photos/

Good luck.

quoll

Got rellies just outside at Lara and they seem quite happy there - one commutes p/t into the city, the other works from home. Their kid went to Geelong College and they were happy with that.

Other rellies reasonably happy in Ballarat - they have acreage outside the town and their kid went to Ballarat Grammar (lots of good private schools there).

Other rel in Bendigo but he's an off the grid kinda chap - no kids. I'd have said Bendigo was a bit far from beach sports if that's what floats your boat.

BagManRich

Hi all,

Cheers for all the replies. Neither of us are exactly 100% sure as to where to move, the things that weigh each place is as follows;
Geelong, bit too big if a place, more city than town feel, we currently live just outside a typical market town, our feelings being that when the kids grow up, we had the ability to pull them away from any bad influences should that ever happen, and keeping that 'family' life without the kids being out all the time with their friends. Which I know kids will hate when they get that bit older, but you try your best as parents so was just something we both felt and agreed on. So Geelong seems to be a bit of a no in this sense, although j know you could move out of town and get the acreage, nothing massive, just a couple of acres for a horse and big man shed!!! Haha

Ballarat, this was something we have quizzed a few people on over there, and everyone says it's cold!!! (My response is toughen up!!! Lol). Again, not 100% counting this out.

Bendigo, as previously stated is a nice happy mix between big town and rural. Agreed it is that bit further to the beach, but then it takes me hour and a half to take kids to a 'reasonable' UK beach with kids hangs to do, so only a bit further, and at least the driving in Aus is a lot more enjoyable. Driving 35,000 miles a year over here to get to appointments doesn't do the stress levels any good. From what I'm hearing, the weather is also better for Bendigo than Ballarat, but then again, can't really complain at all coming from the UK!!! Lol.

House prices when buying look good for Bendigo & Ballarat, and I've also heard Geelong may start to suffer slightly with the closing of the car engine plant in not too distant future.

Still lots of decisions to make, and head scratching, and more head scratching, but if anyone can recommend other areas please feel free, the more info the better!!!

Thanks again for all the info, it really is much appreciated.

Cheers

chris955

Oh I dont doubt there are lots of people happy in Geelong, I still have one brother there but he is looking to retire somewhere else to be fair. Geelong to me when we last went had a depressed feel about it which will probably get worse when Ford leave. We had friends in Lara, flat, dry, brown place but we all like different things.

quoll

Yeah, I didn't say it's where I would like to be LOL! I think said BiL from Lara always wanted to live in Anakie - probably more because of the name than anything else!

Ballarat weather never does what I think it will when I visit! I've bought more jumpers in Ballarat's Target than anywhere else because in winter it can be very very cold (it sleeted one Christmas Day!) equally, I've bought more sleeveless tops in said Target because it's been too hot to breathe! I always get Ballarat weather wrong! At least the drought is over and the Lake is full again!

Alan Collett

Loving living in Geelong - have been there for 13+ years.

Close to the beaches (Torquay, Point Lonsdale, Ocean Grove, etc), close enough to Melbourne to be able to get there when needs arise, big enough to have the stores needed for shopping, loads of great coffee shops (Pakington Street), theatre (GPAC), easy to get around (tho' too many traffic lights IMHO), medical resources available in the event of need, and some very good schools in the Newtown area.

Bendigo's a long way north of beaches - unless you want to drive for 3 hours to see the ocean.

Ballarat: too cold and not enough going on for us.

Agreed about the loss of manufacturing jobs in Geelong, but there can't be many who didn't see these closures coming. The challenge is now to develop the links with Deakin Uni and get some hi-tec businesses setting up - and to the credit of those who are involved in attracting employers there are some good efforts being made here.

For example, from today's Geelong Advertiser: http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/...-1226903608989

Best regards.