Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
Feb 18th 2013, 11:31 am
#16
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
We looked up as far as Woy Woy when we decided to head to the north shore from the inner west. We really only looked at areas on the train line, because of DH's commute to work. But some of his work colleagues live as far as Terrigal and drive down to Macquarie Park daily - not a nice commute in his opinion! Woy Woy in particular, for us, felt small, sleepy and, erm, not especially affluent - with all that entails. We opted to live further down the north shore train line, for the shorter commute and access to better schools for our children. On that point, have you found the myschool website? www.myschool.edu.au Obviously take it with a massive pinch of salt, but you can get an idea about an area from that website, before visiting yourself to make up your own mind. 
I think that is something that Helen or myself wouldn't want to do... Waste so much of your day travelling to work just isn't fun.
May I ask where you ended up?
Thanks for the website. Yes have had a look but 2012 info not in yet. So can get an idea but would still need to visit the schools to get a feel. Seen a lot of posts on Catholic schools compared to others. What are the differences??
Rob
Feb 18th 2013, 2:59 pm
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
The great thing about Cronulla is that you have this huge, seemingly never-ending beach so you can walk for miles or even find your own, peaceful spot to roll out a towel even on weekends. Plus you have a peninsula on the south side with a peaceful bay there that includes a park and a nice place for kids to play in the water with no waves.
There is also no thru traffic to worry about, not even by train as it's the first/last stop.
And if you check out the RSL club it has the "million-dollar view" that few places have with a glass wall overlooking spectacular Cronulla beach, and in the distance you can make out jets on approach to Kingsford Smith Airport when they approach from the south side (though too high and far to hear them - it still makes for a great view).Shopping-wise you have two supermarkets in Cronulla, but there's more in Caringbah and Miranda as well. Miranda even has a big Westfield mall, though I wouldn't look at properties there as it just isn't the same thing.
Lovely place overall, and if you like rugby then Cronulla even has its own NRL team even though it's not exactly a big place.
Feb 18th 2013, 3:31 pm
#18
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
Personally I have never been a fan of areas north of the Bridge, and Bondi hasn't really been my type of place either.
The great thing about Cronulla is that you have this huge, seemingly never-ending beach so you can walk for miles or even find your own, peaceful spot to roll out a towel even on weekends. Plus you have a peninsula on the south side with a peaceful bay there that includes a park and a nice place for kids to play in the water with no waves.
There is also no thru traffic to worry about, not even by train as it's the first/last stop. And if you check out the RSL club it has the "million-dollar view" that few places have with a glass wall overlooking spectacular Cronulla beach, and in the distance you can make out jets on approach to Kingsford Smith Airport when they approach from the south side (though too high and far to hear them - it still makes for a great view).
Shopping-wise you have two supermarkets in Cronulla, but there's more in Caringbah and Miranda as well. Miranda even has a big Westfield mall, though I wouldn't look at properties there as it just isn't the same thing.
Lovely place overall, and if you like rugby then Cronulla even has its own NRL team even though it's not exactly a big place.
The great thing about Cronulla is that you have this huge, seemingly never-ending beach so you can walk for miles or even find your own, peaceful spot to roll out a towel even on weekends. Plus you have a peninsula on the south side with a peaceful bay there that includes a park and a nice place for kids to play in the water with no waves.
There is also no thru traffic to worry about, not even by train as it's the first/last stop.
And if you check out the RSL club it has the "million-dollar view" that few places have with a glass wall overlooking spectacular Cronulla beach, and in the distance you can make out jets on approach to Kingsford Smith Airport when they approach from the south side (though too high and far to hear them - it still makes for a great view).Shopping-wise you have two supermarkets in Cronulla, but there's more in Caringbah and Miranda as well. Miranda even has a big Westfield mall, though I wouldn't look at properties there as it just isn't the same thing.
Lovely place overall, and if you like rugby then Cronulla even has its own NRL team even though it's not exactly a big place.
You aren't in sales by any chance??
You have me sold on the place now... To be honest the more we have been looking the more we think it might be the place for us. Helen is going to focus here when she out in a month on a reccie.
I'm big into my sports so anything close by will be good. Thanks for all that and 'The Shire' is looking like the place to be
Rob
Feb 18th 2013, 8:14 pm
#19
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
Just on the finances, I'm now back in the UK and in terms of standard of living I would divide the Aus salary by 2.2 to get the equivalent spending power in UK pounds. I was a North Shore boy and know nothing South of the bridge, but Woy Woy would have been a disaster. If you start looking North again I agree Berowra is about as far as I would go, but anyway the Shire has got a lot of fans (not just for hobbits). Good Luck, the reccie will help a lot.
Feb 18th 2013, 9:27 pm
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
I think that is something that Helen or myself wouldn't want to do... Waste so much of your day travelling to work just isn't fun.
May I ask where you ended up?
Thanks for the website. Yes have had a look but 2012 info not in yet. So can get an idea but would still need to visit the schools to get a feel. Seen a lot of posts on Catholic schools compared to others. What are the differences??
Rob
May I ask where you ended up?
Thanks for the website. Yes have had a look but 2012 info not in yet. So can get an idea but would still need to visit the schools to get a feel. Seen a lot of posts on Catholic schools compared to others. What are the differences??
Rob
But we're in Thornleigh, which works for us. DH's commute is about 25 minutes door to door by train. There are lots of playgroups and activities for the children (mine are only 4 and 2). And, as I mentioned, there's a selection of decent schools in this area.As for schooling, probably start a new thread or do a search to get advice from those with children actually in the system. As I understand it, Catholic schools are popular as they're a cheap private option. They're not for us (DH in particular is a devout atheist
) so I can't help more, sorry.
Feb 19th 2013, 9:06 am
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
Just on the finances, I'm now back in the UK and in terms of standard of living I would divide the Aus salary by 2.2 to get the equivalent spending power in UK pounds. I was a North Shore boy and know nothing South of the bridge, but Woy Woy would have been a disaster. If you start looking North again I agree Berowra is about as far as I would go, but anyway the Shire has got a lot of fans (not just for hobbits). Good Luck, the reccie will help a lot.
Thanks and yes we think the trip will answer a lot of the questions we still might have.
Rob
Feb 19th 2013, 9:37 am
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Re: Immigrating to Sydney – Advice required please?
Sounds like you've made a preliminary decision. But we're in Thornleigh, which works for us. DH's commute is about 25 minutes door to door by train. There are lots of playgroups and activities for the children (mine are only 4 and 2). And, as I mentioned, there's a selection of decent schools in this area.
As for schooling, probably start a new thread or do a search to get advice from those with children actually in the system. As I understand it, Catholic schools are popular as they're a cheap private option. They're not for us (DH in particular is a devout atheist) so I can't help more, sorry.
But we're in Thornleigh, which works for us. DH's commute is about 25 minutes door to door by train. There are lots of playgroups and activities for the children (mine are only 4 and 2). And, as I mentioned, there's a selection of decent schools in this area.As for schooling, probably start a new thread or do a search to get advice from those with children actually in the system. As I understand it, Catholic schools are popular as they're a cheap private option. They're not for us (DH in particular is a devout atheist
) so I can't help more, sorry.We looked at it first off when this first came up. However we wanted to maximise the money to begin with. However from all that is been said to get the sea and the good areas we would have to extend the spending. Not ideal but might have to be done.
Thanks I think I will have to do that and will fire it around the other sites. Got a couple of sites to go through on schooling. Trying to narrow down an area from here to view schools when on reccie might be a bit too much in the time Helen will have.
