iainandsam

Hi , we are in very early stages of application, but just wondering if anyone is going to Phillip Is in VIC or nearby. What do you think of area, schools, job oppotunities for carpenters, accommodation? Any info much appreciated.

Little Koala

Hi

We’re in the early stages of applying too (I’m an Aussie but my BF – who is also a chippie - is English) and we’ll be moving to Inverloch which is about 30 mins further down the coast from Philip Island. I know the area reasonably well as I lived in Leongatha until I was 18 and my family are still there, and I went to Philip Island for part of my schooling.

A few things I can think of:

1) Try Coldon Homes for carpentry jobs as they are one of the large residential building companies in the area and have an office on Philip Island. http://www.coldonhomes.com.au/

2) Can’t help you much with schooling sorry as I don’t have kids of my own yet! I went to Newhaven College on Philip Island, it is a private school – it was secondary only when I went there but it may now be primary as well. I don’t think there’s any other secondary school on the island, most students take a bus to Wonthaggi and go to secondary school there, although I think there is a primary school on the island. Mind you this may have changed as I stopped going to school there in 1988! http://www.newhavencol.vic.edu.au/

3) Housing: Philip Island is a very popular holiday destination and so there are a loads of holiday homes ("beach houses") and these tend to be vacant for most of the year apart from the summer holidays/long weekends. You could try contacting one of the local estate agents to see if a holiday home owner is looking for a longer term tenant. A couple of agents with branches in Cowes are http://www.stockdaleleggo.com.au/ and http://www.judithwrightre.com.au/ otherwise go to www.domain.com.au and do a search.

4) Cowes is the main township on the island with the most facilities/shops. Smaller towns on the island include Ventnor, Rhyll, Newhaven and Woolamai; and San Remo is just over the bridge on the mainland.

Hope this helps! Good luck with your application, have you started the TRA yet?

Em

lee/jane

Hi

Is Phillip Island where the penguin parade is? If its is,we were told that they are thinking of compulsory purchasing the houses on that part of the island, as too many penguins are being killed by cars.

The penguin parade is in my top 10 best things I have seen in my life, so far, it was just great.

Jane

Bordy

Yes thats where the little penguins come in. Damned cold down there at this time of year to.

geordie mandy

Phillip Island is where the penquin parade is. We are going to see that in Oct when we come to visit the area.
Mandy

iainandsam

Hi Thank you for all the info i will definitely check out the websites, we visited Phillip Island for 2 months whilst travelling and have friends there so thought a good place to start.

We have just got all the TRA Papers from our agent which look a bit daunting as hubby has no formal papers just experience, we will keep our fingers crossed.

minimal

we are living on PI - a great spot but a long way from most jobs (i'm driving 90mins each way at the moment), schools seem fabulous but will know more after our 12 year old (newhaven college) and 6 year old (newhaven primary) start in a couple of weeks.

accomm is very expensive at holiday time but should be plentiful at other times.

geordie mandy

I loved PI when we came to visit and i could so easily see us living there . It was so peaceful and i just felt right at home. You are so lucky
Are you able to do your main food shopping and clothes shopping there and what did you think of the shops there? We stayed in Cowes and had a quick look at the supermarket and did a little shopping but didn't pay much attention to the clothes side of things.
Mandy

hawk2005

Wonthaggi is the fastest growing town on the Bass Coast - we've got a beach house just south of there and while doing it up found it impossible to get tradesmen down there (chippies/plumbers etc) so had to get them to come down from Melbourne. I think the existing tradies prefer surfing to working so there is heaps of opportunity for someone who has their priorities the other way round.

There are new houses springing up in Inverloch/Wonthaggi/Cape Paterson and the Bass Highway is being turned into dual carriageway all the way to Anderson, which will make Melbourne within commuting distance of the area.

I was speaking to the principal of Wonthaggi secondary college down the pub last winter & he told me his school's roll is growing fast, which is a sign the area is developing.

OzTennis

You will also get the sound of racing cars and motorbikes from time to time as well! Seals as well as penguins and I feel sorry for them because they don't have the same 'ahh factor' as the cuties in dinner suits!

Certainly it is a go ahead area as a result of the growth of Wonthaggi, improvement of the road system and popularity as tourist destinations previously mentioned. My SIL comes from Wonthaggi and has mentioned how it has turned the corner (was originally quite dependant on a now closed coal mine and her father worked there, and died because of it). Nice beaches all around that area and you have Gippsland, Wilson's Prom and so on with Melbourne getting closer in commute times.

Some good piccies and other useful info if of interest:

http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/cowes/photos/
http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/inverloch/photos/
http://www.travelvictoria.com.au/wonthaggi/photos/

Seems like a good bit for a tradesperson to me.

OzTennis

minimal

Cowes has a decent Coles for food, clothes are mainly holiday shop stuff, but as mentioned by others Wonthaggi is near (30mins) and has a BigW for cheap clothes, electricals etc and there is a Target as well so you don't have to go up North! If you want smarter stuff then maybe you have to go closer to Melbourne but you may as well just wear board shorts and thongs(sic) like everone else. If you are used to a non urban environment (we moved from cornwall) then you will probably be happier around here than closer in.

geordie mandy

Thanks, very useful info . I did feel a bit sufficated in Melbourne. hopefully we may get the chance to retire to PI if nothing else
Mandy

thebears

http://www.theage.com.au/news/nation...095969457.html

Shark hunters needed