Mummy3

A few weeks ago I posted that we were considering a move within Australia, well now Canberra has come into the mix...

We are very much small town/village folks so that aspect doesn't worry us, but does anyone on here live there??? Any advise, schools etc?

Thanks

Beoz

Not in a million years. But thats just me and Syd or Melb are the only places I'd live in Oz.

Mike at Taree

Is the move job related? Canberra is extremely expensive and the rentals are obscene according to recent reports. Apparently if you end up on a Centrelink payment there's no accommodation you could afford.

quoll

If you have to live in Australia it's definitely one of the better places to live but you'd want to be sure to have a good income coming in (over $100k bottom line).

It beats the big cities hands down for accessibility - none of your dirty grimy suburbs, it's all very neat and clean and essentially tidy (some may say sterile but it really is the Bush capital). Like most cities it doesn't have the best sense of community but some suburbs do have more of a community feel to them.

Facilities are excellent and there are loads of opportunities to do pretty much anything you want interest wise. It's close enough to Sydney, the Coast or the Snow to go for a day.

If you have kids, education is good and there is a strong private system if you don't like the govvie offerings.

Weather is ok, it has distinct seasons which is a plus and can be very hot or very cold but most of the time is pleasantly moderate. It doesn't have the humidity of coastal areas and that's a bonus but it does suffer in droughts which come round from time to time..

On the down side - it's uber PC and subject to the vagaries of the prevailing government (so a change in Federal government could impact it for a while economically). Most families are two income to make ends meet and, like big country towns it's one of those places where it's not what you know but who you know that counts.

You could do much worse IMHO! It has all the benefits of big city and big country town without the downsides. www.allhomes.com.au is the place to go for accommodation - most people choose their suburbs to facilitate travel to work so it depends on where you will be working as to which areas to check out. I like the inner suburbs but they tend to be more expensive. The further out you go, the newer the houses and the smaller the blocks but, really, nowhere is that far from anywhere if you've lived in Sydney or Melbourne.

Mummy3

Thanks Quoll, great advice. Yes it would be a work move as we are 457 so still tied to one company. I just like the idea of acerage without being hours to work.

quoll

Ah, 457 - watch out! ACT charges international fees if your occupation isn't on SOL and that can be $10k per child pa. The Catholic system AFAIK only charges local fees so around $3k per child pa. Acreage is not easy to come by actually and there is very little residential acreage within ACT, you probably would have to go into NSW for that unless you could afford Hall. In NSW school fees are lower at $5k per child pa but no waiver for SOL. Canberra is very suburban really.