OzTennis

Just a thought for another employment opportunity. Why don't you stand still on Eastern Beach and charge the tourists to take your photograph.

http://www.intown.com.au/pages/attra...bollards-2.htm

Good luck with the move. Geelong is a great place and as said if you have the right skills (i.e. more in tertiary than manufacturing) then you should be OK. It's a great adventure, enjoy!

OzTennis

Judes2308

Do all the women have funny shaped boobs in Geelong then? Or maybe that's just the bollards !!

Ozzidoc

As a former Geelongite, (well, Leopold to be exact) I can confirm that some of us r normal

Geelong's OK - spent the 1st 20 ish yrs of my life there. Presumably you're not going for the weather? That said, it is a little better and more predictable than the UK. Xmas just gone was colder in Geelong than London 11 degrees vs 12.

Schools - excellent. Sporting activities. excellent again. Value for money property-wise. Excellent again.

I may return there one day, as family r still all there....unless I can convince them to move to sunny Qld.

Feel free to PM me.

Judes2308

Thanks for the info. Weather doesn't seem that bad. Been comparing it recently to Aberdeen and it's much the same.........only difference is it's supposed to be summer here !!

Ozzidoc

No worries.
What work do you do and have u any idea as to where abouts you might live? Presumably you'll rent first. There are some nice older places in East Geelong/ Eastern Beach/ Drumcondra/Newtown which are close to the "city" of Geelong and therefore the Railway station if u need it. eg for work. If you want beaches, then I recommend Ocean Grove or Torquay. OG is more established and smaller than Torquay.

Public transport's not fantastic.......teenagers find it doable tho. Where I lived there was a bus every 4 hrs or so. So, u may need to factor in more than one car/vehicle. School buses are good tho.

Im excited for you. The Geelong region has changed alot - really expanded.

ballyhoo

Can you recommend any areas that are around half an hour from Geelong, but commutable to Geelong? As we're on a SIR visa, hubby needs to work in the Geelong area. Or are the areas you recommended that sort of distance?

My hubby's in IT, and we're hoping that he can get a job. We have money to cover us at the beginning, thankfully!

Really chuffed to hear that the schools are good. That is one of our concerns.

Really getting soooo excited. Thanks for the info.

Michele

Ozzidoc

Hmmm thinking about who might have large IT systems... Geelong's largest employers are Target www.target.com.au Ford Alcoa not sure if Pilkington glass is still about. There are loads of smaller yet significant companies such as Oakley, Rip Curl etc. Barwon Health (the local nearly 1000 bed hospital)

Are u thinking coastal or inland/country side? The roads are very good.
Bellarine Peninsular is close to loads of beaches: Wallington, Clifton Springs, Ocean Grove. Not sure about Portarlington these days...probably improved...it's a bayside beach rather than ocean.

There's a newer area of Ocean Grove called Collindeena (spelling?) if you're interested in building or something new. Barwon Heads is a nice place, a little quiet.

Inland: Teesdale, Bannockburn.

Towards the coast: Mt Duneed...which seems to be at the edge of Grovedale now.

Coastal: Torquay is very popular now. Queenscliff is quiet as is Pt Lonsdale - both have some fab expensive houses. They r both isolated.

Schools: Loads of excellent private schools.eg Geelong College, Geelong Grammar School, Good government high schools include Matthew Flinders Girls', Geelong High.

Good Catholic schools: Clonard, Sacred Heart Girls, St Joseph's Boys.

Geelong Christian College also good.

Queenscliff High school - think that it's now called something like Bellarine secondary college - is probably fine. It used to be alot smaller so didnt have the range of high school subjects.

These r the ones that I know. Newcomb Secondary used to be rubbish-ish, but hear that it's improved. Couldn't comment on Corio High. Wouldnt suggest Norlane.

I used to leave home at 7.40am to ride to the bus-stop to catch the bus at 8/8.10 to get to high school for 8.50. some people used to get on the bus at 7.30. It was great fun, not daunting and a fab experience, so dont be put off if the high schools seem a long way away from where you're intending on living.

In terms of primary schools, they really reflect the area in which you're living. Most people send their kids to the local school, unless the parents are adament that they want a religious primary school or are real toffs.

Presumably you've come across the local rag: www.geelonginfo.com.au

Keep me posted!!

Elissa

ballyhoo

Hi Elissa

This is just absolutely GREAT. So much information and covering exactly what I've been trying to find out for ages!

YOU are the reason I can go blind!!!!!!!!!!

Going to check all those areas out on the map this evening. We don't mind whether it's coastal or inland as long as the area is "nice". Nice people, nice looking area, nice everything. But of course, also affordable!

Primary school location will be a major factor as the youngest will only just be starting her stint there. As you say, distance to high schools not too much of a stress factor as they can catch buses.

Thanks also for the info re IT. We'll do some more digging. Shaun, hubby, has been in contact with a few IT agencies as well, so he'll just keep up with the e-mailing until we get there. Job situation is his biggest concern, understandably.

Bookmarked the local rag, which I hadn't come across. Will definitely have a look at that as well. Think I need to take the computer to bed with me tonight, for my bedtime reading!!!!

Thanks so very very much. You can't know how much your e-mail has helped me. The search for outer areas has been endless and unfulfilling. Now I can go and check them out, link them to schools and get a better picture.

Michele

Amanda5

All that inside info is great-keep it coming!!
As there are alot of us heading for the Geelong region,sure all appreciated.

We are restricted by our Visas-have to be living in the Greater Geelong region.
I have worked out Corio-Norlane not fab areas-any others we should avoid.I have three sons so area is crucial.So far sought of narrowed locations down to Belmont,Highton??? What are your thoughts?? I'm pretty sure cannot go as far out as Torquay,Queens Cliffe.

I am an Area Manager,similar to my husband.Seems to loads of jobs for us there,but nothin definite.Got a couple of companies promising interviews for when I arrive.Again any assistance or advice on this GREAT!!!

anya4oz

As far as I know (from colleagues who live out that way) there isn't much IT work in Geelong. However there is a good commuter train service into Melbourne CBD & back each day, and also the road (Prince's highway) is defintiely an option (I have a colleague who commutes to Melb CBD from Torquay each day; although she leaves early, it is do-able!)

HTH & good luck with the move!

EDIT: just read your later post that hubby has to work in Geelong. Is he a programmer? If so he always has the option of working at home for a company based elsewhere. Just a thought....

Cheers,
Anya.

Ozzidoc

Highton fine, Belmont OK too. Belmont is a little older, so a few old folks around. My cousin lives there with her two kids and loves it. Easy to get to town and coast. Her kids can walk to Primary school. Good sized house blocks. The highway goes thru the middle of Belmont.

Highton is posher.

Ballyang (spelling) is at the edge of Highton and Belmont, just over the river from Newtown. Small, nice. Not sure about buses.

Areas to avoid also include Breakwater, Whittington and Newcomb - have a lot of council houses. (Dont want to get into a discussion about council housing: OH grew up on an estate in Newcastle UK and turned out fine, however the Geelong-region council housing areas are very hit-and-miss.)

My sister lives in Bell Post Hill - very friendly, but possibly a little too far out...maybe.

Geelong West is also mainly nice - it's been yuppiefied in the last 15 yrs. Close enough to the Railway station.

I read somewhere on the forum that Aussies think 1 hr is too far to commute. That was never my feeling when I was living there. Life tends to be a compromise....u live close to the coast, but may need to travel to get to work.

Cant think of much else for now....

Oh yeah - recommend joining The Royal Geelong Yacht Club. Used to be VERY posh, not really so now, but lots of fun.

And all kids should try out "little aths" (athletics) at Landy field.

Oops nearly forgot. You have to barrack for The Cats (we are geelong, the greatest team of all, we are geelong, we're always on the ball.....)

E

OzTennis

Just a couple of things to add to that very comprehensive and useful info. I agree about the quiet tag for Queenscliff and Point Lonsdale - that's why I like them! What a young family is looking for is probably different to what Mr and Mrs OzT would look for! There's also the ferry from Q to Sorrento on the other side of the bay which opens up the Mornington Peninsula.

The former Queenscliff High seems to have been made a campus of the Bellarine SC which is based at Drysdale. If you don't know already you can check out the VCE etc results for all Victorian schools obviously including the ones Elissa has mentioned at:

http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/stati...choolstats.pdf

You can find out what subjects a secondary school offers at VCE at:

http://schlprv.vcaa.vic.edu.au/schoolsstudiessearch/

Pilkington Glass was still operating (in 2004 anyway). There are plenty of large retailers such as Myer's who may need I.T. staff and Deakin University might be worth checking out.

I'd steer clear of the areas on the Melbourne side of Geelong as you go in - Corio, North Geelong, Bell Park is it called (?) - lots of Housing Commission houses, Ford and other industry as well as the port. Geelong West a little bit further over is better and on the up as mentioned.

Oh, and forget supporting the 'handbag team from sleepy hollow' as they're known, get a decent Melbourne team like the Western Bulldogs! I jest, the Cats are sitting up near the top of the ladder and have a realistic chance of winning the flag this year (if West Coast Eagles slip up).

I spent many a happy summer with my pals playing in the tournaments at Geelong Lawn Tennis Club, just over the river (in Belmont I guess?) We used to pitch our tents between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove and travel in each day.

OzTennis

Judes2308

This is great info, thanks everyone.

I'd already compiled a list of good/bad areas based on info from someone who had lived over there and it pretty much corresponds with all yours.

What about Grovedale? Heard it was nice, and read somewhere that a new train station was being built?

My husband is a Roof Slater. Any ideas on job prospects (ie. are there lots of slate roofs !)?

Thanks again.

Judy

OzTennis

Fewer slate roofs in Oz compared to the 'Granite City'. Presumably he won't just be able to work in slate but will be able to turn his hand to tiles or corrugated iron sheets or aluminium cladding (the preferred roofing material on most houses there). The good news for hubby is that all houses have a roof so must be work for roofers? Good luck.

OzTennis

Judes2308

Think he'll be able to turn his hand to just about anything. I'm sure he'll pick up something.

Where in Scotland are you ?