sheli0508

I have a telephone interview this evening with a potential employer in Melbourne (carrum downs).

We thought we would be heading up towards Brisbane (validated on the Gold Coast last April) but this is the first bite I've had regarding work. We are open to areas as the wife thought the gold coast was too busy - hence applying for jobs all over oz

heres where we need the help as we nothing of the area... Can anyone offer any info on the carrum downs area and good/not so good suburb info... Is the cost of living comparable with the Gold Coast? Last year I was looking at jobs paying 65000$ + but they don't seem to be out the at the mo... would 60000 be a livable wage...

Basically we are a family of 5 (me, oh and 3 children) wife won't be able to work as the little one won't start school until the following January... I can search for threads about general costs of living, and I will to get specifics, it was more a feel I was looking for.....

cheers,

mitch

Petals

Carrum Downs is in the City of Frankston. Its recently expanded with a lot of new housing and there are also established industrial estates and new ones being built. Its adjacent to the new Eastlink Freeway which is very useful. It has a largish shopping centre and smaller shopping centres. Its not far from Frankston and not far from Dandenong. In the middle between the two places.

Areas around there that you could look at are Langwarrin, Frankston South, Baxter, Somerville, Pearcedale, Patterson Lakes, Chelsea,Edithvale, Carrum, Lyndhurst, Mornington, Mount Martha, Seaford.

All these areas are good commuting distance.

There are a lot of high schools, primary schools and pre schools around.

My husband worked in Carrum for thirty years and it was an easy commute for him from Somerville.

Its close to the beach, the water sports centre. Lots of sporting facilities around. Lots of Brits live around this area and the Peninsula and always have as it was originally settled by the Scots as farmers.

Have a look at Britvics forum and others will be able to help you with schools etc as mine have long left school. Also they have meet ups which is lovely for people to get a helping hand when first settling.

Good luck

sheli0508

Thanks Petal,

I'll have a look at the britvic site... fingers crossed for the interview as it look like kind of area we'd like to settle.....

Mitch

Smartinis

Hi we live in Mornington and love it here in the Peninsula, taking a job in Carrum downs would mean that you really had the whole choice of the Peninsula on your doorstep to live on and with that in my opinion you can't go wrong. (Assuming you like the job to begin with). Melbourne is within commuting distance, about an hour by train or car from Frankston. Good luck with the interview.

MartinLuther

Not wanting to bag Carrum Downs too much as it does have some advantages (as described by Petal) but when I drive through there it seems a bit bogan (aka chavvy). If you're going to live/rent there then choose carefully and don't be dazzled by the size of the housing. Like anywhere, it probably has its good spots so you may find a nice bit. It might be worth checking out the streets on a Fri/Sat night to see if they're affected by noisy neighbours or hoons.

It is easy to get to from surrounding areas. So it's worth looking at the neighbouring areas.

As for living on $60k, it all depends on your lifestyle. You could certainly live on it and you would get quite a bit of child benefit to help. You won't be living the high life but you should be able to have a comfortable living if you make the right choices.

Apologies to anyone who's found a nice bit of Carrum Downs.

Petals

I agree about Carrum Downs but there are people who like it and its handy for everywhere. Handier than the Peninsula with the Frankston bottle neck.

Sky is right next door as well and its got some nice estates off Ballarto Road

sheli0508

well it looks like all systems go...

they've offered a bit less than I would have liked but it's a job!!!

Now I need to fill up on all the info I can about Melbourne.... last 2 years spent fact finding about queensland out of the window!!!

Hopefully we will be booking flights tomorrow to depart around 4th march.....

still a bit shell shocked.... can't sleep.....

thanks for the info.... any more gratefully received.... didn't realise you got child benefit either so if anyone can fill me in.....

thanks again

shelley (mitchells gone to bed!)

MartinLuther

FTB is the name of child benefit and it comes in 2 parts. The main thing is that it is means-tested but can be quite generous if you get it.
More info here http://www.facsia.gov.au/guides_acts...ide-1.2.1.html

I think you have to be on a PR visa to be eligible but you can get it as soon as you arrive. Most other benefits you can get after 2 years.

MartinLuther

Yeah. I didn't want to give too much of a downer on the place as I'm sure it's very suitable for some people (and not just bogans). It's location from a city/country perspective is quite appealing. However it is worth treading carefully.

Smartinis

I don't know Carrum downs well, so can't really comment, but understand where people are coming from as Frankston on a Friday/Sat night can be a problem as well. Personally, I would head a bit futher down the Peninsula, or try Carrum or Seaford if you want to be right on the coast, they may be a bit cheaper than some of the other towns. Mt Eliza is very nice but pricey, having 2 of the best private schools as well pushes up the price I think. Mornington is lovely and has some more reasonably priced housing as does Mt Martha, but your now getting further away and will have a bit more of a commute. But only 10 minutes extra so a lot of people think its worth it.

How old are your children? There are soem very good schools on the Peninsula, both state and private.

The Crow

As you say, I'm sure there are some streets/areas of Carrum Downs which are pleasant enough - but, yes, do your research. We looked at a few houses there, cause of the good prices - but the estate agent almost warned us off the area. Add to that the monkey bikes hurtling around the park in the middle of the day - when we took a break there....

Funnily enough, though not for them, friends of ours bought a house we'd looked at (obviously before we knew them) and ended up living on hoon corner. Lovely house too. They lasted a year and are now in the 'hills'.

I think another good way to suss out an area, is to hang around the local shops/cafes and you soon get an impression of your would-be neighbours My friend particularly enjoyed the fight between two shoe-less, pregnant 'ladies'....

Petals

Frankston is fine on a Saturday night if you are living there and you do not frequent the pubs at 12 midnight to 2 am as they have lockout now. The pubs are in the town for goodness sake. We go to restaurants in Frankston and have done for over thirty years and I am still here and I have never seen any violence. Why because I dont go out in the middle of the night.

Get so sick of people knocking Frankston because they have never lived there they believe everything the Hun says about it and what Sam Newman said on the footy show. Its a lot of rot.

Now Mornington is very violent in the night in the middle of the night I have to qualify and I know because my daughter frequents Mornington night life and she tells me. So its no different from anywhere else that you may be.

Most people who knock Frankston could not afford to live in South Frankston anyway.

I do not live in Frankston but my mother did for over fifteen years and right next to Tafe and only moved when 88 because she could not walk under the railway anymore too hard for her. Was she attacked, no, was she ever robbed no, did she see lots of yobs, sometimes getting on the trains and buses back to Mornington and Mount Eliza where yobs live and come into town to make trouble.

The only thing I say to people is where different ethnic groups live not because of racism but mainly because you arrive you are lonely and then you are surrounded by people from another culture and its very difficult.

As for Mornington and Mount Martha wait till all the little children get older there is not much to do no transport and they will be looking at what to do. My son worked in the Video shop whilst at Uni in Mornington and he said it was getting rougher.

All areas have their problems so do not single out places. I think the peeps are intelligent enough when they arrive to be able to find out and work out where suits them.

sheli0508

Hi, just got up, heads still swimming a bit... you'd think after all this planning i''d be ok....

Our children are nearly 10, 7 and 5. We'd rather have agood school and a long commute for Mitchell than the other way round.

Thanks Petals - we will. We like an area up north of Brisbane when we thought we where heading up that way but our friend who was is Australian wouldn't touch it with a barge pole... horses for course. We live in a very nice area of Leeds but you still here of trouble occasionaly. We'll just have to do as we did when we came out on our reccie last April.... drive, stop, look round and drive some more..... only feel likee this cos at least we had friend on the Gold Coast who we could sound things off of!! That's why Mitchell posed the question, we now nothing of the Melbourne area.... but I suppose in 6 weeks we'll be on our feet and running....

thanks for all the advice, it is always greatly appreciated. You need the constructive as well as the good to get a balance. Our budget isn't huge for a rental... up to 400 and we won't be looking to buy until we are settled. The key for us is the school... we don't want to keep moving them around - we'd rather find the right school, rent and then ultimatley buy in the catchment area.... I'll try asking the question about schools on the other site...

oh and before I forget - thanks for the info on the child benefit.... at least it might go some way to bolster his wage until I can find something part time.

Thanks again,

Shelley

abertawe

You don't have to live there.

I work in the City but commute from Mount Eliza each day, for example. I do it because I enjoy the job and absolutely love living on Mornington P.

It is what you make of it. Carrum Downs is well placed if you want to live near Mornington P, Berwick area or even the southern suburbs of Melbourne.

There is something for everyone.

robertnhelen

Bloody well said!!!

Frankston gets a lot of bad press but also a lot of good press but the later gets forgotten, its Dame Elizabeth Murdochs 100th birthday today, Rupert Murdochs mum, she is a fantastic lady who is proud to live in Langwarrin part of the city of Frankston.

We have been living in Langwarrin now for over a year and been visiting this area for 12 years and have never had a problem, even in the small hours of Sat am at the station waiting for the taxi home. If you want to find trouble anywhere in the world you will, even in Toorak!!

To the OP, by getting a job in Carrum Downs the world is your oyster as far as places to live are concerned as you will have good transport links to all tastes of living lifestyle, the Peninsula, the Hills, The beach and the City, I work in Dandenong south, next place really to Carrum Downs and find it really easy to get to from Langwarrin.

Good luck in whatever you choose, from a fellow northern family.

Rob.