Ipswich, Queensland
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Hi
We live in Karalee which is a suburb in eastern Ipswich. It is on the border of brisbane city council. We live a stones throw from the brisbane river. In fact the houses I can see out side the front of my house are across the river in Karana downs, which is a brisbane suburb. Both of these areas are fantastic, as previous poster said the crime rate here is zero and the comunity feel is great.
When we first landed here we had the same thoughts as just about all the poms who come here, that nothing exists apart from Bayside. We stayed in Birkdale when we first got here and didn't like it. We then moved to forest lake and started looking for a place to buy a house.
We also didn't much like forest lake, small plots and lots of people, however great facilities. To close to INALA
When we started looking we looked everywhere, from Victoria point, aquatic paradise, springfield lakes, all the way out to kholo.
In the end we fell in love with Karalee and Karana downs. We opted for Karalee as it has flater blocks. We also looked at mt crosby but it was just too quiet..
We didn't move here because we couldn't afford to live closer to brisbane or bayside, but because we loved it and I am sure you will too...
Would I won't to live closer to Ipswich or in the center???
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We live in Karalee which is a suburb in eastern Ipswich. It is on the border of brisbane city council. We live a stones throw from the brisbane river. In fact the houses I can see out side the front of my house are across the river in Karana downs, which is a brisbane suburb. Both of these areas are fantastic, as previous poster said the crime rate here is zero and the comunity feel is great.
When we first landed here we had the same thoughts as just about all the poms who come here, that nothing exists apart from Bayside. We stayed in Birkdale when we first got here and didn't like it. We then moved to forest lake and started looking for a place to buy a house.
We also didn't much like forest lake, small plots and lots of people, however great facilities. To close to INALA
![EEK!](https://britishexpats.com/forum/images/smilies/eek.gif)
When we started looking we looked everywhere, from Victoria point, aquatic paradise, springfield lakes, all the way out to kholo.
In the end we fell in love with Karalee and Karana downs. We opted for Karalee as it has flater blocks. We also looked at mt crosby but it was just too quiet..
We didn't move here because we couldn't afford to live closer to brisbane or bayside, but because we loved it and I am sure you will too...
Would I won't to live closer to Ipswich or in the center???
NO CHANCE, ITS A DOGHOLE
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have been looking on realestate.com at houses in Karalee and Karana downs, they both look really beautiful!! we'll hopefully be able to take a better look when we come over.
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http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_ipswich/index.php
I work in Ipswich and have done for over 3 years now, it is a great little place.
Ipswich's reputation is far from deserved and IMHO comes from ignorance and plain stupidity.
Ipswich is now the fastest growing town in SE QLD which in turn is the fastest growing portion of Australia, in short it is a boom town.
Don't get me wrong, it has it's bad areas like any place and the Ipswich motorway has to be one of the busiest and worst maintained roads in Australia (a new 6 lane bypass is being built)
but Ipswich is still head and shoulders over places like North Lakes and the other pommy mecca's (Anywhere with lakes in the name)
Areas to consider in Ippy central are Yamanto, Raceview, Brassall and further out on acreage maybe consider Rosewood or Lowood.
Good luck.
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I work in Ipswich and have done for over 3 years now, it is a great little place.
Ipswich's reputation is far from deserved and IMHO comes from ignorance and plain stupidity.
Ipswich is now the fastest growing town in SE QLD which in turn is the fastest growing portion of Australia, in short it is a boom town.
Don't get me wrong, it has it's bad areas like any place and the Ipswich motorway has to be one of the busiest and worst maintained roads in Australia (a new 6 lane bypass is being built)
but Ipswich is still head and shoulders over places like North Lakes and the other pommy mecca's (Anywhere with lakes in the name)
Areas to consider in Ippy central are Yamanto, Raceview, Brassall and further out on acreage maybe consider Rosewood or Lowood.
Good luck.
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#33
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but Ipswich is still head and shoulders over places like North Lakes and the other pommy mecca's (Anywhere with lakes in the name)
I also hate anything with lakes in the name
I have talked a few people out of the lakes estate so I think i need some karma for that LOL
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I have talked a few people out of the lakes estate so I think i need some karma for that LOL
http://www.ipswich.qld.gov.au/about_ipswich/index.php
I work in Ipswich and have done for over 3 years now, it is a great little place.
Ipswich's reputation is far from deserved and IMHO comes from ignorance and plain stupidity.
Ipswich is now the fastest growing town in SE QLD which in turn is the fastest growing portion of Australia, in short it is a boom town.
Don't get me wrong, it has it's bad areas like any place and the Ipswich motorway has to be one of the busiest and worst maintained roads in Australia (a new 6 lane bypass is being built)
but Ipswich is still head and shoulders over places like North Lakes and the other pommy mecca's (Anywhere with lakes in the name)
Areas to consider in Ippy central are Yamanto, Raceview, Brassall and further out on acreage maybe consider Rosewood or Lowood.
Good luck.
</IMG>
I work in Ipswich and have done for over 3 years now, it is a great little place.
Ipswich's reputation is far from deserved and IMHO comes from ignorance and plain stupidity.
Ipswich is now the fastest growing town in SE QLD which in turn is the fastest growing portion of Australia, in short it is a boom town.
Don't get me wrong, it has it's bad areas like any place and the Ipswich motorway has to be one of the busiest and worst maintained roads in Australia (a new 6 lane bypass is being built)
but Ipswich is still head and shoulders over places like North Lakes and the other pommy mecca's (Anywhere with lakes in the name)
Areas to consider in Ippy central are Yamanto, Raceview, Brassall and further out on acreage maybe consider Rosewood or Lowood.
Good luck.
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We took a drive there on a sunday recently and there was nothing open, no shops, not even a cafe for us to have something to eat. I would think nightlife, bars and restuarants are pretty lacking and as a previous poster said, it has a terrible reputation. The housing looked pretty run down and generally a bit of a dodgy area. it's also extremely dry out that way 'cos of our droughts - not much greenery in sight.
Sorry - but you asked!
I live in western suburbs (Kenmore) which is ok but if you can afford it and have young kids I would definitely recommend Sherwood, Chelmer, Graceville - very family areas, great amenities, on the train line (absolutely essential with the way this city is growing - cannot recommend this more highly), beautiful leafy area.
Hope this helps!
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Hahaha...i love threads about Ipswich! I grew up in a small country town west of Ipswich and grew up knowing two things for certain: 1. Water is precious and 2. Ipswich is a sh**hole. The only place where anyone in my family has ever been robbed. My sister works in Real Estate there and has caught diseases inspecting some of the rental properties they manage and then a couple weeks ago she was held up and robbed at knife point in her office in the middle of a busy Saturday!!! By a tenant!!!! And if you're familiar with recent story of real estate admin lady being killed, you will realise just how thick ppl in Ipswich are - can't even make their crimes original.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
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And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
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Often seems to be that immigrants from the UK get sucked into thinking that they must live near the coast at all costs - we lived near the coast in the UK but hardly ever went to the beach
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We are going to Boonah for Easter - hoping to do some bush walking. Beautiful countryside round there
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Hahaha...i love threads about Ipswich! I grew up in a small country town west of Ipswich and grew up knowing two things for certain: 1. Water is precious and 2. Ipswich is a sh**hole. The only place where anyone in my family has ever been robbed. My sister works in Real Estate there and has caught diseases inspecting some of the rental properties they manage and then a couple weeks ago she was held up and robbed at knife point in her office in the middle of a busy Saturday!!! By a tenant!!!! And if you're familiar with recent story of real estate admin lady being killed, you will realise just how thick ppl in Ipswich are - can't even make their crimes original.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
As a previous poster said Graceville and sherwood are nice, also Corinda. But remember that in SEQ your never far away from a shitehole, rocklea
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If you've ever been to Bracknell or Swindon, that's what Ipswich town centre is like. Outlying suburbs look OK to me, some of them are quite pretty, but as others have said, it does have a terrible reputation. Karana Downs used to be part of Ipswich but a handful of residents campaigned to get it moved into Brisbane City. I think Karalee is still Ipswich.
If you can afford the likes of Sherwood etc. have a look at Fig Tree Pocket and Chapel Hill, much nicer IMO, more hilly and not so flat. Sherwood etc. have pretty houses but no other advantages over them.
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Hahaha...i love threads about Ipswich! I grew up in a small country town west of Ipswich and grew up knowing two things for certain: 1. Water is precious and 2. Ipswich is a sh**hole. The only place where anyone in my family has ever been robbed. My sister works in Real Estate there and has caught diseases inspecting some of the rental properties they manage and then a couple weeks ago she was held up and robbed at knife point in her office in the middle of a busy Saturday!!! By a tenant!!!! And if you're familiar with recent story of real estate admin lady being killed, you will realise just how thick ppl in Ipswich are - can't even make their crimes original.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
I came back from 3 years in the UK thinking that I was just being ignorant and prejudiced and was even thinking of moving to Ipswich (still close to my Mum but close to the city and not too expensive) but OMG, after working there for 6 months, commuting an hour to work and back NOTHING could ever entice me to live there. The freaks in the streets, the dirty people loitering around the bus stops, just the general dirtiness of the whole town, the empty, untidy shops around the mall, the whole city centre is just so ... unloved. So much potential going to waste.
the other posters are right though about it being a boom area and I used to eagerly read anything I could on plans to revamp Ipswich CBD and upgrade the whole place. I suppose, despite the inward groan that always comes when I think of Ipswich, I have a strange affection for the old dump. It was the first "city" I ever drove in, it was where we always did our 'Christmas Shopping", my baby girl was born there (poor child I didn't want it on her Birth Certificate but that's illegal).
Go there and look around it can't hurt. Don't go into the toilets in the mall or you won't ever come back! And Toowoomba worth a look as well. Personally I couldn't handle the distance but I lived/worked there briefly a few years ago and it is a nice town. Plus I know a lot of interesting people from there. And you'd get a bit of the Australian 'country' living as well.
Lots of people are starting to buy up property in places like Boonah, Rosewood, Walloon etc and commute to Ipswich. These are little country towns that are also having a boom. Good investment-wise and benefit of country living for your kids. I grew up in one of those little towns and intend to move to a similar place when my daughter starts school. You can still send your kids to Ipswich for private school when they get to Secondary if you desire, although a lot of the smaller rural secondaries have decent reputations (Boonah for eg).
Good luck making your decision.
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#40
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At a cost of $2.3 billion for 8km of road
. It ain't going to happen anytime soon and if it does it will take years to build.
If you've ever been to Bracknell or Swindon, that's what Ipswich town centre is like. Outlying suburbs look OK to me, some of them are quite pretty, but as others have said, it does have a terrible reputation. Karana Downs used to be part of Ipswich but a handful of residents campaigned to get it moved into Brisbane City. I think Karalee is still Ipswich.
If you can afford the likes of Sherwood etc. have a look at Fig Tree Pocket and Chapel Hill, much nicer IMO, more hilly and not so flat. Sherwood etc. have pretty houses but no other advantages over them.
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If you've ever been to Bracknell or Swindon, that's what Ipswich town centre is like. Outlying suburbs look OK to me, some of them are quite pretty, but as others have said, it does have a terrible reputation. Karana Downs used to be part of Ipswich but a handful of residents campaigned to get it moved into Brisbane City. I think Karalee is still Ipswich.
If you can afford the likes of Sherwood etc. have a look at Fig Tree Pocket and Chapel Hill, much nicer IMO, more hilly and not so flat. Sherwood etc. have pretty houses but no other advantages over them.
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#41
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Would agree about fig tree pocket and chapel hill (i live in kenmore which is right next to those suburbs) but there is one main road going from these suburbs into the city, moggill road, and it is a real problem, gridlocked with traffic, taking up to an hour to travel 10kms into the city in the morning. far better to have easy access to train, which sherwood, graceville, chelmer offer. just my opinion.
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