helinuk

Hi I was recommended this site today)
I am visiting Melbourne in November to get a better idea of housing, colleges/unis. teaching jobs, I know I can find alot of info on internet but wondered if any of you have advice as to the best use of my 3 weeks ....(apart from visiting my old friends and doing sight seeing) . I have a hire car booked and will be staying in the city and around Mornington Pen.
Hel.

kerrylm

Hi Hel

We are doing the same. We fly via Singapore for a couple of days, to Melbourne. We are there for just two weeks and I know it is going to be a made blur of trying to see it all adn remember what we liked/disliked etc. The main thing for me is to narrow down areas that I like/can afford and then look into schools. Just about to book the car now, who did you use and did you go for the extra bit to knock down the excess? It bumps the price up so much we may just try aour luck and hope for the best. Where are you staying?

Kerry

helinuk

Hi Iam also going via Singapore !! as that is where we lived for 6yrs (until last yr) I'm taking my 14yr old back to visit friends, then shes returning to uk alone and I'm going on to Melb.
I am using Europcar-Collecting at St Kilda, after comparing prices online and have a good deal for a small car, still haven't decided about the extra cover seems a bit of unneccessary expense??
I hope to be staying in the city with the mother of a friend! and at Arthurs seat Mornington Peninsular with their father. But have friends all over the suburbs to visit and will do a trip down the GOR.
I have friends building houses at Point Cook, Camberwell and down nr Frankston. Land is cheap and building is cheaper... but I have been looking at properties too. I read "the age" newspaper most days to get a feel for the place and use the property site "domain" .
sorry can't remember if you said when you are going?
Helen

Kenand Nel

Helen,

Going to Melbourne :2 Books to recomend -

Melways - the best street map on the planet
The Age Good School guide - best to find out where not to send your children.

Good Luck

Ken and Nel

Melbourne ASAP

Marlo

Hi Helen,

We`re going to Melbourne via Singapore too in November, what date do you fly out?

We haven`t booked our accommodation yet and intend to hire a care once we`re out there, we have friends in Brighton and out in the sticks a bit - can`t remember the name, also some rellies in Broadford. We also have rellies in Sydney which we hope to meet up with and some friends in Brisbane, though doubt if we`ll make it that far. PM me if you`d like to have a chat, we could meet up out there, where are you from? We`re in Essex.

All the best

Loraine

tennisoz

Kerry (and anyone else interested in hiring a car)

There is a company in Oz called Rent-a-Bomb. The name doesn't sound as though the cars are reliable but they specialise in hiring cars about 10 years or even older. (Remember that cars last much longer in Oz and do many more miles/kilometres on average because they don't have salted roads!)

You can hire a car for I think about 1/3 to 1/2 of the rates of the Budgets, Avises, Hertzes, Thrifty's etc. They have a website which I think is rentabomb.com.au (or do a Google search on rent-a-bomb). I haven't actually hired from them but I did go to one of their depots in Melbourne to get a quote. Their vehicles looked reasonable but obviously not as 'flash' as one from the more expensive hirers. They had large, medium and small sized vehicles as well and their excess charges to reduce the amount of any damage you have to pay is correspondingly lower. I didn't end up hiring because I was able to borrow my father's car!

A WARNING to anyone driving in Melbourne/Victoria - they have a 'zero tolerance' policy and the speed cameras which are everywhere (some hidden in overhead traffic signs) will catch you even if you are 1 kph over the speed limit. The speed limits are confusing because they vary from 110 down to 50 kph in Victoria. I speak from experience as I got a $125 fine for being a few K's over the limit in a 90!!!

Good luck

65 million

aha!, that will explain why the Hire Car firm helped themselves to another $125 from my credit card when I got home!. I complained to the credit card company saying I did not authorise this and they re-credited it to me!.

happy days,

65KK

kerrylm

We fly out of Heathrow on 10/9/03, 2 days in Sing then arr melb on 13th Sept, leaving again on 27th.

wolfens_wife

Hi Kerrylm,

Which airline are you flying on and what time is your flight? We leave same day at 22:15 with Singapore Airlines.

Michelle

kerrylm

Hiya Michelle

We are on the 12 noon Singapore flight. We land in Sing at about 8am and take off again for Melb the following evening at about 8pm. I wanted to spend the 2 days in Singapore as loved the place, just hope we can see some of it and are not too knackered. Flying with 2 kids (6 and 3) so felt it would be better for them to break the flying times up a bit. I reakon the last few hours (7 I think) to oz will be a doddle. Getting v. xcited now - 2 weeks tomorrow. Just booked the car too. Are you staying in Singapore or just straight on to Oz?

wolfens_wife

Hi,

We have about a 3 hour stop in Singapore and then straight on to Melbourne... There`s 5 of us... Me, Neil and 3 boys - 5,2 & 6 months.... Not sure how we`ll get through the first half of the journey!!!

You say that you are leaving again on the 27th? Do you intend to settle in Melbourne permanently?

Michelle

kerrylm

Yes, Melbourne is the place we THINK we want to be. We are going on a hol to check it out really. At the end of the day it comes down to work and hopefully it will work out. Paul is a Graphic Designer. We are still waiting for the visa's. TRA result only came back couple of weeks ago, so visa has just gone in. Must be looking at another year I reakon.

I am actually thinking maybe we should do a domestic up to Sydney for a couple of days just to get a slight feel of what its like. Don't know though, time etc (we only have 2 weeks!). Probably worrying unnecessarily. All my research has been on Melbourne so far. Like the sound of Sandringham and down that piece of coast, if anyone has any info I'd be grateful.

Kerry

helinuk

I have friends who live at Brighton East(not far from Sandringham), its on the expensive side for property the schools are good, its easy into the city and of course there's Brighton - Dendy Beach. I'm hoping to look at properties down that coast line too, although one of my friends is building at Point cook - other side of Bay- and that is a good price, close to city and closer to airport.
Kerry and Michelle I hope the travelling goes welll with the children. Mine were 7 and 10 when we first went to Singapore to live and we travelled alot with them around Asia and Australia.kids pick up on your excitement or boredom - pack plenty of activities and enjoy the Singapore airlines in flight entertainment- the cabin crews are excellent)
cheers
Helen

Hrrelocations

I moved to Melbourne six years ago having lived in South Africa and the UK. We really love it here. I started HR Relocations 3 years ago and we have helped people settle in Melbourne from the UK, France, US, Canada and more. Our website will give you some ideas on what to look for on your recce/preview trip/look-see-decide (everyone calls it something different).

We also sell a guide to Melbourne, called 'Melbourne for Beginners' which contains more than 600 websites and will help you narrow down your search on schools, suburbs etc. We have spent 6 years researching and analysing Melbourne and offer only independent advice. We will be adding Brisbane, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth to this series.

Besides all the practical advice, there are also some very good articles written by pschologists on the highs and lows of relocating and preparing children for the move.

As a matter of interest, most UK expats and migrants choose either the bayside areas or the eastern suburbs to live in, although Mount Eliza, Mornington and Mt Martha have also become more popular recently, but only for those who either don't work in the city or don't mind a long drive.

Popular Bayside Suburbs: Brighton, Elwood, Elsternwick, Hampton, Sandringham, Black Rock, Beaumaris, Mentone

Popular Eastern suburbs: Balwyn, Balwyn North, Camberwell, Kew, Surrey Hills, Mont Albert, Glen Iris, Hawthorn, Malvern, Ashburton, Armadale

Further East - still popular for people who like more space and Australian vegetation (eucalypts and bush) Donvale, Park Orchards, Templestowe, East Doncaster, Warrandyte

Reloction services include oriention tours, time with a consultant to view properties for rent or purchase, accommodation booking (we can get really good rates and personally check all accommodation before we recommend it), booking interviews at schools and many more. Look at our relocation services on our website.

I am happy to help anyone at any time with email advice and can put you in touch with the right websites for your information.

Happy Moving!

http://www.users.bigpond.com/hrrelocations

helinuk

[
We also sell a guide to Melbourne, called 'Melbourne for Beginners'

http://www.users.bigpond.com/hrrelocations [/QUOTE]

Heather what a coincidence-I was actually looking on your web site last night its very helpful)

I had friends in Singapore who ran a similar service-my husbands company didn't stretch to relocation services so I had to just get out there and do it myself! I have a number of friends who live in Melb.so I can ask them questions but I don't want to abuse their friendship so you might just see me - if I can find a job!!
Hel.