GeordieGeek

Hey all

We are looking to come to the Melbourne area in April / May 2011 for 4 weeks or so with a view to seeing if it might be the place where we live with our 2 small children (2 and 3) for a few years and just wanted some advice

I am self employed and can work anywhere that has a decent internet connection so being near the CBD is not necessary.

What we are ideally looking for is to try and find a small village / community near Melbourne (50km or so) that is also near the coast and is family friendly?

If anyone has any ideas or advice please reply.

Btw we are planning on renting a house / apartment for 2 weeks and a camper van for 2 weeks to explore Victoria when we come over next year so any advice as to where to check out would also be gratefully received.

NOTE: Found a great thread here too but still looking for more information

furkew

We have a unit in Monbulk in the Dandenong ranges which fits everything except you are looking for except we are an hour from the beach.

a lot of the villages around here and also plenty more heading closer to the coast are very similar or even smaller.

You will find the Aussies in the smaller towns (dont call them villages here) are very friendly and once you get to know people, they will generally always give a helping hand.

Primary Schools are in the main 50-100 pupils max, so you get to know mums & dads easily, and joeys/cubs/scouts or sports clubs are abundant and another way of getting to know people & settling in.

Have a look at a map of Melbourne and pretty much anything from Geelong in the West all the way probably as far as the peninsular on the east side of the bay could fit your bill, but being a bit further from the coast would give you more the village feel.

GeordieGeek

Cheers for that

I noticed your helpful replies in that other thread I linked to above.

Still recovering from looking at some accommodation in St Kilda priced at $425 PER night

furkew

In late April early May, plenty of the camp sites will have furnished units along the coast free, and they wont be too expensive either. Weather isnt normally too bad that tme of year either.

we stayed here before and it was nice: http://www.shv.com.au/index.php

Queenscliffe is nice as well, but a bit dearer.
big 4 Queenscliffe : http://www.beaconresort.com.au/index...=92&Itemid=110

plenty more out there.

steve_kelly_and_boys

hi

mornington peninsula is your place

been here 7 months now and love it , only about an hours drive to the cbd , the coast, countryside , we have everything here

also i may know someone who you can rent a 3 bed apartment off of right next to fishermans beach near the esplanade , it is where we stayed for a month when we arrived fully furnished in a really good conveniant location

steve_kelly_and_boys

hi again

have found the website

www.morningtonbreaks.com.au

pat runs it and is superb ( she even got some shopping in for us so we had the essentials after i had emailed the list over to her ) , i couldnt recommend it enough

in a really good place and very easy to get out and about from

GeordieGeek

Thanks for the replies again. Plenty to look at!