HelenTD

I know it's hard trying to think things through at the moment, but try to visualise your daily life moving to the Toukley area. Getting up in the morning, getting yourself ready for work, having breakfast, getting your baby fed and ready. If you don't live in Toukley, you might have to drive for quite a distance to get to work - but who's going to look after the baby? Is there a childcare place in Toukley that you will be happy with? You have to decide if you want the baby looked after near your home, or near your work.

You tend to patients all day, have practice meetings, perhaps go to see patients at aged care facilities. Whatever time you finish (did I see an expectation that you would have to work 40-50 hours per week?), in fact you will have to finish before 6 pm, probably, you need to get to the childcare centre to pick up your baby. Then the drive home - hopefully short, possibly long - get baby cleaned up, fed, off to sleep. Get yourself and OH fed, if he's home yet, then probably collapse in a heap. Repeat for another 4 days that week.

This is fairly common practice for any parent, though. I would very much doubt that you would be dining out during the week, takeaways tend not to be so good in Australia, and the ready-to-eat meals in British supermarkets tend not to be available here. Your priorities will be getting your baby sorted out for the night, so that you and OH will get some downtime, but your baby needs contact with you both.

If I were in your shoes, I would probably consider:

1. Using a migration agent to find out if you can transfer to another Area of Unmet Need, even if it's not in NSW. There are many areas crying out for GPs, even in metro areas in the case of Perth, at least. Once you've got permanent residency, or citizenship, you would be free to move to someone more suitable for you all.

2. Live in Toukley itself, if it's not too bad. It does seem like a very relaxed holiday place, which might be all that you can deal with, bearing in mind that you will be new parents, new migrants and it will take time to build up a network (not everyone fits into every community). Get your OH to be a part-time Mr Mom if necessary, or part-time travelling up to Newcastle or somewhere locally for work.

3. View the first year in Australia as a complete break from the life you've experienced so far. Your life will change anyway, becoming a parent, even if you stayed living in London.

4. Have you had a full briefing on what your salary will be? GPs are usually paid very well, although that may differ depending on whether you are in a practice that bulk-bills or charges a higher fee. Do you have to work full-time? Between you and your OH, if one or both worked part-time, you would probably still be on a very good income and would be in a better position to look after your baby. Every parent will tell you that the first year goes very quickly, and there is only a small amount of time to enjoy the baby stage before you've got a toddler on your hands - still a delightful stage, though.

Can your OH get out here in the next few weeks for a quick look at the Toukley area?

Cmabbo

Hi,

We moved over from London two years ago first to Sydney but realised a) we couldn't afford a house that we needed (3kids & two dogs) and b) the upper north shore is not very family friendly!

My DH is born and raised on the Central Coast so we naturally looked up this way. As DH does have to commute to Wynyard which does take 2 hours door to door and the last direct train leaves at 5.45pm, otherwise you have to go to Central Station but you can catch a train to Hornsby and catch the Central train and get a seat.

Anyway, we settled on Green Point because it was only a 10 min drive to Gosford and 15 minute drive to Terrigal, Avoca, Copacabana which all have great beaches. Terrigal has some good restaurants and shops. Also near by is Erina Fair which has good shopping better than Tuggarah Westfield in my opinion. My 3 year old is in daycare two days a week at Erina Kindergarten for $65 a day which includes everything which is resonable and he loves the teachers.

I wouldn't live in Woy Woy or Umina which are a bit naff and The Entrance which is ok is still like Southend. Areas in between that are nice are Wamberal, Matcham, Holgate, Terrigal and Glenning Valley if you want a bit of land.

There are definitely accountant jobs here on the coast but obviously won't pay as much as Sydney but then the cost of living is cheaper than Sydney. It can also take a while to get a job in Sydney Aussie friends that moved back he being an accountant ended up getting a contract at David Jones but companies are slow to interview and make offers where as in London they are faster moving. They also love doing those phyc tests here which can be a pain in the bottom.


I also found that while I don't mind driving 20 mins to get somewhere people on the coast think it is a huge deal!

I think as a GP you will be on a good salary and could easily afford to live in the nice areas and really enjoy what the coast has to offer.

harrip

I've not found this so much with people living on the coast, I know a lot of folk do the Sydney commute. However, I certainly find that my friends in Sydney think of the Central Coast as a million miles away. In reality its 1.5 hours - the same time it could take to drive from one side of Sydney to the other. It does mean if you get Sydney friends, you'll probably have to do the majority of travelling to see them!

Cmabbo

Perhaps not expats but local yocals who don't commute...I know many that think Bensville is in the middle of nowhere and takes ages to get to from Erina! I also know a lady who has moved from Umina to Terrigal to be closer to her son's school, literally opposite it! When we bought our house the lady left her cat behind (long story) she moved 30 mins drive away and couldn't come the day we found her as it was too far! I guess I am used to having to drive to family in Newcastle, Blue Mountains and Sydney to friends.

nyarie99

hi - thanks SOOOOO much for your input. in fact these are all the thoughts that are going through my head right now, and the reality is setting in - hence the reason for joining this forum. we are still thinking about it. I guess what some of the other peop;e have mentioned regarding commuting - i will ahve to accept a longish commute to work, and likewise for my OH. at the moment i commute 30-40 mins in the mornings due tot raffic, althouhg its only a 15mile journey, and then 20-30minutes back in the evenings. so i can accept a similar commute in terms of time - although i suspect distances will be be longer. because the visa process is already underway, and the job is sponsored, if i pulled out now - it will be a NIGHTMARE to start the whole process agian, although getting a job will not be difficult. i think we have deciede to bite the bullet. you are absolutely right regards our change in lives - we cannot expect our lives to ever be the same again, and that is what we have to realise and accpet. i dont think we'll live in toukely per se, but will probable live nearer to sydney although sitll in central coast, and both of us will commute. regards childcare, if we are both to have a long commute, we are considering getting an au pair or nanny, because the idea of waking a baby up and doing all the babycare in the morning seems rather cruel to a baby to me - especially one so young. i feel that your first year of life should be spent in familiar surroundings - eg your own home, and we will endeavour to maintain that as best as possible, so a chilminder/nanny/au pair who comes to the house everyday is our first choice...then we'll consider daycare thereafter. in erms of hours of work -....sitll havnt finalised that yet. but i remeber from speaking to the practice before i took on the job, that they were quite flexible. although i expect to work about 36-40 hours a week - which i can try and juggle and get out the way in 3-4 days giving me more days off in a row if that is possible.

but thanks alot for your advice and insight....you have really hit tha nail on the head in terms of the reality of the situation!

nyarie99

thanks for the info re nice places to live - will look into it. we were thinking living nearer to sydney than toukley itself - so if you have any other advice on places nearer to sydney that you would recommend - then do let us know! thanks

Cmabbo

Hiya, nearer to Sydney would the Upper North Shore which is very expensive and in my opionion is basically suburbs with a major road running through it (The pacific Highway) the majority of shops apart from Wahroonga (40min train journey) are on the main road making it noisy and not safe for children IMO, you also have to contend with planes on the flight path which you don't on the Central Coast. Failing that you can live in Hornsby which would be a 50 min train ride into CBD for you hubby. Personally I could do the drive on the F3 from Upper North Shore to Central Coast it is a nightmare the drivers/utes are dangerous and there are always accidents the last one shutting off the freeway for many hours and people were stuck with no food or water. From Hornsby to Gosford it is a 30min drive so probably longer up to Toukley.

Where are you from in London as I can get a better idea of what might be suited.

Woy Woy itself is not great to live but does have a major train station where the train is 1hr 10min into the CBD but then you hubby might be able to get a job in North Sydney which is like a mini CB north of Sydney and a shorter commute. So areas around there which are nice are Hardy's Bay, Killcare, Killcare Heights, Macmasters Beach etc which would be a 50min dirve to Toukley. So for me a bit closer might be better like Avoca Beach, North Avoca, Terrigal Wamberal which would be a 30 min drive. Terrigal can be busy in the summer but generally has lots of nice cafes, restaurants, clothes shops, lovely home ware shops, hairdressers etc. We also like to take the kids to the haven late afternoon and have fish & chips on the beach which is bliss with the view and sun setting down. They also have a food & wine market in October which is fab.

I think if you are limited because of your job hubby might need to re evaluate the tye of career he wants, with a young baby on the way you both might want to enjoy that time and not have to commute so long, at the moment my hubby leaves the house at 6.30am and doesn't get home until 8.30pm so he doesn't see the kids during the week and your hubby being an accountant he with be very busy month/year end. We had to move up because the cost of Sydney but haven't regretted it.

I hope that helps a little more feel free to ask anymore questions.

Cmabbo

Back again some more areas are Point Frederick close to Gosford Station with beautiful views of Brisbane Water (40min drive) or Green Point 2251 (again 40mins) another thought I don't know what field of accountancy your hubby is in but here everyone has to submit a tax return unlike uk where your company does it for you. So it might be an idea to set up your own business you can charge anywhere from $70 (simple)-$1000 (complex) and it is mandatory so you will always have the business coming in.

nyarie99

hi - yes that has been extremely helpful actually. we'll look into Hornsby, hadnt thought of that. how far to drive from hornsby to toukley, do you think? and surely i would be going against the traffic at all times if i am heading that way in the mornings, and then the opposite to traffic in the evenings if we chose hornsby/wahroonga? whats hornsby like?

we live in Watford, which isnt really london, more herts, but essentially we are 20mins by train to central london, but watford is still quite cosmopolitan, and i guess is more the commuter belt than london. so somewhere llike watford would suit us to a tee! we can drive into london for nights out in about 45mins - so central london and the west end are easily accessible, but we still live in the suburbs - so best of both worlds.

Cmabbo

Hiya,

The drive would take about an hour and it is always a busy freeway as it is the only up to Newcastle and further.

Hornsby is ok, Hornby Heights might be slightly nicer, avoid Thornleigh and Normanhurst. I love Wahroonga and we first rented there, only the east side or Fox Valley area. There is a market square that has a few cafes and a IGA. There are great schools/preschools but Wahroonga is mainly full of rich old ladies who lunch. The lower north shore (chatwood, castle cove, mosman, willoughby) is much better for families but too far to commute to Toukley.

I moved from Chislehurst near Bromley which is similar to Watford just south of the river so roughly know what you are after and it is really difficult to get that in Sydney suburbs. Firstly there are no pizza express, ask, or zizzi's that you pop out to for a cheap bite to eat, no waitrose or M&S with easy convinience food you have to basically cook from scratch. Most restaurants and take aways shut around 8.30/9.00 as do the off license's (bottle shops). Walking to the train station is impossible as they are normally too far, hilly and not fun when its hot and humid. There are some private busses but they stop running at 7pm and are expensive.
So a station car is a must and all parking at train stations is free unlike the UK.
Any other info just ask..

spuddyo

Hi. My wife and i moved from UK to Australia 15 years ago and lived in Sydney for 3 years. When we decided to purchase a property we chose the Central Coast and have lived at Avoca Beach ever since. We have an 8 year old daughter and both work on the coast.

The Central Coast does have a lot of areas which I would not choose to live in, but plenty of places that are really nice too. Just like many areas in and around London, or in fact anywhere in the world.

There are an increasing number of large businesses setting up in this area, however the Senior and Exec positions are not advertised in the local press, but are available through agents etc. I do not know of one English Migrant that has struggled to get work here within the first 3 months.

Commuting to Sydney or Newcastle is do-able but not ideal due to the pretty bad train services and road network. If you are used to City and have a social life, then the restaurants closing early and having very few good pubs and bars might be an issue. However, for family life, enjoying the beaches etc it's a great place to live. Sydney is easily accessible if you want to go to the Theatre or have a nice day/night out, Newcastle is going through a growth phase and is becoming a good all-round place to go.

My advice to you would be take the opportunity to move to Australia using your new contract, rent a place near the beach and spend a few months looking around. Once you have got to know the place a little, then you can decide where you want to live long-term and if need be move. Get your foot in the door and then see what happens.

In terms of how the Central Coast compares to London life - think Lake District or North Yorkshire. ( but without the nice pubs )

Cmabbo

Totally agree with previous poster you can't replicate a lifestyle in London/Greater London to that of one on the Central Coast or even Sydney. Sydney has great restaurants and hotels but theatre is lacking and very expensive we're talking anywhere from $100-$200 per ticket. An example Billy Connelly was playing up in Newcastle and a ticket was $219!
When I moved to Australia I wanted to experience some of its great beauty and living in Sydney didn't cut it for me to be honest. Even though Gosford is run down I still appreciate how lucky I am when I drive from East Gosford and get hit with views of Brisbane Waters it is beautiful when the sun is shinning the boats are bopping on the water.
We do have excellent restaurants up here on the coast, Bell's in
Killcare, The Cowrie in Terrigal and Newcastle has had a big makeover and the quayside has some nice places.
I like to think of the coast a bit more like Devon/Cornwall a PIA with Sydneysiders in the summer but beautiful for us locals the rest of the year!
Oh and pubs no longer exist as does waiter service in so called pubs or bistros you get given a buzzer!

paddyo

ok, my tuppence worth.

Working in Toukley I would not travel by road from Sydney metro areas, one road in and out and it, as one poster already mentioned, closes if an accident happens. We currently live on the Northern Beaches in Sydney, rent not own, and looked at Terrigal areas to live due to VFM for house purchase. Whilst we could get a great house it was the commute that done it for me. As Bermudashorts says, being a senior worker in the CBD could mean non standard hours and the commute time would be in excess of 2 hrs each way for your OH.
I think, as others have said, get here and bite the bullet for a year. Get OH to get a job in Newcastle, use your Au Pair and just settle into your job, motherhood and the joy of a child experiencing your world.
My work colleague, here in Woolloomooloo, lives in San Remo next to Toukley, she gets up at 4am to leave at 5am and starts here at 7am, beating the traffic and then leaves here at 3pm for the return journey. Both times are to avoid heavy traffic and also reduced toll fees. If you are a morning person then great, if not (mopi) then utter shite!
So, as a hard taskmaster male with no emotions or feelings might say,"Suck it in Princess and do the hard time!"

Julian927

We live in Woongarrah, which is not far from Toukley. We are retired and used to live near Oxford until last October.
I think your best bet would be to rent, definitely do not buy close to Toukley as I think you will regret it. I also think the suggestions of finding work for your husband in Newcastle is a more practical solution to a very long commute from Wyong or Warnervale station. Presumably, as a doctor, you need to be relatively close to your practice? There are some lovely beaches up here, Fraser Beach within Munmorah NP for example. The area does not have much in the way of restaurants. Lake Haven shopping centre appears to be the centre for fast food e.g. Macdonalds, Subway, Pizza Hut etc. judging by the clientele the local tattoo parlour does very well and rumours about Australia being the most obese nation seem well founded.
If you want to find out more about the locality you can send me a private message.

sarahjd100

Hi

Really interesting to read your thread. I have been offered a variety of GP posts in the central coast region. I am going to look at Toukley medical practice next week - before I sign any contracts! My family and I presently live in Windsor. We must get in touch