Centurion

As some may know, we live in Wellington Point and have done since moving here 6 years ago. It's simply very nice. However, we don't have kids and never want any and at 39 I find myself dying a slow suburbia death with a lack of vibrancy, good restaurants that stay open past 9pm and the expectation that you'd be home in bed by then anyway.

I think this area is simply awesome for bringing up your family, but as a couple with an overly humanised dog it's simply too quiet and dare I say it - dull. I have friends here, have a good life and not bagging it - it's just so not us.

Although my wife loves her horses she can keep them happily on agistment in the gold coast hinterland (Tamborine etc) where she has friends. Neither of us want acreage or the hassle of looking after it so it's an arrangement that works well.

Rather than consider moving countries again, I am considering the Gold Coast as an alternative to my predicament, however don't know the area well at all other than the usual tourist things.

Anyone suggest any areas I might want to have a scout out to ? I'd live in an apartment happily were it not for the dog so it has to be a house.

Moreover, anyone have any sage wisdom of where not to move to

Pommiebird

have a look at Tallai, Worongary and Mudgeeraba to start you off. Good for agistment and not far from the nightlife in Broadbeach and Surfers!

Centurion

Perfect. Thanks. We're going to take a drive down there tomorrow. Anything that's a cab ride away from Broadbeach or Surfers is just great.

Keith Moon

You know what Centurion, i do not know your real name yet? I am 3 years older than you, i completely understand, i love Cleveland, Redland Bay, but agree with your comments!

We plan to arrive back in Oz, sometime in the next 24 months, i love Benowa, but i have no horse, just a car. I would like to meet you when i come back, but look at Ashmore, i love it round there.

I plan to do my RMN training, the missus is already a nurse, but i love the vibrancy of the Gold Coast, i love Surfers, but i am a rough old stick, even at 42, i love being working class, i just like the roughness of the Blackpoolness of the Surfers area. Not for all, but for me....

Not rich in possessions but wealthy in memories and my partner..


Good luck my friend. Keith

Centurion

Thanks for the area advice. I'll be only too happy to meet for a beer when your back this way and we can amuse ourselves with being nothing like we imagined. The interweb is a funny old place.

Hey I think Cleveland is awesome. All too often I am to be found outside Gloria Jeans with a cup of tea with mates in the morning before training and I really could not imagine such a lovely town outside of "perfect little town usa" movies.

To bring a family up in this area would be great. Schools are very good, the bay on your doorstep, in the main decent housing and a climate which is much better than further west. All within commute to the city. There is nowhere else other than the bay I would tell anyone moving to this neck of the woods to consider if they have kids.

Perhaps this is my mid-life crisis but I'm not read to mow lawns and wash the car on a Sunday quite yet.

ABCDiamond

Isn't that the reason for having kids ? So that THEY do that

Your post made me think. I checked out this area when I first arrived in Australia, but didn't stay here then. Years later, but then with a young child, it made sense to move here.

Now I am thinking again... what happens when she moves out.... oh wait... there is the retirement village up the road

sa2uk2oz

We live in Robina.. 10 mins drive from Broad beach.. 20mins to coolangatta airport.. 1min from Robina Town centre, and the train station.
in less than 2mins we are on the pacific motorway, and on a good day, i can get to Brisbane in an hour.. although the recent roadworks delay by up to another 20 mins. Central to everything..

sammyg

As previously said, Tallai, worongary and mudgeeraba are all good for acreage. However you said you didn't want that didn't you Our pick would be Tallai, there are some beautiful properties up there and the views take some beating!!

If you want to move closer to the beach, maybe mermaid waters or broadbeach waters would be worth looking at (mostly canal front) and both are low crime areas.

The top end around runaway bay/paradise point is OK but a bit of a retirement village (i work there, so have good knowledge of the area) low crime again though.

Stay away from Upper Coomera, Oxenford, nerang - i reckon those are all pretty feral areas!!

Stu

Centurion

Thanks all. I really appreciate your views. Means less wasted time driving around.

fish.01

For what it is worth, I felt the same as you and moved from suburbia to inner Brisbane and am much happier.....I do have a child and another on the way and I even prefer the life for kids in inner Brisbane than outer. Better childcare, schools, better parks, great bike tracks winding through lots of parks/trees, a lot more activities and events. The biggest bonus is the small cycle/commute where I can get far more involved with my child's day time life.

For my wife and I we love being close to the best markets, the night time street activity, the community feel to the local parks where everybody is out and about, personal trainers, kids, cricket, etc., the proximity to Brisbane events/museums/galleries. It is not like the inner city of bigger cities by any stretch but the suburban feel, trees, hills, history, beautiful character homes, combined with inner urban cafes/restaurants/shops and other stuff suits us perfectly. Not sure it would ramp things up enough for all people without kids but worth considering depending on your interest.

PaulandNic

and you'd know! ...

Seconded for Upper Coomera - Boganville!

emptiehead

Hi Centurion,
i was reading this thread and looking forward to the outcome, hope you don't mind me asking,,, how did you get on with the property search in the gold coast?, i live in springfield atm and thinking the same about moving to robina/varsity lakes/ashmore i have looked my self but can never make a final decision, have to but my 10 and 18 year old kids into the the decision though,, would be great to here your findings,if any? thanks peter.

Centurion

I'll be honest here. And apologies to those who choose to live on the gold coast but pretty much I've canned the idea. Whilst I find where I live rather dull, I simply did not get past it being a little, dare I say, tacky for the most part.

I certainly don't mean to bag the whole of the gold coast and fully realise that the gold coast is not surfers or broadbeach, merely that I didn't find what I was looking for there. I found the canal areas to be cramped and the older parts to be a little too established for my taste. Some new build and gated communities came across as highly Disneyland but without the substance.

I'm going to stay where I am for the rest of this year and explore other options such as moving interstate or even to US or Europe (not returning to the UK). Perhaps it's a Queensland thing, perhaps an Australian thing. Some serious soul searching to be done by my wife and I and until then I shall watch the garage doors rise up around me at 8am with the shrill cry of "hurry up or you'll be late" echoing the suburb

Sorry I can't help more. I'm sure for many people the gold coast is perfect, just not for us.

emptiehead

thanks for your more than honest answer, each to there own, hope you get what your looking for,peter.

PaulandNic

Best of luck with whatever you decide! ...