Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hi everyone,

My name is Michelle and I am married to Gary. We have two children, Max age 12 and Grace age 9. We also have a dog (weimaraner) called Ruby.

We are moving to Sydney in January. Don't know whereabouts in Sydney but have heard the Northern Beaches are lovely - Harbord, Manly, Fairlights and Hunters Hill have been recommended.

Am extremely worried about picking schools for my children and do not have a lot of time as the new school term starts end of January :confused: . I have heard Sydney doesn't use league tables. Can anyone let me know of any good state schools in or around these areas?

Would very much appreciate any help you can give.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Welcome to the forum, and best of luck with your move.

Gill

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hello

There are a couple of good schools around the Manly Fairlight area but I guess it depends if you are going private or not and whether you want them to go a religious school? There is Manly Public school which is good for the under 10s. St Marys School in Manly is a primary and a secondary school (I think) which has a good reputation, but I am unsure of the religious order you have to be.

There is Harbord Public School,


Try this website as they may have a list of schools for you to look into.

http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/


This is a website for private/independent schools which may help

http://www.aisnsw.edu.au/Main/

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hi,

Thanks for the information, it has helped me a great deal. I have something to work on now - feeling less stressed. I have visited the website and have found this extremely useful. :)

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Nice areas - tho I dont consider the suburbs that u listed to be the Northern Beaches. Will you be buying or renting? Both of you working? Commuting to where? Welcome to BE - this site has loads of info.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hi,

We will be renting. I've heard it's cheaper to rent. My husband will be working in the city.

What areas would you say are the Northern Beaches? I've obviously misunderstood someone. :confused: Are the areas I listed located in the Upper North Shore? Are the Northern Beaches a lot more expensive than Harbord, Fairlights etc.

Am really enjoying the B/E site. Already finding it very useful.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Cool, yes renting will be a lot cheaper.

Northern Beaches is different to upper/lower north shore. I've not lived in Sydney for 9 yrs now - can't remember all of the different suburbs. Northern Beaches suburbs are further out, and will generally be cheaper to rent....longer commute. Good luck with everything.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Yes, with a couple of notable exceptions, the further away you are from the CBD the cheaper everything becomes. Northern Beaches do officially start at Manly and go north but I think most people regard the Manly area as being an area of its own.

Dee Why is considered the cheapest Northern Beach suburb (lots of flats there). Prices start to get expensive again when you get to Pittwater and Palm Beach (the most northerly beach of them all) is the most expensive of the lot.

Hunters Hill is nowhere near the northern beaches. It's a very select suburb, west of the bridge, on the northside of the Harbour.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hi Michelle

Welcome!

:)

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Hi Michelle,

We're moving to Sydney next year too, and conidering some of the areas you mentioned. It depends what you are after, but we had always earmarked Hunter's Hill as a reat place to live, but when we went to look at it found it was a bit too remote (yes it is just a short ferry ride from the city, but there was very little in the way of local shop for bread and milk etc) compared to what we had expected. It was lovely though. I would live in Manly in a heartbeat. I also really like Balmain as it has a real cafe culture and an identity of it's own while still being so close to the city.

I can't be much help with schools as I don't have kids.

What I would suggest is buying a tourist book with a good map - the AA City Pack has a fantastic map in it which we have used endlessly since we bought it a couple of years ago - I think you ca just buy it in WH Smith or Amazon, but it hs a huge fantastic and suitably detailed fold out map with it, which yo can combine with a visit to www.realestate.com.au or one of the similar estate agent sites to get a good idea of what you can expect where in terms of housing.

Good luck!
Suzi

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

:) Thanks guys for your help. I will go and get a map straight away. Really feel like I'm getting somewhere.

Unfortunately we haven't been to Sydney. We went on holiday to Perth a few years ago to visit family and thought we would live there but my husband's new job is going to be in Sydney which I here is a lovely place as well.

Anything else you can think of that will help us would be great. Really appreciate your time. :D

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Come up to the Blue Mountains for a day trip. I'll pick you up and show you around. :) It's beautiful up here.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

Bearing in mind im very hormonal and very mental at the moment, i would certainly consider living in sydney/thereabouts if we were to give it another go but isnt it crazy expensive? after one failed emigration behind us we are pretty short on funds now :o :o

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

It really depends where you want to live! An hour on the train could see you renting a very respectable property with lots of room for not much.

Re: Moving to Sydney need advice
 

thanks - something to consider i guess when im not a pregnant psycho hormonal crazy woman!! :o