keith (UK)

Hi Slec.

Good to know you are enjoying it here. We have been through Geelong a couple of times en-route to the Great Ocean Road. We too are enjoying our stay here and have yet to visit Sovereign Hill!!!!!!!

Bix

Hi Keith,

Really appreciated your postings as we are hoping to head your way this year and were beginning to think no one had heard of Ballarat region !

In fact we have been looking via internet real estate sites at places a little to the South East of you like Smythesdale / Snake Valley / Skipton / Linton area.

Have you passed through those parts ? We were wondering if it is what you would call semi bush.

Many thanks.

Carol in Oz

We were with the Commonwealth for about 25 years up until they went on the stock market. Its now all about cutting staffing levels and making more and more money for the shareholders. Fees up to the ceiling every time you look around and queues out the door. Am now with a credit union for day to day banking - next to no fees and no waiting. We do have building societies too.

BookBear

Sovereign Hill's pretty interesting for a bit of history of Australia. Don't expect too much from the evening light show, unless you're expecting to laugh

We stayed in Ballarat one Christmas. Unfortunately we had counted on at least one restaurant being open for Christmas lunch, but ended up having to get those stockings full of cholcolate from a servo and making one of those Asia At Home Thai Chicken Soups!

There's some beautiful gold-boom town architecture.

Banksia

Have you thought of becoming a Commbank shareholder? Chances are you are already through your super fund.

What we need is an efficient banking industry and I think on the whole we have that given the number of transactions that are processd everyday. Bank employees may have another view. And even then the bank can pay you more if you are good at your job and you don't have to share your wages with inefficient employees.

I think bank queues are shorter than they have every been despite branch closures because you hardly need to go anywhere near a branch these days.

My uncle in his 90s is a retired bank manager. He tells me they were closing branches even in the olden days.

keith (UK)

Hi Bix,

Can't say I know those area's, although I have seen signs for Smythesdale and Snake Valley around... but that probably does'nt help you much!

I would say though, that anything other than the cities and big towns (ie with population greater than a few thousand) will probably be what you call 'semi bush'. Maybe someone who has been in Australia a bit longer than us might be able to give you a bit more information.

helinuk

Enjoyed your posts - glad you've settled in ok. I was in Ballarat back in November to visit an aunt who lives in a nursing home. Went to Sovereign hill quite fun for a few hours. Stayed in an awful motel just outside Ballarat. I have friends who have 2 properties- as in farms- at Ballan - a very pretty area. The only thing that puts me off Ballarat is that people told me its much colder than Melbourne in Winter so do post us and let us know if thats true!
My old school friend works for Commonweath bank in Sydney she thinks they are fine- but she would!, and I've heard from others on this site that it was good for transferring monies across to oz ?
Helinuk

Neil S

Looking on the bom.gov.au website, I'm afraid it looks like Ballarat IS colder than Melbourne in the winter.

The Ballarat mean temps are:
June 10.7C
July 10.0C
August 11.4C
The Melbourne mean temps are:
June 14.0C
July 13.4C
August 14.9C

- Neil

slec

Hi
Sm/Snake/Ski/Lint areas are very rural/farm land/semi bush.
with small population.

slec

Hi
Working with a guy from Ballarat he tells me it is quite a bit colder in winter than Mel and Geelong as it is up hill all the way 1800ft above sea level.Can get very light snow/frost.

keith (UK)

Hi Folks!

I didn't realise there was all this much to say about Ballarat!

Yes, it is colder than Mel.... on average, about 4 degrees colder due to the altitude (as pointed out by earlier posts). It is supposed to be summer here, but there have been days when we have had to switch the heating on. But then on the flip side, when it was hot, it was 39 degrees, and we fried!

My advice to anyone wanting to rent/buy here, would be to get something with central heating.

Ballarat is a nice place though. Its only 1.25 hours away from Melbourne, and the drive down the western freeway is easy. Most of the road is 110 km/h.