The Gap is a nice leafy area. It is suburban, quiet and car based if you like that. It is middle ring price wise. Houses are usually 1970's-2000 range with the odd newer estate.

Main peak hour express city bus is around 25 mins I think but it is a very large suburb so depends where you live in The Gap. It may stretch out to 40 mins in fringe parts.

It has very well regarded public schools.

This aerial gives you an idea of how it is surrounded by hills. If you look towards the city past the ashgrove gold club you can see "the gap" in the hills the road travels through to exit the suburb, hence the name.


Source: https://dduaaywsz-res-4.cloudinary.c...6qoh0ib4sx.jpg

Price wise the next suburb out, Ferny Grove is cheaper and the suburb closer to the city, Ashgrove, is significantly dearer.


To recommend a suburb we would need to know what your preferences and/or budget are as they all have their positives/negatives but most are decent suburbs.

My dad has told me to avoid waterworks road which is the main road in/out and some of the houses I've looked at are great. I'd imagine a typical Brit moving to Brisbane would want a pool so I've been looking mainly at that.

Waterworks Rd isn't much different from any of the arterials leading to the city. It certainly isn't the worst looking at the recent published figures.

If you have to drive in peak hour the good thing is you can take the same route as the express bus and turn off waterworks, travel up coopers camp road and down latrobe tce through paddington. I find latrobe tce one of the least congested roads approaching the brisbane cbd.

You can tell by the route the bus uses how long it usually take in peak hour as they adjust the timetable to reflect normal peak conditions.

Here it is in peak:

7.54am Depart Waterworks Rd at The Gap Village, stop 33, The Gap
8.19am Arrive King George Square, 2A, Brisbane City
Travel time: about 25 minutes

And off-peak:

9.54am Depart Waterworks Rd at The Gap Village, stop 33, The Gap
10.16am Arrive King George Square, 2A, Brisbane City
Travel time: about 22 minutes

Note the first few km may have a bus lane while on waterworks road so will be faster than a car for that segment.

Source: Journey planner | TransLink (Route 385)

Instead of a pool you could use The Gap's very own swimming reservoir

It comes with a marked swimming area, a little beach and picnic area and a canoe launch...the locals hire out canoes and kayaks to visitors:

It also has a little wildlife centre where you can see animals like the platypus:

They have a tender out at the moment to extend it:

There are also walking trails around the reservoir:


Source: http://www.blokeslens.com/wp-content...110_104635.jpg


Source: http://www.blokeslens.com/wp-content...110_113500.jpg

You're just getting me overly excited now playing the waiting game with Vetassess at the moment and seeing these and looking at houses is so frustrating sitting in the cold in Scotland haha

Just think how you'll still be going to work every M-F in oz if you want to calm down

This is one of many suburbs worth checking out so I wouldn't commit from afar...so many different places may suit you though I think it is nice to start to dream...

Suburbs like The Gap are very nice and green with sporting clubs, great govt schools and community feel...but, they can also be very quiet with no local pub within walking distance usually, driving most places, lights out early etc...so really depends how urban you want your suburb to be...

Don't think a walking distance pub would bother me, usually if we head out it's in to town so I'd imagine it'll be a similar story.

Are there any others you would recommend checking out? My dad will always be biased cos he wants us close by.

I'm loath to recommend suburbs blind as there are 450 suburbs in Brisbane and most of them might suit you depending on your preferences:


To explain what I mean, people usually narrow it down as follows:


Work location:

I'm working on the north of the river, live north and vice versa.


House style and suburb urban-ness:

I am willing to pay more for a beautiful 100 year old character home near the city in the more happening suburbs; OR

I am willing to pay more for a large modern home in an outer suburban new estate and like the shopping mall/drive everywhere life; OR

I prefer to live in a middle ring house that is neither super modern or full of character but is more affordable and in a suburb with good facilities; OR

My budget forces me to live this far out to manage to buy a house I like


Facilites:

I want to live as close to the beach as possible;

I want to live as close to the mountains as possible;

I want to live as close to the best mountain bike trails;

I want to live somewhere I can cycle to work;

I want to live somewhere with lots of sporting clubs/gold courses/pools etc

I want to live somewhere with the best kids parks

I want great public transport

I want to live close to hip markets, art galleries and cafe strips


Education:

I want to live close to the best universities

I want to live in a suburb with great govt schools

I want to live in a suburb with the best private schools that cost no more than $X

I want to live in a suburb that has access to schools of X religion.


Topography

Prefer a flat easily walkable suburb on the plains

Prefer a hilly, breezy suburb in the mountain foothills

Prefer a breezy bayside suburb

Prefer to live by the river

Prefer to live by the bush

Prefer to live along a creek

Dont care

I see what you mean with having so much choice but as a quick stab it'd be:

modern house ideally but a big garden is an absolute must because we live in a flat now and are desperate for our daughter to have loads of playing space.

On the same token good kids parks would be good, as would public transport as I'd imagine the offices I will be applying for will mainly be in the CBD.

good farmers/butchers/fishmonger markets would be great so we can get out and about and discover places.

Our daughter is 7 so good government schools would be a massive bonus and the area being walkable would be great too again as we want a more outdoors lifestyle

Define 'older' and 'newer'. You won't find too many new (post 2000) houses around Toowong as most new construction will be apartments/townhouses built to take advantage of the size of the original blocks: similarly you won't find much in the way of a yard/garden. Depending on how much you are prepared to spend on a house (buy or rent) you will probably have to settle for either a smaller property or a longer commute.

BBC operate their own bus service to take students to and from the school (see here) so you can expand your search into the areas serviced by the school bus.

Agreed graceville is lovely 😄

It's looking likely that i'll be moving to Corinda. Is this a good move? What's everybodys personal experience of Corina?