tartankoala

I would say that if you live close enough to the sea then no it's not.

lapin_windstar

The season is probably about the same. I suspect that pools are a bit less popular here than in Joburg but I have no real idea. There are water restrictions in Sydney of various degrees so I would imagine that pools would be affected by that but www.sydneywater.com (.au ?) will have the details. Public pools are pretty common and generally pretty cheap/well-maintained. Often beaches will have a seawater-fed pool as well.

I don't have a pool and don't think I'd kill to get one - but maybe I am missing out.

plantpot

Really depends on if you have a car where you can live. The trainline around Chatswood up to Gordon are great for train travelling , and as a mum you won't ever really need to use the transport (I never do except on the rare occasion), every place usually has it's own libraries, shops, preschools etc etc...bit like a series of villages. IF you DO have a car and hubby can drive...then maybe areas like Forestville, St Ives, Turramurra would be nicce, you get a bit more for your money and ST Ives do more pools. You def cannot swim year round in Sydney unless you are made of strong stuff but there are lots of public outdoor pools eg West Pymble North Sydney etc...

You 'could' go down Paddyo's way and go to Manly all the way up to Pittwater etc but the travelling is more (I think)....ask him about specifics...

Good luck.....



PP

edited to say that rentals are based PER WEEK not monthly like I first thought!!! I would say for 4 bedrooms around Chatswood to Turramurra St Ives and Forestville would be roughly 600-1000 dollars a week PLUS....You might also want to check if they are heated or have ac (reverse duct ac perhaps) because I could not live without some form of heating in the Winter, I find it cold....

FHI

If you have kids and can afford it i would recommend having a pool. You are unlikely to be able to go to the beach every day and as you are no doubt aware from your South African experience a pool can be a great way to entertain the kids.

The length of the swim season depends upon how brave you are! Kids can easily go from about end Oct to beginning of April. My wife tends to go from Dec to Feb and that is with solar heating!

Rosscarbery

Working in North Sydney, your OH's life will be much better if you stick to the train line! Once you head out towards the beaches you're relying on buses or driving which will really add to his journey time.

We finally decided that unless you are within walking distance to the beach, being half an hour away (with a pool) but walking (or local bus) distance to the train was a better option. We're in Turramurra so OH has easy access to the train to the city for work, and if the rest of us want to go to the city in the evening or at the weekend it's easily accessible. If we want to go to the beach it's 25-30 minutes to Mona Vale or Dee Why; Ku-ring Gai Chase national park is up the road. With three kids space was important to us - we rented a 4 bed in St. Ives for two years ($950 per week if you want an idea of rents), but found it a bit dull in the end and bought in Turramurra (not exactly buzzing but we have everything we need within walking distance including a lot of decent restaurants). The difference in rental between 3/4 bedrooms is quite a lot, and 4 beds are always in shorter supply. If you can make do with three it will make your choice wider. Good luck - it's a fab place to be!

ezzie

I don't think anyone yet has mentioned The Hills District. It's further from the beaches, but closer to the mountains. With young kids I can't think of a better place as it's very much a family area. Leafy middle-class suburbs, good schools, low crime, large affordable homes. No train but buses run direct to North Sydney & City. A large proportion commutes to the city or N.Syd for work. Castle Hill has the restuarants, big shopping centre, cinemas etc and is probably the best suburb in the Hills, but the new area of Rouse Hill is worth a look at - planned as an open modern town with amazing bike paths, parks and plenty of facilities. Take a look at the price of some Castle Hill properties...think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

plantpot

Yep Turramurra is lovely!

tiger222

How is Turramura for schools? I have 1 in high school and 2 in primary and a 3 yr old.

JenJen

Shires is south and the commute is not a good one...

Whats your budget?????

LittleKittyCat

I second that about the commute from the Shire being a pain. We live in the Shire and when we first got here, hubby was working in the CBD (it was a short-term placement, he is in Hurstville which is much better now) and he used to have to leave the house at about 6.50 in order to drive to the station, find a place to park, walk to the station and then get the train and walk to work at the other end. He would leave work at about 5.40 and get home at around 7-7.30, depending on which train he managed to get. It made for very long days for me (being a stay at home mum with two small children aged 3 and 1).

I would also second what someone said about the pool. If I find the day is dragging on a bit, or it is really humid I find it great to be able to take the kidlets down to the pool for a cool off (also tires them out and makes them sleep better !). The beach is lovely, but to be honest, sometimes it is nice to go and have a cool down without a major expedition (buckets, spades, snacks, water, towels, dry clothes, sun suits, UV tent thing, kitchen sink etc, etc...).

carolinephillips

St Ives is also good- 10 mins to the trains, buses to the city, close to the bush, 20 mins from the beach. We rented in Killara at first, a 3/4 bed house for $720pw but it was a cold mouldy place as we found out, opposite the railway line. We moved to St Ives which has a good range of shops and schools, and have bought our 4 bed with pool here. Reckon your OH could commute to North Sydney in less than 45 mins from here.
One thing- NO PUBS!!! Lots of coffee shops tho.

markbhx

I'm in Cammeray, 15 min walk to north sydney, 5 min drive to city, get on the bus and next stop is the city if you go on the freeway. 10 min drive to the beach 25 min drive to Manly, Bondi etc..
Northern beaches are nice but not for working in the city or north sydney as its a long old bus journey. Not any better with a car as theres nowhere to park in and around the city unless your office has a car park or you dont mind paying $50 a day for parking.

s1mon321

I'd look for an area where you could also afford to buy a property in the future.

We have an amazing apartment in Mosman with beautiful views.............and bugger all chance of ever being able to buy somewhere like that!

Would've stung a bit if we were staying and wanted to buy!!

louie

Funny you should say that. We too lived in an amazing unit in Kirribilli (well, amazing views, acceptable unit to be more precise) 20 years ago when we spent 18 months in Sydney, with no chance whatsoever of buying anything remotely similar. 20 years later and we have bought a unit in the same block. It might take time and a lot of hard work, but maybe you could do the same (and don't discount that, we too went back to the UK after 18 months and are now planning our return 20 years later).

s1mon321

Very good point Louie and definitely something to focus on :-)

I don't believe for a minute that when we leave Sydney in April that it will be forever.