wendels

Hello to everyone , I'm reasonably new to this forum , have used it a few years ago when moving to NZ and found it invaluable, so I'm hoping you good people will help me out here. We moved from Ireland to NZ over 2 1/2 years ago , and are again relocating to Brisbane due to my OH job. my problem is I just don't know where to live?? Was over for 10 days and had a bit of a look around , but didn't have a car so was limited . Loved Brisbane as a city but not sure about city living. Would love th Gold coast , but unsure of the commute for the OH. He will be based Southbank area , but will be away for 3 days a week with his work so doesn't need to commute every day, and says he doesn't mind an hours plus drive or train journey when he has to. We would like an area reasonably close to beaches, good schools ( have two girls aged 11 and 14) , so important to live in an area that's going to be good for them . I'm a nurse so would like to be relatively close to a hospital. We've been slightly spoiled here in Auckland on the north shore, due to the close proximity of everything, and not sure if well get that in ?Brisbane/ gold coast? We spent some time in Burleigh heads last year and thought it was a lovely area, is it feasible to live around there or Robina, anyone know these areas, other place we've thought of is Helensavle area? Sorry for waffling on , but would appreciate any help .. Thank you

Kim67

If your spouse is working at Southbank, the suburbs I would concentrate on are Woolloongabba, Fairfield, Yeronga, Yerongpilly, Sherwood, Annerley, Greenslopes, Coorparoo, Camp Hill, East Brisbane, Seven Hills, Tarragindi, Holland Park and the surrounding suburbs. These suburbs are a close commute to South Bank, good facilities, pretty good choice of schooling for your girls, close to both the Mater and PA Hospitals.

shussel

Hi,
We moved from the UK to Sydney, I don't know Brisbane well enough to comment on specific suburbs but can suggest a few websites that provide useful information about Australian suburbs.

Domain.com.au (the real estate website) provides suburb profiles.
Cityhobo.com offers interesting insights
MyBoot.com.au is also useful.

Good luck with your plans.

moneypenny20

The commute from Burleigh to Southbank would be horrendous imo. Robina slightly better, stacks do that and Robina whilst not for me is very nice and has everything it sounds like you'd want. Helensvale is ok and the commute is far better but about 30 minutes to the beach and not quite so much going on for the kids. Can't help with Brissie suburbs.

wendels

Thanks for the info guys , great info . Where a bouts do you live Moneypenny? For some reason found it a lot easier picking an area in Auckland to live , maybe too much choice ??

moneypenny20

Just inside the border down the bottom. Perfect for us but we don't need to get to Brisbane regularly. Robina also has a decent sized public hospital and a few private ones about as well as having direct rail link. There are two decent high schools and a fair few primary schools and a massive shopping centre with both a Myers and a David Jones plus all the other majors - that's important to some people.

wendels

Wish we didn't need to commute either , would certainly make for easier choices ... Robina sounds nice , but ideally would love to live within walking distance of some amenities, but not looking likely .
Anyone know anything about the Northern suburbs?

fish.01

I've summarised your criteria so we can keep track easier:

- Loved Brisbane as a city but not sure about city living.
- Would love the Gold Coast.
- OH to commute to Southbank area; away for 3 days a week with his work so doesn't need to commute every day; he doesn't mind an hours plus drive or train journey when he has to.
- Reasonably close to beaches.
- Good schools ( have two girls aged 11 and 14).
- Important to live in an area that's going to be good for the girls.
- Nurse so would like to be relatively close to a hospital.
- Would love to live within walking distance of some amenities.

A few questions:
- does OH need to fly regularly or is he just away driving around the area with his work?
- how important is the beach? what is reasonably close? ie do you want suggestions for brisbane suburbs 60 minutes from the beach for the w/e?
- what sort of amenities did you mean you wanted to be able to walk to?
- What would make an area good for the girls?

wendels

OH will not fly regularly at present but in the futue will be flying up to Gladstone area regularly...

We have always lived by the sea, so can't imagine not being close, realise wont be within walking distance , but dont know if I coild live miles away!

Have alaways been able to walk to local shops, cafes ,restaurants etc, but do realise may not be able to do that in certain areas ie Helensvale and surrounds..

I want a safe area for the girls, my nearly 13 yo is used to catching bus to local westfield , cinema etc here, so would ideally like similar for her in our new home area..

Thanks for taking the time to reply, really appreciate the help

fish.01

My first suggestion would be the Sandgate area. I'm not an expert on this area...don't think I've been there since I was a child but have checked it out online:




- Loved Brisbane as a city but not sure about city living.

Sandgate is a quiet bayside suburb.

http://www.sandgate.com.au/


- Would love the Gold Coast.

X - in northern suburbs of Brisbane. Is bayside though.


- OH to commute to Southbank area; away for 3 days a week with his work so doesn't need to commute every day; he doesn't mind an hours plus drive or train journey when he has to.

Sandgate has a train station and is the second stop on metro train into CBD (35mins). One change for single stop to South Brisbane - whole trip approx 45mins.

http://translink.com.au/resources/tr...horncliffe.pdf


- Reasonably close to beaches.

Brisbane is lucky enough to have 3 large islands just offshore in a ring that form a large bay that is used as an aquatic weekend playground by residents.

Sandgate is a bayside suburb so rather than big surf beaches you get calm flat foreshore with small beaches and tidal mud flats. Has foreshore bike/walking tracks, swimming pools, bbq's etc.

Looking at google maps might be two small beaches here and here

Also a short drive to bigger bayside beaches in Redcliffe.


- Good schools ( have two girls aged 11 and 14).

Some locals may be able to advise what the schools are like?


- Important to live in an area that's going to be good for the girls; catching bus to local westfield , cinema etc

20 mins on the train to Centro Toombul. Cinemas reopening there in 2012. Also a short drive to Australia's 2nd largest shopping mall, Westfield Chermside.


- Nurse so would like to be relatively close to a hospital.

Near Redcliffe Hospital and Prince Charles hospitals....both smaller hospitals. You could travel to the Royal Brisbane as well a bit further away.

You would also be on the weekday train line (45min) for the Wesley Private hospital which has a good reputation.


- Would love to live within walking distance of local shops, cafes ,restaurants etc.

Seems to have a proper little town centre with a few heritage buildings, town halls, cafes, shops and the like all within walking distance of the train station and schools....seems like it could be a very walkable place.


- Would be good to be handy for Brisbane Airport.

Very handy for Brisbane airport.

fish.01

Not sure if it is typical or has something wrong with it (no flooding issues that I can see) but this home is listed at $539,000:



http://bcl.domain.com.au/Property/Fo...did=2009183810

wendels

Thank you Fish.01 for the amazing info , really appreciate that. Have sent oh off this afternoon to have a wee scout about that area , sounds pretty spot on to me

fish.01

No worries. Might be a little underwhelming, I'm really not sure. Tell him to also check out the Redcliffe peninsular a few minutes further north as that is looking really nice these days and a train is on the way in the next few years or so. Until then people drive over the bridge to Sandgate to catch the train.

Over this bridge:




Redcliffe031 by milan.davidovic, on Flickr

rinkerdink

Wow,

I second Sandgate for just about every reason given above, we really "feel it" there. I asked a buddy (local resident) about the Kippa Ring station and he said it's been spoke about for so long he'll believe it when he see's it and not even train tracks being laid would be enough to convince him

Redcliffe and surrounds gorgeous but we feel just a littler bit too far out for us. We did the train journey in to South Side for the beach and wasn't too busy, went in off peak but returned bang in rush hour.

Sandgate has a lovely feel, don't rule out Deagon either if budget is restrictive, it's a bit cheaper, not a dump (at least not now) by any stretch and is a short walk into Sandgate from parts and also has excellent train links - the next station through from Sandgate

Dicko

Hi there,

For what it's worth, we live in Helensvale and I have commuted to Brissy for 5 of the 6 1/2 years I have been here, driving mind you to the south Western Suburbs. I think it is a great location for the best of both worlds.

Although an older more established suburb it has been great for us.

On the North End of the coast you have the Helensvale, Coomera, & Ormeau stations direct in to Southbank but the more Northern the stops the busier it would be for passengers. I agree with Moneypen, if you get on at Robina likely to get a seat not so much the later ones.

If it is only 3 days a week, then it is very achievable, and with living on the Coast you get the options of the beach 20-30 mins away, quite a few shopping centres to choose from. Jump on a train at Helensvale going the other way you have the Robina Hospital, also the new one is getting built currently, just off the Smith Street Motorway.

I believe in Helensvale you have one of the better State Schools, although not sure whether you planned on a private one, of which I can't comment.

For Brisbane suburbs, I am not so sure about, although the Bayside is a nice area.