coxfamuk

We have now appointed an agent and because hubby has a skill on the skills on demand list, we have been advised that we could have our visa as early as November ! This has brought us to the question of where to settle. We have chosen Melbourne as my sister-in-law lives there. She lives in the suburb of Cheltenham, which is nice, but didn't exactly grab us (we visited her in December). We are tempted to settle there because of the comfort zone of family and recommended schools, but quite like the idea of Frankston (which we didn't get to see, but like the look of via the internet). It seems smaller and yet commutable to Melbourne, which is where hubby would have to work. Can anyone advise on this or any other areas that are worth looking at. We are obviously looking at areas with good schooling and nice neighbours. Any advice gratefully received. PS I know the decision is ultimately up to us, but would like an idea.

chaleyscott

We are heading for Melbourne too and are deciding on an area. After lots and lots of research we think we have narrowed it down to the Mornington Peninsular as it looks beautiful with lovely countryside and beaches - we are thinking either Mount Eliza or Mount Martha (probably Martha as it is the cheaper of the two). I believe where we are going is commutable to Melbourne but does take about 1-1.30 hours in rush hour which, I suppose is quite far for some people but we don't mind.

I will be very interested to see where other people advise you to go.

Chaley

baconmaster

Hi, we just got back from our Melbourne recce 2 weeks ago we looking at places between Brighton and Beaumaris and a little bit in land. Really like Hampton but you'll know you get more for your money further south you go. Chelsea / Patterson lakes is as far south as we'd go, we were told to drive into the city can take a while, I'd prefer to train in or cycle anything less than 18k from the city.

We were told to check out Point Cook on the other side of the bay, go on realestate.com.au, you can get some great properties there for the price of a 2 bedroom house similar distance from the city on the east side. Look for the 6 bedroom 4 bathroom place with the pool $440k, amazing!!

KBREMBO

Williamstown is pretty nice if you want to be real near the city.
Mornington is great but a bit of a messy drive with traffic.
Bayside is nice and in the city but a bit pricier.
Torquey is great but again an 1.5-2 hour drive to city

Choose wiseley and dont live in total suburbia!

KB

www.bremnersdownunder.com

baconmaster

We went to Wiliamstown on the ferryboat down the river. We got there, had a wander round and thought it was the worst place we'd been to in a long while. Maybe we didn't give it a chance but it didn't have the same charm as other places. Maybe need to visit again and have a drive around

fireeater

It's quiet compared to a lot of areas, but it does have charm...each to their own

baconmaster

I like quiet will give it a shot. Do you know Laverton, Altona or Point Cook at all ?

ozzieeagle

Just out of curiosity, How far do most of you guys travel to work in England timewise ?

The reason I ask, As a long term Melbourne resident of over 20 years, At the particular place that I work at, Which has 100+ employees. Afaik The longest and Greatest distance anyone travels, is about 40 mins from Kilmore to Preston, They are considered mad, In fact it's a major topic of debate, amongst the employees. As at my particular place of employment It takes the Majority of people less than 20 mins in travelling time.

I could be indentifying a perculiar pommy trait here lol !

fireeater

Nope, but heading Point Cook way this weekend so will let you know

baconmaster

When I lived west of London, some people could travel more than 90 minutes just to work and same again home. It took me 40 mins to drive 8km on bad days. I live in the north, near Newcaslte now, I guess most people would spend more than 25-30 mins but some of my colleagues live in excess of 80kms away, I guess the drive home lets them de-stress! It seems (to me) the more senior you are in the company the further you live away. I'm lazy and don't want to waste too much time stuck on trains or in cars. I'd love to be able to walk or cycle to work. You are lucky your public transport is great and I guess an equivalent distance car journey at rush hour would take much longer than train or tram.

I spoke with my employer's Ozzie employees in Abbotsford and they say they stay late because one particular street gets really busy and this dictates their day!

baconmaster

If you wouldn't mind it would be much appreciated

Thanks

ozzieeagle

We had a bit of a debate on this, On the East V West Melbourne recently. Before that debate, I'd posted the following as a private message, to someone who had asked exactly what you guys are asking and this was my response.

Please note, Especially the southernites (here in Melbourne that comment is aimed at) My View is directed at people wishing to establish themselves in a country and from a work availability perspective, and considered a starting point.

From my short time on this Britishexpats forum, I've concluded that you are probably off to the best start in choosing Melbourne as a place to start off in. It's a great Idea to rent first, As that is what Aussies do, when they move interstate, incase they dont like their new found location. I'm guessing that when most people choose to come here, they go for asthetic location first, whether that is a correct assumption or not could be wrong, However that is probably their first big mistake. I would personally choose to rent somewhere as close in as possible.

In the Muncipalitys of say, Moreland, Darebin, Banyule, or if one cannot afford rent in these locales, then maybe out in the western suburbs, (dont worry the western subs, in Melbourne, although they maybe industrialised, would in no stretch of the imagination be considered "rough" places to live.) So in that direction, you would be looking at Werribee, Altona, Hoppers Crossing, laverton, etc etc, not many migrants from England go there, and yet there is tons of work, With Aussies newest and biggest shopping centre opening up there within the next 18 months, (around hoppers) a New prison, and a new hospital, plus tons of industry. I can understand that wouldn't seem a very attractive propostion, but it would at least ensure success at getting a job in the vital early stages upon which you can base yourselves to choose occupations and where you want to live.

I'll list some suburbs, where work, and amenity combine to make living easy, with good access to great shopping and restaurants the city and park, and then list a couple of web sites, so you can look up rental prices.

Northcote
Fairfeild
Thornbury, all slightly upmarket innersuburbs, fantastic shopping, great restaurants, great transport links, anywhere that has trams being a good indicator as a good place to be.

Brunswick, Coburg, Preston, Reservoir, the Region in which I live, Hightly multi cultural, without the problems that England has from being Multi cultural, It's probably the most politically left wing area in Australia, however Brunswick in particular has a high proportion, of left wing academic types of people, solicitors, teachers, social workers, with very high acheiving state schools, which compete and often better their private school counterparts, Once again, all the amenities that inner city living offers, and slightly cheaper than the Darebin regions I listed previously. BTW Sydney rd Coburg, through to Bunswick is apparently the longest shopping strip in the southern hemisphere, If it isn't it would be damn close to it, with 5k's of shops on both sides of the road.

Then out to the west, I wouldn't choose Footscray, as it had a reuptation for being the main drug centre (heroin) of Melbourne, But I think that has cleared up now. So slightly further out, not such good public transport No trams,. but lots of work, It doesnt have the great shopping strips, rather large shopping centres, It does have very cheap housing though, So Altona would be the pick out of those (on the beach, bonus) Laverton, Werribee, and further out Hoppers Crossing.

Oh yes and this is an added edit lol, whatever you do, avoid Sunshine, cos I think the place with given the name in ironic fasion.

baconmaster

Excellent info worth many beers sir. I live 750 metres from a pub called The Coburg. We ventured through Coburg by tram but want to live nearer to water.

fireeater

I was commuting 75 minutes to work, but my work isn't too regular...maybe 150 days per year. I haven't seen anything yet on Aus roads to rival the madness of the M6 at rushhour.

lauralollipop

Mornington fantastic, but isnt on the train line, so was far to far to commute to work into the city, and thats where JC is working. Before we arrived here we wanted to live in Frankston, but when we arrived and checked it out, we decided that was too far to commute, as its about an hour on the train into the city, but its also in zone 3 which makes it more expensive.

Cheltenham is nice, and its in zone 2, its a good location, as is Mentone, Parkdale, Mordialloc and Brighton is also nice. We choose Aspendale as we wanted to be near the beach, we live oppisite the station so its good for getting into the city, it takes 39 mins from here, which isnt too bad.

I would say tho that you cant decide where to live until you actually arrive here and find work and explore, cos everyones taste is different, so what I think is nice, you may not etc.....

Good luck

laura
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