joh117

In the Uk we could walk to work in 20 mins. Now I have a 40min drive (not to bad as the traffic is nothing like the rush hour in the UK) hubby commutes from Somerville nr Frankston and gets a train everyday from Kannanook to Spencer Street. It takes about 55mins each way on the train aswell as a 15 min drive to the station.

It is a long day. He leaves home at 7:30 for a 9 start and leaves work at 6pm getting home at 7:20pm. Whenever he has tried to leave earlier he usually finds the train is delayed or cancelled and he ends up getting home the same time.

As he is a civil engineer the work is in the city. But we want to have the lifestyle of the peninsula on weekends. So that is our choice to live there. We choose Somerville as it is near to the Frankston train line. There is also a train from Somerville should the car end up in the garage with a problem.

The train ticket is $181 a month and is far cheaper than driving everyday. When you add up petrol costs and toll charges and traffic jams it is far easier to catch the train. Hubby has read more books than he ever has on his way in and out of work.

I would wait until you get here to decide where you want to live. We took a few months of looking but we knew we wanted to be on the peninsula as that is where our friends live and our main reason for migrating.

Each to their own.

Jo

Pipers Mummy

We moved here in October 2004 and are currently renting in Sandringham - which I think is very nice, Hampton is also nice - both of these areas are just down the road from Brighton and very near Cheltenham, however, they are not that cheap. They are both on the train line - 25 minutes into Melbourne.

davidclifford

We have just got back from a visit to Melbourne and have fell in love with the Dandenongs region, the Kallisa, Olinda, Monbulk, Sasafras etc. area. Our friends in Melbourne, Terry and Mona, tell us that quite a few people comute from there to inner Melbourne and is not thought as being a strange thing to do. They live in Richmond which is almost in the CDB but I wouldn't want to live there. They also said that a lot of people are moving into the city to reduce comuting times. Mornington is also very beautiful but a long drive / train journey. I currently have a 40min to 1hr drive to work, depending on trafic and time of year. I live in rural Surrey and commute to Surbiton and want a similar place to live when we eventually go to Melbourne.

coxfamuk

This is the point I am actually making. We are moving to Australia to enhance our lifestyle (not necessarily our finances, although that would be nice too ). Currently my hubby travels just under an hour to and from work and he has to leave really early to avoid the traffic. It is interesting to note that people are only really prepared to travel up to 20mins which says alot about people not wanting commute times to eat into their leisure times.

coxfamuk

Hey baconmaster - absolutely love your site!! Made me really miss melbourne even more seeing the places that we have been to. Where did you eventually settle?

coxfamuk

You are right of course. I just wanted to see what everyone thought. My sister-in-law lives in Cheltenham and although it didn't blow me away, I loved being so close to everything - especially the shopping ! We have looked at all areas from Brighton to Mordialloc, but may also consider Aspendale. What are the schools like in the area. We plan to stay with my sister-in-law for a while until hubby gets job, then rent and then buy after about a year, so we will have plenty of time to have a good look around. You certainly seem to get more house for your money in Aspendale!

Devlin

This is NOT the norm. When I worked in Melbourne CBD, lots of my collegues travelled 1.5-2hrs each way. From places like Emerald and even Geelong.

Bordy

Did they walk???

OzTennis

I'm intrigued to know where you went after you got off the ferry because something seemed to go wrong - did you turn left and end up in the dockyards, did you wander along Nelson Place and get to The Strand for the best views in town?

Williamstown was the first settled place in Melbourne (called The Anchorage to begin with) and would have been where the CBD is now except for lack of fresh water. It is the oldest part of the city and IMHO (albeit biased because I come from there and will go back to there) has lots of character and old buildings and a definite village within a city feel which perhaps may not be to everyone's taste. http://www.williamstowninfo.com.au/

The problem most migrants face is that they often have to buy a long way from the CBD to get something affordable initially - particularly if you want to live in the eastern or south eastern suburbs. If you work in the city long commute times are inevitable but perhaps if you take a long term view a move closer in might be on the cards a few years down the track? Some people of course prefer to be a long way from the city and the Peninsula (Mornington or Bellarine) and the Dandenongs are certainly desirable areas if you don't need to go into the city often.

OzTennis

ozzieeagle

Probably because they couldn't afford to live in close, Once one moves out, it is very difficult to find the money to move back in to the Inner City region. Paticuarly if you want a house at the same standard.

The only suburb on this side of town, that has a notable population of British Migrants is Melton, that is so far out, that it's one third of the way to Ballarat. No electric trains, and a 30 minute plus drive to the CBD.

I realise that once one starts commuting distances it can be considered normal, as it becomes part of ones lifestyle, I used to travel from Mkeynes to the the square mile everyday, which took 2 hours door to door. I got used to it and considered it normal, we even had one bloke that came in from Nottingham everyday another from Thetford. This is the kind of stuff you can leave behind you know !


Its a pommy trait for sure

OzTennis

Nup, you'll find that lots of Brits (and other nationalities) reside in much closer parts of the West than Melton - Altona, Werribee, Hoppers Crossing, Pt Cook, Taylors Lakes, Yarraville, Newport, Deer Park, the odd one or two in Williamstown (no reflection on Anya and Mark but the number of them!) etc, etc. Sunbury is popular too but as far out as Melton.

Was that commute from MK 2 hours each way or in total? My dentist in Williamstown used to travel by train each day from Torquay (not Devon but on the coast south of Geelong). It took him just under 2 hours each way and he did it for 20 or 30 years!

OzTennis

ozzieeagle

Two hours each way. Total 4 hours per day, Stony stratford, via Wolverton, to Aldgate, circle line from euston if i recall correctly, or was it district.


Altona, rubbish, lucky to be about 4 pct, Werribee and hoppers, could be in close to 10 pct at a guess... Newport, come of it !! Point cook I dont know but doubt it. Source ... Rotarians and lions clubs.


Point is with the exception of Sunbury, none of them comes close to the notable percentage circa 15 pct plus in Melton.

HiddenPaw

I know plenty of Aussies who live a reasonable way out through choice and not lack of money. Not everyone wants to be hemmed in by 'urban hell' in all directions. I have friends who commute into CBD from places like Mt Macedon & Lilydale and they love living where they live. Having lived in the inner suburbs, I don't think anything could tempt me to live that close again. Sure it was convenient being able to get to work in the CBD in 20mins (and that was by bike - it took more than twice as long by car or tram, 9km journey), but next time I will live further out and expect to commute longer

lauralollipop

Hello

yes we love it here in Aspendale, is quiet but close to everything we need, and the beach is lovely. We got a 3 bed, modern town house with ensuite, dishwasher etc.. for $280 per week and its on the beach!!

Not sure about the schools cos I dont have any kids, but I think that Modiallioc college looks ok, its a private school and looks nice and posh...

Good luck

laura
x

ozzieeagle

At least you went to the Inner suburbs first HP, and you would have to admit thats where one is most likely to find work. Which is the whole reason why I keep harping on about it lol