Three P's

With a bit of luck me, hubby and daughter (aged 4) are off to Melbourne either Aug/Spet/Oct time (depending on the house selling), not sure where we are going to head for but at the moment we are fancying settling on the coast but still with easy reach of the city (perhaps somewhere on the Bayside).

J.

Laurie1st

I will be arriving in Melbourne in late August, or possibly early September. I'll be staying in East Brighton.

It looks like quite a few of us will be arriving this summer.

flip

Hi - lived there for about 10 years - love the place & friends, couldn't leave without revisiting the marina, bridge, mill, beverley, pubs, etc. and mates are fantastic cooks as well..

We'll be there either 1-3 or 8 - 10 April and plans are pretty flexible though because we'll be visiting we'll have the kids with us (they're fairly user friendly) - let us know if you want to catch up.

Carolyn

baconmaster

poor wee abby

Bhoywonder

Best of luck to everyone and hopefully arrange a meet when everyone arrives.

HiddenPaw

Hi BW, we hope to be arriving around November time (me, husband, and baby (who will be 20 months old by then). We don't know where we are going to live yet but it will prob be SE suburbs - like 3Ps said, not too far from city and close to the bay (that or countryside). Depends on costs and commuting times! Will be good to meet some others with young children. See you then!

Vanessa

Just signed onto site and I have been reading the messages. Like most people who have posted replies we are off to Melbourne too - my husband got his job offer last week and now completing the 457 - guess we will then have to have xrays etc. We have a boy who is a bit of a grunge with the usual social skills of a 17 years old :scared: Would love to meet up with people when we arrive as we do not know anyone in Melbourne. We reckon on arriving during late June (need to give notice here etc etc). We have accommodation for the first month but would then be looking at renting as I understand we are not allowed to buy in the first year? Any ideas where is good? We do want to be within easy communiting distance of the City

wongstonn

Well, there are plenty of threads recommending Melbourne suburbs. Sounds like you can be quite central, so maybe a start point is to dig out a map of the tram routes to help localise you. A lot of people seem to prefer the suburbs in the SE if budget allows (I have no expertise on 'burbs west and north so cannot comment), so end up talk about Brighton, St Kilda, Richmond amongst many others. If they are too expensive then work your way further out.

www.realestate.com.au will help indicate rent in those, or any other, areas.

And yes, maybe a mini-meet would be a good idea. The respnders to this thread are pretty diverse geographically - with some Norwegian and American responses included! We're in South Croydon - so not so far from you.

Neil

Bhoywonder

HiddenPaw

Our girl will be 19 months in November so good ages. Hope to meet you then.

BW's missus.

Vanessa

We are not far from you at all - in fact about 6 miles - Farnborough in Kent - we have been looking on the web at Brighton etc but almost impossible to get any idea about the feel of the place. Have you been before? I have never even stepped foot in the Country so expecting a whole new experience. Friends have been and told me it is a cross between Bermuda and South Africa - both countries I love so hey ho here we go!!!

Bordy

Brightons nice but its pretty expensive. Brighton & Toorak will probably be the two most expensive suburbs in Melbourne I'd reckon.

Vanessa

My husband would say that would be typical of me - always going for the most expensive - says i have a champagne taste with a cava budget! Oh well start looking again - only chose Brighton as originally from their in the UK!

flip

We're looking at Brighton/Black Rock too. Chris's brothers have been in Melbourne for about 20 years, are living in Ringwood and Box Hill and say Brighton's lovely (and expensive) There was also talk about it being snobby but they weren't sure.

We're not going all that way to have to drive through the city to get to the coast though so we'll definitely be looking at those areas.

Any comments on the beaches though? Every time I check out comments I hear that all the Melbourne beaches are dirty and not too nice but I'm still optimistic.

Hoping to get a map of Greater Melbourne to get a better idea - anywhere in UK we can buy one?

Carolyn

wongstonn

Hi Vanessa

Well I have a very limtied amount of time in St Kilda, Richmond and have drifted through Prahan and Toorak in my car but never got out. Obvioulsy my ability to comment is limited on that basis and there will be many better able to give an authoritive view which may well contradict mine for good reason.

The central SE suburbs seem to be where the most affluent city dwellers live. St Kilda is famed for not only having a beach but also having a good cafe/eating out scene (I heard rumours that one part is a red light district, but mercifully I cannot verify that). Richmond has lots of boutique shops as well as cafes and eateries, good train and tram links into the city centre.

We're going to move considerably further out, hence my very limited ability to comment.

As for meeting up, are you aware of the 'Sussex meet' pencilled in for either 2 April or 9 April? Maybe you could make this? Link follows:

http://www.britishexpats.com/forum/s...d.php?t=284669

Also, be aware of another discussion forum - less busy - but oft frequented by people already out there in Victoria. Chaps like Bordy are really knowledgeable, helpful and informative.

http://s7.invisionfree.com/BritVics/index.php?act=idx

Neil

wongstonn

Carolyn

I'm already armed with the full UBD steetmap of Melbourne, but have a fold out-but less detailed map of Melbourne going spare. If you want mine, have, gratis. PM me your address and I'll pop it in the post - I was about to put it on eBay anyhow and would only have got a pitance if anyhting at all.

Neil