Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Or anywhere else with 'lakes' in the name (Springfield lakes etc). This is the best advice we were ever given before we made the move out here.

It seems these 'lakes' are a magnet for poms and they are turning them in to a little home from home with violence rife and gangs of teens roaming the streets after dark looking for trouble.

No offence to anyone who lives there but thank god we dont. :ohmy:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/s...71-952,00.html

These places remind me of british council estates from the seventies and IMHO they are just storing up trouble for the future.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I don't see where in the article it mentioned anything about poms.

Buzzy

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

But Poms do move there(!) and their popularity is well documented here.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Hmmm 2 and 2 making 5 I think.

Buzzy

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

North lakes has been in the same brissy paper quite a few times and often mentions the high amount of poms living there, one article in particular made a big thing of it, about pom meets etc. Probably why its being linked.

IMO its probably not any particular race just a massive housing estate on the outskirts of a city and all the same problems as you would get in that situation anywhere, be it another australian city or UK etc etc. Very little for teens to do, no transport till they can hoon in cars, same old story in many estates.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Jeez, I don't know which council estates you lived on, but they are nothing like the one I lived in during the 70's! I wish!!

What you have to remember is that a lot of people - including many posters on here - like their lives there. Fine, if that's where they want to live, let them get on with it. It's not my cup of tea, nor would it suit many people, but then everyone's different.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Thats exactly what I said to my OH.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I have been there ( to visit a pom btw) and I dont think it has much character at all, nice houses, but you could be anywhere, a large urban scrawl.

I meant to say sprawl but maybe it was a freudian slip?

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I can understand the initial attraction of moving to somewhere like North Lakes, especially as a Pom imigrating from the UK. Nice new estate, good schools, decent shopping complex, vibrant expat community, good commute to Brisbane, and the opportunity to buy land and have a house built to your specification.

But you need to look deeper to understand what it might be like living there. Experience and social history has shown that very big housing estates will necessarily attract a diverse range of families and people. So that would include kids of all ages. It is obvious that there would be a significant amount of teenagers. Unless there is something for these kids to do then trouble will arise through boredom. I know. I lived on a new big housing estate in the UK. Very nice. Very middle class. Bad move - had so much trouble with teenagers that never again.

This link shows a useful insight into North Lakes: http://www.northlakes.com.au/Forums/...4/Default.aspx

We looked around North Lakes 18 months ago and realised that it would be a magnet for teenage gangs. Personally I would not touch the area with a barge poll. That's why we paid $50,000 more for a house to live in Redcliffe.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Good post Woodcutter, the area reminds me very much of Fountain Gates in Melbourne, which is portrayed in the Kath and Kim series, why anyone would move 12,000 miles to live there is beyond me.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Possibly an argument for gated communities!

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

As Poll said, horses for courses. If you don't have to live on these types of estates and you can afford not to then fine but there's no reason to knock those that do.:)

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I lived in Grimsby for most of my married life, prior to coming out here. Some of the estates in and around the town populated by the rough & tumble ex deep water trawler men would have to be seen and experienced just to be believed. I moved there from a small rural village & didn't sleep a full night for about two years. Looking at the link provided there seems to have been a couple of isolated bashings over a six month period. That's paradise to what some of us have experienced.
Reading the links it appears that in both instances the "adults" attacked by the youths chose vigilante style confrontation over a 000 call to the local plod. Now maybe it's just me or my own life experiences BUT! I wouldn't dream of confronting a gang of rowdy teenagers, it would be akin to a suicide attempt where I came from.
If the gangs are just noisy I'd have no issues, if they are vandalising property it's a simple 000 call then a claim on the insurance for any loss or damage. Why would anyone want to risk a fractured skull & a dislodged eye for the sake of a bit of noise or a few kicked over mail boxes?

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Exactly, those saying it I find are generally up themselves!

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Exactly. We live where we can afford to live.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Very true. But you can also live where you want to live. House prices on North Lakes vary from $350,000 to over $800,000. Within that range of money you can live in most areas in Queensland. People buying in North Lakes are also buying into the lifestyle. A lifestyle which will inevitably bring social problems. I for one, naively or otherwise, want to get away from that based on past experience.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I wouldn't dream of telling anyone where or where not to live!

I have lived on North Lakes for over two years, prior to that Redcliffe, prior to that Springhill.

I respect everyone's choice to decide where they want to live and deplore those who will decry a neighbourhood where they have never lived.

I'm appalled by what seems to have gone on here on that one night, but would ask you to ask yourselves... was there no trouble or violence near where you live that night?

I live on a lovely street where all the neighbours get on. We don't live in each others pockets, but we can be relied upon at a moments notice to help each other out.

And... I'm not a Pom... infact, we have one very lovely English couple who live in our street, plus Chinese, Kiwis, Swedish, Sydneysiders, Scottish, Queenslanders... I do not live in Little Britain, I live in North Lakes, and I am lucky to live in a street where our beginnings do not hinder our day to day lives or out attitudes towards each other.

I forgot our best neighbours of all, two Victorian families!!! (there may be violence in our street afterall:p)

Live where you want to live, try not to put others down for their decisions on where they decide to live.

I don't want to pick on Woodcutter, but our decision to move away from Redcliffe was largely based on two facts... I was brutally assaulted, by two men, while walking 10 metres behind my husband and children in Redcliffe one Saturday afternoon, and on another occasion had half a dozen young men jump out and start banging on my car when I slowed down at a junction. This literally scared the life out of me, because I was with my young children in the car. Since moving to North Lakes I have felt completely safe.

I don't think that there is any perfect area in the world for anyone to live or bring children up now, and we all do the best for our families as finances allow.

We live in North Lakes, not in a McManshion, but in a mortgage free home. Our children attend a very good state school. :D

We have excellent neigbours and have not experienced any negativaty since we moved here. We are happy with our lives here.

Sure, there are problems in some areas here, but are you trying to tell me that you live in a PERFECT area where there are no disturbances and no foul behaviour?:lol:

If this is the case, and we can afford to move there mortgage free, please let me know where you live and we'll put our lovely home on the market and move to be closer to perfect people in a perfect world!:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Didn't realise about the price of houses there. I certainly couldn't buy a house for $800,000.
I don't think North Lakes would be my cup of tea but I still wouldn't knock anyone who wanted to live there. We all like different things. :)

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

P.S.

We left Springhill (very expensive area):rofl::rofl::rofl:
because we were sick of people exposing themselves to our children whilst urintating in our garden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:curse::cur se::curse:

To date, I haven't heard of anyone doing that here!

Guess what I want to say is.... don't knock where I live until you can come up with a better option.. with NO mortgage!
:rofl::rofl::rofl:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

We didn't, when we bought here we paid approx $200K less than Redcliffe for more land, more house, and better school.

We all buy what we can afford to live with!

I don't think NL is perfect,but it pushed all our buttons at the time. Street is perfect, school is perfect, we have no mortgage... what else could we ask of our neighbourhood?

Please try not to look down your nose at me, I am living the dream.... so far:rofl:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

hear, hear... Telling people where and where not they should live is the height of snobbishness.

Ironically, the people who make these kind of snobbish comments usually live in average suburbs & houses like the rest of us !

cheers

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Thanks for your support, thought my comments would put some people's gas down to a peep!!

Can't abide snobs who mortgage themselves to the hilt for a small piece of paradise and then decry those of us who can afford a big chunk of paradise, that they obviously can't....

My family is very happy here on North Lakes, and we feel sorely for those who have opted to live in main thoroughfares and are experiencing these awful problems, but think that it would be the same problems for them anywhere in the world if they live close proximity to main roads.

I would still like to see figures for whole of Queensland for that night or weekend to get this in prospective...

No disrespect to those involved

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I have worked in North Lakes many times, I worked in the commercial and residentail sites and every other person I met was a pom looking to buy a slice of paradise and invite all the other poms round for a barbie and a few cans of fourex gold while discussing who paid what for their land and who has the latest model hilux or biggest house with all the extras.

Give me an older suburb where normal people live and there is none of the hooning that goes on in North Lakes any day of the week.

Come back in 20 years and tell me North Lakes was not one giant mistake.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I find these estates a bit like a Westfield shopping center, handy with every thing close by, but no character and dull, plus they all look the same.

Give me an old fashioned high street any day :)

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

It's renowned up here as Little Britain, even the Aussies are calling it that now.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Exactly. The blow in's do not realise what they are buying in to. Metaphorically speaking it is akin to buying a McDonalds to fulfill your appetite when what you really needed was a good old fashioned home cooked meal.

I just hope that somebody reads this thread and saves themselves the trouble of buying in o one of these mcmansion estates.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I cant see where any poster is knocking anyone for where they live, just giving opinions, but as in other topics on this forum., if certain people dont agree with you they will insult you, I believe it is a sign of low esteem, and not that some posters are 'up themselves':blink:

I will now wait for the back lash.:lol:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

My my, a post where you didn't drop in that you 'were mortgage free'!!!

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Mentioned it once in this thread, would have been bad manners to mention it again ;)

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Meow !

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

No, I quite agree with Moneypen20, I didn't know that it was bad manners to mention something twice..

Please don't slate her for trying to keep me straight

Maggie

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

It was front page of the local rag today(people afraid to go out at night due to gangs blar blar). Won't do much for there "family heaven" sales pitch.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

The only point I would make though is that an established place can be no more expensive, and people have allowed superficial big houses to get the better of them - ,made the choice, and have bitterly regretted it. Infact it has pushed them out of a country which they would have otherwise have stayed in or coloured their entire perception of a country.

If established areas were more expensive I'd be in a new estate too cos I ain't rich.

We chose a very average and ordinary house because of the community and land - not the bricks and mortar. And the interests and the people we have met have bourne this out. It's no accident.

Obviously if people are happy thats all that counts, but there are some very unhappy people out there and often the housing situation does not help.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I was actually teasing and didn't mean anything by it :confused::blink:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Amen brother.

That just about sums up the whole thing.

End of thread.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

Why are you being payed by the "mods"???

People are paying for the designer community with all the add on's but not expecting to get youths hanging around for that price tag.

Strangely enough there's a Westfield there...:rofl:

At Redcliffe people pay for that Sea View and it's only become popular with non locals the last few years and that's why it's suddenly moving up the property ladder. North Lakes as a new estate has that instant attraction that suits many.

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I don't know. Why am I being paid by the mods?

Knock knock......:lol:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

He's certainly not being paid by this one........we don't get paid to do it, so why she why pay anyone to "mod" on our behalf :D

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

I thought it was a joke and was waiting for the punch line. :lol:

Re: Avoid North Lakes like the plague
 

:eek:From talking to many aussies along the way it only seems the Brits have brought along with them the snobbery for "my suburb is posher than yours". I lived in a very nice suburb in the UK, Little Aston in sutton coldfield, CEOs and sportstar neighbours. In the Uk it almost guarantees no chavs and a nice quiet life, It seems not to work that way over here, even the best areas have scumbag families. Mom and dads success and wealth doesn't stop the kids wanting to be gangster rappers and V8 indy drivers. This is a classless society, literally:eek:

I lived in Forest lake for a few months and even though the legoland lifestyle was not for us it had a lot of facilities and I do understand why some people would want to live there, its nicer than Redcliffe:p