Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
Aug 31st 2009, 11:03 pm
#16
Lancs to central coast
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Central Coast NSW
Posts: 345
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
Would agree that central coast is a fantastic place to live, I worked in Hornsby for a few months & commuted by motorbike, I used to go on the old pacific highway as it is very twisty & much more entertaining than the F3, but was glad to get another job on the coast (apart from lower wages)
Aug 31st 2009, 11:34 pm
#17
Australia's Doorman
Joined: Jan 2005
Location: The Shoalhaven, New South Wales, Australia
Posts: 11,056
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
But today at lunch, my friends in Sydney had an intervention to try and stop us from leaving. They think Wollongong has more crime, bogans, worse schools, less ambitions for the kids, fog, wind, not much to do, etc. But none of them have ever lived there, or know anybody that does. They also have quite a bit of money. Not many Sydney-siders seem to have a great opinion of the Gong, they think more of Central Coast, although I'm not sure why except it's warmer and the Gong has a bad rep.
I'm so confused, I thought I had a good plan, where I could pay less rent, save up to buy a house on the beach, live a cruisier, more outdoors lifestyle, with friends closer around so we can do things like: wakeboard, surf, fish, camp, 4x4, be regulars at a local pub, the kids can walk to school instead of travel 1 hr each way, etc. (which there's not a whole lot of in Sydney), but I don't want to mess up and make the wrong decision, or my kids to lose opportunities. I just want to do the best thing, I'm in search of the perfect lifestyle.
Good luck. Plenty of reformed Sydney-siders round these parts ...
Sep 1st 2009, 12:20 am
#18
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Sep 1st 2009, 8:17 am
#19
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
I agree, I would love to chat to CocoCoco but this forum won't allow me to send her a direct message until after she has posted at least 1 more reply. Seems a bit silly...
CocoCoco, are you still around so we can chat? You're an excellent source of more than just opinion ;D
CocoCoco, are you still around so we can chat? You're an excellent source of more than just opinion ;D
Sep 3rd 2009, 1:51 am
#20
Just Joined
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 3
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
Hello Cocococo here,
I see someone wants me back! Well here I am.
Who are these ignoramuses staging an 'intervention' to stop people moving to Wollongong? Telling you hair raising stories of it being a crime ridden, fog enveloped bogan land? What a load of hysterical nonsese someone is pouring into your ears.
If you want the quintessential dreamy Oz beachy lifestyle within easiest commute from Sydney, then Wollongong beats the Central Coast hands down always because of its much easier on the commuter.
You do not want the main breadwinner to keel over because of commuting hell.
But remember: Wollongong is made up of many compsite parts.
There are a couple of well known crime ridden areas which I do not inhabit. Any where of any size contains such areas.
Port Kembla has Wentworth Street where sailors off the Port docks look for and find cheap, drugged up prostitutes. Its nasty area. I don't go there.
Dapto is in the far southern suburbs is Bogan ville. No doubt about it - highest rates of flanellette and ugh boot wearers per head of population in the world. I go there a couple of times a year. My relatives adore the charity clothes shops there that sell designer name brands with the swing tags still on them for a song. Never been mugged in Dapto. Major crimes there is against fashion, not humans. Berkely is a well town Housing Commission suburb with a lot of people with mental health and myriad other social problems concentrated there. Its also far south. I don't go there either.
I opt to hang in/around Wollongong CBD, on the beaches, around the uni, and the northern suburbs.
These areas are filled with academics, actors, musicians, film makers, writers and lots of intelligent committed retirees. Its funky and beachy. I see Christine Anu the well known aboriginal actress, dancer and singer with her kids. She lives in the northern suburbs. Retired Professor at UNSW Tony Vinson I also see around. Professor Sharon Bell the former head of the Australian Film and Television school and her filmatographer husband Geoff [who worked on Babe I think] and their kids have restored an old church and live there. Tim, lead singer of The Whitlams, had a share house in the northern suburbs. I am often wandering around the weekend markets and hear remarkable music only to stumble across some well known performer. There is a very active writers scene as well. Some of the best yoga studios and teachers in Autralia. Check out Young Yoga studio in Thomas Street in Wollongong CBD.
Austinmer Beach usually wins the prettiest beach in Australia award. Thirroul is funky little village. There is a great heritage restored Anita's Theatre that has symphonies, opera and film festivals throughout the year.
There is a Blues and Roots festival coming up in September 2009 in Bulli and Coledale areas - why not book a room somewhere and stay over night and check it out?
Stanwell Tops is pretty and the drive across the Sea Cliffe Bridge is now being used in ads acoss the world now as its so spectacular.
You are NEVER more than 10 minutes from the Pacific Ocean because Wollongong runs on a narrowish north sound band with the ocean in the east and the green bush covered escarpment in the west. These geological features mean Wollongong is warmer in the winter and a bit cooler in the summer compared to Sydney. The microclimate here is excellent. Those people telling you about the fog forgot to mention 2 things - it occurs on Maddens Plains, which is on the top of the escarpment [not on the coastline] and if you live in the northern suburbs you head to and from Sydney via the coast road or Bulli Pass so miss most or all of it. They also did not mention how other worldly and dreamy the fog or mist curling and swirling around the top of the escarpment look from the coast. It makes me feel like Kathy in Wuthering Heights. There is a romanic sense to it. My Japanese visitors call it a mini Mt Fuji moment when they see it. Once the sun hits the fog is burns off in half an hour. I do agree that on rainy, foggy days that section at Maddens Plains on top of the escarpment can be misty. However the accident rate remains steadfastly much lower than the Pacific Highway heading north to the Central Coast.
As for the blue collar image - certainly not in the nothern suburbs and the CBD is becoming ever more gentrified. Heavy industry exists to the south but your advisers are out of touch - the biggest employer in Wollongong is and has been the university for at least the last 12 years. 16,000 uni students from over 100 countries also give the place a decided international flavour, which is something not present on the Central Coast. This means getting decent, flavoursome and inexpensive food choices is not at all hard if that is what you want. Waves of Greek, Italian and other migrants post war mean some of the best hand made pasta, deli items and so on are readily available and have been for many decades. The best jamon in Australis is here. People were passionate about food and great coffee in higher concentrations of the population and for far longer than in Sydney, so the effect is more pronounced.
The Central Coast is lovely, clean and familiy friendly - but it is also deadly, deadly dull, narrow suburban life - with a beach attached but the beach can often be much more than a few minutes away - and a much worse commute and without the international flavours or richer cultural and educational life on offer in Wollongong. Smiths Hill High is one of the best selective publid high schools in NSW. St Mary's Star of the Sea a great Catholic girls school. There are great schools in the Ilawarra if that is a priority. A number of circuses are headquartered in the area as well and they have fabulous kids programs throughout the school holidays. There is a vibrant Saturday language school life as well so its easy for kids to acquire proficency in a huge variety of second languages. The sporting culture for kids is also highly developed across a wide range of options. Best of all for busy parents everything is only 10 minutes away, there is usually easy parking and best of all - there is a clean, new and FREE shuttle bus service running every day between uni, TAFE, Campus East at Fairymeadow, Innovation Campus, City Beach, The Mall, Wollongong Hospital and Uni. 10 minutes in peak hour and 20 minutes outside that. 5,000 people a day use it and it has helped take a lot of traffic off the road as well. Locals love their free green shuttle bus service.
There is obviously much more I could say on the subject but I hope this is a fulsome response to the fearmongering about the blue collar image, fog, bogans and crime worries raised with you. I had all those negative images of Wollongong in my head too and it wasn't until I started working down here and commuting from Sydney that I realised how lovely it was, then made moved here and then bought down here. I retained my Sydney house as once one gets a stake in that property market, you would be mad to sell, but I chooe to live in Wollongong when I have a house in beachy Cronulla.
I see someone wants me back! Well here I am.
Who are these ignoramuses staging an 'intervention' to stop people moving to Wollongong? Telling you hair raising stories of it being a crime ridden, fog enveloped bogan land? What a load of hysterical nonsese someone is pouring into your ears.
If you want the quintessential dreamy Oz beachy lifestyle within easiest commute from Sydney, then Wollongong beats the Central Coast hands down always because of its much easier on the commuter.
You do not want the main breadwinner to keel over because of commuting hell.
But remember: Wollongong is made up of many compsite parts.
There are a couple of well known crime ridden areas which I do not inhabit. Any where of any size contains such areas.
Port Kembla has Wentworth Street where sailors off the Port docks look for and find cheap, drugged up prostitutes. Its nasty area. I don't go there.
Dapto is in the far southern suburbs is Bogan ville. No doubt about it - highest rates of flanellette and ugh boot wearers per head of population in the world. I go there a couple of times a year. My relatives adore the charity clothes shops there that sell designer name brands with the swing tags still on them for a song. Never been mugged in Dapto. Major crimes there is against fashion, not humans. Berkely is a well town Housing Commission suburb with a lot of people with mental health and myriad other social problems concentrated there. Its also far south. I don't go there either.
I opt to hang in/around Wollongong CBD, on the beaches, around the uni, and the northern suburbs.
These areas are filled with academics, actors, musicians, film makers, writers and lots of intelligent committed retirees. Its funky and beachy. I see Christine Anu the well known aboriginal actress, dancer and singer with her kids. She lives in the northern suburbs. Retired Professor at UNSW Tony Vinson I also see around. Professor Sharon Bell the former head of the Australian Film and Television school and her filmatographer husband Geoff [who worked on Babe I think] and their kids have restored an old church and live there. Tim, lead singer of The Whitlams, had a share house in the northern suburbs. I am often wandering around the weekend markets and hear remarkable music only to stumble across some well known performer. There is a very active writers scene as well. Some of the best yoga studios and teachers in Autralia. Check out Young Yoga studio in Thomas Street in Wollongong CBD.
Austinmer Beach usually wins the prettiest beach in Australia award. Thirroul is funky little village. There is a great heritage restored Anita's Theatre that has symphonies, opera and film festivals throughout the year.
There is a Blues and Roots festival coming up in September 2009 in Bulli and Coledale areas - why not book a room somewhere and stay over night and check it out?
Stanwell Tops is pretty and the drive across the Sea Cliffe Bridge is now being used in ads acoss the world now as its so spectacular.
You are NEVER more than 10 minutes from the Pacific Ocean because Wollongong runs on a narrowish north sound band with the ocean in the east and the green bush covered escarpment in the west. These geological features mean Wollongong is warmer in the winter and a bit cooler in the summer compared to Sydney. The microclimate here is excellent. Those people telling you about the fog forgot to mention 2 things - it occurs on Maddens Plains, which is on the top of the escarpment [not on the coastline] and if you live in the northern suburbs you head to and from Sydney via the coast road or Bulli Pass so miss most or all of it. They also did not mention how other worldly and dreamy the fog or mist curling and swirling around the top of the escarpment look from the coast. It makes me feel like Kathy in Wuthering Heights. There is a romanic sense to it. My Japanese visitors call it a mini Mt Fuji moment when they see it. Once the sun hits the fog is burns off in half an hour. I do agree that on rainy, foggy days that section at Maddens Plains on top of the escarpment can be misty. However the accident rate remains steadfastly much lower than the Pacific Highway heading north to the Central Coast.
As for the blue collar image - certainly not in the nothern suburbs and the CBD is becoming ever more gentrified. Heavy industry exists to the south but your advisers are out of touch - the biggest employer in Wollongong is and has been the university for at least the last 12 years. 16,000 uni students from over 100 countries also give the place a decided international flavour, which is something not present on the Central Coast. This means getting decent, flavoursome and inexpensive food choices is not at all hard if that is what you want. Waves of Greek, Italian and other migrants post war mean some of the best hand made pasta, deli items and so on are readily available and have been for many decades. The best jamon in Australis is here. People were passionate about food and great coffee in higher concentrations of the population and for far longer than in Sydney, so the effect is more pronounced.
The Central Coast is lovely, clean and familiy friendly - but it is also deadly, deadly dull, narrow suburban life - with a beach attached but the beach can often be much more than a few minutes away - and a much worse commute and without the international flavours or richer cultural and educational life on offer in Wollongong. Smiths Hill High is one of the best selective publid high schools in NSW. St Mary's Star of the Sea a great Catholic girls school. There are great schools in the Ilawarra if that is a priority. A number of circuses are headquartered in the area as well and they have fabulous kids programs throughout the school holidays. There is a vibrant Saturday language school life as well so its easy for kids to acquire proficency in a huge variety of second languages. The sporting culture for kids is also highly developed across a wide range of options. Best of all for busy parents everything is only 10 minutes away, there is usually easy parking and best of all - there is a clean, new and FREE shuttle bus service running every day between uni, TAFE, Campus East at Fairymeadow, Innovation Campus, City Beach, The Mall, Wollongong Hospital and Uni. 10 minutes in peak hour and 20 minutes outside that. 5,000 people a day use it and it has helped take a lot of traffic off the road as well. Locals love their free green shuttle bus service.
There is obviously much more I could say on the subject but I hope this is a fulsome response to the fearmongering about the blue collar image, fog, bogans and crime worries raised with you. I had all those negative images of Wollongong in my head too and it wasn't until I started working down here and commuting from Sydney that I realised how lovely it was, then made moved here and then bought down here. I retained my Sydney house as once one gets a stake in that property market, you would be mad to sell, but I chooe to live in Wollongong when I have a house in beachy Cronulla.
Sep 3rd 2009, 8:21 am
#21
Just Joined
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 4
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
You rock, I'm sold, I'm moving down this month, it's meant to be. CocoCoco and Hutch, thank you very much for the first-hand advice and reassurance. The way CocoCoco described the Gong is just how I imagined it to be. It's weird that it has such a bad rep, but that's good for the Gong's property prices I suppose.
My friends are great girls, they just are lucky enough to have rich hubbys and live in multi-million dollar houses in the Ryde-Hunters Hill area, and are Sydney-snobs because Sydney is fabulous and I admit, my kids are in good schools here. Plus I'm going to basically be a single mum upon our move to the Gong.
On the other hand, I am from a country city overseas and never even saw the ocean until I was 23 years old, therefore I reckon we oughta live by it and raise the kiddies up with it if we're going to live in Australia.
After lots of research, I've chosen Bulli first, Fairy Meadow second, and positioning is extremely important to me. I'm totally coming to the Bulli Folk Festival this month, and hope that I can get a house there but the pickins are slim, and I'm on tiny budget losing the husband's income and I'm in the process of starting a new business.
I went to Bulli last weekend to look around, had a bite at Ruby's on Bulli Beach, loved the area, but wonder if there would be much action for a newly single 35 year old woman. Maybe FM would be better for grown-up fun, plus I'm currently a homestay mother and would like to continue to do that for extra income, but the kids come first and Bulli looks ideal for raising kids near the beach.
Again, thanks so much for your input, you've helped put my mind at ease. I hope that maybe we can meet one day and be friends! You seem super smart and cool, and I don't know anybody down there as yet.
My friends are great girls, they just are lucky enough to have rich hubbys and live in multi-million dollar houses in the Ryde-Hunters Hill area, and are Sydney-snobs because Sydney is fabulous and I admit, my kids are in good schools here. Plus I'm going to basically be a single mum upon our move to the Gong.
On the other hand, I am from a country city overseas and never even saw the ocean until I was 23 years old, therefore I reckon we oughta live by it and raise the kiddies up with it if we're going to live in Australia.
After lots of research, I've chosen Bulli first, Fairy Meadow second, and positioning is extremely important to me. I'm totally coming to the Bulli Folk Festival this month, and hope that I can get a house there but the pickins are slim, and I'm on tiny budget losing the husband's income and I'm in the process of starting a new business.
I went to Bulli last weekend to look around, had a bite at Ruby's on Bulli Beach, loved the area, but wonder if there would be much action for a newly single 35 year old woman. Maybe FM would be better for grown-up fun, plus I'm currently a homestay mother and would like to continue to do that for extra income, but the kids come first and Bulli looks ideal for raising kids near the beach.
Again, thanks so much for your input, you've helped put my mind at ease. I hope that maybe we can meet one day and be friends! You seem super smart and cool, and I don't know anybody down there as yet.
Last edited by calcolerich; Sep 3rd 2009 at 9:15 am.
Sep 3rd 2009, 8:50 am
#22
BE Forum Addict
Joined: May 2004
Location: Umina, NSW
Posts: 2,453
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
I certainly dont want to get caught up in a 'mines better than yours' banter, but you said you were born on the Central Coast which is approx 40+ years ago. things have moved on since then. I think its all down to personal choice and a quick visit is not the same as living somewhere. We visited the gong when going to Jamberoo for a weekend and hated it, but that was only a visit so I know that its not a true reflection of the area. You are correct in the trains I will agree, like sardines. But dont write it off without a trip either. Some beautiful locations with nightlife and close to sea (walking distance). No industrial stuff at all unless you go to Newcastle.
Jo
Jo
Sep 3rd 2009, 8:58 am
#23
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,188
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
Just to add some more info.....
Keep going South through Wollongong and from Shellharbour Village onwards you hit another set of small towns and villages that I think are better than the ones North of Wollongong. Kiama in particular is excellent. The problem with being this side of the Gong is that any commute into Sydney, particularly by train, takes an age. The plus side of that is that house prices are lower than the Northern suburbs because its not really inside a practical daily commute area. The beaches down here are usually much quieter than those North of the Gong. Only this week I took a stroll on Shellharbour North beach at lunchtime. The beach is a couple of miles long and I was the only person on it for the entire 30min I was there.. and I have never seen any fog here.
Sep 3rd 2009, 9:06 am
#24
Account Closed
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 2,195
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
I'm in the same boat, except I've been living in Sydney for the past 7 years. I'm 35 years old with 2 kids (13 and 15 years old), and although I must admit Sydney is beautiful and fabulous, it is just so hard to get ahead; it's work, work work, and it's nearly impossible to buy a nice house anywhere near the water, and if you're living in Oz, you may as well take advantage of living near some of the world's best beaches.
Plus my kids are a bit too metro growing up here...I want my kids to grow up outdoors. Sydney does have amazing opportunities, but in my experience, it's a bit of a rat race unless you are very well off: too expensive, too much traffic, too many people, too far to drive, everybody lives far away from eachother so we rarely get together to visit.
My heart has been telling me Sydney isn't for me almost since I arrived in Oz, that Perth is the place for me, but it's so isolated, I don't know anybody there, and the kids and I fly to the US regularly and that'd add 6+ hours to our already 22+ hour flight.
I've been researching for months, and have come up with a plan to move to the top half of Wollongong region (although the bottom half has some of the most amazing views in the world of Lake Illawarra, Lagoon, Ocean and Mountains all in one). The reason I say top half is I get the impression it's a bit more upper class. I've settled on Bulli, which is just near Thirroul (maybe the nicest yet most expensive area of the Gong). Major train station 5 minutes away in Thirroul, trek from there to Sydney City centre is 1 hour 15 minutes. The public high school in Bulli leads out onto the ocean. There are at least 3 excellent schools in the Gong as far as I can tell: Smith Hill Selective, Edmund Rice for boys, St Marys Star of the Sea for girls. The houses are almost half the price of what you'd pay for the same thing in Sydney, and many have great views.
But today at lunch, my friends in Sydney had an intervention to try and stop us from leaving. They think Wollongong has more crime, bogans, worse schools, less ambitions for the kids, fog, wind, not much to do, etc. But none of them have ever lived there, or know anybody that does. They also have quite a bit of money. Not many Sydney-siders seem to have a great opinion of the Gong, they think more of Central Coast, although I'm not sure why except it's warmer and the Gong has a bad rep.
I'm so confused, I thought I had a good plan, where I could pay less rent, save up to buy a house on the beach, live a cruisier, more outdoors lifestyle, with friends closer around so we can do things like: wakeboard, surf, fish, camp, 4x4, be regulars at a local pub, the kids can walk to school instead of travel 1 hr each way, etc. (which there's not a whole lot of in Sydney), but I don't want to mess up and make the wrong decision, or my kids to lose opportunities. I just want to do the best thing, I'm in search of the perfect lifestyle.
It would be wonderful to talk to someone that actually lives in the Gong, or Central Coast, but has lived in Sydney. Is there anybody that has some time to talk to me on the phone here in Oz? I have a month to decide what to do, and would love to hear someone with actual experience. Thanks and good luck to the starter of this thread ;D You'll love Australia, any of those places you've mentioned are beautiful. Now we just have to figure out which is the best place for us
Plus my kids are a bit too metro growing up here...I want my kids to grow up outdoors. Sydney does have amazing opportunities, but in my experience, it's a bit of a rat race unless you are very well off: too expensive, too much traffic, too many people, too far to drive, everybody lives far away from eachother so we rarely get together to visit.
My heart has been telling me Sydney isn't for me almost since I arrived in Oz, that Perth is the place for me, but it's so isolated, I don't know anybody there, and the kids and I fly to the US regularly and that'd add 6+ hours to our already 22+ hour flight.
I've been researching for months, and have come up with a plan to move to the top half of Wollongong region (although the bottom half has some of the most amazing views in the world of Lake Illawarra, Lagoon, Ocean and Mountains all in one). The reason I say top half is I get the impression it's a bit more upper class. I've settled on Bulli, which is just near Thirroul (maybe the nicest yet most expensive area of the Gong). Major train station 5 minutes away in Thirroul, trek from there to Sydney City centre is 1 hour 15 minutes. The public high school in Bulli leads out onto the ocean. There are at least 3 excellent schools in the Gong as far as I can tell: Smith Hill Selective, Edmund Rice for boys, St Marys Star of the Sea for girls. The houses are almost half the price of what you'd pay for the same thing in Sydney, and many have great views.
But today at lunch, my friends in Sydney had an intervention to try and stop us from leaving. They think Wollongong has more crime, bogans, worse schools, less ambitions for the kids, fog, wind, not much to do, etc. But none of them have ever lived there, or know anybody that does. They also have quite a bit of money. Not many Sydney-siders seem to have a great opinion of the Gong, they think more of Central Coast, although I'm not sure why except it's warmer and the Gong has a bad rep.
I'm so confused, I thought I had a good plan, where I could pay less rent, save up to buy a house on the beach, live a cruisier, more outdoors lifestyle, with friends closer around so we can do things like: wakeboard, surf, fish, camp, 4x4, be regulars at a local pub, the kids can walk to school instead of travel 1 hr each way, etc. (which there's not a whole lot of in Sydney), but I don't want to mess up and make the wrong decision, or my kids to lose opportunities. I just want to do the best thing, I'm in search of the perfect lifestyle.
It would be wonderful to talk to someone that actually lives in the Gong, or Central Coast, but has lived in Sydney. Is there anybody that has some time to talk to me on the phone here in Oz? I have a month to decide what to do, and would love to hear someone with actual experience. Thanks and good luck to the starter of this thread ;D You'll love Australia, any of those places you've mentioned are beautiful. Now we just have to figure out which is the best place for us
I spend alot of time in the gong(where I live) and central coast/hunter valley (where I work for the moment) and I absolutely love getting home at the weekends, Idon't think the crime rate is anything other than normal. Can't see what's wrong with a blue collar image myself, and as far as opportunities are concerned, my daughter wouldn't be going to Japan with the school if there were none. Plus you got some of the best beaches in Oz, you could do alot worse I'll PM you my phone number if you like.
steve
Last edited by stevenglish; Sep 3rd 2009 at 9:23 am.
Sep 3rd 2009, 9:07 am
#25
Account Closed
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 14,188
Re: Gosford? Wollongong?Anyone?
I certainly dont want to get caught up in a 'mines better than yours' banter, but you said you were born on the Central Coast which is approx 40+ years ago. things have moved on since then. I think its all down to personal choice and a quick visit is not the same as living somewhere. We visited the gong when going to Jamberoo for a weekend and hated it, but that was only a visit so I know that its not a true reflection of the area. You are correct in the trains I will agree, like sardines. But dont write it off without a trip either. Some beautiful locations with nightlife and close to sea (walking distance). No industrial stuff at all unless you go to Newcastle.
Jo
Jo
