scubacam Posted March 8, 2020 Share Posted March 8, 2020 My OH, 2 kids and I are emigrating imminently, just waiting for house to exchange and complete!!! To begin with we will be a single income family as I will be settling the kids. My OH is a mechanical project manager so hopefully will find work. And I’m a special needs teacher when I return to work. We will be initially renting a Airbnb in Sydney’s northern beaches as we have spent a lot of time there during our previous visits and really like the vibe, amenities, eateries, shops and accessibility to beaches and Sydney. We are very much aware this is a costly place to live (especially on a single income) and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations of places that have a similar vibe, eateries, schools, amenities with good job prospects and a more affordable cost of renting on one salary? We visited Newcastle before, but unfortunately very briefly before we had to fly back to the UK. So only got to see a glimpse. But have heard a number of people talk about it. Any help much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rallyman Posted March 9, 2020 Share Posted March 9, 2020 Newcastle is very up and coming and a bit cheaper than sydney location will depend where your husband gets work as commuting in sydney is a nightmare at best of times. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry85 Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 Wollongong! Such a great lifestyle and many people commute to sydney for work. In the northern suburbs look at thirroul, bulli, woonona and in the south look at shellharbour, shell cove, kiama and gerringong. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scubacam Posted June 22, 2020 Author Share Posted June 22, 2020 Wollongong! Such a great lifestyle and many people commute to sydney for work. In the northern suburbs look at thirroul, bulli, woonona and in the south look at shellharbour, shell cove, kiama and gerringong. Really?? I heard bad things about drugs and crime ? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Plains Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 1 hour ago, scubacam said: Really?? I heard bad things about drugs and crime ? Name a city anywhere in the world that does NOT have drugs and crime. I would also recommend the Illawarra coast and hinterland. Its largely a coastal green belt, with beaches, quaint villages and a particulalrly good university. We were down there recently visiting the Jamberoo Valley and Minnamurra Rainforest. The Wollongong town centre often gets a bad wrap but Sydney money has moved in over the years and the place is definitely on the improve. My advice would be to set up a base when you return to NSW and then explore Newcastle and the Hunter Region and then have a good look around at the Illawarra / Wollongong. Both areas can be being readily accessed by interurban rail services connected to Sydney. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 22, 2020 Share Posted June 22, 2020 (edited) 3 hours ago, scubacam said: Really?? I heard bad things about drugs and crime ? It used to have a bad reputation but it has improved and it’s definitely one of those cities with distinctly separate areas. I would hate to commute to Sydney from there though. I know many do out of necessity but it’s a horribly long haul. Newcastle is a better bet for employment opportunities and seems to be more up-and-coming than Wollongong. Some of the small towns along the rail line between Wollongong and Sydney are lovely but they are more expensive than suburbs closer into the city, due to their beach lifestyle Edited June 22, 2020 by Marisawright 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 We live in KIama which is a lovely little seaside town half an hour further out than Wollongong. I shop in Wollongong a lot and I’d say it was a town of two halves. North Wollongong seems nice, fairly quiet, near the beach. The city centre is a bit rough, nice shopping centre but the streets around full of nothing very much. I’d live in north Wollongong but not the city centre. If you’re considering a commute from Sydney to Newcastle, why not consider a commute from Sydney to Kiama - two hours by direct train which runs once an hour. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 37 minutes ago, Fisher1 said: We live in KIama which is a lovely little seaside town half an hour further out than Wollongong. I shop in Wollongong a lot and I’d say it was a town of two halves. North Wollongong seems nice, fairly quiet, near the beach. The city centre is a bit rough, nice shopping centre but the streets around full of nothing very much. I’d live in north Wollongong but not the city centre. If you’re considering a commute from Sydney to Newcastle, why not consider a commute from Sydney to Kiama - two hours by direct train which runs once an hour. I would never suggest Newcastle as a place to commit to Sydney from. Two hours each way would be soul destroying to do every single day. Newcastle has quite a good job market in its own right though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisher1 Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 22 hours ago, Marisawright said: It used to have a bad reputation but it has improved and it’s definitely one of those cities with distinctly separate areas. I would hate to commute to Sydney from there though. I know many do out of necessity but it’s a horribly long haul. Newcastle is a better bet for employment opportunities and seems to be more up-and-coming than Wollongong. Some of the small towns along the rail line between Wollongong and Sydney are lovely but they are more expensive than suburbs closer into the city, due to their beach lifestyle Yep, Thirroul is nice but so expensive. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 23, 2020 Share Posted June 23, 2020 Where will you be working? In this day and age that’s step 1. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 Hi @scubacam, how are the move plans going? I think if you're going to Airbnb on the Northern Beaches, then you've already made your mind up, consciously or sub-consciously. If you were open to other areas, then you'd pick somewhere more central. If you want to explore other suburbs to the south, it will be a long haul from the Northern Beaches and you're less likely to spend adequate time there. If expense is an issue, the southern suburbs are cheaper than the north. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulya Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 21 hours ago, Marisawright said: I would never suggest Newcastle as a place to commit to Sydney from. Two hours each way would be soul destroying to do every single day. Newcastle has quite a good job market in its own right though It does and booming 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 24, 2020 Share Posted June 24, 2020 (edited) Interesting article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-23/regional-australia-institute-millennials-moving-city-to-country/12365964 Newcastle is one of the cities mentioned. Edited June 24, 2020 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry85 Posted June 25, 2020 Share Posted June 25, 2020 Na the illawarra is not that bad at all, sure the city centre sometimes has a few dodgy characters hanging about in the daytime but i lived a 10min walk form wollongong CBD for 2 years and i never had a problem day or night. Anyway, the main reason for going there is the beach suburbs, and because of the shopping centre at shellharbour a lot of people dont actually go into wollongong itself. Theres a few new suburbs that are nice, check out calderwood and horsley. So many english down this way 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry85 Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 On 24/06/2020 at 15:04, Marisawright said: Interesting article here: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-23/regional-australia-institute-millennials-moving-city-to-country/12365964 Newcastle is one of the cities mentioned. I see orange is mentioned in this article, having lived there i would not reccommend it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Kerry85 said: I see orange is mentioned in this article, having lived there i would not reccommend it! How long ago, out of interest? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulya Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 2 hours ago, Kerry85 said: I see orange is mentioned in this article, having lived there i would not reccommend it! Clique central Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 1 hour ago, Bulya said: Clique central If there's a big influx of young people as that article suggests, then they'll form their own clique Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Plains Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 10 hours ago, Kerry85 said: I see orange is mentioned in this article, having lived there i would not reccommend it! So where would you recommend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quoll Posted June 27, 2020 Share Posted June 27, 2020 9 hours ago, Dusty Plains said: So where would you recommend? Wherever you can get a job! If you like it, you win. If you don’t like it you move on once you’ve had a look and decided what you prefer. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kerry85 Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 On 27/06/2020 at 11:58, Marisawright said: How long ago, out of interest? I was there 2 years ago, it was going to be our big tree change but we ended up leaving. Orange itself isnt a bad town, it has everything you need and theres lots of winerys to explore, but it is so so isolated and so far from anywhere else. 4 hours to the beach, 4 hours back to sydney, public transport out there isnt great, limited train service which sometimes stops half way and changes to a bus so anyone visiting you from the uk is looking at an additional 5/6 hour journey after a long flight. And the next major town of bathurst is 50min drive and then its much like orange! If all that doesnt bother you its a pleasant place to live, and theres some nice housing , you will get a lot more for your money there. Just go with your eyes open 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 28, 2020 Share Posted June 28, 2020 6 hours ago, Kerry85 said: I was there 2 years ago, it was going to be our big tree change but we ended up leaving. Orange itself isnt a bad town, it has everything you need and theres lots of winerys to explore, but it is so so isolated and so far from anywhere else. 4 hours to the beach, 4 hours back to sydney, public transport out there isnt great, limited train service which sometimes stops half way and changes to a bus so anyone visiting you from the uk is looking at an additional 5/6 hour journey after a long flight. And the next major town of bathurst is 50min drive and then its much like orange! If all that doesnt bother you its a pleasant place to live, and theres some nice housing , you will get a lot more for your money there. Just go with your eyes open This just illustrates that anyone who says, "Come to (insert name of town here) - the lifestyle is great!" needs a good whack around the head. One lifestyle does not fit everyone. Some lifestyles are presented as idyllic - the "Escape to the Country" lifestyle, or the Tropical Island Beachfront lifestyle - but while I like the idea for a short break, I'd soon die of boredom if I tried to live that life permanently. Whereas other people would think it was heaven. Likewise, I know a lot of people who don't like Melbourne, but I'm loving it (somewhat to my surprise). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toots Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 49 minutes ago, Marisawright said: This just illustrates that anyone who says, "Come to (insert name of town here) - the lifestyle is great!" needs a good whack around the head. One lifestyle does not fit everyone. Some lifestyles are presented as idyllic - the "Escape to the Country" lifestyle, or the Tropical Island Beachfront lifestyle - but while I like the idea for a short break, I'd soon die of boredom if I tried to live that life permanently. Whereas other people would think it was heaven. Likewise, I know a lot of people who don't like Melbourne, but I'm loving it (somewhat to my surprise). How very true Marisa. Take you and me as an example. You would be bored stiff where I live and I would go stir crazy where you are. It's not easy to recommend places to live as we are all so different. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dusty Plains Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) 8 hours ago, Toots said: How very true Marisa. Take you and me as an example. You would be bored stiff where I live and I would go stir crazy where you are. It's not easy to recommend places to live as we are all so different. (Joke) Two men are at a bar in Sydney. arguing about the Sydney/ Melbourne rivalry The first man: "The only things of any note to come out of Melbourne are AFL Players and Prostitutes" Somewhat irritated, the second man: " Now see hear, my wife comes from Melbourne" The first man: "Oh Really .... what position did she play?" !!! Edited June 29, 2020 by Dusty Plains 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marisawright Posted June 29, 2020 Share Posted June 29, 2020 (edited) 22 minutes ago, Dusty Plains said: (Joke) Two men are at a bar in Sydney. arguing about the Sydney/ Melbourne rivalry I lived in Sydney for 30 years and at one time, when we realised we were being priced out of the city, I suggested moving to Melbourne. My oh, who has lived in Sydney since childhood, dismissed Melbourne (as most Sydneysiders do). To be honest, I wasn't that enthusiastic either, but considering Melbourne house prices were dramatically cheaper, i was being practical. A few years later, circumstances landed us in Melbourne. Now, my oh often says, "I don't know why we didn't think of moving to Melbourne sooner. It's a great place." .... Not saying it's better or worse than Melbourne, just different, like every other city in Australia. A lot depends on your hip pocket. Edited June 29, 2020 by Marisawright Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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