Guest magic Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Cleveland Feel the Bayside breeze all year around. Cleveland is 40 minute drive to Brisbane city. 50 minute via train. Lovely local harbour -great for evening drinks, eating out , watch the children play. 5 minute drive to Cleveland shops, cafe, eating, supermarkets, primary and high school. Plenty of sports and social clubs for the children. Small family safe beaches with public BBQ'S by the water, fishing, boating, wine bars. Local hospital in Cleveland, public transport, housing - can catch a bargin - or a million mansion. Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast 40 minute drive either way Social seen, loads of English families. Cleveland, just something special............its home.:wubclub: magic x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Fletchers Posted November 5, 2008 Share Posted November 5, 2008 Thanks for that Magic. We're heading for Cleveland middle of next year. We stayed in Raby Bay for a few days last December and felt comfortable and at ease straight away - can't wait for next summer when we too can be there. Good to hear there are loads of English families in the area. Linda:spinny: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest magic Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 :wubclub: Good to hear from you Fletchers, Raby Bay is so lovely. If we can help you with anything please do email me and i will do my very best.Its nice to get to know families before they arrive as i think it can make things a little easier when you head so far away from home. How long were you here for? and how old are the children? at a guess, 14 and 12..... Hopefully all your plans will work out and you will be back in Cleveland, then we can catch up over a bottle of wine. Sound good? take care magic (kerry) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest The Fletchers Posted November 6, 2008 Share Posted November 6, 2008 How kind Kerry. If you don't mind I'll pm you as I don't have an email address. Linda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzi Posted November 11, 2008 Share Posted November 11, 2008 Hi I know how difficult it is to decide on an area to live when you arrive, I spent the initial 4 weeks living in New Farm and pretty much went to look at properties as far up on the North side as North Lakes and southwards to Riverhills/Mt Ommaney/Westlake...and lots in between!! I have been here about 9 weeks now and live in Ferny Grove which is NW of the city. We chose this area as we wanted to be close to the city but have a rural feel so it was quieter - we wanted a big house and sizeable garden but something that was modern and this area fits all that criteria. We are currently renting a beautiful house that backs onto a park, so we look over the bush, very private and great birds visit us every day for a feed. Ferny Grove has a public swimming pool, a sizebale hub of shops, good schools and nurseries (places are limited, have to get your name on the waiting lists asap) plus it has a bowling club and a bar, both sell nice meals, loads of take away shops of every variety and loads of parks dotted around for the kids. As it is also the last stop on the line you are always guaranteed to get a seat on the train in the morning when you do your commute to the CBD (takes 25mins) and cost $26 per week for unlimited travel, and the train station has loads of parking so you can always get a space. I think it is about 12 kms from the city and if you are driving it (outside rush hour times) it takes about 20 mins - the further out this way you drive the more trees and bush you start to see. At the other side of Ferny Grove is Samford which is very rural but very quaint, like a small village - quite farming based out that way, lots of paddocks with horses etc. On the other side is Mitchelton, which has a sizeable shopping mall called Brookside and lots of other shops in the area. We like it here as it has a nice family feel and everyone is friendly who we have met so far. I think it would be classed as family area, seems to be a mix of young professionals who have young families/babies and people nearing retiring age, haven't seen one group of youths hanging around like back at home and crime is non existent as far I can tell...the neighbours tell us it's seen as a very safe area, it's also very clean, not seem one bit of rubbish yet! The houses in the area are a mix of traditional queenslanders and modern, so something for everyone. Our estate is actually based on a Mediterranean theme, so they all have tiled roofs and are painted in lovely warm colours with beautiful wooden doors and lots of marble, ultra modern inside, latest circular air con in every room etc It's bizarre... its like living in a huge Spanish villa but in Australia!! Hope this helps. If you need anything else just let me know Sharon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathK Posted November 13, 2008 Share Posted November 13, 2008 Keep these coming in folks - I now have a long list of suburbs to research in more detail - THANK YOU to all contributors! Could I ask those of you out there, how do you decide what is a good school & what isn't? I've tried looking for websites with performance tables on -like we have in UK - but have hit a blank wall! How else can I decide if a school is good, because this a major deciding factor for us, with two kids, & one of the reasons we want to move from where we currently live Kath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happyone Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 CAMP HILL PROS 6km to city or CBD 45 minutes from our house to Southport spit (surf beach) on a Saturday morning 1.15 hours to Noosa Bus at either of end street every 10 minutes to the city or southbank Can leave car at home, jump on bus, go out for dinner (usually South Bank), 10 minutes or so by car outside peak hour Can ride bike into the city on the weekends House built for climate - big verandahs, high ceilings and room for trees in yard Still have a yard - we have a dog, swimming pool, chickens, vegetable garden, and so do a lot of our neighbours Good mix of neighbours - some high level professional people, some tradies, couples and families and old age pensioners 5 Minute walk to good deli with all the continental items you need, e.g. French and Italian cheese and sausages, excellent butcher and fresh produce store, walk to pub Lots of people out walking all the time Myer and David Jones (big department stores) within 2kms Good parks with free council activities like Yoga and Tai Chi on Sunday mornings City Views Walking distance to good restaurants like Cinco and Rapide that use fresh local produce. Not too far to drive to Raptis fish market for fresh Moreton Bay Bugs and Coffin Bay oysters!! Yum. Some stunning renovations being carried out to a high quality. That makes going for a walk so nice when you can see the area evolving. CONS Older houses that were expertly built now being removed to make way for two houses on one block with a postage stamp yard. Loss of trees. More people in one place makes for worse traffic. Peak hour traffic can be difficult. Rat runners in their cars from outer suburbs speeding in back streets Footpaths need some work - some are non-existent More restaurants would be welcome! That said, I wouldn't live any further out - I find going to visit friends in the outer suburbs a real culture shock. But that's just me and I'm happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happyone Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Keep these coming in folks - I now have a long list of suburbs to research in more detail - THANK YOU to all contributors! Could I ask those of you out there, how do you decide what is a good school & what isn't? I've tried looking for websites with performance tables on -like we have in UK - but have hit a blank wall! How else can I decide if a school is good, because this a major deciding factor for us, with two kids, & one of the reasons we want to move from where we currently live Kath As for schools, I'm no expert but I know that in my area, the local primary school is so good/popular you need to actually live in the area to go there. Brisbane State High School is the same, as are some of the public schools in exclusive suburbs like Ascot and Hamilton. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest samsteve Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I'm selling Bribie Island. We've been here just over a year and are living the dream in paradise. Bribie is connected to the mainland by a 900m bridge, it is 50mins drive from Brisbane CBD and 50mins drive from the Sunshine Coast. The population is currently 19000 and is capped at 30000. There are varied housing options from older style smaller housing starting at high $300000's to $2mill+ water front mansions. There are 2 golf courses, basic shopping, several primary schools, 1 high school and several private schools with buses to the island. There is a large retired population here but younger famillies are moving here for the lifestyle. Bribie is not for the shoppers amongst you or the culture vultures but if you love peace and quiet, nature, beach, and the outdoor lifestyle then consider Bribie. We have a surf beach, one of the safest on the Sunshine Coast due to Moreton Island's protection, we also have the pumeistone passage which is the water between the mainland and the island, this has great ecological significance housing dolphins, dugongs and turtles, all of which we see on a very regular basis, we have also had whales in the bay for the last 4 weeks. Much of the island is national park and is great for 4x4 driving and camping, boating is very safe here as is canoeing. We have 2 teenages 16 & 14 both of them love it here as they can get to the beach whenever they want under their own steam which is not always possible over here as everything is far away. It may not be for everyone but if you love being outdoors and active consider Bribie Island Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest J.Hornby Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 I'm selling Bribie Island. We've been here just over a year and are living the dream in paradise. Bribie is connected to the mainland by a 900m bridge, it is 50mins drive from Brisbane CBD and 50mins drive from the Sunshine Coast. The population is currently 19000 and is capped at 30000. There are varied housing options from older style smaller housing starting at high $300000's to $2mill+ water front mansions. There are 2 golf courses, basic shopping, several primary schools, 1 high school and several private schools with buses to the island. There is a large retired population here but younger famillies are moving here for the lifestyle. Bribie is not for the shoppers amongst you or the culture vultures but if you love peace and quiet, nature, beach, and the outdoor lifestyle then consider Bribie. We have a surf beach, one of the safest on the Sunshine Coast due to Moreton Island's protection, we also have the pumeistone passage which is the water between the mainland and the island, this has great ecological significance housing dolphins, dugongs and turtles, all of which we see on a very regular basis, we have also had whales in the bay for the last 4 weeks. Much of the island is national park and is great for 4x4 driving and camping, boating is very safe here as is canoeing. We have 2 teenages 16 & 14 both of them love it here as they can get to the beach whenever they want under their own steam which is not always possible over here as everything is far away. It may not be for everyone but if you love being outdoors and active consider Bribie Island Hi, We loved Bribie when we visited a couple of weeks ago on holiday (now back in UK) Can you tell me how you have found the seasons at Bribie eg are you over run with tourists in the summer or do you find there isn't much variation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest leanneg Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Hi all, Great thread. I have been looking at VARSITY LAKES. Any info? It seems really nice if not a tad pricey (maybe just out of my price range approx $350,000 3 bed) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ChewyMonster Posted January 13, 2009 Share Posted January 13, 2009 Anybody live in or near The Gap? We drove round there on our recce (before the storm hit it) and thought it looked lovely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anna .s Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 well ive said it before, north lakes. big shopping centre, golf course, and soon to be 3 schools. and i have to say north lakes state school is very good. around 30min's to city, anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow43 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 well ive said it before, north lakes. big shopping centre, golf course, and soon to be 3 schools. and i have to say north lakes state school is very good.around 30min's to city, anna But very very close to your neighbours! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anna .s Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 well yes that can be said, but for me it was all about the school. that for me was the number one. and i would just like to say, all though what you say is true. there are all so bigger blocks in north lakes. i suppose everyone has to decide what ticks the boxes for them. Anna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kernow43 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 well yes that can be said, but for me it was all about the school. that for me was the number one. and i would just like to say, all though what you say is true. there are all so bigger blocks in north lakes. i suppose everyone has to decide what ticks the boxes for them. Anna I understand what you say Anna for the schools they are fine, I have worked in building North Lakes and the first stage was great, good size blocks, but maybe the developers got greedy and tried to cram as much as possible in. I hope you enjoy your stay there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fish.01 Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 well ive said it before, north lakes. big shopping centre, golf course, and soon to be 3 schools. and i have to say north lakes state school is very good.around 30min's to city, anna Hi Anna, I've got some English guests coming who may be interested in North Lakes. Do you know how long the peak hour drive into the city is (and public transport?). Also, does anyone know what it is for Redcliffe these days as they're looking there as well? Thankyou Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest moonlit_valley Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi Anna, How long does it take to get to the city from North Lakes during the rush hour? Thanks D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happyone Posted January 14, 2009 Share Posted January 14, 2009 Hi Anna,How long does it take to get to the city from North Lakes during the rush hour? Thanks D While I don't like anywhere near North Lakes, I am less than 6km from the city centre of Brisbane. Some days it takes me 15 minutes to drive to work. Others it's over an hour. Brisbane traffic sucks (and I can use south east expressway or story bridge). I used to live in Redlands and some days it took an hour and a half. I would look at people getting off the bus close to city and was envious. Now instead of sitting on a bus or driving, I'm walking my dog, gardening and going for a swim after work (my train takes 15 minutes and it's always on time). Luckily we have trains. I guess you would have to drive to the train from North Lakes? A big thing to remember is parking in the City will send you broke. There are early bird rates but I parked for 2 hours a few weeks ago and it was $38! Unless you earn big bucks or your job gives you a car park for free, public transport is the way to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Munchie Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 This is a great idea! My husband and I are thinking of living in Forest Lake when we move over to Brisbane. Can anyone please give some good and bad points about this suburb? Thanks, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Happyone Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 This is a great idea! My husband and I are thinking of living in Forest Lake when we move over to Brisbane. Can anyone please give some good and bad points about this suburb? Thanks, It's mentioned here as one of the top crime/burglary suburbs: Reader's Comments: Our top 50 burglary suburbs - The Courier-Mail It's a "newer" development next to Inala, which isn't the most sought after place to live (putting it politely). They share the same postcode. I'll probably get slammed for saying that as I'm sure like many areas there are lots of lovely people there. But Forest Lake wouldn't be high on my list of places to live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JoanneHattersley Posted January 16, 2009 Share Posted January 16, 2009 I have always been told that North Lakes is nicknamed Little Britain!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Munchie Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Thanks Happyone, that sort of information is hard to find out here! I guess we will have to keep an open mind til we get there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
calNgary Posted January 17, 2009 Share Posted January 17, 2009 Forest lakes seems to have a 'good' side and a not so good side, you can see which is which by a quick drive around. Some of the houses are lovely with gardens well kept etc whilst some leave a bit to be desired. One thing to remember with crime here, is its not on the same scale as crime in the UK.Burgalrys still make the front page here,lol. North lakes is known as little britain to the aussies but according to a recent new article Redlands area tops it with the most poms living there. Cal x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Esselte Posted January 21, 2009 Share Posted January 21, 2009 It's mentioned here as one of the top crime/burglary suburbs:Reader's Comments: Our top 50 burglary suburbs - The Courier-Mail It's a "newer" development next to Inala, which isn't the most sought after place to live (putting it politely). They share the same postcode. I'll probably get slammed for saying that as I'm sure like many areas there are lots of lovely people there. But Forest Lake wouldn't be high on my list of places to live. Yep, Inala DOES have "that" reputation. I also looked at Forest Lakes 12 months ago and was put off by Inala associations. I ended up in Ipswich which has the same reputation but I think it's just fine! I've driven through Forest Lakes and gone shopping there a few times. House prices seem to be around $350-400K for a newish 4 bedder which is pretty affordable compared to other suburbs north of the river. I still prefer Ipswich though - it has that small town feel, bigger blocks and a real community atmosphere! It has it's own CBD but still only takes around 45 mins to get to Brisbane city centre on a good day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.