Guest ozziegirl Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 been in west sydney (Merrylands) since oct and can't seem to settle, have lovely house (rented) ,job, kids like there school but can't seem to make any friends am starting to wonder if i am in the right area. can anyone tell me where the all the english are living?, me and hubby are very lonely and would just enjoy good company for bbqs, drunken nights and good old chin wag lol... ozziegirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevevw975 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Hi There we live in the northern beaches, beacon hill, i have meet and socialise with more brits than aussies, its expensive to rent here but i find that people in general are a bit more friendly than out west, but not saying thats law just my experience steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ozziegirl Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 thanks steve will check the area out ...... ozziegirl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevevw975 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 no worries, if you have children curl curl, dee why and newport is lovely with ace beaches and not too lively, if you fancy good night outs try manly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest anitaw Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 been in west sydney (Merrylands) since oct and can't seem to settle, have lovely house (rented) ,job, kids like there school but can't seem to make any friends am starting to wonder if i am in the right area. can anyone tell me where the all the english are living?, me and hubby are very lonely and would just enjoy good company for bbqs, drunken nights and good old chin wag lol... ozziegirl Hi, know the feeling. I am a learning support teacher at Lane Cove. Lane Cove has loads to offer. Good schools, an abundance of cafes, loads of Brits. Central Plaza where mums meet up for coffee etc. Check it out ! You won't be lonely for long.:wubclub: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 You like your home and job and the kids like their school so perhaps moving to another (nicer) area won't lead to meeting more people? Maybe just start going out on some of the social nights organized by people on PIO and/or look for some different activities in your area? Join some local clubs, start evening classes, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ozziegirl Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 thanks anitaw will check out lane cove .. maryrose i have checked out all the events in the area their is nothing going on, no clubs no meet ups no one seem to live this way, have even offered my neighbours round for bbq or just coffee their just not interested feel very down hearted, big thanks for the help any other suggestions.. i have noticed in the north that their is no train line how does eveyone get to cbd for work as this is where my hubby has to travel everyday.....????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintpot Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 i have noticed in the north that their is no train line how does eveyone get to cbd for work as this is where my hubby has to travel everyday.....????? There are a couple of train lines (both go over the bridge and through North Sydney, St Leonards to Chatswood; then they split, one following the line of the Pacific Highway up to Hornsby and the other going underground to Epping and then through the Hills District to Hornsby) but it's pretty limited Where there are no trains, there are buses. This can be OK or can be a nightmare depending on which roads the buses are using. The worst roads IME are Military Road/Spit Bridge/Pittwater Road through Mosman and up to the Northern Beaches, which is always very slow, and Victoria Rd through Ryde, Gladesville, Drummoyne and into the city near Darling Harbour. For those living very close to the water the ferries are feasible From Lane Cove the transport is actually very easy - loads of buses straight into the city that take about 25-30 minutes, every 5 or 10 minutes. Or if you're on the east side of the area it's perfectly feasible to walk to Artarmon or St Leonards stations (probably about 10-15 minutes walk) from where trains to Wynyard take about 15 minutes and travel every 6 or 7 minutes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I must admit I would not fancy living in Merrylands myself but then I am an inner city person now. It's just that if you moved to another suburb, you could have the same problems. At least at Merrylands you have a train service. The Northern Beaches means bus or car. I liked the Northern Beaches too - lived at Narrabeen but I could not take the commuting. If I had a job up there, that might be different. If you an afford it, why not move to the inner city, sacrifice a garden for being SO close to everything. But you could stll be isolated even here. I don't know many of my neighbours other than to nod to them. I was talking to a guy the other week who told me about 'meet up' which I'd never heard of - 'Google' it - it lists various activities - he said he goes to four a week! I'm going to give it a go myself - just got a job for two weeks before Xmas working nights so I'll wait until the new year. This second time in Sydney, I've found it easier to live here, not sure why. I've pushed myself to speak to people, in cafes and pubs for instance. I'm not talking close friendships but I know the staff, know their names and they know mine, in the two convenience stores by my unit, the two cafes, the newsagent. A couple of the pubs I go to the staff know my name and it's a nice feeling when they smile and say hello. I was in The Trinity Bar on Sat night and one of the barmaids said 'I've got something for you - and pulled out a Xmas cracker. I was also lucky in this pub a few weeks back when a young Irish guy recognized me from staying in a hostel two years ago. Now I've got to know his crowd of friends and I usually see him once or twice a week. He made most of his friends through going to a gym and playing social squash. My brother and his wife came over last night for a Lebanese meal and then came up to my flat. I was thinking back to how lonely I felt back in the 80's and 90's after they visited. I can remember standing out on the street and watching their car disappear into Cleveland St and feeling bereft. Last night it was different - well, I felt different anyway. I went off to the Triple Aces pub at 1am to watch Spurs play Sunderland and I met up with a few guys that I know through following Spurs. I bought some of them Xmas presents - books from Vinnies in Newtown on football. My brother and his wife said 'what do you want to go to the pub to watch a game when you have Foxtel at home?' It's a social thing - they all know my name, as I do theirs. At the start of the year I was swimming at Neilsen Park and I got talking to a lady there. Now I'm friends with her too - met up for coffee in Belvue Hill yesterday arvo. The guy who told me about 'Meet Up' he was at a once a month philosophy meeting with a couple of friends of mine. I just went to the pub - Lonsdale on City Road - to say hello. I know Bill from working at Garden Island and he knows Marc and I got to know Marc whom I also see if I go to Politics in the Pub at the Gaelic Club in Devonshire St. Anyway, it's been a gradual process for me of building up a social network. I was just thinking that you might gradually do the same thing? Join Merrylands RSL, go to the weekly meat raffle, talk to the people on the other tables, go to the same cafe every day and speak to the staff, get to know them, sign up for some classes at the local community college - sometimes they have meetings in the RSL clubs. Maybe do some voluntary work - which I KEEP saying I'm going to do myself. I've got a neighbour here who is 93 and when I see her I always rush outside to say hello. The other Saturday I helped her with her shopping and that's a good feeling too! I see people on both PIO and British Expats organize various social meet ups. I go occasionally - went to one at the Lord Dudley pub the other week and saw one of the guys from the Spurs games. All this work has made me thirsty - time for a coffee in the cafe outside my unit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintpot Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Fully agree you have to get out there Moving to a completely different town in the UK is similar in terms of not knowing anyone, but the distance here makes it seem so much more isolated. Just like moving in the UK, people who already live in the area you've moved to already have their social network and starting from scratch can be tough. The easiest and simplest way is to make a real effort to get to know staff in the regular shops/cafes where you are, and join a club or two depending on your interests I joined a running club here a couple of weeks after I got here and found everyone really friendly. You have to earn your place in the social scene a bit but it's fun along the way. We run every Saturday morning at 6:30, works brilliantly for me as it's about 30-60 minutes running depending on the course and then we have a coffee and a chat afterwards which gives me time to buy breakfast for the family and still get home for 8am so I haven't lost any of my weekend family time. We have a pub meet-up once a month for those who are that way inclined. I already know there are a couple there who are well on the way to becoming good friends Same thing with school - people think that's an easy in to a ready made bunch of people who have things in common but that only works if your kids are starting school at the same time as others; if they move into a school at, say, 7 or 8 then people have already made those connections and it's hard to break into them. So try doing some voluntary work with/for the school maybe help out with the after school club, or reading help in class, or similar - as far as I know schools are always looking for this sort of help. Or put your hand up for the P&C committee My experience here has been that people are generally more open and friendly on the face of it than at home, but you still have to make plenty of effort, as you do anywhere. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MARYROSE02 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I was impressed with how quickly Seamus had slotted in. Last time I saw him he'd just arrived in Sydney on a WHV and now, two years later, had got sponsored onto a 457 visa, and has made more friends in two years than I've done in twenty. 'Running club at 6.30 am?' Makes me ashamed although I am not a lazy person. My friend Cynthia gets up by 6am each morning to go swimming and walking and you see hordes out at Bondi at that time. It's just that I am an afternoon/evening person! Looking back, I guess I tended to treat people who worked in the pubs/cafes/shops as being 'different' and not to be talked to (not in a 'snobby' way - just my own shyness.) I can see how hard it can be, mind, maybe living in a house in a far-flung suburb, miles from the shops, knowing nobody, no car, husband out working all day and making friends through work - being invited down to the pub after work perhaps! All part of the socialisation process into a job but not 'partner-friendly?' I remember when my brother lived out at Edensor Park when it was still a brand new suburb, I stayed in his house whilst he was on holiday and I honestly felt like I was in an open prison. There were no buses, no trains, no shops, far too hot to walk anywhere. I'd still hate to go and live in one of those 'new build' 'burbs - don't care how nice the homes are! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pintpot Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 'Running club at 6.30 am?' Makes me ashamed although I am not a lazy person. Ah, it's not so bad! I get up at 6am for work during the week, just means I do that on Saturday too. And getting up early is better than trying to run in heavy, hot, smoggy air in the afternoon or evening. It's 100 times more enjoyable on a fresh morning The opposite applies for swimming IMO - now that's something I'd rather do in the early evening, after the water has had a chance to warm up a bit! (even if it's only psychological) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicolaj Posted December 21, 2011 Share Posted December 21, 2011 It is very hard when you move somewhere new for the first time. Currently we are in serviced apartments in CBD, but will be moving to Balmain very shortly. When I am there I have checked out the local gym who do Zumba and Pilates classes, so hopefully might meet people that way. I am also going to look for a job as well then so can start meeting people. I have heard many people who have moved abroad, not just to Oz, who say it can take a good 12 months to feel like you are beginning to settle and have a 'social life'. The chap Hubby works with, his wife has been very nice and have met up for lunch, and they have been very kind, but it isn't the same as having your own group of friends. They have their own cultural points of reference, jokes and shared experiences, which can make it hard to join in, but I suppose it's about making the effort. I know I am going to have to make a massive effort to make friends and I am a little shy as well, so it will be hard, but it's better than the alternatives! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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