[Diane]

Choice of suburb is a really subjective thing - and what one person likes, might not suit another! I always suggest people rent somewhere fairly central to start with, and sort out where they will be working. That will then help narrow down your choices of where to live, as you can look at commuting distances to and from. It will also depend if you want to live somewhere close to the beaches, or in the hills more, bearing in mind that even from where we are (in Highbury, in the NE) the beaches are still only a 30 minute drive away. Are you a 'sand' person or a 'tree' person?!! Do you prefer flat, or hilly? new or old?

As far as schools go, there are plenty of good primary and high schools all over - both state and private. The catholic and other church-run private schools tend to be slightly cheaper. Most state high schools are zoned, and a few have specialities, such as sports, performing arts etc, so consider what best suits your kids' needs, and don't rush into any decisions to start with.

Have a browse on realestate.com.au and domain.com.au to get a feel for what you can buy with your money in the various suburbs, bearing in mind though that if a particular suburb looks comparatively cheap, there are probably reasons for that! The best way is to hire a car when you arrive, rent centrally, and spend as much time as possible just driving around, chatting to locals, seeing how much graffiti is around, checking out the kids at schoolend time (without getting arrested for loitering!), doing some shopping in the local malls..... find a place that suits your needs that way.

The villages in and around the hills are wonderful, specially at this time of year, but for instance, we decided against living in one of them because of the thought of having to drive up and down a twisty turny, hair-pinny road on a regular basis every time one of the kids had a sports fixture somewhere, and also the thought of the kids driving up and down those roads at night time once they get their licenses (which they can from age 16 - eek!)

Everyone will give you advice, but at the end of the day, it's what suits YOUR family. Good luck, and of course, if there is anywhere specific you'd like views on, ask away and I'm sure you'll get plenty of viewpoints!