hi skippy, just wanted to say thanks for the pictures! I loved them! We're probably comming to live in Illawarra so its so nice to see some pictures of it! It looks beautiful!
Hi all, looks like I have a full class today, ha ha.
Rachel, the windey mountain Rd is the Maquarie Pass, it is 5 mins out of Albion Park & the only way up the mountain in the south of the Illawarra, the other Rd is Mt Ousley, which is the main hwy to Sydney, then you turn onto the Picton Rd etc, this takes twice as long, if not more going that way, but if you live near or north of the Gong, you don't have any alternative.
The Pass can be dangerous at times, but if you take your time, it is fine, we go up there all the time, at the top [Robertson] is cold in Winter and they have been known to have a bit of snow & fog, but it only lasts a few hours, that area and Mossy is called the Southern Highlands & is a place that TV personalities etc call home, mind you, like everywhere else, you get a few unfortunates.
RVN, I couldn't live at PK or the surrounding areas, many Europeans settled in Port, Warrawong, Cringila & Coniston when they were brought out here by the steelworks, although there are nice areas in these suburbs, it's not for me.
It is a lot cleaner these days, I use to go there when I got homesick for my native Sheffield, it made me realise what I had left behind, ha ha.
darsar, the only problem with Bermagui is that it is too far away from everything, I love that area of the coast though, it is a great place to retire, but very short on facilities etc.
megss, that is the crappy side of the Illawarra, I'll put some old pics and new ones on this thread.
The Illawarra is made up of 3 major centres, which all have their own councils at the moment, Wollongong, Shellharbour & Kiama, here they are.
This is the Illawarra area
Gateway out of the Illawarra, 7 mile beach at Gerringong.
Part of Albion Park, 10 mins from Shellharbour & 15 mins from Kiama, it was once all dairy country, but now houses young & old families in a country setting.
Decided to keep away from the beach today and focus on Albion Park & the scenery that we take for granted, managed to find an old bush track, so I was able to get to the top of the hills that surround the area, couldn't manage to drive up the cliff face though.
Looking N/E over Lake Illawarra towards Port Kembla
Looking S/E
The main road through A/P to Maquarie Pass that takes you up the mountain
Looking south over the Jamberoo Valley, Jamberoo is in the centre & just 6 mins from A/P, we go this way to Kiama, I heard that 60% of the Jamberoo population work in Sydney ? I think they are Doctors etc, Jambers is expensive, but a few nice little gems come up for sale at times.
Looking north, we live at the bottom of this picture, next to the fields. [We call them paddocks]
So you see, it's not all desert here, it's pretty bloody good, although it's cloudy today.
ah skippy, what would we do without you eh?? photos are fabulous and thankyou so much for taking the time to take them and put them on for us. It is just as I remember and I dont feel I could ever get bored of those amazing views. I think we passed though Jamberoo on the way to Kiama on a dolphin seeing trip (that was wonderful by the way- highly recommended) and was so green and lush. It reminded me very much of the UK countryside. I like the sound of Johnd comment of their not being too many brit expats in the area too...
I just hope our medicals come through ok. Feeling quite tweeky about them now as I ve just read another post this morning where some poor chap was refused on medical grounds!! my little girl has a medical prob so im praying like mad that they will not refuse us. Stupid thing is the clean illawarra air and sunshine will make all the difference too..Both my OH and myself cannot bear the thought of having to stay here in the UK...reasons to leave are getting bigger every day. I decided to write them all down and have 2 pages of A4 (both sides) here is my last entry ---I went to collect my OH from luton airport yesterday morning and had to park in the shortstay car park for half an hour..it cost me £7.00!!
rip of britain once again....(ahhhh ill get off my soap box now) mmmmm maybe i should open a new thread..????
RVN, the pictures with the houses on them were taken from a spare block of land at the top of Scenic Cres [Regal Heights,] which is the last lot of houses on the hill on the left as you go out of town towards the Pass.
The one with the lake on it shows the little airport between the lake and the park, the houses on the western side of R/H have great rural views, but get battered by the westerly winds during Winter, we live on the opposite side of the hwy & use to watch the roofs flying off in the westerlies when they were building R/H.
There is a little new estate being built in the Park, it's called Tullimbah, it's different and they are having trouble selling the homes, they have a website, [Tullimbah Village]
We are definitely moving that area (if that nice Mr Immigration man ever lets us). It is soooooo beautiful and that's where my son and grandson are (well, Kiama).
Discovered Wollongong airport! Loved it, loved it, loved it.
Jean
__________________ 27/07/07 Acknowledgement received 13/06/08 Case Officer! Who said Friday 13th was unlucky? 30/0608 AOS appointment at Centrelink
[quote=RVN;218293]
I like the sound of Johnd comment of their not being too many brit expats in the area ?
There are many Pommies that live in the Illawarra RVN, a lot are retired thesedays, most young families are children of Pommie migrants, but we don't have a lot of new ones like they have in W.A.
I went to collect my OH from luton airport yesterday morning and had to park in the shortstay car park for half an hour..it cost me £7.00!! rip of britain once again.
It was on the news a couple on nights ago, that parking at Sydney airport was the most expensive in the world ?
