cant decide Brisbane or Gold Coast

[taffy 62]

Originally Posted by Georgie

Thanks
1 1/2 hours is incredibly long. Do you mean thats how long it would take to get to the city centre or just to reach the southern suburbs like say Springwood? I have looked on Travel Times web site but they always go on travelling at the max speed and no traffic congestion so i wanted someones opinion who has done it. Thanks again. How do you like living in Brisbane then? We are in Melbourne and wondering if we really should move up there or not. beginning to have doubts now.
Georgie

Hi georgie, I have just moved from wodonga to brisbane in january and live near wynum manly area.
It takes my husband half hour to drive 19ks to west end (same side of river). One of the reasons of moving here was to be nr the ocean, Im nr the bayside but not the ocean with the surf etc, more like a lagoon type thing.
I personnally dont like living here and want to go back to victoria, my husband said maybe we should move to the gold coast and he would commute, and see how it goes before making the decision to move back. It would take I reckon at least 1 hour and thats in good traffic flow, its not just the travel time to consider but also having to deal with the amount of traffic on the roads, but you may be used to that if you live in melboune and comute to the city there. He already has to get up at 5.50 in the morning and has found that hard to adjust to, you tend to be ready for bed by 8.30 at night. So i dont really think it would be fair for him to commute all that distance, as he would have to get up even earlier.Maybe those areas that others have suggested would be a good place to start. but if like me you would prefer to live right nr the ocean (like when you go there on holls) then theres really no other way than the commute times.
Also it only take 1 accident on the road to easily add another hour to that time.

[Georgie]

Hi thanks for your answers

Suee which suburb does your hubby work? And stop rubbing it in!! it was 6 degrees here this morning (gonna be 21 though later). I was reasearching Pac Pines and Coomera though i read somewhere that pacific Pines was a place to keep way from - dont know why?

Kev good luck with visa and it would be great to all meet up one day.

Thompson 16 Do you mean it took you 10 mins to GC city cos if you meant Brisbane you would be travelling by helicopter (its alright for some!!) You certainly helped twist my arm towards the GC though. I used to live in Harrogate before moving to Oz and your right about the Leeds commute - my sister still does it every morning.

Tony i will probably have loads of questions for your girlfriend.

Kate and Dan i was worried about work but you have laid that worry to rest thanks.

Cal i am already 30 mins from the beaches here in Melbourne and really my dream is to practically live in the sea!! But i hear where youre coming from and for those that dont mind a bit of distance i think Jimboomba is perfectl;y placed and the houses are priced well.

I will come up in July time for a quick reccie but now i know the approx area i can really concentrate my research.

Cant wait

Just got to talk my sister into going to Queensland now instead of Melbourne. She is supposed to be emigrating here next year but got to sell house first.

By the way is it less humid on GC than Brisbane? Also is it true as a local you can get into theme parks cheaper and do resteraunts etc put up their prices in the holiday season? Cant you get a card or something to say you are a local and youre not gonna pay tourist prices?
Georgie

[Georgie]

Hi Taffy

Why dont you like Brisbane? Wodonga certainly isnt anywhere near the coast so would you be thinking of Melbourne to move back to Victoria or somewhere else? We looked at Albury Wodonga area before thinking Queensland but in the end i really wanted to be near the sea. Why dont you try the GC first and see if you can get a job nearer to where you live or is that impossible?

Looks like you and your OH are torn but I hope you end up somewhere you both like. We will rent when we get to Qland so if we dont like it we can come back down to Melbourne as its not that bad here at all. The weather is hot in summer and cool in winter (bloody freezing this morning though). This is the only thing (apart from finding work) that worries me slightly-will it be too much to bear with the humidity??? We shall see.

Georgie

[Jo&Rich]

Georgie, we're on the Gold Coast, Coombabah/Runaway Bay border, about 10 minutes down towards the coast from Pacific Pines. Pac Pines is nice, it's a very big new development. Depends if you want a new house in a newly developing area, or something older, in a more established suburb. We're very close to the broadwater, which is a stretch of water with a long island seperating it from the ocean. If you want to be live very near to the sea, you may be better off at the southern end of the coast, say Burleigh Heads, as if you go higher than Southport, it's not as many beaches, more marinas. Still only a 15/20 minute drive to main beach at Surfers though from where we are, and a great area, with plenty of good facilities. If you have a look at Arundel, Ashmore, Parkwood, Benowa, Runaway Bay, and Biggera Waters, these are all nice areas to the north.
Jo

[taffy 62]

Originally Posted by Georgie

Hi Taffy

Why dont you like Brisbane? Wodonga certainly isnt anywhere near the coast so would you be thinking of Melbourne to move back to Victoria or somewhere else? We looked at Albury Wodonga area before thinking Queensland but in the end i really wanted to be near the sea. Why dont you try the GC first and see if you can get a job nearer to where you live or is that impossible?

Looks like you and your OH are torn but I hope you end up somewhere you both like. We will rent when we get to Qland so if we dont like it we can come back down to Melbourne as its not that bad here at all. The weather is hot in summer and cool in winter (bloody freezing this morning though). This is the only thing (apart from finding work) that worries me slightly-will it be too much to bear with the humidity??? We shall see.

Georgie

Hi Georgie, I'll private mess you as I don't want to come accross to others as too negative about this area as it's only my views of how I feel at the moment. And theres been to many negative posts lately. And who's to say in 6 months time I may feel differerent. Actually, If you read my post interstate dilema that basically tells you everything.

[taffy 62]

Hi Georgie,
Did you get my private message as it's not showing up in my box , maybe its floating around in cyberspace somewhere!

[Georgie]

Sue I got your PM.
Thanks for the info and can you look after my doggy too???!!!! Only joking but we will bring her up for a look around when we do our reccie. Driving up so just hoping some of the motels will let her stay otherwise she will have to sleep in the car. Actually started at 6 degs but turned into a beautiful day here with bright blue skies (rather like a british summer day)
Bye

[Georgie]

Sue just read your other email. Had you lived in Wodonga for a long time then? And yes it seems expensive up there to buy in Queensland. Like i say we will see on our reccie. Humidity is bad but its not all year round and to be honest i think i like the seasons too but afterall we may end up going back to UK after a few years so need to make sure we have experienced all we can. Actually wondering what Adelaide is like as well. Seems they have lovely beaches there too but it dont half get a slagging!!
Who knows where we will end up. Yes its like emigrating all over again-
Georgie

[suee]

Georgie,
It's not me who lived in Wodonga, methinks it's Taffy62, have you got us mixed up, and yeap I'll look after your dog, not sure you'll get her back though, she sounds sooooo cute

[taffy 62]

Yep its me Wondered what that was all about can you send me a copy back georgie.
How long have you been in melbourne for as if you havnt got long settlement issues then you may as well move and see as much as you can and look at it as a working holiday.
Ive lived in wodonga for 17 years!