Bellerive

Me again :chatterbox:

I've just recently heard about Bellerive. It looks lovely. Primary school looks good, houses look amazing, love the idea of being able to catch the ferry into Hobart. It looks like there are lots of nice shops and cafes etc. For some reason we haven't even considered north of Hobart, let alone the other side of the river! I've no idea why! Are there any downsides to being over there? What's the traffic like at peak times? Any difference in climate or anything? Is it under the flight path?? It's yet another area we didn't visit when we did our reccie :arghh:

Thanks for any thoughts.

The only downside I can think of would be congestion on the bridge into the CBD at peak hour - that can be slow going.

It's not under a flight path - no suburb of Hobart is.

The locals always skite that it's 5 degrees warmer on that side of the river. :biggrin: From looking at actual temperatures it may be a degree or two warmer - sometimes. They do get a bit longer sunlight in the afternoon/evening - not shaded by the mountain as the western shore is.

Have you looked at the next suburbs along (downriver) - Howrah and Tranmere? Some families really like those.

Another possible downside I've thought of....but only if you lived near Bellerive Oval (aka Blundstone Arena). When light towers were installed a couple of years ago, there were residents unhappy with the light pollution and noise from evening events. I know there is another proposal for further development lodged with the local council (Clarence City Council) but I do not know if/how this would impact on local residents.

Thanks Skani, you are good!

I've not heard of Tranmere but Howrah does look nice too. And I'm loving the idea of more daylight and warmer temperatures! I thought it might have been a bit of a dumb question asking whether the climate was any different but I'm glad I asked now!

How bad is the traffic at peak times would you say? How long might it take to get into the CBD from Bellerive? We stayed in Cambridge when we were on our reccie. We must have managed to avoid rush hour as the traffic was fine every time we went into the CBD. We loved the view as we went over the bridge. We could get used to that being part of a daily commute!

Hi Tastastic.

Bellerive is really nice. As you say, a few nice cafes, great beach and quite a few shops in the immediate vicinity. There's a good mix of old and new properties and frequently some stunning views of the river, the western shore, city and Mount Wellington. I wouldn't say the traffic is that bad over the bridge, even at peak time. It's certainly comparable to the traffic from Kingston. Depending on where in Bellerive you'd be very unlucky if it took you longer than 15 mins even in peak hour. Outside of peak hour would be around 7 mins probably (just guesses but we're in Bellerive a lot so they won't be far out).

Howrah and Tranmere typically have newer houses but are a little bit further out. Again nothing approaching a typical UK commute but add another 5 mins on to the times above. Also, particularly in Tranmere there's not an awful lot you can walk to which isn't a problem in most of Bellerive. All 3 suburbs are certainly among the better of Hobart's suburbs though and I would happily live in any of them.

In my (anecdotal) experience I'd say the weather is better on the eastern shore (I live in Sandy Bay on the western shore) and it's undeniable that they get more sunlight. That's sometimes a double edged sword as you may find that your lounge or kitchen or whatever gets very hot in summer with a lot of direct sunlight flooding in.

I've got a post on my website that describes a walk around Bellerive with a few pictures that you might like. You're not allowed to put links to individual pages in the forum but if you go to my site (link in the signature) and search for Bellerive you should find it.

Good luck - such an exciting time for you!

Ooh thanks Runslikeafish. It sounds fab!

Guess what I'm going to do right now..? ?

Thank you!

Wow, your photos are fab. The one looking over the marina is breathtaking. It sounds like a wonderful place. And I love your comment about your wife saying you weren't allowed to stop and take any more photos - gotta love the baby/toddler stage! ?

Glad you liked it! Some of the views sure are spectacular - although you kind of get used to that in Tassie!

I found Bellerive to be a really nice area to live (the views are terrific) but I found the light from the Oval overwhelming during the evening especially if you enjoy the night sky. I would recommend renting there for a while just to see how you get on with it.

Thanks Happy Lass. I do like the sound of Bellerive. I'm coming out in a few months (with the aim of sorting out our rental house and schools etc) so I might try and stay in that area. At least for some of the time. Then I can try the commute too. I do love the areas south of Hobart though, so they will take some beating!

I live in a house in West Hobart with a really nice view of Bellerive, the river and the Eastern suburbs. Although West Hobart is probably superior in terms of its proximity to town and beautiful old streets, I can measure very clearly from my window that those buggers over there keep the sun about an hour later every evening than we do over here in the shade of the mountain. And that's a big deal, unless your're an early bird.

Have you considered Lindisfarne? You just turn left rather than right right as you cross the bridge from town. Slightly cheaper house prices and possibly rents and great views. Shopping better and people always seem very friendly in Lindisfarne for some reason. It's quieter and the only disadvantage, as far as I can see , s that it doesn't have a beach (beautiful little harbour though) and the age profile is a bit old.

Thanks for that, Strick. Just as I think I've settled on an area, there's another place that pops up, with a whole other list of pros and cons! Honestly, how on earth do people decide on where to settle?? Obviously it can only be a good thing that there seems to be so many nice areas around Hobart, but it doesn't help with the decision-making process one bit!

For some reason I haven't considered Lindisfarne. No idea why! It sounds lovely, and an extra hour of sunshine sounds wonderful.

Time to do some more googling (for a change! [emoji1]) How on earth did people make the move before the t'internet? [emoji15]

I have no idea Tantastic, how people managed to emigrate before t'internet. I think, like my great aunt and uncle, they put all their stuff in tea chests and hoped for the best.

You should probably be aware that the distances between some of these suburbs ie lindisfarne and Bellerive is miniscule. Today, for example, I took the dog for a walk at 4:00 pm from West Hobart to Bellerive and then all the way across the beaches to Little Howrah beach and back again with plenty of time left over to give my Landlord a lift to the airport at 7:00pm. The lack of traffic, even at peak times, is one of the big attractions of tassie, in my opoinion.

Hi, I know this post is a few months old, but I don't get on these forums much of late! We've been in Tassie for just over 3.5 years now, and have lived in Howrah (right next to Tranmere) for around 2.5 years. The traffic into the CBD is not an issue. I typically drive into town around 7:45am and it usually takes me 11 minutes. If I drive a bit later (e.g. 08:00 - 08:30) it might take an extra couple of minutes for the "rush hour"!

I was sceptical about the whole sunshine debate for Eastern shore, but having lived here I can say it is absolutely true. We have amazing views of Hobart and Mt Wellington and often see rain falling on the city while we remain dry and sunny. That said, I would have no problem living on either shore.

Hi BearRules. Thanks for the post.

We've been here a few months now and have settled (well, for now!) just south of Hobart. I loved the Bellerive area when I visited (and I notice every evening that you guys on the eastern shore get sunshine for longer [emoji30]). Like you I could live on other side but we found schools over here that suited our kids so perfectly that they made the whole move feel a little less of a risk. Who knows where we'll end up long-term though.

Oh and I got stuck in the 'rush hour' once. I think it added an extra five minutes to my journey. Outrageous! [emoji1]