Port Noarlunga/Adelaide

[Biscuit Lovers]

Hi

As I have been doing some obsessive research into emigrating (I've got the bug!).

I really like Port Noarlunga and would hope to live around there?

Can I ask for opinions about my two major concerns please?

1. Education? I don't know what to think! The schools I've looked at haven't updated their web sites since 2006! Not very reasuring? The fees thing? I just get more confused?

2. Crime & Disorder? How do I know where to buy a home? It all looks lovely on the web..... I suspect it is very much like England where there are a variety of 'different areas' to put it politely.

I hope someone can fill me in.......please!

T

[Tyke]

Hi Biscuit lovers

Port Noarlunga is not a bad area,it does get busy during the summer weekends and tourist season though.
It has a real mix of houses/styles/ages.
It has a real character all of it's own.

I'd look at the surrounding areas as well,once visited you might not want to actually live there but be nearby.

There is Moana,Port Noarlunga South close by.

I'd definitely come and experience an area before making a definite decision.

I don't know much about the schools locally though.

[Diane]

There are definitely a variety of different areas, and don't forget, anything on sites like Realestate.com.au is intended to sell you something, so of course, it's going to be presented in the best possible light, and look lovely!

If you can't do a recce visit before you come, I'd recommend finding somewhere central to rent initially, and base your choice of area on (a) where you'll be working (b) whether you like trees or beach nearby and (c) distance from places where you will need to go regularly (e.g. if you'll need to go in and out of the City for work/leisure).

There are hundreds of suburbs in and around Adelaide, and I am constantly amazed when people make a fixed decision on where they will settle before they have even seen the place for themselves. Remember that one man's meat is another man's poison so unless you have clones with identical needs and taste as you, you can't make a decision based on someone else's opinion.

D

[Lazy Cow]

Originally Posted by Diane

There are hundreds of suburbs in and around Adelaide, and I am constantly amazed when people make a fixed decision on where they will settle before they have even seen the place for themselves.

That is soo true Diane, and one reason why we never offer advice on an area...although the kids do love surfing down Port Noarlunga! The other is that you are right T, there can be areas within areas..some good, some perhaps less so. Same as anywhere, who am I to say?

As to fees. They are not so confusing if you bear in mind that you pay for just about everything here!

Whether the school is state / private or church, they all charge fees. The fee covers many different things. For example we pay $230pa for our 12yo to attend a state primary. This covers exercise books, textas books etc. Then we pay a supplement of $35 for trips, although camps and some extra trips are charged separately. On top of this we pay for sports clubs he attends at school but outside school hours.

The 15yo is at a state high school. Her fee is $350pa and includes some credit for photocopying, but we have to provide exercise books, pens textas etc. Trips are charged separately.

Whether state or not, all schools set their own fees, and this can vary widely from school to school. For example Brighton charge $500+pa. This pales into insignificance when compared to private and church schools, which vary even more- too much to bother putting a 'between' figure.
Does that make it any clearer? As a guide, I'd say Tyke* normally offers the most succinct, honest and straightforward advice. Which is nice considering he is a self-proclaimed cross-dresser....
LC
*Not to imply that is to the exclusion of anyone else, it's more that a) it's true and b) I don't like to miss a chance to get at him....

[Tyke]

Originally Posted by Lazy Cow

Does that make it any clearer? As a guide, I'd say Tyke* normally offers the most succinct, honest and straightforward advice. Which is nice considering he is a self-proclaimed cross-dresser....
LC
*Not to imply that is to the exclusion of anyone else, it's more that a) it's true and b) I don't like to miss a chance to get at him....

I resemble that remark.

I don't get annoyed when I get dressed up at all,quite happy in fact

[Biscuit Lovers]

Hey thank you people! At least it appears that I can afford to educate my son anyway!

Providing that we get to Oz that is. It seems odd to me that where I live we will let anyone in, it is gonna cost a fortune even to reach the rejection stage for over there!

This probably sounds like a ridiculous question but is it worth it????? Other than the weather (which I also worry about, man what is wrong with me).

I wouldn't dream of just buying somewhere before having a look, it is just really important to me that the little 'un goes to a decent school, as we have been really lucky here with schooling. It seems that the schools have a strict catchment procedure, and the January deadline also?

Anyway I am sure I will keep worrying, I know the immigrants to this country think the streets are paved with gold, and they are certainly not (however the state benefits, free heath care, education, soft law enforcement etc must be tempting).

Why do we want to leave? Because it's about to implode or something and I don't want to go down with the sinking ship.

Happy Days

T :wub:

[Libby1971]

The areas that you are interested in and are lovely. As Tyke said they are busier at certain times of the year.

LC has given great info on schools so can't top that really.

The catchment zones are not like the UK - they are much stricter for High School adn far more relaxed in primary whereas it is the other way around in UK. There are soooooo many people arriving that there is no real deadline for applications - like most schools, if they can fit you in, they will. I hadn't heard of any deadlines - oops!

Is it worth it? It depends on what you are looking for...if you want an easy life, then probably no, as the chances are you will be disappointed. If you want a chance to have a life where you work, offer your children a few different experiences (hopefully one or two better ones), enjoy some outdoor activities in a less stressed environment then yes it is worth it.

We have been here nearly a year now and I won't say that it is been plain sailing. But I have settled a bit more and the move has been worth it. Both my children told me the other day, independently, that neither of think of the UK as home anymore - Aus is home. They like their friends and family in the UK but here is where they will be lving - the eldest (13 when we left) told us that we were right to do this move. Phew!!!

As for life in the UK - well I think you need to be a braver person and a more patient person than I could ever hope to be to cope there at the moment. The UK needs some policies to protect the interests of the UK people, not every Tom, Dick and Harry from Europe and beyond who travels there to get a free ride. I can provide for my children much better here than I could in the UK.

Libby

[Lazy Cow]

Originally Posted by Biscuit Lovers

This probably sounds like a ridiculous question but is it worth it????? Other than the weather (which I also worry about, man what is wrong with me).

It seems that the schools have a strict catchment procedure, and the January deadline also?

Anyway I am sure I will keep worrying, I know the immigrants to this country think the streets are paved with gold, and they are certainly not (however the state benefits, free heath care, education, soft law enforcement etc must be tempting).

T :wub:

'Is it worth it?' If I could answer that one perhaps I could charge for my specialist psychic ability and become rich! It's got to be the question, hasn't it? I can only answer for us...we had a good life although DH worked more hours than we liked. The kids both attended good schools, we had good friends, a nice house, and generally enjoyed our life. What do we have now? Pretty much the same. Has it been worth it? Don't know. If I could do it all again, I would. I love life here; we have a great time with lovely people, and are very grateful that the Australian government took that leap of faith/desperation and let us come here. That said, I would have been every bit as happy if we'd stayed in the UK, but that's as much to do with the sort of person I am. That didn't help, did it?!

As for the state school catchment areas, it kinda depends which school you want your child to attend...same as in the UK. Even then many of the over-subscribed schools have places set aside for children who have additional reasons for wanting to attend -ie. specialist sports/music/drama/education schools. It is also much easier to transfer from one school to another should you feel the need. The school year starts in January, but in my (albeit limited) experience the schools accept kids at any time during the year...even up to a couple of weeks from the end of term!

I think that the 'paved with gold' feeling applies to many people coming over here too*. It sometimes seems that we get so caught up in the 'get to Australia quick as' thing that it's easy to forget that life is pretty much the same here. Do you know what I mean? We still have crime, kids hanging round drinking, graphitti,work,the cold, social spongers, rain (though not as much over the last few years), bills, school bullies,etc. That's not meant to sound negative 'cos as far as I can see, it's just life isn't it which is my whole point!? And I love my life.
I'd say come over, but that's just me!
LC
* Is that statement akin to PiO suicide? I don't mean it to sound offensive; it's just a thought.